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| [axe in wood*] |
Quite recently, one of my longest-standing clients, a smaller
translation agency, contacted me and
requested a quote for translation of a death certificate from Hebrew to
English. The project manager wrote that the customer budget was limited
and offered me two thirds of my standard rate. It is important to note that in
recent years, I have received far less business from this agency. As I was in the quiet period
of the feast or famine work cycle, I considered
the pluses and minuses of compromising on my rate.
In theory, when deciding on whether to bend on price, three elements, among
others, are relevant. First, the freelancer has to take into account how much
work is coming in at that moment since more getting work in busy times is less important than during a
dry period. The second question is whether the customer is established or new.
It can be good practice to show some flexibility with established customers as
a way of strengthening the business relationship. On the other hand, new
customers have this nasty tendency to come to the conclusion that the
“exceptional” discount is the rule. Finally, when a special request comes after
or during a large project, the translator easily makes up any “loss” that is incurred on the
larger project. The supermarkets called this a loss leader. Thus, I
balanced all these factors in my mind and made a decision.
I responded by telling the project manager that, while I understood the
situation, I do not compromise on quality
and expect not to have compromise on price. What I was really thinking was that
the difference in price was the cost of a coffee and croissant in many
countries. Not only that, if I didn’t get the project, I still would be able to
buy bread next month.
I did not get the project but did not lose the client either. In my
opinion, there is a justification for making discounts in certain
circumstances, but they are truly the exceptions.
* Picture captions help the blind fully access the Internet.
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