Rating an agency without having worked for it Автор темы: Ruben Berrozpe (X)
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Ruben Berrozpe (X) 
английский => испанский
I am thinking about this after a rather disappointing experience with an agency I ended up NOT working for. My story goes on like this:
This is a reportedly big agency working in several European countries. I sent them my Resume (unrequested) a few days ago, and they replied: They wanted me to fill their form, send them again the CV and my references. I did all of these.
Now, in the file with their instructions I could already spot something suspicious (though I didn’t pay much att... See more I am thinking about this after a rather disappointing experience with an agency I ended up NOT working for. My story goes on like this:
This is a reportedly big agency working in several European countries. I sent them my Resume (unrequested) a few days ago, and they replied: They wanted me to fill their form, send them again the CV and my references. I did all of these.
Now, in the file with their instructions I could already spot something suspicious (though I didn’t pay much attention to it at the moment). It read like this (litteral): “Por otro lado, puesto que nuestros servicios en lengua española se destinan principalmente al mercado español, tengan en cuenta que han de proponernos tarifas correspondientes a las habitualmente aplicadas en España entre los traductores autónomos y agencias de traducción”.
After sending my full application, they replied. They weren’t interested in my application because my rates were very high. They also said, “the translators we work with in Spain have rates between 0.03 and 0.04 euro/word”.
I replied straight away. I said, “I am obviously not interested in working for a rate which is much lower than the one agreed with my other clients, regardless of where they are based. Thanks anyway for your interest in my application”.
I tried to be contained but deep inside I was boiling. This agency was telling me: “You are too expensive and we know there’s a lot of freelancers working for ridiculous rates in Spain, so we’re not interested in you”. Well…. Now I’ve given it some thought and I feel others should be warned about this agency’s policies – even if I have not (and surely will never) work for them. I thought I could use the BB for this, say they only accept ridiculous rates, talk about their communication skills and perhaps reflect on a couple of additional things, namely: my skepticism about their statements (our clients are Spanish so you must give us Spanish rates) and their alleged focus on quality.
Any opinions/ideas? ▲ Collapse
| | | | RWSTranslati (X)
Германия
Local time: 05:30
немецкий => английский
+ ...
| Whre is the problem | Aug 1, 2003 |
Hello,
you send your cv (like hundreds other each day)
They sey that they only take a look on their forms
you fill out the form
they say, that your price is higher than the price they want to pay
you didn't accept this
and nothing more happens
Hans
| | | | Ralf Lemster
Германия
Local time: 05:30
английский => немецкий
+ ...
Ruben,
When you post a rating in the Blue Board, you confirm that you worked for an agency. This is due to the way the BB has been designed: it is not a "black list" and no place to vent one's anger (although TBH I cannot see why you should be angry at them - didn't you say your application was unsolicited?). BB ratings express members' willingness to work for a given outsourcer again.
Therefore, please refrain from making this posting - it would simply be remove... See more Ruben,
When you post a rating in the Blue Board, you confirm that you worked for an agency. This is due to the way the BB has been designed: it is not a "black list" and no place to vent one's anger (although TBH I cannot see why you should be angry at them - didn't you say your application was unsolicited?). BB ratings express members' willingness to work for a given outsourcer again.
Therefore, please refrain from making this posting - it would simply be removed.
Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.
Ralf ▲ Collapse
| | | | Parrot
Испания
Local time: 05:30
испанский => английский
+ ...
Ralf's right, the BB is for real working relationships.
If it's any comfort to you, I was shaken out of bed this morning by an agency with an urgent job that had suddenly "remembered" me after two years of total silence. Sorry, I said, the rate's gone up, and I told them my new rates. I heard the PM howling, "that's an international rate!" "No, buddy, that's what the other Spanish agencies are offering now. International rates are almost double."
So I lose a job (over t... See more Ralf's right, the BB is for real working relationships.
If it's any comfort to you, I was shaken out of bed this morning by an agency with an urgent job that had suddenly "remembered" me after two years of total silence. Sorry, I said, the rate's gone up, and I told them my new rates. I heard the PM howling, "that's an international rate!" "No, buddy, that's what the other Spanish agencies are offering now. International rates are almost double."
So I lose a job (over the weekend, mind you) where the payment clearance period is 75 days, and on top of that I have to give a discount? Take it with a grain of salt, some guys in the Spanish market don't even know what's happening in the Spanish market. In a certain sense, the virtual world is more informed than the real one. ▲ Collapse
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Ruben Berrozpe (X)
английский => испанский
Автор темы
Ralf Lemster wrote:
Ruben,
When you post a rating in the Blue Board, you confirm that you worked for an agency. This is due to the way the BB has been designed: it is not a "black list" and no place to vent one's anger (although TBH I cannot see why you should be angry at them - didn't you say your application was unsolicited?). BB ratings express members' willingness to work for a given outsourcer again.
Therefore, please refrain from making this posting - it would simply be removed.
Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.
Ralf
Thanks for enlightening me Ralf, I wasn't sure about it and now it's all clear for me.
Maybe I was a little bit too tough, I am actually not mad at the agency, but this rates issue has been raised much too often and in some places we feel uncomfortable about it - particularly in Spain. I felt they had no need of telling me the "normal" rates they work with. It sounded to me like "My boy, rates in Spain are these ones, get down from the clouds". And surely they could have just rejected the application more politely. But of course it's just a personal feeling.
Well, thanks anyway!
Rb
[Edited at 2003-08-01 16:19]
| | | | Ruben Berrozpe (X)
английский => испанский
Автор темы | In need of vacation :) | Aug 1, 2003 |
Well, I realised I do need a vacation... Sure this summer's affecting me!
Thanks to you all for your comments.
Rb
| | | | | How to go beyond the border of "spanish " rates? | Aug 1, 2003 |
Hello Ruben, something similar has already happened to me.
So far I have been working for foreign companies with "international" rates.
You mention 0,04 euros but I think that is a quite decent and common rate in Spain...There are a lot of them much lower!!
I still wonder how to find higher rates in Spain and that is the main reason for me to work for foreign companies. What is the secret?? How can you find decent rates in Spain? ....
Kind Rega... See more Hello Ruben, something similar has already happened to me.
So far I have been working for foreign companies with "international" rates.
You mention 0,04 euros but I think that is a quite decent and common rate in Spain...There are a lot of them much lower!!
I still wonder how to find higher rates in Spain and that is the main reason for me to work for foreign companies. What is the secret?? How can you find decent rates in Spain? ....
Kind Regards willdlp ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ruben Berrozpe (X)
английский => испанский
Автор темы
willdlp wrote:
How can you find decent rates in Spain? ....
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;^)
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| Don't take things personally | Aug 2, 2003 |
If you haven't worked for a client (including agancies) before, there's no reason to get angry because your rate has been rejected. You don't have a relationship with these people; if they don't like your rates, or if you don't like theirs, so what! No reason for feeling to get hurt!
On the other hand, if someday a long-term client suddenly starts complaining about your rates, then you might have a reason to get p*ssed off. You'll have to start selling the client on your quality, an... See more If you haven't worked for a client (including agancies) before, there's no reason to get angry because your rate has been rejected. You don't have a relationship with these people; if they don't like your rates, or if you don't like theirs, so what! No reason for feeling to get hurt!
On the other hand, if someday a long-term client suddenly starts complaining about your rates, then you might have a reason to get p*ssed off. You'll have to start selling the client on your quality, and that they'll get what they pay for.
Kevin ▲ Collapse
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