Poll: Does an outsourcer's Blue Board record / average feedback help you decide whether to work with them?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Jan 7, 2020

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Does an outsourcer's Blue Board record / average feedback help you decide whether to work with them?".

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Miguel Jimenez
 
Miguel Jimenez
Miguel Jimenez  Identity Verified
Germany
German to Spanish
+ ...
I think it is a nice tool for detecting poor payment records Jan 7, 2020

I think it is a nice tool for detecting poor payment records. So, many companies that they want to cheat can be detected better.

Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Jessica Noyes
Laura Kingdon
 
Michael Newton
Michael Newton  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 15:45
Japanese to English
+ ...
Blue Board record Jan 7, 2020

Absolutely.

 
Robert Rietvelt
Robert Rietvelt  Identity Verified
Local time: 20:45
Member (2006)
Spanish to Dutch
+ ...
Yes, but.... Jan 7, 2020

I always look at the date (the later, the better), and especially at the number of entries on a certain date. 20 positive entries within 3 days is, lets say, 'curious'.

Always use your common sense!

[Edited at 2020-01-07 09:40 GMT]


ahartje
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Michael Harris
Tom in London
Christine Andersen
Kitty Brussaard
Kaisa I
 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 20:45
French to English
. Jan 7, 2020

Yes, absolutely. Recently an agency interested in working with me was shown to be no longer allowed to post jobs because of their poor BB ratings, so that helped me dodge a bullet there!

I do take good scores with a pinch of salt, in case people are being bullied into giving them. But certainly it's good to see any red flags.


Elizabeth Tamblin
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Michael Harris
Tom in London
Robert Rietvelt
Liena Vijupe
Christine Andersen
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 19:45
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Yes Jan 7, 2020

I am extremely careful. When I’m contacted by a potential new client, I always look at their BB and I read carefully all comments (positive and negative). These days I rarely quote on jobs because apparently posters are looking for the cheapest translator, which I’m not. If the potential client doesn’t have a BB rating, I check elsewhere (LinkedIn, Payment Practices, TC, etc.).

Laura Bissio CT
Pascale van Kempen-Herlant
Anastasia Naoumi
Angie Garbarino
Tina Vonhof (X)
Laura Kingdon
 
Michael Harris
Michael Harris  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 20:45
Member (2006)
German to English
Yes Jan 7, 2020

Robert Rietvelt wrote:

I always look at the date (the later, the better), and especially at the number of entries on a certain date. 20 positive entries within 3 days is, lets say, 'curious'.

Always use your common sense!

[Edited at 2020-01-07 09:40 GMT]


And not only that, if all of the entries are from the outsourcers country....


Mary Kagia
 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 20:45
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
I read the comments carefully Jan 7, 2020

The scores are IMHO not a lot of use in many cases, because they are always close to 5 unless there are direct problems.

Ideally, only really super clients should have scores of 5, and the average, problem-free clients should havre 3, perhaps 4. It is often impossible to judge, until a translator has done several jobs for the client and had an opportunity to see whether they are helpful when problems arise, or whether they are willing to negotiate on deadlines, for instance. Simply
... See more
The scores are IMHO not a lot of use in many cases, because they are always close to 5 unless there are direct problems.

Ideally, only really super clients should have scores of 5, and the average, problem-free clients should havre 3, perhaps 4. It is often impossible to judge, until a translator has done several jobs for the client and had an opportunity to see whether they are helpful when problems arise, or whether they are willing to negotiate on deadlines, for instance. Simply sending a small job and paying on time is not enough to show whether a client is average or brilliant!

I have also seen agencies who offer extremely low rates, but have long rows of 5-ratings nevertheless! Low rates should bring them down to 3 or 4 if they pay on time, and 1 if they can't even do that.

Naturally, translators want to build up good relations with clients, so they tend to be generous with ratings...
The comments are sometimes more revealing, but not always.
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Liena Vijupe
ahartje
Josephine Cassar
Anastasia Naoumi
Elaine Ruby
Michele Fauble
Nemanja Jovanović
 
Liena Vijupe
Liena Vijupe  Identity Verified
Latvia
Local time: 21:45
Member (2014)
French to Latvian
+ ...
Yes Jan 7, 2020

I always take the ratings and reviews with a pinch of salt, but I generally find it to be a good indicator.

One time somebody contacted me by e-mail and also attached a screenshot of Blue Board page with great reviews. When I went on the site to check it I couldn't find anything, so I asked to send me a link instead. Needless to say, I never heard from them again...


 
Michael Newton
Michael Newton  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 15:45
Japanese to English
+ ...
Blue Board Jan 7, 2020

LWA5 should sometimes be taken with a grain of salt. Translators oftentimes shower agencies with this rating to ingratiate themselves in hopes of garnering more jobs. Agencies oftentimes solicit LWA5's from translators after negative reviews are received. As indicated above, a cluster of LWA5's on the same day following a negative review should raise eyebrows.

Robert Rietvelt
ahartje
Kitty Brussaard
Rita Utt
Michele Fauble
 
Michael Harris
Michael Harris  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 20:45
Member (2006)
German to English
Just remembered Jan 7, 2020

Michael Newton wrote:

LWA5 should sometimes be taken with a grain of salt. Translators oftentimes shower agencies with this rating to ingratiate themselves in hopes of garnering more jobs. Agencies oftentimes solicit LWA5's from translators after negative reviews are received. As indicated above, a cluster of LWA5's on the same day following a negative review should raise eyebrows.


I had one customer where I (and many others) were having problems and actually ProZ staff instructed me to change my entry after the ProZ staff had deleted my and the other negative comments.

That was also something that I was (at the time) quite surprised about.


 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
Cardinal rules Jan 7, 2020

First, most translators are but poor businesspersons and no equal business-parties, so they often cannot freely say what they really mean. Why, most of self-proclaimed/wannabe 'freelancers' sheepishly sign contracts without carefully reading, let alone consulting a lawyer, amending the terms, or leaving an objective feedback.

Second, the proper due diligence includes checking (1) several (2) independent [not interrelated] primary sources/places.

Thi
... See more
First, most translators are but poor businesspersons and no equal business-parties, so they often cannot freely say what they really mean. Why, most of self-proclaimed/wannabe 'freelancers' sheepishly sign contracts without carefully reading, let alone consulting a lawyer, amending the terms, or leaving an objective feedback.

Second, the proper due diligence includes checking (1) several (2) independent [not interrelated] primary sources/places.

Third, time flies and many things change--often for worse, rendering the previous--even once-true--comments false.
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B D Finch
B D Finch  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 20:45
French to English
+ ...
Does this mean there is censorship of negative BB comments? Jan 7, 2020

Michael Harris wrote:

I had one customer where I (and many others) were having problems and actually ProZ staff instructed me to change my entry after the ProZ staff had deleted my and the other negative comments.

That was also something that I was (at the time) quite surprised about.


That is worrying!

Could you give more details? It would be useful to know when this occurred, whether it was a large agency, what country, what sort of negative comments and (roughly) how many were deleted. Did ProZ staff give any explanation and what was the wording that they objected to? Did they instruct you to change your comment and/or your rating? Did you query the instruction you received to change your entry and, if so, what response did you get?

This does confirm me in my practice of not taking positive BB ratings and comments nearly as seriously as negative ones, unless they are from people I know and trust.


Kay Denney
 
Edward Potter
Edward Potter  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 20:45
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Yes Jan 8, 2020

I always check the Blue Board when considering taking on a new client.

Sometimes the potential new client has a bad Blue Board record or has been banned. I don't always reject the client out of hand. I just put all the risk on the other foot.

Basically, I tell the client that I would be happy to do a great job for them if they pay up front. I will paste in their Blue Board ratings, and also mine, which is about all the argument I need to give for demanding up-front pay
... See more
I always check the Blue Board when considering taking on a new client.

Sometimes the potential new client has a bad Blue Board record or has been banned. I don't always reject the client out of hand. I just put all the risk on the other foot.

Basically, I tell the client that I would be happy to do a great job for them if they pay up front. I will paste in their Blue Board ratings, and also mine, which is about all the argument I need to give for demanding up-front payment.

Indeed, about 1 out of 10 of these "bad clients" take me up on my offer and pay up front. A little extra paid work isn't too bad.
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Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 16:45
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
YES Jan 8, 2020

Not only it helps, but it's essential and it's the very first thing I check.

Jennifer Forbes
 


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Poll: Does an outsourcer's Blue Board record / average feedback help you decide whether to work with them?






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