Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you accept being paid less or nothing at all for repetitions? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you accept being paid less or nothing at all for repetitions?".
This poll was originally submitted by RakelC. View the poll results »
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I have to see how they're going to fit in the context. I often decide to vary them with synonyms or different structures. So many different challenges can come up. I'm not about to leave that decision to a machine. If I find that a whole sentence or paragraph is repeated (which happened to me several time in my last job), I will let the client know. | | |
... it depends on whether the repetitions have to be revised. If they don't cause any extra work and the client assumes the responsibility for their adequacy in each and every context, I accept not being paid for them. Why should I? | | |
This is one of the negative effects of CAT tools and I don't use them! That being said, I have voluntarily offered discounts to some of my clients who have been giving me very repetitive work for over 20 years... P.S. Do we get a discount every time this question is asked? | |
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neilmac Spain Local time: 08:27 Spanish to English + ...
Not unless I decide to allow the client a discount, because I consider the repetition (or other circumstances) substantial enough to merit a discount. However, the scenario where an agency says something like "here's a 5000 word text" (translator thinks "hurray").... but after all these so-called fuzzy matches and repetitions are taken into account, it's only 3000 words (translator thinks "boo"), is anathema to me, and I happen to be lucky enough to have enough direct clients of my ... See more Not unless I decide to allow the client a discount, because I consider the repetition (or other circumstances) substantial enough to merit a discount. However, the scenario where an agency says something like "here's a 5000 word text" (translator thinks "hurray").... but after all these so-called fuzzy matches and repetitions are taken into account, it's only 3000 words (translator thinks "boo"), is anathema to me, and I happen to be lucky enough to have enough direct clients of my own not to have to deal with that kind of operator. ▲ Collapse | | |
it varies a lot from one project to the other. On the one hand, technical manuals often have proper repetitions, which may be eligible for a discount, for instance. On the other hand I’ve seen poor writing where repetitions had to be deleted or translated differently, which sort of required extra work in a way. Besides, with regard to the wording of this poll, I don’t see the point of putting "less or nothing" in the same category, so I almost put "other". No pay means no... See more it varies a lot from one project to the other. On the one hand, technical manuals often have proper repetitions, which may be eligible for a discount, for instance. On the other hand I’ve seen poor writing where repetitions had to be deleted or translated differently, which sort of required extra work in a way. Besides, with regard to the wording of this poll, I don’t see the point of putting "less or nothing" in the same category, so I almost put "other". No pay means no work! ▲ Collapse | | |
I accept a discount if it makes sense and I can use my CAT tool. | | | Less yes, under certain circumstances, nothing at all never! | May 3, 2017 |
So what should I reply? I'm puzzled... | |
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Jan Truper Germany Local time: 08:27 Member (2016) English to German
Obviously, it depends on the job and the source text, but for most jobs I do with a CAT tool, I'd consider myself a crook if I were to charge my full rate for repetitions. (I do a lot of game texts, which often contain sections loaded with repetitions.)
[Edited at 2017-05-03 10:03 GMT] | | | Less yes nothing NO | May 3, 2017 |
I use cat tools, I replied Other | | | John Fossey Canada Local time: 02:27 Member (2008) French to English + ...
It depends on how the repetitions can be handled with my CAT tool. If it's a larger job where the tool can hide the repetitions and deal with them in the background so I don't see them or process them, then I don't mind being paid less or in some cases nothing for the repetitions. If the repetitions require any processing at all (such as proofreading) then I will charge for them. | | | Thayenga Germany Local time: 08:27 Member (2009) English to German + ...
Unless the client explicitly accepts the responsibility for any mistakes in the repetitions (can be tricky when it comes to German). Being paid nothing means... not even looking at that repetition. For as long as a client is not interested in sharing the costs of a CAT tool, the only discount available is the one I grant for a particular reason or in a particular case. Just like the bakery shop offers yesterday's bread at a lower price and solely based on her/his gusto,... See more Unless the client explicitly accepts the responsibility for any mistakes in the repetitions (can be tricky when it comes to German). Being paid nothing means... not even looking at that repetition. For as long as a client is not interested in sharing the costs of a CAT tool, the only discount available is the one I grant for a particular reason or in a particular case. Just like the bakery shop offers yesterday's bread at a lower price and solely based on her/his gusto, a translator sets the rate. What do bakers and translators have in common? Both are entrepreneurs and both set their price, not their clients/customers. ▲ Collapse | |
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DZiW (X) Ukraine English to Russian + ... No white-collars | May 3, 2017 |
First, less payment assumes less work, which isn't really the case in translation. Second, not a single my client did really care HOW I do the translation, only the result matters. What about a surgeon changing extra for re-using all those 'repetitive' tools and routines? Or should patients ask for deductions instead? No lame excuses for a parasitic bastard good nature. | | | Paul Dixon Brazil Local time: 03:27 Portuguese to English + ... An uncatted translator here | May 3, 2017 |
I do not use CAT tools as yet so repetitions are not a major issue. However, I would not accept being paid less for repetitions. | | | Mario Freitas Brazil Local time: 03:27 Member (2014) English to Portuguese + ... I used to say "No way", but... | May 3, 2017 |
My usual answer to this question is "No way". However, I have received several documents from regular clients that usually do not compute discounts for repetitions, regarding several repetitions in a document like a spreadsheet, a financial statement, etc. The same happens with numbers. For example: I received 4 Income Statements (4 different people, all 2016) to translate from a client last month. All 4 were identical forms, changing only the personal info. I also rece... See more My usual answer to this question is "No way". However, I have received several documents from regular clients that usually do not compute discounts for repetitions, regarding several repetitions in a document like a spreadsheet, a financial statement, etc. The same happens with numbers. For example: I received 4 Income Statements (4 different people, all 2016) to translate from a client last month. All 4 were identical forms, changing only the personal info. I also received some balance sheets and income statements from another client, from three years plus a consolidated statement (lots of repetitions and lots of numbers). In cases like this, you don't have to touch the repetitions. They'll be automatically filled-in and corrected if you make any changes. It is only fair to charge the regular 50% and 25% rates for these repetitions (not Zero, though), and we're still making money without any work! Now, those who don't use CATs and claim they don't accept this kind of discount (as I used to do until about two years ago) must be aware they'll gradually and regularly lose clients. This is not like cloud work or post-editing; this is a fair evolution of the market. On the other hand, clients that require discounts from all types of repetitions as of the first job, as a standard, using the CAT Stats, can all find another translator. This is not fair and not acceptable. ▲ Collapse | | | Pages in topic: [1 2] > | 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 accept being paid less or nothing at all for repetitions? Protemos translation business management system | Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!
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