Poll: Do you work with direct clients? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you work with direct clients?".
View the poll results »
| | | | Tim Drayton 
Cyprus
Local time: 12:44
Turkish to English
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| Yes, at times | Nov 23, 2013 |
Roughly 2% of my turnover so far this year has been work with direct clients.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 11:44
Spanish to English
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| Yes, frequently | Nov 23, 2013 |
In fact, I hardly do any agency work any more (touch wood).
| | | | | Yes, frequently | Nov 23, 2013 |
Approximately half of my jobs are from agencies and half from direct clients, with monthly variations...
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Helen Hagon
Local time: 10:44
Member (2011)
Russian to English
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| Yes, frequently | Nov 23, 2013 |
Most of my work at the moment is with direct clients. They can be harder to find, but, in my experience, often result in a long term collaboration, and a stronger working relationship. I have worked with some nice agencies, too, but for them I am just one on a list of many translators, and so things are more formal and impersonal.
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 18:44
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
As in, I don't any more.
Even though the rates are obviously better working with direct clients, there is more time-consuming interaction and dealing with petty and annoying inquiries and telephone calls that are highly distracting and interrupt my other work.
Also, in Japan, especially, direct clients expect you to actually visit their offices to talk about business and projects, which can translate into 1/2 or a whole full day wasted.  ... See more As in, I don't any more.
Even though the rates are obviously better working with direct clients, there is more time-consuming interaction and dealing with petty and annoying inquiries and telephone calls that are highly distracting and interrupt my other work.
Also, in Japan, especially, direct clients expect you to actually visit their offices to talk about business and projects, which can translate into 1/2 or a whole full day wasted.  And, more often than not, they think that they have a direct batphone link to you 24 hours a day. No thank you!
A good customer, for me, is one that can interface and take all that unnecessary heat and aggaravation away from me so that I can concentrate on what I do best -- translation without the frills. And, a rate lower than that from a direct client is quite fine with me!  ▲ Collapse
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Most of my work is with international organizations, which are a hybrid between agencies and individual customers. They receive translation work from throughout the organization and assign it as a PM would in an agency, but their "clientele" is part of the organization itself. Also, they are not out to make a profit, and their rates are established by an international committee. They are not negotiable.
Also, international organizations sometimes hire agencies.
| | | | Suzan Hamer
Netherlands
Local time: 11:44
English
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Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:44
Russian to English
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In memoriam | Mostly direct clients (recently) | Nov 23, 2013 |
Until a year or so ago almost all my work (technical & commercial) was from agencies. But fortunately I have been able to do more literary translations recently: novels, short stories, articles for a business magazine. The magazine pays very promptly (was paid this morning for a translation I had only sent off a few minutes before). One job is proofreading chapters of a series of big novels, so that should go on for quite a while. Another is for a science-fiction novel (just completed first few... See more Until a year or so ago almost all my work (technical & commercial) was from agencies. But fortunately I have been able to do more literary translations recently: novels, short stories, articles for a business magazine. The magazine pays very promptly (was paid this morning for a translation I had only sent off a few minutes before). One job is proofreading chapters of a series of big novels, so that should go on for quite a while. Another is for a science-fiction novel (just completed first few chapters, client is currently trying to market it), and an established writer of detective stories in Russian has asked me to translate one when a revision of it is completed. The short stories also look like continuing for some time yet. All these clients pay promptly, within a few days. It does involve more emails back and forth, revisions of drafts and so on, but I don't mind that, I'm happy to work with the author to produce the best result. So far I haven't had any problems with unreasonable demands. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Vibeke Degn-P
Norway
Local time: 11:44
Member (2010)
English to Norwegian
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| Most are direct clients | Nov 23, 2013 |
Yes, most of my clients are. I have a few good agency contacts, but most of my work comes from direct clients. I like it. I get to know the client a lot closer, learning what they like and want, making it easier for me to give them what they want. We all win!
| | | | | Mostly direct clients | Nov 23, 2013 |
Most of our work comes from direct clients, but I still work with one or two other agencies when I have the time.
| | | | Chris Ellison
Spain
Local time: 11:44
Member (2013)
Spanish to English
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| Special clients; special service | Nov 28, 2013 |
Most of my clients are direct and they tend to come to me, referred by other clients. I am a geologist by training and am known within the business here as such. People know that they get more than just a translation service from me as I am often able to comment on the science involved, as well as the way it is argued. This saves a lot of time when we're talking about international projects that get reviewed and re-reviewed and articles for publication.
I am extremely grateful to my... See more Most of my clients are direct and they tend to come to me, referred by other clients. I am a geologist by training and am known within the business here as such. People know that they get more than just a translation service from me as I am often able to comment on the science involved, as well as the way it is argued. This saves a lot of time when we're talking about international projects that get reviewed and re-reviewed and articles for publication.
I am extremely grateful to my clients for appreciating my work enough to pass my name on to their colleagues as this trust gives me an enormous sense of personal satisfaction that you just don't get when you work with agencies, even in good teams for big projects.
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Diana Obermeyer
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:44
Member (2013)
German to English
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About 2/3 of my work comes from direct clients and about half of them from referrals. Its mostly consultancy firms.
Some of them provide a good steady workflow, others ad hoc jobs, the agency work smoothes everything out. I like working direct and getting to know my clients and their particularities.
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