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| [Man explaining smartphone*] |
“I thought it was simple.” That sentence is from a phone conversation with a prospective buyer of translation this week. That same perception is shared by buyers of countless services in the market. They know what they want but are completely ignorant of the process. To clarify, the vast majority are not interested in knowing any or all of the details but would like and often need to know how the process affects the price and delivery time. As an example, I present three customer dialogues and the results, demonstrating the importance of respectful customer education.
My first correspondence was with an institutional client that required
translation of a series of long documents, most of which were in PDF or Excel
form. Translating them in a CAT (Computer Aided Translation) tool requires
processing of the PDFs, often a long process. After estimating the total number
of words, I provided a total quote, as is my policy, but added that the cost
reflected both the repetitions of the numbers in the Excel files but also the
time investment required to work with the PDF (formatting back and forth) and
Excel (QA). Within minutes, I received the Word version of the PDFs, which
gave me the exact number of words. I provided a revised quote, significantly
lower. Both of us were happy as it reduced my time investment and their cost.
An agency asked whether I would accept a “half minimum” for a
translation of a small number of words. It would have been natural to express
annoyance regarding this oxymoron. Instead, the answer was to explain that a
minimum fee also reflects the time invested in correspondence, preparing the
text and invoicing. Fortunately, this project manager accepted this
justification with humor and understanding, improving the relationship and
hopefully preventing such requests in the future.
Finally, the bewildered first-time buyer of translator mentioned above received
some simple clarifications. I explained that the time required to complete a
translation is based on the number of words the average translator can
translate in a day. I clarified that the English words count is between 1.4 and
1.5 times the Hebrew word count, which she had sensed intuitively. I added that
QA of long texts takes times and requires many breaks, to which she could relate
to a writer. Thus, she received enough information to make an intelligent decision
while I improved my chances of attaining the project.
The point is the customer education, done properly, creates a win-win situation for both the customer and the service provider. It is not a waste of time as the vast majority of buyers know nothing of the service process. Whether in translation or any other service field, providing relevant information is beneficial for both parties as it makes matters mutually much simpler.
* Captions are vital for Internet access to the blind.
Picture credit: Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/useche70-11527325/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=6733008">Manuel Alvarez</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=6733008">Pixabay</a>
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