| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | How much should we charge for extra "service" tasks before and after the mere translation? Thread poster: Dr. Lausberg de Morales
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Hi,
I have noted during the past few years that the procedures "around" a translation are becoming more and more time-consuming and that they eat up a great deal of my work day but customers expect these as part of the translation Service, e.g.:
- Preparing files for Translation - this could include anything such as extracting the text from strange formats into a file that will be processable with a CAT tool (and then copy-paste everything back after the Translation is ... See more Hi,
I have noted during the past few years that the procedures "around" a translation are becoming more and more time-consuming and that they eat up a great deal of my work day but customers expect these as part of the translation Service, e.g.:
- Preparing files for Translation - this could include anything such as extracting the text from strange formats into a file that will be processable with a CAT tool (and then copy-paste everything back after the Translation is done);
- Correcting the source, e.g. doing Research on the subjet matter to determine if the Information in the source text is correct (sometimes it is not and Reviewers would mark as a "Translation error" if the wrong source Content is translated into the same wrong target Content)
- Download reference Information from different sites and platforms that are all scattered over the Cyberspace and manage bunches of Login credentials
- Request missing Information from customers (in former times there was not much Information around a Project, now it has become vast but is not always completely provided)
- Studying huge documentations and specification packages
- Convert Excel or Word or other glossaries into a Format that could be processed by my CAT tool
- Align (or otherwise digest) reference documents because they should be taken into account for the translation but are not contained in the TMs provided by the Client
- Fill out all kinds of forms and certifications related to the Job
- Review several reviewers´ feedback on the Translation, check every item, provide feedback to it, keep track of several Arbitration rounds between several Reviewers among them or involving oneself, if worse comes to worst, fill out a root cause analysis form for every error a reviewer has found and pointed out, sometimes weeks after a translation had been delivered so that you have to dig up the project and try to figure out the root cause why you did not see that a non-breaking space was missing etc. etc.
15 years ago, a work day used to be 1 hour of correspondence, 6.5 hours of translating and eventually a half hour of "customer Service Tasks", such as answering specific requests during the post-process of a Translation.
Now a half day is quickly spent only on "extra tasks and processes".
Is this a common trend? And if so, how do you reflect it in your rates? Have you raised your per-word / per-line rates, or do you charge extra Hours, or do you just try to get the same amount of translations done amidst this huge amount of extra work and sacrifice your hobbies, your Family and your Sleep in order to be nice with your clients and maintain your competitivity?
Thanks for your input!
Uta ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Hello: Extra charge for Service | Mar 7, 2019 |
Hello:)
Really good topic. We spent a lot of time to work, first to understand what we should do ? We need to get a package with instructions, references, preferences of customers, logins to systems, or batch files to know how to load and create project files. All these requires time, meanwhile the customer has always very short deadlines. As you said we have to work without week-ends and accept the conditions.
By now, I have managed to add some extra charge for PDF files. I ... See more Hello:)
Really good topic. We spent a lot of time to work, first to understand what we should do ? We need to get a package with instructions, references, preferences of customers, logins to systems, or batch files to know how to load and create project files. All these requires time, meanwhile the customer has always very short deadlines. As you said we have to work without week-ends and accept the conditions.
By now, I have managed to add some extra charge for PDF files. I have no idea how to charge for the work that we do separately. Sometimes I have to reject the job when I see that I should not only translate for 6 hours, but I should spent another 6 hours to organize and start the translation.
I would really be interested to know what do others ? Thanx to all!
[Edited at 2019-03-07 18:48 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | jyuan_us 
United States
Local time: 08:30
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
| Thank you for bringing up the issue | Mar 7, 2019 |
It is really an issue that deserves more attention by all parties.
Some clients just have irrational follow-up requests, and the time spent in fulfilling these requests could be the same or even twice the amount of the time spent on the original task.
For example, after you've delivered your work as a proofreader, the client might request you to write your justification for every single change you have made to the translator's copy.
[Edited at 2019-03-08 17:24 GM... See more It is really an issue that deserves more attention by all parties.
Some clients just have irrational follow-up requests, and the time spent in fulfilling these requests could be the same or even twice the amount of the time spent on the original task.
For example, after you've delivered your work as a proofreader, the client might request you to write your justification for every single change you have made to the translator's copy.
[Edited at 2019-03-08 17:24 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | New clients.. | Mar 7, 2019 |
What you are describing is (unless it is specifically stated in the contract and paid for) seems like a kind of abuse to me.
Long-time clients may tend to demand more and more over the years. I do not have a "bullet-proof armor" and I do not charge them extra if these minor requests are indeed minor and occasional. However, what you have described is way too much.
Most of the time, changing a current relationship is more difficult than establishing new ones with new ru... See more What you are describing is (unless it is specifically stated in the contract and paid for) seems like a kind of abuse to me.
Long-time clients may tend to demand more and more over the years. I do not have a "bullet-proof armor" and I do not charge them extra if these minor requests are indeed minor and occasional. However, what you have described is way too much.
Most of the time, changing a current relationship is more difficult than establishing new ones with new rules. If this is only one client, and you cannot come to a mutual base, it is much easier to replace them with better ones. If this pattern is repeating along most of your clients, then you might need to check your own policies. You might tell more "no"s, you might reject more projects or simply you might state your terms more clearly.
What I do in general is:
- I charge extra for pdf source files.
- I charge more for specific CAT tools (like Across, for example, +10%) when that tool costs me more time than my regular ones.
- I do NEVER do conversion-alignment-TB generation tasks unless they are defined as separate projects with proper prices. (But I do this to make things easier for me, that is, in my own workflow)
- Isolated cases of extra effort to correct the mistakes (with client's approval) might be acceptable but this is a different work item and should be paid accordingly (only if you accept this task).
- I do not accept projects from existing clients which try to push the limits.
- There are grey areas and very very isolated cases where I assume these extras as an investment. In doing so, I always point out what extra work I am doing and the price etc. even I state that I won't charge for that specific case. About half of my clients are direct clients who are not involving in "translation business" and solving problems for them every now and then makes things easier for both parties (and more profitable in the long-term).
This is a good and extensive topic and I hope that the thread will be useful for many translators. ▲ Collapse
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| Another (not feasible) option is | Mar 7, 2019 |
extending the definition of "normal" to include such extras as well.
This will be reflected in your prices but I don't really think that it is feasible.
Clients do not like details. Details mean time and thus, money. This is the reason they push all these extras onto you.
Having a valid agreement in place is the most feasible route:
- define the scope your translation (or other) services
- define extras
- define the relevant prices and co... See more extending the definition of "normal" to include such extras as well.
This will be reflected in your prices but I don't really think that it is feasible.
Clients do not like details. Details mean time and thus, money. This is the reason they push all these extras onto you.
Having a valid agreement in place is the most feasible route:
- define the scope your translation (or other) services
- define extras
- define the relevant prices and conditions
If clients want you to perform these tasks, they should pay.
You are a freelancer and not an employee. You are not obliged to realize your clients' requests.
Again, finding new clients is easier  ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lincoln Hui
Hong Kong
Local time: 20:30
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
| What Up With Which I Will Not Put | Mar 7, 2019 |
- Fill out all kinds of forms and certifications related to the Job
I recently received a job, a 400-word paid test that had me fill out a form that wanted me to list two words from the translation and why I translated them that way, list reference sources that I used, and list 5 quality assurance steps to ensure the translations I deliver are of a good quality.
I filled out the form, returned it, and let the client know in no uncertain terms that they need not contact me for any other project with a similar requirement, regardless of compensation.
| | | | DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
I can't help smiling sadly when agencies demand free* services (like free* TMs and glossaries cleaning up, free* converting, free* DTP, free* original correcting, free* reviewing, free* proofreading, free* researching, free* restyling/tailoring, free* consulting, free* email/telephone support months* after the delivery and so on) while charging end clients some $50-$100+ for each.
Little wonder rath... See more I can't help smiling sadly when agencies demand free* services (like free* TMs and glossaries cleaning up, free* converting, free* DTP, free* original correcting, free* reviewing, free* proofreading, free* researching, free* restyling/tailoring, free* consulting, free* email/telephone support months* after the delivery and so on) while charging end clients some $50-$100+ for each.
Little wonder rather many agencies demand TM/glossary in certain CAT formats for free* while selling it for a good penny--not to mention fuzzy/repetition discounts for provided machine-translated TMs with obligatory post-editing!
However, I'm glad there're still translators minding the biz and their own interests properly ▲ Collapse
| | | | mughwI
United States
Local time: 08:30
English to Spanish
+ ...
| One size fits most? | Mar 8, 2019 |
It depends, really. But, in general, something like this might work (YMMV):
a) Figure out the amount of time you want to spend working per week (i.e. 50 hours).
b) Figure out the number of currency units you want to earn per month. Remember to take into consideration taxes, bank charges, savings, bills, pet treats, off-days, other income, etc. (i.e. 2,500 bits of chocolate = 625 bits of chocolate per week)
c) Adjust your hours/rates accordingly so that you ... See more It depends, really. But, in general, something like this might work (YMMV):
a) Figure out the amount of time you want to spend working per week (i.e. 50 hours).
b) Figure out the number of currency units you want to earn per month. Remember to take into consideration taxes, bank charges, savings, bills, pet treats, off-days, other income, etc. (i.e. 2,500 bits of chocolate = 625 bits of chocolate per week)
c) Adjust your hours/rates accordingly so that you earn this amount consistently, regardless of whether you translate, do administrative work, or twiddle your thumbs.
--
*This is a public service announcement brought to you, in part, by the letter D ▲ Collapse
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jyuan_us
United States
Local time: 08:30
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
| An agency requested me to sign a PO for every single job | Mar 8, 2019 |
A large agency in California used to send me a lot of jobs with reasonable rates but they requested me to sign a PO for every job. I had to print the PO, sign it, scan it, and email it back. It was a real burden if you had to do it frequently. I tried to convince them that this practice was a waste of time but my attempt didn't yield any result, so I stopped working with them.
A Spanish company requested me to fill out a multiple page invoice template for every single job and snail... See more A large agency in California used to send me a lot of jobs with reasonable rates but they requested me to sign a PO for every job. I had to print the PO, sign it, scan it, and email it back. It was a real burden if you had to do it frequently. I tried to convince them that this practice was a waste of time but my attempt didn't yield any result, so I stopped working with them.
A Spanish company requested me to fill out a multiple page invoice template for every single job and snail-mail it to them in Spain. Email attachment was not acceptable to them. I stopped working for them because the invoicing process was too much of a hassle.
[Edited at 2019-03-09 00:10 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Adobe Fill & Sign | Mar 8, 2019 |
jyuan_us wrote:
A large agency in California used to send me a lot of jobs with reasonable rates but they requested me to sign a PO for every job. I had to print the PO, sign it, scan it, and email it back. It is a really burden if you need to do it frequently. I tried to convince them that this practice was a waste of time but my attempt didn't yield any result, so I stopped working with them.
Couldn't you just have used Adobe Reader's Fill & Sign function to stick your signature on it electronically?
| | | | jyuan_us
United States
Local time: 08:30
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
| This happened more than 10 years ago, | Mar 9, 2019 |
Thomas T. Frost wrote:
Couldn't you just have used Adobe Reader's Fill & Sign function to stick your signature on it electronically?
and they didn't accept e-signature back then.
[Edited at 2019-03-09 00:12 GMT]
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 14:30
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Thomas T. Frost wrote: jyuan_us wrote:
A large agency in California used to send me a lot of jobs with reasonable rates but they requested me to sign a PO for every job. I had to print the PO, sign it, scan it, and email it back. It is a really burden if you need to do it frequently. I tried to convince them that this practice was a waste of time but my attempt didn't yield any result, so I stopped working with them. Couldn't you just have used Adobe Reader's Fill & Sign function to stick your signature on it electronically?
The one-scan solution; I signed a blank piece of paper, scanned it and then stored it, of course password protected, on an external hard drive. This way I could easily provide my real signature with the Quick Sign function in Nitro Pro.
Free services, a former customer of mine did not only asked for multiple reviews of a perfectly fine translation, but additionally wanted to discuss (argue?) several words within any given translation time and again, even after weeks. This was not only time consuming, but became somewhat annoying. Of course, these endless discussions had to be free of charge.
[Edited at 2019-03-09 11:22 GMT]
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jyuan_us
United States
Local time: 08:30
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
| I saw a test that requires more | Mar 9, 2019 |
Lincoln Hui wrote:
I recently received a job, a 400-word paid test that had me fill out a form that wanted me to list two words from the translation and why I translated them that way, list reference sources that I used, and list 5 quality assurance steps to ensure the translations I deliver are of a good quality.
It requires the translator to list on a form the URLs of all websites he or she has checked, and the names of the dictionaries used.
| | | | Paweł Hamerski (X)
Local time: 14:30
English to Polish
+ ...
| Nobody asks me to render such additional services - | Mar 9, 2019 |
maybe because I do not offer them. Anyway nobody is interested in them - just a simple translation, that's all.
| | | | Daniel Frisano
Italy
Local time: 14:30
Member (2008)
English to Italian
+ ...
| Turn it around | Mar 9, 2019 |
Set your rates to include all overheads, most of which are part of working as a self-employed professional in such a varied industry, then offer discounts to clients that make it easier.
The net effect is the same, and it looks much nicer than starting low and then overcharging.
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