Poll: Have you ever been asked to deliver a project before the arranged deadline? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Jessica Noyes 
United States
Local time: 12:43
Member
Spanish to English
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| Not a problem | Jun 9, 2009 |
The agency suddenly realized that the deadline they had given me was their own deadline to have the job back to their client, and that they would need some time to go over it. However, they had given me five days to translate 5,000 words, and they realized their problem on Day 2, so it was easy enough for me to tighten up my schedule and get it to them a day earlier.
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Paul Kachur
Germany
Local time: 18:43
German to English
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Nearly every customer wants a translation back asap, a deadline is the absolute last moment they can accept it.
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usually i'm the one who gets it in early- if anything they will offer the 'last possible ultimate' deadline, ie worst case scenario (computer crash or other assorted dooms and disasters). If they do change deadlines, usually it's BEFORE i commit to the project.
Either way, i've always been neurotically punctual, thanks to my journalistic background.
[Edited at 2009-06-09 20:55 GMT]
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Parrot
Spain
Local time: 18:43
Spanish to English
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There's always someone who thinks twice and concludes he could be laying out or mocking up as I go along, changes his mind and asks for rolling inputs. Or something like that. We negotiate.
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Mark Nathan
France
Local time: 18:43
Member (2002)
French to English
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| The client has just realized that... | Jun 9, 2009 |
they need it today...
the person who has to OK it is going on holiday tomorrow...
the printer is shutting for their annual holiday at the end of the week...
and so basically could we have it ASAP instead of the negotiated deadline.
I have had all of these.
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| No!! Never!! | Jun 10, 2009 |
.. and I would feel really uncomfortable!
I calculate my schedule very well. I think of the amount of words I have to translate every day, add extra days for unforeseen events (emergencies, sickness), add more time for foreseen events (meetings with friends, birthdays, outings with the children), and finally some more time for proofreading and editing. I am really precise and punctual.
If I would have a customer that asks me for my translation before time, then somethi... See more .. and I would feel really uncomfortable!
I calculate my schedule very well. I think of the amount of words I have to translate every day, add extra days for unforeseen events (emergencies, sickness), add more time for foreseen events (meetings with friends, birthdays, outings with the children), and finally some more time for proofreading and editing. I am really precise and punctual.
If I would have a customer that asks me for my translation before time, then something of this chain would have to be altered, causing me not to attend my best friend's birthday or cancelling that stroll through the park I had promise my children. I would be really mad!
Fortunately, I never have customers like that and we both set the deadline before starting with the project. If it's too tight and I have too many things to do, then I don't take the job.
[Edited at 2009-06-10 03:54 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Fortunately, the first time I was in shape to skip a night's sleep, and the second I had to sacrifice a whole weekend. Of course, I charged a 50% overtime fee, so it was worthwhile
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Jocelynne
Romania
Local time: 19:43
Hungarian to Romanian
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| My pleasure... | Jun 10, 2009 |
To deliver before the agreed deadline.
As is the client's pleasure to pay me more (+30%-50%, or even double the price - depending on the volume of work and less of days).
I tell him about the increased price the most innocently and politely possible. The result in 99% of the cases is that the original deadline remains.
Have a nice day!
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but I've been asked to drop in an additional text within the deadline, luckily I was able to get it all out in time, so i think the client was grateful
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keelin feeney
Ireland
Local time: 17:43
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
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| Before the deadline | Jun 10, 2009 |
I have a client who I have a regular deadline for "first thing in the morning" every week so could I please send it the night before...it is true that a deadline means that the client wants it BY then but I don't think it should matter whether I work late into the night to finish it, or get up early to finish it...I think that I should decide that !
In any case, with this particular job and client, I prefer to send it off at night-time so we haven't had to "discuss" the situation, b... See more I have a client who I have a regular deadline for "first thing in the morning" every week so could I please send it the night before...it is true that a deadline means that the client wants it BY then but I don't think it should matter whether I work late into the night to finish it, or get up early to finish it...I think that I should decide that !
In any case, with this particular job and client, I prefer to send it off at night-time so we haven't had to "discuss" the situation, but it does amuse me sometimes when I think about it. ▲ Collapse
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I've been asked to deliver some files from a multi-part job before the final deadline agreed for the piece of work as a whole, which was slightly inconvenient at the time as the original PM had gone on holiday without specifying that they wanted this, but it wasn't a problem in the end.
I find a certain amount of flexibility in some of my clients, that not all are in a mad rush to get everything ASAP, especially in relation to work commissioned before public holidays, at the start of Augus... See more I've been asked to deliver some files from a multi-part job before the final deadline agreed for the piece of work as a whole, which was slightly inconvenient at the time as the original PM had gone on holiday without specifying that they wanted this, but it wasn't a problem in the end.
I find a certain amount of flexibility in some of my clients, that not all are in a mad rush to get everything ASAP, especially in relation to work commissioned before public holidays, at the start of August, etc.
[Edited at 2009-06-10 10:19 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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| Yes, right now... | Jun 10, 2009 |
The deadline for the project I'm working on right now got moved up by 9 days. Luckily, the original deadline was quite generous, so the new deadline was still doable. Plus, it will free me up earlier to be able to accept other projects.
-C.S.
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