Sloppy companies
Thread poster: Enrico C - ECLC
Enrico C - ECLC
Enrico C - ECLC  Identity Verified
Taiwan
Local time: 05:34
English to Italian
+ ...
Apr 17, 2018

I received this in my inbox overnight.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hello,

This is XXXXXXXXXX; the vendor coordinator at XXXXXXXXXXXX. Hope you are doing well

This is to check your availability for an Italian into English task, kindly find more details are below :

Details :

... See more
I received this in my inbox overnight.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hello,

This is XXXXXXXXXX; the vendor coordinator at XXXXXXXXXXXX. Hope you are doing well

This is to check your availability for an Italian into English task, kindly find more details are below :

Details :

- Source : Italian
- Target : English
- Service : Translation
- Field : Public sector
- Tool : PDF
- Word count : 61 Pages (6 files)
- Deadline : Tomorrow, 17/4/2018, EOD, GMT

Requirements :

- Your rate per word for translation
- Your capacity till the needed deadline.
- Your updated C.V.

Looking forward to hearing from you ASAP
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now, while this is by no means a novelty, i am always struck by how confidently they think this can work out. It makes me think that, out there, there must really be someone eager to take 61 pages of uncounted words (even sloppier) and deliver them basically by the same day. I assume the rate must be on the cheap, too, as usual (because hurry often matches with cheap in our times).

I wonder why they exist and are allowed to operate. The sole hope is that this is a huge misunderstanding and that the deadline refers to the ANSWER and not to the DELIVERY of the 61 pages. In doubt, i skipped.

PS: I am frankly tired of seeing this trash into my inbox.

[Edited at 2018-04-17 10:10 GMT]
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Vladimir Pochinov
Vladimir Pochinov  Identity Verified
Russian Federation
Local time: 23:34
English to Russian
Sloppy job offers Apr 17, 2018

Enrico C - ECLC wrote:

I received this in my inbox overnight.

Details :

- Source : Italian
- Target : English
- Service : Translation
- Field : Public sector
- Tool : PDF
- Word count : 61 Pages (6 files)
- Deadline : Tomorrow, 17/4/2018, EOD, GMT

Requirements :

- Your rate per word for translation
- Your capacity till the needed deadline.
- Your updated C.V.



Personally, I am sick and tired of numerous job offers that run as follows:

Dear Vladimir [or "Dear colleague/translator" in case of mass mailing]

We have a document to be translated from English into Russian. Please advise whether you can take it on, and indicate your best rate [I don't have best and worst rates, I can only quote my regular rate together with any applicable markup(s), if appropriate].

Such job requests go straight into the "Trash" bin. Or, if I am interested, this triggers an exchange of emails, as I have to request all the missing details, such as the subject matter, format, word count, deadline, etc. I hate such sloppiness on the part of translation agencies. I don't refer to direct clients who may well be clueless regarding the project details which a translator expects to be indicated in a job offer.


 
Philippe Etienne
Philippe Etienne  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 22:34
Member
English to French
And please Apr 17, 2018

Don't send "offers" with emojis/ticons.
Strangers winking/smiling at me for no reason make me feel uncomfortable, especially when blonde and tall, and I blush.
Be articulate instead.

Philippe


 
Paulinho Fonseca
Paulinho Fonseca  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 18:34
Member (2011)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
I do not answer these mass emails. Apr 17, 2018

[quote]Vladimir Pochinov wrote:

Enrico C - ECLC wrote:

I received this in my inbox overnight.

Details :

- Source : Italian
- Target : English
- Service : Translation
- Field : Public sector
- Tool : PDF
- Word count : 61 Pages (6 files)
- Deadline : Tomorrow, 17/4/2018, EOD, GMT

Requirements :

- Your rate per word for translation
- Your capacity till the needed deadline.
- Your updated C.V.



Personally, I am sick and tired of numerous job offers that run as follows:

Dear Vladimir [or "Dear colleague/translator" in case of mass mailing]

.......................................................

Their aim is to reach the lowest quote, not quality.


 
Enrico C - ECLC
Enrico C - ECLC  Identity Verified
Taiwan
Local time: 05:34
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Agree! Apr 17, 2018

Vladimir Pochinov wrote:

Enrico C - ECLC wrote:

I received this in my inbox overnight.

Details :

- Source : Italian
- Target : English
- Service : Translation
- Field : Public sector
- Tool : PDF
- Word count : 61 Pages (6 files)
- Deadline : Tomorrow, 17/4/2018, EOD, GMT

Requirements :

- Your rate per word for translation
- Your capacity till the needed deadline.
- Your updated C.V.



Personally, I am sick and tired of numerous job offers that run as follows:

Dear Vladimir [or "Dear colleague/translator" in case of mass mailing]

We have a document to be translated from English into Russian. Please advise whether you can take it on, and indicate your best rate [I don't have best and worst rates, I can only quote my regular rate together with any applicable markup(s), if appropriate].

Such job requests go straight into the "Trash" bin. Or, if I am interested, this triggers an exchange of emails, as I have to request all the missing details, such as the subject matter, format, word count, deadline, etc. I hate such sloppiness on the part of translation agencies. I don't refer to direct clients who may well be clueless regarding the project details which a translator expects to be indicated in a job offer.



There is also another type. The "Big" agency looking for translators for "potential EU bids" (of course rate is an issue as they have to be competitive). For this "potential" job you need to provide tons of information, among which (the part that has me running away): "Provide us with an accurate volume of words translated for this specific topic". I don't know anyone keeping track of how many words they translate per each topic. It would be a quite challenging endeavor to classify all topics i dealt with in what is now getting close to 18 years of full time translating activity, provide a granular calculation of words volumes and detailed tracking of each job done for subject X, Y and Z. How can someone even come up with that idea? And what makes that a warranty that i am fit for the job? I could be working on high volumes/cheap rates just editing machine translated legalese for 10 years. That would qualify me based on volume.

The other type is the freelance translator outsourcing jobs he or she took despite being unable to finish them (greed syndrome). Out of what he/she finds himself forced to outsource some, of course when it's too late and in an attempt not to lose too much money requests someone to translate a considerable amount of words in a short time at impossible rates (i have two specific cases that insist in sending me group mails with this type of request, despite me having asked them to stop it...a clear sign that once they get what they want they don't care about anyone...since they keep sending mails even after i insult them...they behave like automated bots but they exist as physical entities).

I come from a time where we had respectable direct customers we had a relationship with and proper rates, not this human trash pretending to run translating companies.

[Edited at 2018-04-17 13:27 GMT]


 
Mirko Mainardi
Mirko Mainardi  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 22:34
Member
English to Italian
Wishful thinking Apr 17, 2018

Enrico C - ECLC wrote:

I come from a time where we had respectable direct customers we had a relationship with and proper rates, not this human trash pretending to run translating companies.


And I dream of a place where they have no citizenship...


 
Vladimir Pochinov
Vladimir Pochinov  Identity Verified
Russian Federation
Local time: 23:34
English to Russian
Good old days Apr 17, 2018

I come from a time where I used to use a pen and sheets of paper. I still have a writer's callus (or writer's bump) on my right hand's middle finger ... yes, that famous finger we see in action in movies and in real-life situations.

As I often joke, I live in the 22nd century right now. I make use of each and every technology that facilitates the translation process. Computer-aided translation, cloud computing, cloud storage, web-based and mobile applications, optical character reco
... See more
I come from a time where I used to use a pen and sheets of paper. I still have a writer's callus (or writer's bump) on my right hand's middle finger ... yes, that famous finger we see in action in movies and in real-life situations.

As I often joke, I live in the 22nd century right now. I make use of each and every technology that facilitates the translation process. Computer-aided translation, cloud computing, cloud storage, web-based and mobile applications, optical character recognition, continuous speech recognition (also know as voice-to-text), adaptive neural machine translation, real-time team collaboration (using SDL Trados GroupShare client-server platform), you name it.

[Edited at 2018-04-17 14:12 GMT]
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Enrico C - ECLC
Enrico C - ECLC  Identity Verified
Taiwan
Local time: 05:34
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
I love technology Apr 17, 2018

Vladimir Pochinov wrote:

I come from a time where I used to use a pen and sheets of paper. I still have a writer's callus (or writer's bump) on my right hand's middle finger ... yes, that famous finger we see in action in movies and in real-life situations.

As I often joke, I live in the 22nd century right now. I make use of each and every technology that facilitates the translation process. Computer-aided translation, cloud computing, cloud storage, web-based and mobile applications, optical character recognition, continuous speech recognition (also know as voice-to-text), adaptive neural machine translation, real-time team collaboration (using SDL Trados GroupShare client-server platform), you name it.

[Edited at 2018-04-17 14:12 GMT]


I embrace whatever technology i think it can help me achieve the results i need. I elegantly skip on all the rest. But i am not done for handwriting. Were i to do this job with hands i'd be long gone from this market. My handwriting is terrible and slow. On the other hand i can write, bad, with both hands. Perhaps, hadn't the teachers forced me to shift from left handed to right handed (because the left hand was devil's hand at some point in time in some parts of Italy) i'd have a better handwriting.


 
Tina Vonhof (X)
Tina Vonhof (X)
Canada
Local time: 15:34
Dutch to English
+ ...
Hello Apr 17, 2018

Unless it's obviously a mass email via the proz mailing list, I'm already on edge when I'm addressed as 'Hello'. Surely if they found me on proz.com they should know my name. If they don't care enough to call me by my name, what else do they not care about?

 
Vladimir Pochinov
Vladimir Pochinov  Identity Verified
Russian Federation
Local time: 23:34
English to Russian
Job offers from some agencies - They should know my name, if they found me on ProZ.com. Apr 18, 2018

Tina Vonhof wrote:

Unless it's obviously a mass email via the proz mailing list, I'm already on edge when I'm addressed as 'Hello'. Surely if they found me on proz.com they should know my name. If they don't care enough to call me by my name, what else do they not care about?



+1


 
Robert Forstag
Robert Forstag  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 17:34
Spanish to English
+ ...
Definitely unprofessional Apr 20, 2018

Vladimir Pochinov wrote:
Personally, I am sick and tired of numerous job offers that run as follows:

Dear Vladimir [or "Dear colleague/translator" in case of mass mailing]

We have a document to be translated from English into Russian. Please advise whether you can take it on, and indicate your best rate [I don't have best and worst rates, I can only quote my regular rate together with any applicable markup(s), if appropriate].

Such job requests go straight into the "Trash" bin. Or, if I am interested, this triggers an exchange of emails, as I have to request all the missing details, such as the subject matter, format, word count, deadline, etc. I hate such sloppiness on the part of translation agencies. I don't refer to direct clients who may well be clueless regarding the project details which a translator expects to be indicated in a job offer.


I also sometimes quickly respond to such requests if they are any interest to me at all - and occasionally such "sloppy inquiries" do result in paid work at rates that I consider reasonable (I would never accept work for what I consider unreasonable rates).

But I agree with the general sentiment expressed here that this manner of contacting translators is unprofessional. And I would say that I have a higher rate of collaboration with agencies whose initial communication includes a greeting containing my name, an explanation of how the agency found me, and an indication of why I might be a good fit for the job in question.


 


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