| Pagina's in het onderwerp: < [1 2 3] > | Off topic: Creative Answers to an Indecent Proposal De persoon die dit onderwerp heeft geplaatst: Nicole Johnson
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Sean Linney (X) 
Verenigd Koninkrijk
Local time: 17:10
Frans naar Engels
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The phrase that most enrages me is "reply with your (very) best rates".
I always want to respond with something like: "My best rate would be $10.00 per word, but why would you want to know that?"
Instead, I just hit the delete key.
| | | | mediamatrix (X)
Local time: 12:10
Spaans naar Engels
+ ...
Before I submit a formal quotation in response to your job-offer, would you kindly confirm that your message should have read EUR 0.03 per keystroke in lieu of EUR 0.03 per word?.
In anticipation of long and fruitful collaboration,
Yours sincerely,
MM
PS: P... See more Before I submit a formal quotation in response to your job-offer, would you kindly confirm that your message should have read EUR 0.03 per keystroke in lieu of EUR 0.03 per word?.
In anticipation of long and fruitful collaboration,
Yours sincerely,
MM
PS: Please provide your billing address for administrative charges relating to this correspondence, amounting to EUR 12.12.
[Edited at 2007-05-25 19:06] ▲ Collapse
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Even a week ago I received an absurd proposal from the client with whom we have successfully worked several times before.
I answered:
"Dear XYZ,
our prices for any text start with EUR 0.X0- and you are sending a medical text... sorry, I can treat that only as a not very successful joke.
Even on Latvian local market for EUR 0,0X s/w you can get translated only your letter to your granny... and then only maybe."
(For a specialist me... See more Even a week ago I received an absurd proposal from the client with whom we have successfully worked several times before.
I answered:
"Dear XYZ,
our prices for any text start with EUR 0.X0- and you are sending a medical text... sorry, I can treat that only as a not very successful joke.
Even on Latvian local market for EUR 0,0X s/w you can get translated only your letter to your granny... and then only maybe."
(For a specialist medical text they sent their offered price should have been multiplied at least by 3, no way to do it otherwise...).
They classified my answer as "arrogant"...
"It happens", as Kurt Vonnegut used to say, and I don't know the remedy...
Uldis
[Rediģēts plkst. 2007-05-25 20:08] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I Had the Same Proposal | May 25, 2007 |
...from an Italian agency: 0.04 € but... gross, which means 0.03 euro cents per word. Payment after 60 days!Is it an elegant way to exploit people...?
The point is it's an important and famous agency!
I answered no, obviously, but it's really a shame... that people WORK at these rates!
Emanuela
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create a file with the name of the agency, delete it, delete it from the recycle bin, and answer the question "Do you really want to permanently delete xxx? YES!
I do it with bad persons!!!
It's not dangerous, but fantastic!
| | | | Harry Hermawan
Indonesië
Local time: 23:10
Lid
Engels naar Indonesisch
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SITE LOCALIZER | Very 'harsh' | May 25, 2007 |
mediamatrix wrote:
Before I submit a formal quotation in response to your job-offer, would you kindly confirm that your message should have read EUR 0.03 per keystroke in lieu of EUR 0.03 per word?.
In anticipation of long and fruitful collaboration,
...
Great stuff!
Have a great weekend everyone, btw sorry can't give any example, the only thing I can do for this kind of case is just not reply. Or I can always make mediamatrix's quotation as an initial template to be developed if the case should arise.
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I am a professional translator - if you are looking for a volunteer worker, please post the job as a not-for-profit job on the job board.
Sorry, I can't make jokes with such people. Every time, my very graphic imagination brings to mind a poor translator with luggage under their eyes, trying desperately to learn to handwrite faster, and every time I get such an image, the lightbulb over the poor translator's head suddenly goes out. I get very serious at such moments - I am in no moo... See more I am a professional translator - if you are looking for a volunteer worker, please post the job as a not-for-profit job on the job board.
Sorry, I can't make jokes with such people. Every time, my very graphic imagination brings to mind a poor translator with luggage under their eyes, trying desperately to learn to handwrite faster, and every time I get such an image, the lightbulb over the poor translator's head suddenly goes out. I get very serious at such moments - I am in no mood to make jokes in any case...
As for best rates, I agree, that one gives me goosebumps. To me, my best rate is my most expensive one. So, why do these people think I will look at their best interests before looking at mine, especially since there's no guarantee they will pay me anyway? Pathetic...
[Edited at 2007-05-25 23:10] ▲ Collapse
| | | | teju
Local time: 10:10
Engels naar Spaans
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| This happens with interpretation rates too... | May 26, 2007 |
I do both translation and interpretation work. Most of the time that I get a very low offer lately, it's for interpreting at a deposition or conference (luckily, court rates are set by the state or the federal gov.). When they don't like what they hear when I tell them how much I charge for an hour, I calmly suggest that they call the local university, where students of the profession sometimes accept assignments for a much lower rate. That usually drives home the message "you get what you pay f... See more I do both translation and interpretation work. Most of the time that I get a very low offer lately, it's for interpreting at a deposition or conference (luckily, court rates are set by the state or the federal gov.). When they don't like what they hear when I tell them how much I charge for an hour, I calmly suggest that they call the local university, where students of the profession sometimes accept assignments for a much lower rate. That usually drives home the message "you get what you pay for". ▲ Collapse
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Irene N
Verenigde Staten
Local time: 11:10
Engels naar Russisch
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| Market is as market does | May 26, 2007 |
Catherine Christaki wrote:
If the agency can find low rates (in combination with good quality), then why choose the translator who offers a higher rate?
A high-roller of translation trade goes to a cheap country for vacation and some shopping:
Local vendor - it's 10 dollars
High-roller (silently to himself) Wow, 3-5 times less than at home!
I give you a multiple choice for what he might say out loud:
1. I'll take it, thank you!
2. How about 7? No? Bye... 8? Bye... 9? - OK!
3. No, sir, you must understand that this is not the real price. I can't rob you. The craftsmanship alone should cost at least 30 dollars and I shall pay you no less. Otherwise I'll die of shame.
| | | | Heidi C
Local time: 12:10
Engels naar Spaans
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| About poll... | May 26, 2007 |
IreneN wrote:
I submitted it ~a year ago:
Can't remember the exact wording but something like this:
The majority of jobs you accept through Proz are paid at:
2-4 cents
5-7 cents
8-10 cents
11-15
higher
We are on our own when it comes to rates. No criticism, a matter-of-fact statement only. It will not and can not be any different, it's take it or leave it.
Would be interesting to see the results of this poll!
I truly believe that seeing all those ridiculous prices at the job postings is just pressuring all of us into believing that that is truly the way the market is going...
And if we allow ourselves to be convinced, we are really in trouble!
| | | | | happens sometimes too... | May 26, 2007 |
And some of them are even "threatening" like that:
"0.0X € [put here very low rate] is most common offer from your fellow-translators". This is reply to my standard rates (reasonable) which are obviously too high for them.
Regarding professional translators offering very low rates:
Catherine Christaki wrote:
The fellow translator mentioned above is a good and professional translator with several years of experience. Some things are just inexplicable...
However, I think those people just underestimate and don't respect themselves... Unfortunately.
| | | | | The lure... and "best" rates | May 26, 2007 |
It's interesting that nobody mentioned "the lure".
I often see job offers at outrageously low rates saying that this is just one small urgent job they have now for an important client, who is waving a steady stream of work for years in a row if everything works out okay with THIS job. Chances are that the patsy translator who takes it will never hear from them again.
When it's interesting for me, I tell them that I use the airlines' mileage paradigm. Depending on volume... See more It's interesting that nobody mentioned "the lure".
I often see job offers at outrageously low rates saying that this is just one small urgent job they have now for an important client, who is waving a steady stream of work for years in a row if everything works out okay with THIS job. Chances are that the patsy translator who takes it will never hear from them again.
When it's interesting for me, I tell them that I use the airlines' mileage paradigm. Depending on volume, frequency, and timely payments, my "frequent flyer" clients get progressive discounts that may reach up to 40%.
Of course I don't mention that it took a client of mine 10 years' standing as my main source of income to get to this level. Just for the record, I've been working for them 20 years already, but it's been a while since they dropped from the pole position on my income tax return.
And when people ask me about my "best" rates, I tell them that my "nominal" rate is X. I can only give them a "best" rate after having analyzed the whole actual job. I explain them that so far nobody has said to me that "this job will be a tough one, so you should charge more than your usual rate", so figures may be lower than that, but not higher.
When I see that the job poster is overly cautious not to reveal details on the job itself, I smell a rat. ▲ Collapse
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dropjes
Local time: 18:10
Engels naar Nederlands
Hilde Granlund wrote:
How about:
"When I want a McJob, I'll ask at the local burger joint"?
Or...
'When I want a McJob, I'll do subtitling.'
Full disclosure and sarcasm disclaimer: I do subtitling myself
| | | | | higher rate but still not "economically sound" | May 26, 2007 |
Just this past week, had to send a negative response to a prospective US client (agency) who was offering $0.08/word for a large ongoing project:
>>>>>>
My feeling is that it would not be fair to my long-standing clients if I were to accept the project's lower rate and then possibly not be available to them at their long-established higher rates. (I am assuming your 0.08 rate refers to USD and not Euro, correct?) That would actually also have the end effect of not being all th... See more Just this past week, had to send a negative response to a prospective US client (agency) who was offering $0.08/word for a large ongoing project:
>>>>>>
My feeling is that it would not be fair to my long-standing clients if I were to accept the project's lower rate and then possibly not be available to them at their long-established higher rates. (I am assuming your 0.08 rate refers to USD and not Euro, correct?) That would actually also have the end effect of not being all that economically sound of a business decision for me.
I wish I could be more positive for you, but as I am normally loaded with work at my normal rates - if not overloaded (!) - I just don't see how I could viably make that work.
Hopefully, though, we will still be able to collaborate on some other project at some point in the future.
>>>>>>
Which, I guess is just a lengthy version of the fantastic
kindly confirm that your message should have read EUR 0.03 per keystroke in lieu of EUR 0.03 per word
wording.
But honestly, no client pays less than that (not even were it a EUR price and not a USD price) and most do pay in Euro (quite excellent at the moment to begin with) and wouldn't it just kill me to commit to this large project at that rate - even as reputable as this agency certainly is - and have to turn down (and possibly alienate for that reason) longstanding clients paying far more?
And this was after prior negotation and dropping my rate somewhat "based on agency involvement"...
I just fear that if I go low once with a client, I am destined to be stuck there forever. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jenns (X)
Local time: 10:10
Engels naar Frans
+ ...
Unfortunately it seems that rates are dropping all the time and deadline demands are getting heavier and heavier but I suppose that is where our business sense must come in and we have to know how to negotiate properly.
[Edited at 2007-05-27 00:34]
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