Poll: Do clients ever send you a new, modified version of documents you've already started translating?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Sep 4, 2017

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do clients ever send you a new, modified version of documents you've already started translating?".

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Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Sometimes Sep 4, 2017

I ditch those that do it too often as it really messes with my karma.

A bit like running my poll on a Saturday. They should know I don't work weekends by now.


 
Marjolein Snippe
Marjolein Snippe  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 20:34
Member (2012)
English to Dutch
+ ...
Occasionally Sep 4, 2017

It happens, but not often. When it does, they tend to be very apologetic.

 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 20:34
French to English
it happens Sep 4, 2017

Luckily CAT tools and the Word compare function made dealing with such stuff very easy.

Since I'll slap on an extra fee for the hassle, it really doesn't bother me. With one client, it turned into an opportunity to request other changes, when the text was not as clear as it needed to be. The technical writer was every bit as perfectionist as me, we had a really great thing going. Even though I hated the technical content, it was wonderful to be able to improve both source and targe
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Luckily CAT tools and the Word compare function made dealing with such stuff very easy.

Since I'll slap on an extra fee for the hassle, it really doesn't bother me. With one client, it turned into an opportunity to request other changes, when the text was not as clear as it needed to be. The technical writer was every bit as perfectionist as me, we had a really great thing going. Even though I hated the technical content, it was wonderful to be able to improve both source and target as I went on.
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Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 20:34
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Occasionally. Sep 4, 2017

Occasionally, and sometimes by agreement if the deadline is tight.

That is one of the advantages of working with a CAT tool - I can get to work on a draft, and find the terminology or the good, idiomatic phrases or whatever the text calls for.

Then Trados finds the changes when they come, and I can make the necessary adjustments. It gives me that little bit of extra time to produce a polished result. I would rather do it that way than wait for a final text and not have
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Occasionally, and sometimes by agreement if the deadline is tight.

That is one of the advantages of working with a CAT tool - I can get to work on a draft, and find the terminology or the good, idiomatic phrases or whatever the text calls for.

Then Trados finds the changes when they come, and I can make the necessary adjustments. It gives me that little bit of extra time to produce a polished result. I would rather do it that way than wait for a final text and not have time to do it justice.
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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 19:34
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Very occasionally Sep 4, 2017

I’m always informed beforehand, my client (a regional conference) always says “This is the first version of the document; I’ll be sending the final one in x days”...

 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 20:34
Spanish to English
+ ...
Occasionally Sep 4, 2017

It's not usually a big deal. However, if they were doing it all the time, I might start to get fed up...

There are worse things. For example, this morning a major client sent me a text to translate. They also included a PDF of a "previous translation" ... of a similar document "in case it would be any help". I was very disappointed to open the PDF and find at least half a dozen points on the first page that could be improved, including at least two errors. I'm really disappointed, b
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It's not usually a big deal. However, if they were doing it all the time, I might start to get fed up...

There are worse things. For example, this morning a major client sent me a text to translate. They also included a PDF of a "previous translation" ... of a similar document "in case it would be any help". I was very disappointed to open the PDF and find at least half a dozen points on the first page that could be improved, including at least two errors. I'm really disappointed, because this is an important client to me and I always bend over backwards to ensure the best possible outcome for them. They probably got one of their own employees whose English is very good to do it, but they don't seem to grasp that no matter how fluent a non-native speaker may be, their command of written texts may still be lacking. Heigh-ho...
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Michael Harris
Michael Harris  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 20:34
Member (2006)
German to English
Oh oh Sep 4, 2017

Chris S wrote:

I ditch those that do it too often as it really messes with my karma.

A bit like running my poll on a Saturday. They should know I don't work weekends by now.



Now you are a paying member, they do not need to look at those things anymore☺


 
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Yetta Jensen Bogarde  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 20:34
Member (2012)
English to Danish
+ ...
Rarely Sep 4, 2017

it happens, but that's life.

Don't we all need a rerun once in a while?

[Edited at 2017-09-04 13:37 GMT]


 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 16:34
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Yes, and more... Sep 4, 2017

Not only after I've started, but commonly after I've delivered the translation.
Some are not so bad, with very few changes marked by the client with "track changes". Some are a pain because many clients send the new version without 'track changes', but still the changes are few, and I have to deal with them.
But if the changes exceed a certain number of words or a certain amount of time to be fixed, I'll send a new quote and say there will be an additional charge for it.
But in
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Not only after I've started, but commonly after I've delivered the translation.
Some are not so bad, with very few changes marked by the client with "track changes". Some are a pain because many clients send the new version without 'track changes', but still the changes are few, and I have to deal with them.
But if the changes exceed a certain number of words or a certain amount of time to be fixed, I'll send a new quote and say there will be an additional charge for it.
But in any case, it's still a PIA anyway.
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Anne Bohy
Anne Bohy  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 20:34
English to French
Rarely, but always the same customers Sep 4, 2017

It happens systematically with those who think they can speed up the process by sending to translation an unapproved document, then send the updated version later when the reviews are done.
I will not decide myself if this is good or bad mangement (although I favor the second), but everybody knows that
time = money.
If they save time, it has to be at some additional expense (which actually simply pays the extra time that we spend updating the translation).
So, on
... See more
It happens systematically with those who think they can speed up the process by sending to translation an unapproved document, then send the updated version later when the reviews are done.
I will not decide myself if this is good or bad mangement (although I favor the second), but everybody knows that
time = money.
If they save time, it has to be at some additional expense (which actually simply pays the extra time that we spend updating the translation).
So, once I've started a translation, an update is not free (unless I handle it at no charge as a sign of goodwill to a particular customer... but recurring updates are NEVER free).
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Anthony Baldwin
Anthony Baldwin  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 15:34
Portuguese to English
+ ...
Can't say never Sep 4, 2017

but I've had clients add content after I've delivered something then asked me to translate the additions ( with the promise to pay accordingly.).
Hey, they came back to me; that means they like my work; what am I going to do, Complain?


 
Gitte Hoveds (X)
Gitte Hoveds (X)
Denmark
Local time: 20:34
Danish to English
+ ...
Just part of the service Sep 5, 2017

I see no point in punishing clients for being badly organised. – I'm not my client's mummy and have no intention of telling them off for not always getting things right in the first go.

I just let them pay for any additional work, and as long as they do that, I do the work and make sure they get the end product they need.

No big deal...


 


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Poll: Do clients ever send you a new, modified version of documents you've already started translating?






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