Pages in topic:   [1 2 3] >
Poll: Different clients send you the same file to translate. You ...
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Jul 11, 2019

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Different clients send you the same file to translate. You ...".

This poll was originally submitted by Jerry Dean. View the poll results »



 
Nikolay Novitskiy
Nikolay Novitskiy  Identity Verified
Russian Federation
Local time: 18:59
Member (2018)
English to Russian
It depends on who pays more. Jul 11, 2019

I had such situation once. One client payed three time more than another, so I translated the text for this client, and informed the second one. I was really surprised when the second client answered - no problem, translate the same thing for us too.

I made my translation somewhat clumsier (they payed less, you know) and delivered the result.

Conclusion: the one who pays more gets the best

[Edited
... See more
I had such situation once. One client payed three time more than another, so I translated the text for this client, and informed the second one. I was really surprised when the second client answered - no problem, translate the same thing for us too.

I made my translation somewhat clumsier (they payed less, you know) and delivered the result.

Conclusion: the one who pays more gets the best

[Edited at 2019-07-11 08:25 GMT]

[Edited at 2019-07-11 08:39 GMT]
Collapse


Maja_K
Olavo Nogueira
Liviu-Lee Roth
Hege Jakobsen Lepri
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 13:59
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other Jul 11, 2019

In over 40 years, I have never received exactly the same file from two different clients. If I was to be faced with that situation I’ll handle it depending on the circumstances as I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all solution. I must say though that when I was working as a sworn translator in Belgium I was asked quite often to translate the same articles of the Belgian Civil Code (obviously the remaining of the text was different) and I always invoiced my clients the full amount.

Maria Simmen
Nikolay Novitskiy
Philip Lees
 
Michael Harris
Michael Harris  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 14:59
Member (2006)
German to English
My regular customer Jul 11, 2019

This has actually happend to me once.
I informed the customer that did not send my regular work that I had received and was already working on the file from another customer.


Hedwig Spitzer (X)
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 14:59
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
It depends... Jul 11, 2019

ProZ.com Staff wrote:
Different clients send you the same file to translate. You ...
- Translate and invoice both clients


I would never translate a file that I have already translated for someone else, without informing both clients. It has happened, though, that both clients agree, and then I deliver the same file to both. Or sometimes one client asks me to also "proofread" the file, and then I make minor edits to the file so that it's different. In my language combination, if two clients want the same file translated and both are willing to pay for it, it's usually for bidding on a project, so then it would be detrimental to both of them if the translation is identical to another bidder's.

- Translate for the higher-paying client
- Translate for your favourite client
- Do it for the first client who contacted you


If both clients send the file at the same time, and I haven't replied to either of them, then I'll inform them both that I have already received the file and have already submitted a quote for it. I then consider both offers before deciding which one I accept. I have no problem telling either client "sorry, I have already accepted the other client's job".

What happens more often is that one client send me a file for translation, and then another client send me my own translation for proofreading. I then inform the second client that I can't accept the proofreading because I was the translator, unless the client is okay with it that I proofread my own translation. Sometimes they're okay with it, but then I inform the original client as well. Then, I do actually check the translation, but don't make any edits to it except to add comments for improvements.

What also happens sometimes is that I translate a file for one client, and then receive the same file (but someone else's translation) for proofreading. This is why non-compete clauses make no sense for freelance translators.


Kaisa I
Elisabete Nieto
 
Robert Rietvelt
Robert Rietvelt  Identity Verified
Local time: 14:59
Member (2006)
Spanish to Dutch
+ ...
Wrong attitude Jul 11, 2019

Nikolay Novitskiy wrote:

I had such situation once. One client payed three time more than another, so I translated the text for this client, and informed the second one. I was really surprised when the second client answered - no problem, translate the same thing for us too.

I made my translation somewhat clumsier (they payed less, you know) and delivered the result.

Conclusion: the one who pays more gets the best

[Edited at 2019-07-11 08:25 GMT]

[Edited at 2019-07-11 08:39 GMT]


When you accept a job, you always deliver the best, no matter what the rate, or don't accept it. That is the professional way.


Josephine Cassar
Xanthippe
Edith van der Have
Tilman Loeffler
Eckhard Boehle
writeaway
Kevin Fulton
 
Josephine Cassar
Josephine Cassar  Identity Verified
Malta
Local time: 14:59
Member (2012)
English to Maltese
+ ...
Continuation Jul 11, 2019

I never received the same file-I would now know what to do should this happen as one never knows what to do if this happens-but I received a continuation of a file I had translated a year before. I saw no need to either inform the previous client or to inform the second client that I had already translated this text or that I had been the translator of this text as the second agency sent me the source file + translation I had done.

 
Maria Silvestri
Maria Silvestri  Identity Verified
United States
Member (2010)
Italian to English
+ ...
Not the same file, but same project Jul 11, 2019

I don't think I've had the same file ever offered to me, but a few years ago, I was being offered a lot of files from obviously the same project (it was a large clinical trial, iirc) and the price fluctuation offered was at times pretty significant. No matter, I worked as much as I could and warned as much as possible because at the time there was work to be done!

Jeannette Issa
 
Egmont Schröder
Egmont Schröder  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 14:59
Member (2013)
Chinese to German
+ ...
I didn't accept it, but... Jul 11, 2019

... it happened quite often for Chinese translations.

Sometimes I get an offer for the translation of a Chinese document which I have to reject (time or lack of expertise) only to get the same document from other agencies or sometimes even translators.
Of course, every offer the rate will decrease for two or three cents.

This is an example how shady this industry can be.


 
Liena Vijupe
Liena Vijupe  Identity Verified
Latvia
Local time: 15:59
Member (2014)
French to Latvian
+ ...
Other Jul 11, 2019

This has not happened to me. I think I would handle it depending of the situation and possibly treat them as 2 different jobs, unless I find that one or both of the clients should know about it.



I made my translation somewhat clumsier (they payed less, you know) and delivered the result.


Professional considerations aside, so you actually did extra work for them? Makes no sense to me...


Kaisa I
Hedwig Spitzer (X)
Petra Zrilic Popovic
MollyRose
 
Nina Khmielnitzky
Nina Khmielnitzky  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 09:59
Member (2004)
English to French
I inform the second only if they work for the same company Jul 11, 2019

I have a client who, due to employee turnover, sent me sometimes the same text twice. Thanks to my TM, I just re-issued the translation and resent it, mentioning I had already been paid for the work with details like for whom it was and when I did it. They appreciated my honesty and keep giving me work to this day after nearly 20 years.

Mark Nathan
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 14:59
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Oh, yeah, that too... Jul 11, 2019

Egmont Schröder wrote:
Sometimes I get an offer for the translation of a ... document which I have to reject (time or lack of expertise) only to get the same document from other agencies or sometimes even translators.


Yup. Sometimes when this happens, i.e. when I refuse a job, I change my mind later when other agencies contact me about it, and then I end up working on the job for one of the agencies that contacted me later. In my case, each agency usually quotes whatever rate they usually pay (and with some of them there is room to negotiate, and others not). This shows that end-clients do not always select an agency based on price.


 
Nikolay Novitskiy
Nikolay Novitskiy  Identity Verified
Russian Federation
Local time: 18:59
Member (2018)
English to Russian
It's just a business. Jul 11, 2019

Robert Rietvelt wrote:

Nikolay Novitskiy wrote:

I had such situation once. One client payed three time more than another, so I translated the text for this client, and informed the second one. I was really surprised when the second client answered - no problem, translate the same thing for us too.

I made my translation somewhat clumsier (they payed less, you know) and delivered the result.

Conclusion: the one who pays more gets the best

[Edited at 2019-07-11 08:25 GMT]

[Edited at 2019-07-11 08:39 GMT]


When you accept a job, you always deliver the best, no matter what the rate, or don't accept it. That is the professional way.


I can't agree with you. A client deserves what they pay for - that's a law of free market. You can't be payed for Toyota and deliver a Bently - it would be unfair to a person who payed for Bently and got Bently. That's true professionalism - acting like a businessman, not like a philantropist.

[Edited at 2019-07-11 13:42 GMT]


Elaine Ruby
 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
Translation is a product: fuzzy matches, no discounts Jul 11, 2019

While all words are similar to some extent, I'll just do the job and charge both the clients without notifying (NDA), adapting the text to their specific needs and the audience.

Even if a direct client asks me to re-translate something not for European or USA, but for the Asian market--I charge for a new job.


Muriel Vasconcellos
 
Robert Rietvelt
Robert Rietvelt  Identity Verified
Local time: 14:59
Member (2006)
Spanish to Dutch
+ ...
Wrong again Jul 11, 2019

Nikolay Novitskiy wrote:

Robert Rietvelt wrote:

Nikolay Novitskiy wrote:

I had such situation once. One client payed three time more than another, so I translated the text for this client, and informed the second one. I was really surprised when the second client answered - no problem, translate the same thing for us too.

I made my translation somewhat clumsier (they payed less, you know) and delivered the result.

Conclusion: the one who pays more gets the best

[Edited at 2019-07-11 08:25 GMT]

[Edited at 2019-07-11 08:39 GMT]


When you accept a job, you always deliver the best, no matter what the rate, or don't accept it. That is the professional way.


I can't agree with you. A client deserves what they pay for - that's a law of free market. You can't be payed for Toyota and deliver a Bently - it would be unfair to a person who payed for Bently and got Bently. That's true professionalism - acting like a businessman, not like a philantropist.

[Edited at 2019-07-11 13:42 GMT]


You make some logical errors:

- A car is a material product, you deliver a service.
- A Bentley is more expensive then a Toyata because the materials being used to built it are more costly, but does that means Toyota intentionally makes bad cars? You already translated the text for client A, but made it DELIBERATELY "somewhat clumsier" for client B.

"Acting like a businessman, not like a philantropist". (????)
I would say you are acting like the first swindler. If you do something, do it right or don't do it at all! That is what differentiate us profesional translators from amateurs. That is true professionalism!

And your philosofy about the "law of the freemarket", well.... that is another Forum.


[Edited at 2019-07-11 15:43 GMT]

[Edited at 2019-07-11 15:44 GMT]

[Edited at 2019-07-11 15:45 GMT]


Peter van der Hoek
Petra Zrilic Popovic
Elisabete Nieto
Kate Tomkins
Muriel Vasconcellos
Marina Cuznetov
 
Pages in topic:   [1 2 3] >


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:

Moderator(s) of this forum
Jared Tabor[Call to this topic]

You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Poll: Different clients send you the same file to translate. You ...






TM-Town
Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business

Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.

More info »
Anycount & Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000

Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.

More info »