| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: Have you ever offered a discount to keep a regular client? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Jan Truper 
Germany
Local time: 10:12
Member (2016)
English to German
In the aftermath of the financial crisis 2008, one of my agency clients lowered rates a bit. I went along because I found the argument convincing at the time.
However, when everything was back to normal, this agency did not raise the rate back to par, so they landed on my s***list and were replaced ASAP.
| | | | Adam Warren
France
Local time: 10:12
Member (2005)
French to English
| More than once, yes but... | Jun 23, 2019 |
ProZ.com Staff wrote:
"Have you ever offered a discount to keep a regular client?"
I acquiesced on several occasions in the insistent demands of one client until he tried to force me to go below 10 euro cents a word, which I won't. Since that time, I have not been bothered by him. Perhaps I should have stuck to my guns before then. In addition to paying peanut rates, the agency he heads gives harebrained, shoestring deadlines, especially taking inordinate pains to stuff revision assignments in edgewise, as an afterthought, in disregard of my working pace of 1200 words per hour. I'm keeping that client on my panel because every now and then, it offers me translations with reasonable deadlines. I've decided, however, to turn down its revision offers, for which the deadlines are systematically under-estimated, amounting to giving that client an ill-gotten discount.
[Edited at 2019-06-23 15:04 GMT]
| | | | | What the heck | Jun 23, 2019 |
IanDhu wrote: ProZ.com Staff wrote:
"Have you ever offered a discount to keep a regular client?" as an afterthought, in disregard of my working pace of 1200 words per hour. [Edited at 2019-06-23 15:04 GMT]
No wonder agencies become so demanding if you say you manage 1,200 words an hour. What do you do? proofread them or translate them, though whatever? Even with any CAT tool it is impossible to carry on doing that for any length of time. How many hours do you work during the day then? That' plain crazy, in my opinion, even for just a day. No wonder the agency disregards your 'working pace' and keeps demanding reductions.
| | | | Lincoln Hui
Hong Kong
Local time: 16:12
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
| Is it your business? | Jun 23, 2019 |
Josephine Cassar wrote: IanDhu wrote: ProZ.com Staff wrote:
"Have you ever offered a discount to keep a regular client?" as an afterthought, in disregard of my working pace of 1200 words per hour. [Edited at 2019-06-23 15:04 GMT] No wonder agencies become so demanding if you say you manage 1,200 words an hour. What do you do? proofread them or translate them, though whatever? Even with any CAT tool it is impossible to carry on doing that for any length of time. How many hours do you work during the day then? That' plain crazy, in my opinion, even for just a day. No wonder the agency disregards your 'working pace' and keeps demanding reductions.
Whatever you feel about other people's working pace, you really ought to keep it to yourself.
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Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 05:12
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| Sometimes it's fair | Jun 23, 2019 |
I never "offer" a discount, but sometimes I accept discounts for repetitions (not zero, ever, only a discount) because it's only fair. For example, I translate spreadsheets, sometimes, with huge columns that can only be filled with about five different categories. Or documents with the very same heading and footing in 100 pages. In these cases, of course it's fair.
But discounts for big volumes? That's a bad joke.
And 1200 words per hour, my friend? I'm not going to paste your comm... See more I never "offer" a discount, but sometimes I accept discounts for repetitions (not zero, ever, only a discount) because it's only fair. For example, I translate spreadsheets, sometimes, with huge columns that can only be filled with about five different categories. Or documents with the very same heading and footing in 100 pages. In these cases, of course it's fair.
But discounts for big volumes? That's a bad joke.
And 1200 words per hour, my friend? I'm not going to paste your comment here again, but this kind of thing never worked in ProZ. The effect is the opposite of what you exepct, because no decent client will trust a translator who promises to translate more than 4000 words per day. They'll see quality issues immediately.
[Edited at 2019-06-23 23:04 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Clarification | Jun 24, 2019 |
Lincoln Hui wrote: Josephine Cassar wrote: IanDhu wrote: ProZ.com Staff wrote:
"Have you ever offered a discount to keep a regular client?" as an afterthought, in disregard of my working pace of 1200 words per hour. [Edited at 2019-06-23 15:04 GMT] No wonder agencies become so demanding if you say you manage 1,200 words an hour. What do you do? proofread them or translate them, though whatever? Even with any CAT tool it is impossible to carry on doing that for any length of time. How many hours do you work during the day then? That' plain crazy, in my opinion, even for just a day. No wonder the agency disregards your 'working pace' and keeps demanding reductions. Whatever you feel about other people's working pace, you really ought to keep it to yourself.
Sorry Lincoln, maybe I should have explained myself better. It is certainly up to IanDhu how many words he translates/proofreads in 1 hour but how long do you think he can carry this out without physical damage at least? Think of Repetitive Stress Injury, eye strain, back problems, etc.; we never think of those before they crop up by which time, it is too late, the damage has been done, and cannot be fully reversed. It also affects the industry as agencies will continue pressing us to deliver earlier and that is why it concerns me. Have a good day.
| | | | Nikolay Novitskiy
Russian Federation
Local time: 13:12
Member (2018)
English to Russian
| Only if they give something in return | Sep 11, 2019 |
Many agencies or clients asked me to give them a discount for multiple reasons. Big volume, tight budget, this project only, starving children, etc. I never accept and I always offer them a counter proposal.
I can give'em a discount, if they:
- pay much too earlier
- loosen a deadline significantly
- give me a full PR-support (publishing my name in game Credits, excluding the case from NDA, offering a feedback on Proz.com, allowing me to tell stories about h... See more Many agencies or clients asked me to give them a discount for multiple reasons. Big volume, tight budget, this project only, starving children, etc. I never accept and I always offer them a counter proposal.
I can give'em a discount, if they:
- pay much too earlier
- loosen a deadline significantly
- give me a full PR-support (publishing my name in game Credits, excluding the case from NDA, offering a feedback on Proz.com, allowing me to tell stories about how I translated their game in my articles, etc.)
They almost never accept these conditions but sometmes we strike a deal, and we continue to work as usual.
It's a gold rule of a salesman: discounts are offered only for something in return! ▲ Collapse
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