| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Can I re-negotiate my proofreading rates after starting on job? Thread poster: Nesrin
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Marian Vieyra 
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:01
Member (2007)
French to English
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| Professional standards - | Feb 27, 2007 |
Nesrin,
I believe you are acting professionally by asking and taking advice from others who have had similar experiences. Proofreading is not translation, any non-linguist can proofread in their own language without even viewing the original script. Your client chose a linguist for obvious reasons - they wanted someone who could oversee the source language as well as the target language.
Giovanni - the word is criterion (plural criteria) NOT criterium!
[Edited ... See more Nesrin,
I believe you are acting professionally by asking and taking advice from others who have had similar experiences. Proofreading is not translation, any non-linguist can proofread in their own language without even viewing the original script. Your client chose a linguist for obvious reasons - they wanted someone who could oversee the source language as well as the target language.
Giovanni - the word is criterion (plural criteria) NOT criterium!
[Edited at 2007-02-27 14:27] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Claire Cox
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:01
French to English
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| Good agencies appreciate honesty | Feb 27, 2007 |
Hi Nesrin,
I've had this happen twice recently, both times with different agencies. I charge an hourly rate and hadn't committed myself to a specific time, but on both occasions I mentioned to the client how awful the original translation had been and how it would have been easier to translate from scratch. On both occasions - and entirely unasked - they suggested that I add an extra couple of hours to the time I'd charged - to cover the "trauma", I suppose. It certainly sweetens t... See more Hi Nesrin,
I've had this happen twice recently, both times with different agencies. I charge an hourly rate and hadn't committed myself to a specific time, but on both occasions I mentioned to the client how awful the original translation had been and how it would have been easier to translate from scratch. On both occasions - and entirely unasked - they suggested that I add an extra couple of hours to the time I'd charged - to cover the "trauma", I suppose. It certainly sweetens the pill...
Good luck!
[Edited at 2007-02-27 14:53] ▲ Collapse
| | | | ZZZZZZ (X)
Local time: 06:01
German to English
Your client chose a linguist for obvious reasons - they wanted someone who could oversee the source language as well as the target language.
Giovanni - the word is criterion (plural criteria) NOT criterium!
Client is singular, "they" is plural. Mismatch.
LOL
Maybe we should all quit throwing stones at other people.
As a side note, the worst thing is when foreign translators/checkers/proofreaders/whatevers don't KNOW that they don't really know the language. That's what raises my blood pressure.
| | | | | Bravo Jack and my outsourcer! | Feb 27, 2007 |
I have handled a 'horrible' proofreading job last year and was blaming myself that why I took this job! The translation was so poor that anyone with basic knowledge of Bengali can never produce such a poor translation. I assumed that the translation must have been done by some non-native Bengali and it turned out to be true later.
However, despite this tedious labour, I did not comment about the quality of translation at the beginning or after submitting the work nor did I charge mo... See more I have handled a 'horrible' proofreading job last year and was blaming myself that why I took this job! The translation was so poor that anyone with basic knowledge of Bengali can never produce such a poor translation. I assumed that the translation must have been done by some non-native Bengali and it turned out to be true later.
However, despite this tedious labour, I did not comment about the quality of translation at the beginning or after submitting the work nor did I charge more. But seeing the level of proofreading in track on document, the outsourcer himself raised the charge that was near to my translation rate. Bravo my outsourcer!
In another case, I found a very good quality translation and found very few thing to change but frankly I was not as honest and brave like Jack to ask the outsourcer to give me lower the agreed upon charge! Bravo Jack!
Regards
Iffat ▲ Collapse
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cmwilliams (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:01
French to English
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| Just what I was thinking! | Feb 27, 2007 |
Marie-Helene Hayles wrote:
Judging from the standard of your writing... and your kudoz replies in the English-English section, I'd say you're well up to translating into/proofreading English.
| | | | | I wouldn't re-netogiate the rate | Feb 27, 2007 |
if I had already accepted the job and the terms had already been set. Chalk this up as being your loss. The next time you should ask to see the job beforehand and then base your fee accordingly on the quality of the translation.
For proofreading I usually quote a range price (with the highest amount being the amount I would charge to re-translate the whole job). Then after reading through the work, I know whether to charge the higher or the lower amount.
Before eve... See more if I had already accepted the job and the terms had already been set. Chalk this up as being your loss. The next time you should ask to see the job beforehand and then base your fee accordingly on the quality of the translation.
For proofreading I usually quote a range price (with the highest amount being the amount I would charge to re-translate the whole job). Then after reading through the work, I know whether to charge the higher or the lower amount.
Before even starting with the job, I would inform the client that I have to charge the higher amount because the quality of the translation is poor. Here I usually send a page or so with track changes to let them judge for themselves.
With a situation like the one Jack encountered, I would charge towards the lower end of the range and inform the client afterwards that this was a high quality translation .
All in all, I do not think that it is good business practice to change the rate after you have already accepted this lower rate, have a PO and have already started the work.
Just my two cents!
Good luck on the project,
Lucinda ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lia Fail (X)
Spain
Local time: 06:01
Spanish to English
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| translator should be penalised, not you | Feb 27, 2007 |
Reinicken wrote:
the worst thing is when foreign translators/checkers/proofreaders/whatevers don't KNOW that they don't really know the language.
I think you fell into a trap most of us have fallen into at one point or another, with the obvious problem that you have 45K words of this to deal with, and the clients - I assume - will be paying for the same quantity of bad translation. so there's a lot at stake ...and is some 'bad' translator going to get away with this, leaving you and the client/agency holding the baby????
I would go back to them and try to negotiate, and point out that you shouldn't have the 'pay the price' of a bad translation (nor should they tolerate this level of quality), that they should contact the translator and negotiate a reduction with him/her instead, rather than penalising you indirectly, who will have to spend double or triple the time you had calculated.
| | | | Irene N
United States
Local time: 23:01
English to Russian
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| I respectfully disagree | Feb 27, 2007 |
Lucinda wrote:
if I had already accepted the job and the terms had already been set. Chalk this up as being your loss.
The volume in question is too high. Any general contractor invited to provide an estimate for just wall re-painting will do so but re-negotiate should the walls start falling apart at a touch of a brush. You already are a trusted language service provider for this client, talk to them.
For a variety of reasons, including those stated by Lucinda, I could be pushed to swallow up to 10 pages, but not a word more. If I were to do any proofreading at all, that is, which I don't.
And Nesrin, your English is beautiful indeed:-)
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casey
United States
Local time: 00:01
Member
Japanese to English
| Very good, indeed | Feb 28, 2007 |
IreneN wrote:
And Nesrin, your English is beautiful indeed:-)
I have to agree. Very impressive.
| | | | | Let them know | Feb 28, 2007 |
Hi Nesrin,
- People usually dont negotiate over and over.
- Proofreading is never a re-translating. Your client knows that. I had the same problem last year. I sent first 4 pages, and they suggested an increase in the price. Happy end
- If you quoted without seeing the files, you have to inform your client immediatly and let them know that this is more than a proofreading. Suggest y... See more Hi Nesrin,
- People usually dont negotiate over and over.
- Proofreading is never a re-translating. Your client knows that. I had the same problem last year. I sent first 4 pages, and they suggested an increase in the price. Happy end
- If you quoted without seeing the files, you have to inform your client immediatly and let them know that this is more than a proofreading. Suggest your new rate based on quality of the work. If you think proofreading will take more time than translating this text over, you have to inform that as well. So client may follow the economic way.
- If you had seen the files, and quoted this way, than I think burden is yours. But I would inform the client, they may suggest to compensate extra. If they dont chose to pay extra we can not blame.
- Since they are your regular client, even you dont get extra, in the long run you will be winner.
Finally I would suggest you to inform them, and kindly ask them if they would consider to pay extra.
Good luck
Nizam ▲ Collapse
| | | | the Train
Local time: 05:01
English to Arabic
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| Acceptable standards | Mar 6, 2007 |
Hi Nesrin,
There is such a thing as acceptable standards. You can always call your client and tell them that the translation has not been made to such standards and your work now surpasses proofreading. If they are a regular client, I am sure they will listen.
And let us know how it went....
Good Luck
Rehab
| | | | the Train
Local time: 05:01
English to Arabic
+ ...
As a side note, the worst thing is when foreign translators/checkers/proofreaders/whatevers don't KNOW that they don't really know the language. That's what raises my blood pressure.
I will never under-estimate a translator or proof-reader becuase he/she is foreign. I agree that as a general rule, native speakers with relevant degrees, equal talent, comparable experience will provide a better translation. However, some of the best translations I have ever seen were made by foreign translators. Common sense, dedication and talent can not be measured. At the end of the day, if a language can not be mastered by a foreigner as a target language, then there is no point assuming anybody will understand a source language well enough either.
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Nesrin
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:01
English to Arabic
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TOPIC STARTER | Thanks you all very much! | Mar 6, 2007 |
I did get in touch with the client, sent him the first few proofread pages and briefly explained the situation to him.
Luckily, he was able to judge the English translation for himself, so without arguing, he agreed to pay me a higher rate for this particular job.
Thanks again for the sound advice!
| | | | | Live and Learn | Mar 12, 2007 |
Hello Nessrin,
I ran into the same problem last year. A proofread that actually turned out to be a "retranslation." I honored my quoted rate because that's just how I was raised, but EVERY proofreading quote since has come with a standard disclaimer.
Proofreading rates may vary depending on the quality of the translation. I will make every effort to contact you as soon as possible should a rate adjustment become necessary.
So far, I haven't lost any cust... See more Hello Nessrin,
I ran into the same problem last year. A proofread that actually turned out to be a "retranslation." I honored my quoted rate because that's just how I was raised, but EVERY proofreading quote since has come with a standard disclaimer.
Proofreading rates may vary depending on the quality of the translation. I will make every effort to contact you as soon as possible should a rate adjustment become necessary.
So far, I haven't lost any customers for changing the rate. Chalk one up to experience. Good thing it wasn't 45K words, though.
SaludoZ!
Jason ▲ Collapse
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