| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | Poll: Averagely, how many jobs do you turn down due to your busy schedule? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Ilan Rubin (X) 
Russian Federation
Local time: 20:36
Russian to English
Simon Bruni wrote: ILAN RUBIN wrote:
The more you charge the less work you get, the less you charge the more work you get, at least in normal circumstances. So if you are getting flooded with offers you can't do you can raise the price for all clients until you reduce the number of offers to your full capacity level.
This is a myth, and a toxic one that creates a race to the bottom. In short, not all clients prioritise price, many don't. Indeed, they are suspicious of low prices. Even many agencies pay a little above the market floor to avoid getting the bottom feeders. It's not simple economics, for the simple reason that low cost is only one of the factors that determine a purchasing decision. Very often, other considerations far outweigh low cost: quality, reliability, reputation... As a translator's career progresses, both rates and the number of offers received tend to increase, the two things are not mutually exclusive.
Each supplier, good and bad, has their own particular demand curve, which is generally downward sloping. If somebody who is, let us assume, one of the top 1% translators is getting say offers that are twice her max capacity then she should raise prices to get offers that are say 110% of capacity, whatever works best. You are probably thinking in terms of offers from new clients, but I am thinking in terms of existing clients, which are normally the source of most jobs offered.
| | | | Luiz Barucke
Brazil
Local time: 14:36
Spanish to Portuguese
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Chris S wrote:
I think we need to draw a distinction between ignoring automated requests sent to a gazillion translators by ProZ members and lazy agencies, and enquiries from customers who can be bothered to select and communicate with individual translators.
I ignore more than six of the former daily; I turn down way more than six of the latter a month.
You have to be turning down work regularly if you want to keep busy. The chances of your availability and your customers' needs being an exact match are minuscule.
| | | | | Never rains but it pours | Aug 11, 2016 |
When I'm already busy and more work comes in, it is rare that I turn it down. The deadline on the job underway may allow for a small job to be sneaked in, or the deadline of the new job may mean it can be done immediately after the one underway.
If it really can't be fitted in, then I will turn it down and/or refer the client to a fellow translator in whom I trust.
I cannot say how frequently that occurs as it often turns out that the new job can be done after the current one.
... See more When I'm already busy and more work comes in, it is rare that I turn it down. The deadline on the job underway may allow for a small job to be sneaked in, or the deadline of the new job may mean it can be done immediately after the one underway.
If it really can't be fitted in, then I will turn it down and/or refer the client to a fellow translator in whom I trust.
I cannot say how frequently that occurs as it often turns out that the new job can be done after the current one.
[Edited at 2016-08-11 16:34 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | John Cutler
Spain
Local time: 19:36
Spanish to English
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Ana Vozone wrote:
I rarely turn down a job that is (properly offered) / (from a reliable/credible client), but I do ignore quite a few that do not meet these criteria on a daily basis...
My experience exactly. Offers are a dime a dozen; serious offers are somewhat scarcer.
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Rita Utt
France
Local time: 19:36
English to German
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Simon Bruni wrote: ILAN RUBIN wrote:
The more you charge the less work you get, the less you charge the more work you get, at least in normal circumstances. So if you are getting flooded with offers you can't do you can raise the price for all clients until you reduce the number of offers to your full capacity level.
This is a myth, and a toxic one that creates a race to the bottom. In short, not all clients prioritise price, many don't. Indeed, they are suspicious of low prices. Even many agencies pay a little above the market floor to avoid getting the bottom feeders. It's not simple economics, for the simple reason that low cost is only one of the factors that determine a purchasing decision. Very often, other considerations far outweigh low cost: quality, reliability, reputation... As a translator's career progresses, both rates and the number of offers received tend to increase, the two things are not mutually exclusive.
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 13:36
English to Spanish
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| How many angels could stand on the point of a pin? | Aug 11, 2016 |
As dumb as the title question is, it was once a serious topic at bishops' councils centuries ago. Fast forward to 2016, and dumb questions are still being asked. Ergo, how useful is it to me or to anyone else to count, let alone know, how many jobs I turn down because I'm busy?
Just the replies from my colleagues here show differing opinions and priorities, not to mention pricing philosophies. Is the poll's author attempting to make a point, such as If translator A rejects X numb... See more As dumb as the title question is, it was once a serious topic at bishops' councils centuries ago. Fast forward to 2016, and dumb questions are still being asked. Ergo, how useful is it to me or to anyone else to count, let alone know, how many jobs I turn down because I'm busy?
Just the replies from my colleagues here show differing opinions and priorities, not to mention pricing philosophies. Is the poll's author attempting to make a point, such as If translator A rejects X number of jobs because she's busy, that X number goes to translator B, or to translators B, C, D, etc.? Just sayin'…
There should be a Recall posted poll for those situations when the author realizes he or she wrote a pointless or useless question.
[Edited at 2016-08-11 15:39 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Doing math with missing variables | Aug 11, 2016 |
Mario Chavez wrote:
How many angels could stand on the point of a pin?
As dumb as the title question is, it was once a serious topic at bishops' councils centuries ago. Fast forward to 2016, and dumb questions are still being asked. Ergo, how useful is it to me or to anyone else to count, let alone know, how many jobs I turn down because I'm busy?
Just the replies from my colleagues here show differing opinions and priorities, not to mention pricing philosophies. Is the poll's author attempting to make a point, such as If translator A rejects X number of jobs because she's busy, that X number goes to translator B, or to translators B, C, D, etc.
There should be a Recall posted poll for those situations when the author realizes he or she wrote a pointless or useless question.
First, on the recall point, the stack of poll questions at Proz is so high, that the poster seldom remembers their own question when it eventually comes up.
From the answers here, the question could be an attempt to take "the (absolute) number of jobs turned down" above a certain figure as a flag to raise one's rates. Yet this is utterly meaningless. Turning down 3 jobs out of 6 offered is very different from turning down 9 jobs out of 18. Turning down three or even five 200-word jobs is very different from turning down one 5,000-word job.
There is a price/demand relationship, otherwise we'd see metropolitan traffic anywhere crammed with Rolls Royces, and no Fiat Unos around. However other factors enter into play. In the automotive industry, some people who could afford a Rolls actually prefer a Mercedes. Some people who can only afford a Fiat Uno will go into debt to buy a Ford Fiesta instead.
In translation we also have factors that interfere with the linearity of the equation. Rates below a certain level - which may vary from one language pair to another - will erode confidence in getting acceptable work. Highly specialized subjects may dictate higher than average rates for minimally acceptable work.
Of course, the "raise your rates" decision in the latter case will NOT cause specialized demand to subside. However higher rates tend to render their adopter a less-preferred choice among those who can offer plain-vanilla translation services, thereby reducing the demand overall. It's a very delicate balance.
In any case, the number of jobs a translator turns down is meaningless. Throw dice, and that resulting number will be just as meaningful, if all other factors are ignored.
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The rates I generally see in these places are around $0.05. My standard fee starts at $0.18 and I'd be interested if you were to consider that "charging too little". That's sort of the first point.
Secondly there are the reasons for turning down a job other than being busy. Yesterday I turned down several:
a) This job was a court case involving a company, financial, commercial, and legal matters. It required a translator who specializes in things like Canadian law. The de... See more The rates I generally see in these places are around $0.05. My standard fee starts at $0.18 and I'd be interested if you were to consider that "charging too little". That's sort of the first point.
Secondly there are the reasons for turning down a job other than being busy. Yesterday I turned down several:
a) This job was a court case involving a company, financial, commercial, and legal matters. It required a translator who specializes in things like Canadian law. The deadline was also rushed, there would be a team of translators, and I would have been the senior person, the one with certification status. There is no way that I can ethically certify work for which I don't feel qualified. Given the rush status, I probably could have charged $0.20/word.
i.e. a) has nothing to do with being busy
b) Clients whom I have never worked for, sending me documents along with "their" rate which is a fraction of my rate.
Turning down the b) category involves the fact that from the point of view of these clients, I "charge too much". The turning down is probably mutual.
I am sure that the colleagues who turn down work would have similar stories.
Adding: I get a fair number of rejections as "charging too much" from new clients, almost always agencies. With the customers I do have, there can be pile-ups when several of them need translations at the same time. Usually we managed to arrange some kind of prioritizing, where at least one of them can wait. On rare occasion I have to say "Sorry, I can't fit you in." ▲ Collapse
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Jeff Whittaker
United States
Local time: 13:36
Spanish to English
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| About 20-25 job requests a day... | Aug 11, 2016 |
But most I would not accept anyway (low rate, impossible deadline, subject matter, etc.).
| | | | DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
As far as I work with direct clients, I don't turn jobs down, just re-prioritize them according to the clients' needs, why?
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Simon Bruni wrote:
This is a myth, and a toxic one
Have to disagree. It really is simple economics.
I get offered more than I can take so I put my prices up and a few customers drop away and balance is restored.
My pricing is based entirely on how much I think I can get away with for the quality I provide. That's how any market works!
Oh, and Mario, be nice. Just because you don't like it or can't see the point of it doesn't necessarily make it a stupid question.
| | | | Ilan Rubin (X)
Russian Federation
Local time: 20:36
Russian to English
We are talking about different things here. I'm talking about serious proposals, not any old junk offered by some dodgy agency who doesn't know you. I would think that that is what the poll's proposer had in mind, as (a) it is probably the only piece of information that can be useful to my mind, and (b) the poll asks, specifically, 'due to your busy schedule'. So when a translator answers the poll by saying 2 pieces of work in a day BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO BUSY they are in my way of thinking leavi... See more We are talking about different things here. I'm talking about serious proposals, not any old junk offered by some dodgy agency who doesn't know you. I would think that that is what the poll's proposer had in mind, as (a) it is probably the only piece of information that can be useful to my mind, and (b) the poll asks, specifically, 'due to your busy schedule'. So when a translator answers the poll by saying 2 pieces of work in a day BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO BUSY they are in my way of thinking leaving money on the table. ▲ Collapse
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Erzsébet Czopyk
Hungary
Local time: 19:36
Member (2006)
Russian to Hungarian
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SITE LOCALIZER
Michael Harris wrote:
No idea at all.
I only turn down jobs if the deadline cannot be changed and I am too busy.
It may have been about 8 or 9 this month, but is generally a lot less - I do not keep track of that sort of stuff.
I have just two hands and the day consists of 24 hours and I do not sleep a lot but I have no idea when, how much, and why exactly. This week I received a remarkable offer from a Russian translation office for proofreading for 0.005, then a translation job for less than 0.01/sw (3 euros per page). I send them a short response declaring that I am still of sound mind.
Usually I try to accept everything which is sent - you will never know when the first 5-euro-job turns in a huge assignment next time.
Cheers, Liza
| | | | Sadek_A
Local time: 21:36
English to Arabic
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| Not necessarily; Undoubtedly! | Aug 11, 2016 |
"The more you charge the less work you get, the less you charge the more work you get."
If a translator's output is a quality one and they are able to reach the right clients, they are not necessarily going to receive less work due to their higher rates. The chance of that negative impact happening does exist, though, thanks to the imprudent competition.
As for the second half of the quoted statement, there is no doubt about its validity. There are some markets willing/... See more "The more you charge the less work you get, the less you charge the more work you get."
If a translator's output is a quality one and they are able to reach the right clients, they are not necessarily going to receive less work due to their higher rates. The chance of that negative impact happening does exist, though, thanks to the imprudent competition.
As for the second half of the quoted statement, there is no doubt about its validity. There are some markets willing/able to outsource outstanding daily volumes as long as they are scoring the desired rock-bottom rates. The lower the translator's rate goes, the higher volumes they will be offered, especially if the quality is good. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 19:36
Member (2006)
German to English
ILAN RUBIN wrote:
We are talking about different things here. I'm talking about serious proposals, not any old junk offered by some dodgy agency who doesn't know you. I would think that that is what the poll's proposer had in mind, as (a) it is probably the only piece of information that can be useful to my mind, and (b) the poll asks, specifically, 'due to your busy schedule'. So when a translator answers the poll by saying 2 pieces of work in a day BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO BUSY they are in my way of thinking leaving money on the table.
I am not sure if you are bored all day and just waiting for the golden job each month, but we are in the translation business.
I am satisfied with what I earn and have more than enough work to do with decent customers and payment deadlines wheich are almost always kept to.
So you are telling me that I am useless becasue I am satisfied with how things are going and because I would prefer to keep the quality and not be "greedy"?
I find your argumentation pretty single minded
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