| Страници во темата: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you accept to provide letters of reference/recommendations to potential clients? Лице кое објавува дискусија: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you accept to provide letters of reference/recommendations to potential clients?".
This poll was originally submitted by tilakahuja. View the poll results »
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When I started, I did not have any clients to ask for recommendations.
Later, I had a few precious ones that I did not want to disturb with asking.
Now, I can't be bothered to
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I give them the link to my WWA at Proz.
| | | | Tim Drayton (X) 
Кипар
Local time: 22:49
турски на англиски
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I am principally a legal translator and a great many of the documents that I translate are highly confidential. I believe that I owe a duty of confidentiality to my clients that includes keeping their identity secret - even if they are agencies acting on behalf of the end client. As more and more potential clients seem to be demanding references, this policy is beginning to have a negative impact on my workflow, although currently I have no intention of changing it. I am always happy to demonstr... See more I am principally a legal translator and a great many of the documents that I translate are highly confidential. I believe that I owe a duty of confidentiality to my clients that includes keeping their identity secret - even if they are agencies acting on behalf of the end client. As more and more potential clients seem to be demanding references, this policy is beginning to have a negative impact on my workflow, although currently I have no intention of changing it. I am always happy to demonstrate my skills to potential clients in a translation test, and I have a large number of sample translations on my website - I really wish that were enough (along with having passed the Institute of Linguists' Diploma in Translation). ▲ Collapse
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neilmac
Шпанија
Local time: 21:49
шпански на англиски
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If I were just starting out, I'd probably bend over backwards to jump through almost any hoops the potential clients might propose. However, luckily enough I'm no longer in that position and I'd need to be really, really interested in the potential job before I went to the bother of gathering references, which I'm sure would be forthcoming.
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I really don't like to trouble good customers with requests for references if it can be avoided. I am very reluctant to hand over other peoples' contact details to a third party I don't really know. If a customer needs evidence of my performance as a translator I am very happy to send a sample or complete a short test translation (if the potential job is large enough to warrant this), which I consider to be a much more reliable gauge of my abilities.
| | | | | Nice suggestion! | Mar 31, 2014 |
M. Anna Kańduła wrote:
I give them the link to my WWA at Proz.
I like your suggestion - I will keep it in mind for the next time a potential new client asks me for references as, like most others here, I don't like asking my clients for references as they are busy enough as it is. Although most will provide them, when asked.
I too prefer doing a test translation.
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I used to ask for references, but soon stopped.
One client was happy to give me a reference once, but I did not want to risk the relationship, so I never asked again. (As far as I remember, the agency insisting on references never sent any jobs anyway!)
I feel it is against confidentiality and I do not tell any of my clients about the others. I sometimes mention that I am busy 'working for another client', but that is as far as it goes.
I actually lost a client o... See more I used to ask for references, but soon stopped.
One client was happy to give me a reference once, but I did not want to risk the relationship, so I never asked again. (As far as I remember, the agency insisting on references never sent any jobs anyway!)
I feel it is against confidentiality and I do not tell any of my clients about the others. I sometimes mention that I am busy 'working for another client', but that is as far as it goes.
I actually lost a client over asking for a reference, and a couple simply said no.
I refer to my WWAs and credentials, and occasionally do tests.
I never know whether to laugh or cry when some of the requests for references are accompanied by NDAs forbidding me to mention to anyone that I work for the agency asking for a reference...
Which presumably means they would not give references themselves! ▲ Collapse
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Yvonne Gallagher
Ирска
Local time: 20:49
Член (2010)
француски на англиски
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| And another "NO" | Mar 31, 2014 |
Helen Hagon wrote:
I really don't like to trouble good customers with requests for references if it can be avoided. I am very reluctant to hand over other peoples' contact details to a third party I don't really know. If a customer needs evidence of my performance as a translator I am very happy to send a sample or complete a short test translation (if the potential job is large enough to warrant this), which I consider to be a much more reliable gauge of my abilities.
I also feel it is against confidentiality. So, if everyone refused perhaps they'd stop asking?
| | | | Kate Deimling
Соединети Американски Држави
Local time: 15:49
француски на англиски
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| Have never been asked for letters, but for contact info of references | Mar 31, 2014 |
I didn't vote in this poll because I've never been asked to provide letters of reference. If I were, I would refuse, because I don't think it's fair to trouble an agency client by asking them to sit down and compose a letter about me.
However, I don't think it's too much to ask an agency client to serve as a reference by sharing their contact information with a potential agency client. I've been asked this a few times, and I turn to the agencies who have been the most pleasant and h... See more I didn't vote in this poll because I've never been asked to provide letters of reference. If I were, I would refuse, because I don't think it's fair to trouble an agency client by asking them to sit down and compose a letter about me.
However, I don't think it's too much to ask an agency client to serve as a reference by sharing their contact information with a potential agency client. I've been asked this a few times, and I turn to the agencies who have been the most pleasant and human to work with, and they don't seem to mind. In most cases I don't think the potential agency even contacted them, but they wanted to know that I had a good track record.
Referring potential clients to your WWA is a good idea, but I haven't had any new WWA entries in a while, so it might look out of date. That is a case where I don't want to bother my agency clients by asking them to write me WWA entries! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Absolutely not! | Mar 31, 2014 |
Any letter of reference/recommendation would be from a customer. Why would I ask for one to present to a third party? I'd be jeopardizing the trust between me and a customer by divulging the relationship. At worst, the other party could be a competitor. 
Another thing, I don't have nor need any WWAs - they mean absolutely nothing to my customers.
Small revision
[Edited at 2014-04-01 02:33 GMT]
| | | | macimovic
Холандија
Local time: 21:49
англиски на српски
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I once did and I've decided to never do it again. What do they need the references for? I have recommendations on LinkedIn and on my website. I believe their full identity and contact information should stay confidential. This is part of my terms of service anyway.
[Edited at 2014-03-31 12:24 GMT]
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| usually yes, but this year stopped | Mar 31, 2014 |
My reference letter has been sent upon request and later has been discovered that the asking party was a competitor. So I do not provide them, as well as any personal details about my clients.
I told all my clients: anyone who is satisfied with the service, kindly welcome to leave a WWA entry but nothing more.
A link to my ProZ.com profile as well as the membership with other valuable services of the site and the community of the fellow translator colleagues was one of the most val... See more My reference letter has been sent upon request and later has been discovered that the asking party was a competitor. So I do not provide them, as well as any personal details about my clients.
I told all my clients: anyone who is satisfied with the service, kindly welcome to leave a WWA entry but nothing more.
A link to my ProZ.com profile as well as the membership with other valuable services of the site and the community of the fellow translator colleagues was one of the most valuable investments in my life. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Henry Hinds
Соединети Американски Држави
Local time: 13:49
англиски на шпански
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Во сеќавање на | It works the other way around | Mar 31, 2014 |
When I get a new client, it is generally due to a referral from an existing client. That is how I have been getting business for years. The advantage is that these new clients come to me pre-sold, so I don't have to prove anything to anyone. They have already been informed that I do excellent work and provide excellent service.
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 15:49
англиски на шпански
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| Word of mouth | Mar 31, 2014 |
Julian Holmes wrote:
Any letter of reference/recommendation would be from a customer. Why would I ask for one to present to a third party? I'd be jeopardizing the trust between me and a customer by divulging the relationship. At worst, the other party could be a competitor.
Another thing, I don't have nor need any WWAs - they mean absolutely nothing to my customers.
Small revision [Edited at 2014-03-31 15:56 GMT]
Hahahah @ the mad face, Julian!
The only time I've heard about letters of recommendation are from academic institutions, not customers.
Sometimes the best recommendation is an intelligent comment that you posted on a potential client's website or blog. That's how a client found me last week.
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