| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: How many of your clients have you met in person? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How many of your clients have you met in person?".
View the poll results »
| | | | Michael Harris 
Germany
Local time: 06:39
Member (2006)
German to English
| A few of them | Oct 19, 2012 |
as I always make an effort to visit them whenever I am driving past their city / offices when I go on holiday or attend Powwows, etc.
| | | | Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:39
Russian to English
+ ...
In memoriam | Only twice, as far as I can remember | Oct 19, 2012 |
Not a happy experience in either case. The first one was a late payer and failed to pay at all for the last part of the job.
The second one was a speaker at a Translators' Guild meeting in London. I was getting regular small translation jobs once or twice a week from his agency at the time. I spoke to him and he invited me to visit him at the agency, which I did. From then on I never had any work from that agency or any response to my emails. He must have taken a great dislike ... See more Not a happy experience in either case. The first one was a late payer and failed to pay at all for the last part of the job.
The second one was a speaker at a Translators' Guild meeting in London. I was getting regular small translation jobs once or twice a week from his agency at the time. I spoke to him and he invited me to visit him at the agency, which I did. From then on I never had any work from that agency or any response to my emails. He must have taken a great dislike to me. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 13:39
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
| Almost all of them | Oct 19, 2012 |
Should have been one of the options.
Almost all of my customers are in Japan over here where I live and work. And, culture here is quite different from that in Europe and America -- gross understatement, of course. 
This is how we do business -- after initial exchange of emails or telephone calls, we meet and talk in their offices and, preferably, go out and have a few drinks and talk and get more acquainted wi... See more Should have been one of the options.
Almost all of my customers are in Japan over here where I live and work. And, culture here is quite different from that in Europe and America -- gross understatement, of course.
This is how we do business -- after initial exchange of emails or telephone calls, we meet and talk in their offices and, preferably, go out and have a few drinks and talk and get more acquainted with each other. If possible, I'll make a point of meeting them once or twice a year.
I live in Kyoto and in most cases make the 2.5 hour trip up to Tokyo if that's where they are based to meet a new customer before we start working together. I make a point of only doing business with people I like. It adds to the fun and enjoyment of translation.
It would be interesting to hear voices from my neck of the woods -- China, Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia, etc. -- and areas not generally heard in this forum to hear their story. ▲ Collapse
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Julian Holmes wrote:
It adds to the fun and enjoyment of translation.
I have a question for you. What about women translators? Do they have to go through the same drill? The drinks, etc...
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 13:39
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
Rocio Barrientos wrote:
I have a question for you. What about women translators? Do they have to go through the same drill? The drinks, etc...
Rocio, I honestly don't know since I've, ahem, never been in a woman's shoes. However, I certainly do understand that as a woman translator having to go for drinks to socialize with a potential customer would be problematic.
A very interesting point, though. In fact, I'll make a point of asking around when we next have a translators' or writers' get-together over. Unfortunately, I can't give you an answer in this poll. Sorry!
I must add, that going for drinks is not mandatory and essential for getting work -- it just greases the tracks for getting work in the future.
HTH
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Why could women not go for drinks?
As for the poll, I'm not sure what to answer... The only clients I met in person are:
1/ my ex-employer
2/ fellow translators whom I knew before the outsourced me work
I think that's not what's expected in this poll so I'll check zero...
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 06:39
Spanish to English
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Quite a few, in fact probably more than half, if I could be bothered to count them and work out the percentage. For example, one of my regulars is a company and my original contact with them was an EFL student of mine, although I now deal with other people in the company who I have only met once. I also used to teach English to different groups in another company which I now only translate for. Ditto the regional government, although I haven't done anything for them for a while...
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Most of my clients are in other cities, countries etc. But I have met one or two. One was a client whose office was downtown (advertising agency) and I met them at their office a few months ago. Another was a client whose website I translated, and he had an office in the city as well.
I am pretty sure however, this question was asked not too long ago.
| | | | | As many as possible | Oct 19, 2012 |
We never used to worry about it but then we noticed that we always get more work from customers after we've met them, even if we don't really hit it off.
With them all being abroad we don't see them very often, but then once is usually enough.
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 06:39
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Thus far I've met only one of my clients who order the translation and then dropped in to pick it up and pay for it cash in hand. I wouldn't mind meeting more of my clients like this, but... most of them live in another country or on different continents. Still, this one meeting was very nice.
| | | | Helen Hagon
Local time: 05:39
Member (2011)
Russian to English
+ ...
I once had a call from a potential Russian customer who said he was coming to England for a few days and wanted to meet me in central London. I was quite nervous and made sure my family knew where I was going, lest anything untoward should happen. However, we met in a coffee shop, had a long and interesting conversation, and I came away with a commission to translate a whole book. Although the internet is very convenient, especially when working with customers in different countries, I do be... See more I once had a call from a potential Russian customer who said he was coming to England for a few days and wanted to meet me in central London. I was quite nervous and made sure my family knew where I was going, lest anything untoward should happen. However, we met in a coffee shop, had a long and interesting conversation, and I came away with a commission to translate a whole book. Although the internet is very convenient, especially when working with customers in different countries, I do believe that it can never replace good old human interaction. ▲ Collapse
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when I worked as a sworn translator. But, besides those, I only met in person one client (a Japanese one) and, thanks to Julian explanation, I understand now why he insisted on meeting me... It was quite funny because I do not speak Japanese and he only spoke a very approximative English, so after an one hour meeting I had to ask him to confirm everything in writing as I honestly had no clue about what he had said!
N.B. He is still my client!
| | | | Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:39
Hebrew to English
| Are you sure Julian? | Oct 19, 2012 |
Julian Holmes wrote:
I honestly don't know since I've, ahem, never been in a woman's shoes.
I'm having mental images of "Julianne" coming out for the weekend in 4 inch high heels
| | | | Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 22:39
English to Spanish
+ ...
In memoriam
Since I work a local market for the most part, I often visit my clients' offices and sometimes they visit me.
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