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How can a translator try to maintain a more or less constant workflow?
Thread poster: Bárbara Hammerle López-Francos
Gabriele Demuth
Gabriele Demuth  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:39
English to German
Thanks! Feb 27, 2015

Hm, yes, it happened to me, one week I turn down several jobs and wonder whether the agency will come back to me, the next week I appear to have nothing to do until several requests come at once and I am in the same position again.

Luckily I have found one client who will send a days work every Wednesday and wants it back by Monday morning, that's nice and predictable, one seems happy to wait and a third sends two days work every month or two, with a week to do it. The rest is quite
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Hm, yes, it happened to me, one week I turn down several jobs and wonder whether the agency will come back to me, the next week I appear to have nothing to do until several requests come at once and I am in the same position again.

Luckily I have found one client who will send a days work every Wednesday and wants it back by Monday morning, that's nice and predictable, one seems happy to wait and a third sends two days work every month or two, with a week to do it. The rest is quite erratic, up and down ...
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Diana Obermeyer
Diana Obermeyer  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:39
Member (2013)
German to English
+ ...
I have 1 of those Feb 27, 2015

Gabriele Demuth wrote:

I was just wondering, I am still getting established, building a client base, but I have heard and read lots about short deadlines, urgent jobs, even very large jobs seem to be very urgent.

Somehow I do not really understand this from a clients point of view. Translation is usually quite an expense, especially with large jobs. Wouldn't clients plan ahead, find the right person and give them time to do a good job? We always have to wait for our builder and we don't mind, he is not the cheapest, but we know he will do a good job.

Wouldn't many of the established and experienced translators have a good client base who value them? This would allow them to plan ahead a little, or not?


Some of my direct clients inform me about upcoming projects. The timeline is seldom anywhere near the initial plan, so it actually has little impact on my workflow. Delays are often measured in months, rather than weeks... Still, I appreciate them trying to keep me in the loop.

However, I have 1 client who will tell me he's working on one thing or the other, I will receive the files about a week later and he usually only needs the translation somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks down the line with projects ranging from a day's to a week's work. To make things even better, he also pays within 2 or 3 days after delivery!

It's very easy to say "if only all clients were like that". However, these little super-clients also bring their own challenges. We can work on this basis, because I am their only translator for my language pair. That also means that I cannot - ever - turn down a project. Being able to say yes or no is a luxury that comes with the client having several translators to fall back on - in which case, delivery speed will be a key criterion.


 
Gabriele Demuth
Gabriele Demuth  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:39
English to German
What about flexibility? Feb 27, 2015

Sure, if you are their only translator you can't say no and you probably wouldn't want to, but clients are busy and so are translators. Wouldn't the client have to expect that the translator may be booked up that week and that he may have to wait a couple of days until the job can be done.

I still do find it astonishing that that clients expect jobs to be done instantly. This happens nowhere else - you have to make appointments with lawyers, doctors, book jobs in with electricians
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Sure, if you are their only translator you can't say no and you probably wouldn't want to, but clients are busy and so are translators. Wouldn't the client have to expect that the translator may be booked up that week and that he may have to wait a couple of days until the job can be done.

I still do find it astonishing that that clients expect jobs to be done instantly. This happens nowhere else - you have to make appointments with lawyers, doctors, book jobs in with electricians ... I do find it a bit rude really to be expected to be available immediately and then its usually a rush, and the cherry of the cake is when they feel my rate is too high.
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Diana Obermeyer
Diana Obermeyer  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:39
Member (2013)
German to English
+ ...
Different type of flexibility Feb 27, 2015

Gabriele Demuth wrote:

Sure, if you are their only translator you can't say no and you probably wouldn't want to, but clients are busy and so are translators. Wouldn't the client have to expect that the translator may be booked up that week and that he may have to wait a couple of days until the job can be done.

I still do find it astonishing that that clients expect jobs to be done instantly. This happens nowhere else - you have to make appointments with lawyers, doctors, book jobs in with electricians ... I do find it a bit rude really to be expected to be available immediately and then its usually a rush, and the cherry of the cake is when they feel my rate is too high.


No, my direct clients very rarely expect anything instant. If they do, it's for a good reason. In general, deadlines are a lot more reasonable with direct clients. But they still need files for a particular meeting or presentation or to prepare a particular tender and it's critical that they have the relevant material for that date. I don't think that can be compared to a doctor's appointment.

Agencies are different in that respect. Sheila explained that very well on the previous page.

But I may just have accepted a three-week project that takes up most of my regular working hours. If an agency contacts me with a 5k file, I'm free to say that I can't manage it. They simply send it to the next translator. If one of my regular direct clients contacts me with a 5k file, I will need to work night-shifts or weekends to make it happen. An agency might think it's reasonable to expect a 3 day turnaround and may be able to negotiate another day, whereas my direct client only expects delivery in say 10 days. That will make it easier to slot the project in on most occasions, but out-of-hours action is not the exception by any means.



[Edited at 2015-02-27 17:36 GMT]


 
Gabriele Demuth
Gabriele Demuth  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:39
English to German
Direct clients are more reasonable Feb 27, 2015

My direct clients are more reasonable and I try to negotiate generous deadlines in order to not get stressed, fit in small jobs if necessary and the clients are always happy to get the jobs a couple of days early.

I am just wondering from the directs clients point of view, he/she has a meeting etc and needs the text or presentation. If I were the client I would give notice and if possible book the job in to make sure I get it in or ahead of time. I wouldn't expect anyone to be avail
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My direct clients are more reasonable and I try to negotiate generous deadlines in order to not get stressed, fit in small jobs if necessary and the clients are always happy to get the jobs a couple of days early.

I am just wondering from the directs clients point of view, he/she has a meeting etc and needs the text or presentation. If I were the client I would give notice and if possible book the job in to make sure I get it in or ahead of time. I wouldn't expect anyone to be available at the drop of a hat?!
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Diana Obermeyer
Diana Obermeyer  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:39
Member (2013)
German to English
+ ...
How much notice do you think the client has? Feb 27, 2015

Gabriele Demuth wrote:

My direct clients are more reasonable and I try to negotiate generous deadlines in order to not get stressed, fit in small jobs if necessary and the clients are always happy to get the jobs a couple of days early.

I am just wondering from the directs clients point of view, he/she has a meeting etc and needs the text or presentation. If I were the client I would give notice and if possible book the job in to make sure I get it in or ahead of time. I wouldn't expect anyone to be available at the drop of a hat?!


Maybe the fundamental difference between our understanding of client needs lies in the focus of our work.

Instant requirements are rare. But imagine a consultant being at the edge of closing a business deal and a short file outside of his regular documentation being just the tool he needs for the next advance - it might cost him the deal if he tells his client that he'll send it next week. These sort of situations don't tend to arise in the field of education.
The same client who might phone me at 9pm because he is in the situation described above will usually send me projects with 3 times the deadline required.
A client who is always in a rush is better served with an agency and I will tell him so. I had to do that a few times in the past. It's much easier for an agency to always find a translator who is free than for an individual translator to always be free.

I love working with direct clients. But at least within my field, I cannot go above a certain percentage of direct work. I also need clients who have a ready substitute for me.


 
564354352 (X)
564354352 (X)  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 22:39
Danish to English
+ ...
If your water pipes burst, can you wait for assistance? Feb 27, 2015

Gabriele Demuth wrote:

I am just wondering from the directs clients point of view, he/she has a meeting etc and needs the text or presentation. If I were the client I would give notice and if possible book the job in to make sure I get it in or ahead of time. I wouldn't expect anyone to be available at the drop of a hat?!


Not everything is black and white in translation... Some clients ARE unrealistic, that is true, but others genuinely need a job done quickly. They may not know in advance that they will suddenly need a text in another language. Not all things can be planned... There's no point in getting annoyed about that, either you can do the job (and are willing to) or you can't. Simple as that.

You lay down the rules for the way you want to work, your clients can never ORDER you to do anything at all...


 
Gabriele Demuth
Gabriele Demuth  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:39
English to German
True, there are different situations in different industries Feb 27, 2015

The direct clients I have a really nice to work with and very reasonable, from my limited experience it is mainly agencies that want things now.

And yes, I do need to decide how I want to work. I am thinking of one translator I know who is available for one client's constant rush jobs 24/7, weekends and holidays in fear of loosing the client - this is what I want to avoid.


 
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