Poll: Do you work with direct clients? Лице кое објавува дискусија: ProZ.com Staff
|
|---|
| | neilmac
Шпанија
Local time: 19:03
шпански на англиски
+ ...
Thank my lucky stars! I don't think I could handle all agency work, judging by the litany of complaints on translator forums and some personal experience. They are too often too demanding IMO. The few agencies I do still work with are OK though (even one with a poor Blue Board rating).
| | | | | | Jack Doughty 
Обединето Кралство
Local time: 18:03
руски на англиски
+ ...
Во сеќавање на
Until a few yeas ago, virtually all my work apart from one customer was from agencies. But now I do more literary work, dealing directly with the individual authors, or in one case, with a business magazine. It suits me, I prefer this kind of work, and I hope to continue this way as long as the supply doesn't dry up. But I still fit in short jobs for agencies when I can.
| | |
|
|
|
| Yes, sometimes | Oct 9, 2014 |
It is natural to find more translators working with agencies here on a Proz.com forum, which does not necessarily reflect the experience of translators universally.
But it would be interesting to hear what the agency/direct client pros and cons are from 'our' translators who also work with several direct clients.
[Edited at 2014-10-09 12:31 GMT]
| | | | Gudrun Maydorn (X)
Германија
Local time: 19:03
англиски на германски
+ ...
| Yes, almost exclusively | Oct 9, 2014 |
Nearly all my work is for direct clients, although I do also work for one or two translator colleagues.
I enjoy the personal contact and direct involvement, for example when I meet clients at trade fairs and see their products with my own eyes before translating the respective operating instructions.
| | | | | Pros and cons | Oct 9, 2014 |
Yetta J Bogarde wrote:
it would be interesting to hear what the agency/direct client pros and cons are from 'our' translators who also work with several direct clients.
IME:
Pros: More money, easier to get answers to questions, more money, much more appreciative, more money, no Trados, more money, treated with more respect, did I mention more money?
Cons: Harder to turn down work, sometimes have unreasonable expectations
But it depends a great deal on who it is. My direct customers are banks; working with people coming in off the street would be entirely different.
| | | | John Cutler
Шпанија
Local time: 19:03
шпански на англиски
+ ...
Chris S wrote:
Yetta J Bogarde wrote:
it would be interesting to hear what the agency/direct client pros and cons are from 'our' translators who also work with several direct clients.
IME:
Pros: More money, easier to get answers to questions, more money, much more appreciative, more money, no Trados, more money, treated with more respect, did I mention more money?
I'd also add IME more reasonable deadlines.
| | |
|
|
|
Germaine
Канада
Local time: 13:03
англиски на француски
+ ...
| Only direct clients... | Oct 9, 2014 |
...and only from Canada, although I wouldn't mind having some US clients.
Pros: collaboration, consideration, trust, regular work, professional rates.
Cons: responding to every "special" demands (last minute rushes, evening/night/weekend shifts) too often can lead to really bad habits that are really, really hard to break; recurrent jobs means you have to be there even when you would need to take a break; coordination may be challenging sometimes.
And the funny-n... See more ...and only from Canada, although I wouldn't mind having some US clients.
Pros: collaboration, consideration, trust, regular work, professional rates.
Cons: responding to every "special" demands (last minute rushes, evening/night/weekend shifts) too often can lead to really bad habits that are really, really hard to break; recurrent jobs means you have to be there even when you would need to take a break; coordination may be challenging sometimes.
And the funny-no-so-funny discovery I made: most appreciative clients won't tell the world about you. They don't want to share: they want you to be available when they need you! So, don't expect them to spell your name anytime a collegue, a partner or even a client of theirs ask "do you know any translator...?" ▲ Collapse
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Poll: Do you work with direct clients? | Pastey | Your smart companion app
Pastey is an innovative desktop application that bridges the gap between human expertise and artificial intelligence. With intuitive keyboard shortcuts, Pastey transforms your source text into AI-powered draft translations.
Find out more » |
| | Protemos translation business management system | Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!
The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
