| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Visiting your clients (agencies) in person Thread poster: Maciej Pomorski
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Maciej Pomorski 
Poland
Local time: 17:00
Member (2005)
German to Polish
+ ...
What do you think about visiting clients you have worked with for years in person if it happens that you are close to their location? If you (used to) work as a PM in a translation agency, what do you think about the idea of a translator you have worked with for years visiting you in your premises? Does it happen often, is it regarded as something desirable or would they simply disturb you in your work?
I'm going for vacation to a place where I have several agency clients and I think if it... See more What do you think about visiting clients you have worked with for years in person if it happens that you are close to their location? If you (used to) work as a PM in a translation agency, what do you think about the idea of a translator you have worked with for years visiting you in your premises? Does it happen often, is it regarded as something desirable or would they simply disturb you in your work?
I'm going for vacation to a place where I have several agency clients and I think if it would be appropriate to ask them if it was possible to visit them in person. Please let me know your opinion
[Zmieniono 2021-06-09 09:14 GMT]
[Zmieniono 2021-06-09 09:15 GMT]
[Zmieniono 2021-06-09 09:15 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Yes as long as you let them know | Jun 9, 2021 |
I think it's OK as long as you arrange this beforehand as lots of people are working remotely. I personally wouldn't appreciate someone showing up at my office as I have meetings/calls and projects to deliver. However, I met many of my translators for a quick coffee whilst they were in London.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:00
Member (2008)
Italian to English
I'm in the habit of scoping their premises, using Google Earth, just to see where they hang out.
I've often imagined myself sitting across the street in a car, spying on them as they come and go.
| | | | | Good question | Jun 9, 2021 |
Maciej Pomorski wrote: What do you think about visiting clients you have worked with for years in person if it happens that you are close to their location? If you (used to) work as a PM in a translation agency, what do you think about the idea of a translator you have worked with for years visiting you in your premises? Does it happen often, is it regarded as something desirable or would they simply disturb you in your work? I'm going for vacation to a place where I have several agency clients and I think if it would be appropriate to ask them if it was possible to visit them in person. Please let me know your opinion [Zmieniono 2021-06-09 09:14 GMT] [Zmieniono 2021-06-09 09:15 GMT] [Zmieniono 2021-06-09 09:15 GMT]
When I worked a freelance translator, I often thought about this. I never did it, because I don't think I was ever in any of the cities my clients worked from. Personally, I wouldn't see anything wrong with it, especially if you've been working with them for a while and have a positive impression of them. It's always interesting to meet people in person who you've gotten on well with online and/or over the phone. Be sure to being something with you (chocolates, cake or the like) to make a good impression;)
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I have been working for over 35 years and I have only been visited by a client once when I was living in Brussels. He was the representative of a Japanese translation agency I had been working for a while and he had just settled in Brussels. By then, I used to travel a lot but it never crossed my mind to visit my customers, though I’m in very good terms with some of them (I'm kind of shy).
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 17:00
Spanish to English
+ ...
I happened to be in a certain European city on holiday, and recognised the street I was walking down as a customer's address, so I went in. They were surprised, of course, because we had just turned up out of the blue, but they showed us round the office and introduced us to everyone. I continued to work with them normally after that.
On another occasion I had specifically arranged to meet a customer in another European city during a holiday. The encounter was entirely pleasant. I n... See more I happened to be in a certain European city on holiday, and recognised the street I was walking down as a customer's address, so I went in. They were surprised, of course, because we had just turned up out of the blue, but they showed us round the office and introduced us to everyone. I continued to work with them normally after that.
On another occasion I had specifically arranged to meet a customer in another European city during a holiday. The encounter was entirely pleasant. I never got a single job from them after that. I suspect it was the bottle of Rioja I brought along as a gift. Something maybe happened to it during the flight, because we drank another bottle of the same stuff when we were there, and it was definitely corked.
Lessons learned? 1. Never take wine on planes. 2. Never offer a gift which may have hidden flaws.
Oh, I nearly forgot ... this just in:
A man was questioned by police earlier today in inner-city London. The manager of a translation company claimed this person had been sitting in a car on the other side of the road, taking notes whenever anyone entered or exited the building. This had been going on for a week. When challenged by one of the employees on Day Three, he said nothing, but smiled knowingly, tapped the side of his nose, and winked.
The man, who was wearing dark glasses, a floppy hat and a beard which appeared to be false, was accompanied by a cat sitting on the passenger seat, which hissed menacingly when police officers tapped on his window. There was a large box of assorted doughnuts on the back seat, along with empty cartons of latte and McDonald's smoothies.
He was extremely polite to the officers, telling them he was "on stakeout", but said he was not breaking any law, which the police had to admit was true. "But look at the cut of this gaff," he scoffed. "Have you seen the excuse for cladding on that facade? And the general area. Who can claim corporatedom when their HQ has a street view of old sofas and fridges lying around on waste ground? And what about that car sitting on bricks over there? And the fence hanging on one hinge? I'm on the case, I am."
[Edited at 2021-06-09 10:10 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Digital tech never replaces informal face-to-face encounters. If you happen to be in their city, I suggest you ask them if you can pop in for a casual visit. You get introduced to the boss and the people you actually deal with all the time, and it can be fun. I don't think PMs get that many visits, so it can be a pleasant break for them as well.
I visited two of my initial agency clients while on holiday in Paris 20 years ago. I had lunch with the in-house team of one of them. We talked sh... See more Digital tech never replaces informal face-to-face encounters. If you happen to be in their city, I suggest you ask them if you can pop in for a casual visit. You get introduced to the boss and the people you actually deal with all the time, and it can be fun. I don't think PMs get that many visits, so it can be a pleasant break for them as well.
I visited two of my initial agency clients while on holiday in Paris 20 years ago. I had lunch with the in-house team of one of them. We talked shop and a lot of other things unrelated to translation.
Philippe ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:00
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Philippe Etienne wrote:
We talked shop and a lot of other things unrelated to translation.
Philippe
I imagine any conversation between me and any of my clients would quickly peter out into inconsequential remarks followed by an embarrassed silence.
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Maciej Pomorski
Poland
Local time: 17:00
Member (2005)
German to Polish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Awkward conversation | Jun 9, 2021 |
Tom in London wrote: Philippe Etienne wrote:
We talked shop and a lot of other things unrelated to translation.
Philippe
I imagine any conversation between me and any of my clients would quickly peter out into inconsequential remarks followed by an embarrassed silence.
Esp. if you told them you were fantasizing about spying on them
| | | | Kevin Fulton
United States
Local time: 11:00
German to English
Early this century, when I still did business with local agencies, I would occasionally drop by to chat and meet new PMs. No one considered this to be unusual.
Two agencies invited me to be a guest at their offices located far from the Detroit area – and at their expense, and one even sent me to Germany to learn about a large project they were undertaking. Given the current economic situation, I don't expect that to happen again.
| | | | Peter Motte
Belgium
Local time: 17:00
Member (2009)
English to Dutch
+ ...
Tokyo is a bit far from Europe.
| | | | | Bad experience | Jun 10, 2021 |
Many years ago, one of my main clients was a Spanish agency located in Barcelona, where my cousin lived. When I decided to go and visit him, I wrote to the PMs and we arranged a meeting at the agency. Everything went fine, we spent a nice time together and... I never heard from them any more! Not a single job after that day... No emails explaining what had happened, they simply disappeared.
Maybe this was not related to my visit, but I never tried again to meet my clients!
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Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 17:00
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
| Agency no, direct clients yes. | Jun 10, 2021 |
I met a couple of direct clients who are in the tourism sector. I was a tourist in one of the places they own.
I was a "guest" at agency premises during interpreting or creative media projects. I was offered coffee, snacks, and just looked around their offices during breaks between sessions. There was a chill out zone with bean bags, TV, a pool table or table tennis. But these are more creative agencies doing some translation work rather than purely translation agencies.
... See more I met a couple of direct clients who are in the tourism sector. I was a tourist in one of the places they own.
I was a "guest" at agency premises during interpreting or creative media projects. I was offered coffee, snacks, and just looked around their offices during breaks between sessions. There was a chill out zone with bean bags, TV, a pool table or table tennis. But these are more creative agencies doing some translation work rather than purely translation agencies.
Would I go ahead and pay an unsolicited visit to a random translation agency? I wouldn't. Wouldn't they organize this type of meetings on their own if they were interested in it? ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 17:00
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
| Conflict of interest. | Jun 10, 2021 |
alessandra bocco wrote:
Many years ago, one of my main clients was a Spanish agency located in Barcelona, where my cousin lived. When I decided to go and visit him, I wrote to the PMs and we arranged a meeting at the agency. Everything went fine, we spent a nice time together and... I never heard from them any more! Not a single job after that day... No emails explaining what had happened, they simply disappeared.
Maybe this was not related to my visit, but I never tried again to meet my clients!
Any type of "getting too close to vendors" or between vendors is not encouraged in organizations as it may result in conflict of interest or bias. This may explain what happened.
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Lingua 5B wrote: alessandra bocco wrote:
Many years ago, one of my main clients was a Spanish agency located in Barcelona, where my cousin lived. When I decided to go and visit him, I wrote to the PMs and we arranged a meeting at the agency. Everything went fine, we spent a nice time together and... I never heard from them any more! Not a single job after that day... No emails explaining what had happened, they simply disappeared.
Maybe this was not related to my visit, but I never tried again to meet my clients! Any type of "getting too close to vendors" or between vendors is not encouraged in organizations as it may result in conflict of interest or bias. This may explain what happened.
What would the conflict of interest be?
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