Poll: Do you ever accept projects without reviewing them first?
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ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Sep 11, 2014

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you ever accept projects without reviewing them first?".

This poll was originally submitted by Milena Taylor. View the poll results »



 
Mary Worby
Mary Worby  Identity Verified
Обединето Кралство
Local time: 04:49
Член
германски на англиски
+ ...
Yes, but rarely Sep 11, 2014

Only if I know exactly what I'm getting myself in for. If it's a regular job for an existing client that I've done lots of times before, I'll accept without reviewing, especially if I'm out and about.

 
Tim Drayton (X)
Tim Drayton (X)  Identity Verified
Кипар
Local time: 06:49
турски на англиски
+ ...
Yes, sometimes Sep 11, 2014

I work for a number of agencies that specialise in legal translation, and anything legal is up my street, so if they contact me and say "Can you do ... words by ...?" I am happy to reply in the positive without looking first.

 
Laura Pascual
Laura Pascual  Identity Verified
Финска
Local time: 06:49
фински на шпански
+ ...
Just for one specific client Sep 11, 2014

I have one client who sends me texts every week about the same topic, so I don't review them. I contact the client if I have some issue with one specific text, and he's always willing to help.

All the other projects I do review first. I need to know what I am getting into!


 
Muriel Vasconcellos (X)
Muriel Vasconcellos (X)  Identity Verified
Соединети Американски Држави
Local time: 20:49
шпански на англиски
+ ...
No Sep 11, 2014

I'm not lucky enough to have predictable work. I have learned the hard way. In the past, every time I gave the client the benefit of the doubt, I lived to regret it.

 
Philippe Etienne
Philippe Etienne  Identity Verified
Шпанија
Local time: 05:49
Член
англиски на француски
+ ...
Yes frequently Sep 11, 2014

I work mostly with a loyal client base, so they know me (what I can handle and what I can't) and I know them (they know their part and don't play tricks).

Philippe


 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Португалија
Local time: 04:49
Член (2007)
англиски на португалски
+ ...
Likewise! Sep 11, 2014

Philippe Etienne wrote:

I work mostly with a loyal client base, so they know me (what I can handle and what I can't) and I know them (they know their part and don't play tricks).

Philippe


In the extreme rare cases where there is a problem, it’s always solved quickly and easily.

On the other hand, for new clients, I have to look first at the document in order to give them a price estimate and a deadline for completion of the translation.


 
Béatrice DEZERALD
Béatrice DEZERALD  Identity Verified
Франција
Local time: 05:49
Член (2008)
англиски на француски
+ ...
Yes but very rarely... Sep 11, 2014

Laura Pascual wrote:

I have one client who sends me texts every week about the same topic, so I don't review them. I contact the client if I have some issue with one specific text, and he's always willing to help.

All the other projects I do review first. I need to know what I am getting into!


Same thing !! Only with 2 clients so far.


 
DianeGM
DianeGM  Identity Verified
Local time: 06:49
холандски на англиски
+ ...
Yes, for a few projects Sep 11, 2014

I have some projects which recur on an annual basis. I sometimes accept those without seeing the texts first.

 
Ian Keith Jones Williams
Ian Keith Jones Williams  Identity Verified
Шпанија
Local time: 05:49
француски на англиски
+ ...
Frequently Sep 11, 2014

I also have a set client base and I know what to expect. If it is a new client or end client, I will look at the project in detail.

 
Julian Holmes
Julian Holmes  Identity Verified
Јапонија
Local time: 12:49
јапонски на англиски
Yes Sep 11, 2014

I answered 'rarely' but this is becoming more frequent with my main customer who gives me big projects that last weeks. Work is predictable with standard patterns repeated throughout. All the customer has to do is tell me the numbers and content, whether it's to do with 'mechanics' or 'electronics' or a mixture of both. This method has worked fine so far for both of us and there is a certain amount of leeway factored into schedules to accomodate for the unexpected. Projects are also long-run whi... See more
I answered 'rarely' but this is becoming more frequent with my main customer who gives me big projects that last weeks. Work is predictable with standard patterns repeated throughout. All the customer has to do is tell me the numbers and content, whether it's to do with 'mechanics' or 'electronics' or a mixture of both. This method has worked fine so far for both of us and there is a certain amount of leeway factored into schedules to accomodate for the unexpected. Projects are also long-run which means that I can negotiate for an extra day or two if need be - this customer is very understanding.

And, quite frankly, I dread the thought of having to 'review' or look through 1,000 pages of techical documentation before I start it.

So saying, if other clients give me 'must be delivered by such-and-such date/time' schedules, I will give the document a thorough butchers instead of a quick once over.
Collapse


 
Thayenga
Thayenga  Identity Verified
Германија
Local time: 05:49
Член (2009)
англиски на германски
+ ...
Sometimes Sep 11, 2014

However, only from long-standing customers since I am already familiar with the type of documents they need to have translated.

 
neilmac
neilmac
Шпанија
Local time: 05:49
шпански на англиски
+ ...
Other Sep 11, 2014

Same as Philippe and Teresa:)

Most of my work comes from my regular, direct clients and I already know what it's going to be.... so N/A there.

If it's from agencies, I usually want to see what it is first so that they don't palm me off with illegible OCR texts or unworkable, time-consuming PDFs etc...

[Edited at 2014-09-11 14:11 GMT]


 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Бразил
Local time: 00:49
англиски на португалски
+ ...
Most of us are in the same boat Sep 11, 2014

My situation is similar to many who replied below.
Sometimes an already known client sends me an e-mail saying "I have another document, similar to that one... with 20.000 words. Can you translate it until Friday?". Or something like that. It happens.
But, of course, I wouldn't accept one from an unknown or non-regular client.


 
Rebecca Garber
Rebecca Garber  Identity Verified
Local time: 23:49
Член (2005)
германски на англиски
+ ...
Like Laura Sep 12, 2014

I have one client like this.
Most of the others do try to tailor their assignments. Some do so better than others.


 


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Poll: Do you ever accept projects without reviewing them first?






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