When you deliver late, everyone suffers! Автор темы: Dylan J Hartmann
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Dylan J Hartmann 
Австралия
Член ProZ.com c 2014
таи => английский
+ ...
МОДЕРАТОР
This was the last email that I hoped to receive midday on Friday, expecting to be able to deliver a proof job before EOB:
Hi Dylan,
I hope you are well.
Thank you again for your assistance.
We would like to inform that the translation will be finished later than as scheduled.
We will get back to you once we have any update.
Apologies for inconvenience.
Thanks
......
<... See more This was the last email that I hoped to receive midday on Friday, expecting to be able to deliver a proof job before EOB:
Hi Dylan,
I hope you are well.
Thank you again for your assistance.
We would like to inform that the translation will be finished later than as scheduled.
We will get back to you once we have any update.
Apologies for inconvenience.
Thanks
......
How does everyone else respond in this situation? I understand that the agency is under pressure to deliver on time, but am I supposed to go above and beyond expectations because the translator delivered late?
My response was:
As the deadline was already late my time, if the translation is delivered too late it'll have to be returned tomorrow (or Monday).
(as I'm writing this post, I just received the email response)
The agency replied:
Thank you for your thoughtfulness.
It's okay for us if you could finish editing by 10:00 am Bangkok Monday, 12th September (4:00 am UK 9/12) at the latest.
You will be notified when the translation is done. Please be on stand by.
#win ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sara Massons
Франция
Local time: 02:04
Член ProZ.com c 2016
английский => французский
+ ...
| I propose a new deadline for revision delivery | Sep 9, 2016 |
Hi,
I've been facing such a situation this summer. I had a 12 hours work revision project to work on and the deadline was initially rather long: I had 10 days to do it. Thus I had planned many other things that week and kept the 12 necessary hours in my schedule for that project (plus a little margin as I always try to do). However, the following week was full of work.
When the time due for the translation came, I did not receive the file to review, I wrote the PM and r... See more Hi,
I've been facing such a situation this summer. I had a 12 hours work revision project to work on and the deadline was initially rather long: I had 10 days to do it. Thus I had planned many other things that week and kept the 12 necessary hours in my schedule for that project (plus a little margin as I always try to do). However, the following week was full of work.
When the time due for the translation came, I did not receive the file to review, I wrote the PM and received no answer at all. I waited two days, wrote again, and stated in my answer that I would not be able to deliver revision on time and still received no answer, I waited another day and then I wrote to the PM and the general manager, I explained that other work was planned and that the time left for this project was shortening and still received no answer. I wrote again the following day to say that I was now certain not to be able to do the revision on time.
I finally received the file the day before revision delivery due date without any explanation nor apologies. I then wrote to give my own deadline, which I tried to keep as short as possible thus I would work many more hours than what I had planned for those days and they just answer me ok. I nevertheless receive an automatic email as due date was passed !
When I translate, I always do my best to deliver on time so that the project is not getting late in general and the less I can do when I know I'm being late is to inform the agency or the people working on the document after me so that they can get prepared.
I usually like this agency but this time, their non answering my email got me really angry. When I delivered my revision work, I stated that next time in such a case, I would reserve the right not to do the job at all if I don't have the time when the translation come (and still have no answer to that mail). ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ilan Rubin (X)
Россия
Local time: 04:04
русский => английский
| Depends on the client | Sep 9, 2016 |
Hi, for me it depends on who the client is:
- if it's a new or occasional client I never commit to anything until the text has been completed and sent to me for translation / editing. So I would never definitively 'go on standby' in the first place. Of course I may tell them in advance that, provisionally, I am available at such and such a time unless other work comes in, and providing the text is submitted on time, but otherwise I will work on it the next day, in normal hours in my... See more Hi, for me it depends on who the client is:
- if it's a new or occasional client I never commit to anything until the text has been completed and sent to me for translation / editing. So I would never definitively 'go on standby' in the first place. Of course I may tell them in advance that, provisionally, I am available at such and such a time unless other work comes in, and providing the text is submitted on time, but otherwise I will work on it the next day, in normal hours in my home country. If they know this in advance they may also put pressure on the translator to deliver on time or, if there is a problem, to split the work with another translator. So next time hopefully you will avoid getting in this situation in the first place
- if it's a regular, important client because the monthly invoice is material, then I can tolerate a few situations like this with that client and treat it as part of the job
[Edited at 2016-09-09 07:49 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lingua 5B
Босния и Герцеговина
Local time: 02:04
Член ProZ.com c 2009
английский => хорватский
+ ...
| Be on standby : D | Sep 9, 2016 |
So, are you their employee?
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Christophe Delaunay (X)
Франция
Local time: 02:04
испанский => французский
+ ...
Sara Massons wrote:
When the time due for the translation came, I did not receive the file to review, I wrote the PM and received no answer at all. I waited two days, wrote again, and stated in my answer that I would not be able to deliver revision on time and still received no answer, I waited another day and then I wrote to the PM and the general manager, I explained that other work was planned and that the time left for this project was shortening and still received no answer. I wrote again the following day to say that I was now certain not to be able to do the revision on time.
I usually like this agency but this time, their non answering my email got me really angry. When I delivered my revision work, I stated that next time in such a case, I would reserve the right not to do the job at all if I don't have the time when the translation come (and still have no answer to that mail).
Hi Sara,
Two questions: 1) why didn't you call them in order to have direct contact and not have to wait for would-be emails?
2) do you still work with them despite their not answering you back?! I must admit I am amazed at your patience and how much you can take in
| | | | Dan Lucas
Великобритания
Local time: 01:04
Член ProZ.com c 2014
японский => английский
| Be understanding but firm | Sep 9, 2016 |
DJHartmann wrote:
How does everyone else respond in this situation? I understand that the agency is under pressure to deliver on time, but am I supposed to go above and beyond expectations because the translator delivered late?
My response would be similar to yours. I do make allowances for regular clients, which are by definition those I value, because I wouldn't deal repeatedly with difficult clients.
I am not usually under tremendous pressure because I don't accept jobs with a unreasonable schedule. (The quid pro quo is that I always deliver on the ones I do accept.) So if the job is submitted late by an end-client working on a complex set of financial statements under intense time pressure, as is sometimes the case, I can usually absorb a small amount of slippage.
Even then, if the project slips to the extent that it would affect other jobs for the same agency or for other clients, I tell the agency straight that the schedule is unrealistic and that I need more time. I explicitly make the point that I cannot penalise other end-clients just because this one end-client was late. Decent agencies understand this.
But I might prod the agency gently about being "on stand by":
Hello X, thank you for the update. Given that I have other jobs in progress for other clients I will not be "on stand by" exactly, but be assured that the project is in the diary. Provided that the client keeps to the agreed schedule, I will keep to mine.
This is not about scoring points against the agency. It is just a way to make them aware that I have many other clients and projects on the go and, by implication, that I am not dependent on any one client.
Regards
Dan
| | | | Lingua 5B
Босния и Герцеговина
Local time: 02:04
Член ProZ.com c 2009
английский => хорватский
+ ...
Even in-house employees with FULL benefits will not tolerate being asked to be on "stand by" outside of working hours. Unless they are a surgeon or similar, but then that's a part of their shift/duty and they receive large salaries and big respect for this.
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Испания
Local time: 01:04
Член ProZ.com c 2007
английский
+ ...
| Friday work becomes weekend work? | Sep 9, 2016 |
DJHartmann wrote:
This was the last email that I hoped to receive midday on Friday, expecting to be able to deliver a proof job before EOB
It's okay for us if you could finish editing by 10:00 am Bangkok Monday, 12th September (4:00 am UK 9/12) at the latest.
You will be notified when the translation is done. Please be on stand by.
We all feel differently about evening and weekend work - as freelancers we're free to work when we like. But, IF you normally charge extra for weekend work then I imagine this job would now cost the client considerably more.
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| Virtue of urgency | Sep 10, 2016 |
DJHartmann wrote:
Thank you for your thoughtfulness.
It's okay for us if you could finish editing by 10:00 am Bangkok Monday, 12th September (4:00 am UK 9/12) at the latest.
You will be notified when the translation is done. Please be on stand by.
A number of contacts for urgent jobs are not actually urgent. I mostly negotiated successfully. Except for large volume jobs, I ignored short or new face urgent jobs. I realize that the agencies never respect professional practices of translators (who have job sequences, job priorities, sufficient time to process, who deserve rights to be paid urgently or with extra fee for immediate delivery.
This is my general idea I always explain to Internet based novice translators.
Soonthon L.
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