Additional changes in source text Thread poster: Wenke Geddert
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Wenke Geddert
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:22
Member (2004)
English to German
+ ...
You are just about to email your translation back (or you have already submitted your project) and your client informs you that there are additional changes to the source text. This has happened now a few times over the past few weeks and the requested changes were either some very minor amendments (no problem, really) to major changes in a complicated PowerPoint presentation. How do you charge for this? Your feedback is appreciated.
| | | | Ralf Lemster 
Germany
Local time: 22:22
English to German
+ ...
| CAT analysis or time-based charge | Feb 10, 2003 |
This happens to me frequently.
If the document can be analysed using a CAT tool (I use Trados, but the process should work in the same way with other tools), I run an analysis and charge for the translation on a weighted basis.
If this doesn\'t work, I would charge for the time spent.
In any case, before you start incorporating these changes (assuming we\'re not just talking about 2 or 3 words in a 2,000-word text...), tell your customer (i) th... See more This happens to me frequently.
If the document can be analysed using a CAT tool (I use Trados, but the process should work in the same way with other tools), I run an analysis and charge for the translation on a weighted basis.
If this doesn\'t work, I would charge for the time spent.
In any case, before you start incorporating these changes (assuming we\'re not just talking about 2 or 3 words in a 2,000-word text...), tell your customer (i) that this is not for free and (ii) the estimated cost. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Wenke Geddert
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:22
Member (2004)
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Agree with Suggestion | Feb 12, 2003 |
Thanks for your feedback, with which I entirely agree. I guess, the ultimate decision on charges depends on a) number of changes b) time spent on double checking, incorporating and translating them. Also dependant on relationship with client.
| | | | | My experience | May 5, 2003 |
It was an English to German job. There was this big para of a legal clause, about 1000 words. I struggled through it and gave the translation. Then the client tells me that the end client has deleted this para in toto in the source text. I just told my client that it was too bad and I have to be paid anyhow. The client fortunately was a reasonable man and paid me and got his payment from the end client. I don\'t know how he managed but all is well that ends well.
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I charge hourly, but if the changes are really minimal, I just do them for free.
What really gets me are entire new texts added to jobs - I do some employee newsletters and am forever getting additional texts after the due date. If there is a table of contents, I can estimate what is still missing, but if there isn\'t, then I\'m at the \"mercy\" of the client - who generally claims they \"didn\'t know\" that there would be additional texts. Well, of course, *someone* knew, b... See more I charge hourly, but if the changes are really minimal, I just do them for free.
What really gets me are entire new texts added to jobs - I do some employee newsletters and am forever getting additional texts after the due date. If there is a table of contents, I can estimate what is still missing, but if there isn\'t, then I\'m at the \"mercy\" of the client - who generally claims they \"didn\'t know\" that there would be additional texts. Well, of course, *someone* knew, but I haven\'t been able to make them tell me exactly what else is coming.
I usually squeeze these in (after all, I did the whole job already), but sometimes it\'s really a squeeze.
How do you handle this? Surcharge? Just say no? Other options? ▲ Collapse
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