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To Be Paid or Not Be Paid
By Roald Toskedal DAK-konsult
Norwegian Translator / CAD Consultant
www.norwegiantrans.com
toskedal@online.no
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Having
been doing business in the international translation market
for some 5 years now, I have noticed a few issues that it
might be useful to pay some attention to. We translators,
be it freelancers or full time enterprises, always have the
fear of not being paid; we join all sorts of online forums
and/or mailing lists and read the most horrendous stories
about scams and non-paying agencies. By all means, I know
there are sharks out there, and we are very wise
to research new prospects to the fullest practical.
However, when
getting to know some agencies more intimately, another story
emerges. Please consider what an agency wrote to me the other
day in a discussion of this issue.
Quoted unedited, with other names removed:
You
are so right Roald, many times there are misunderstandings
- I have had so many incidents with cheques, one translator
swore I did not pay her, and ranted and raved for days, until...
she realized her mother had picked up her mail while she was
on vacation and forgot to give it to her.... another in XXXX,
never received payment, but when I faxed her a copy of the
cashed cheque, said it was stolen.... and that she had never
received it - others say 30 days, and by the 29th day are
screetching to get paid.... wow, some days I am just ready
to close it all up - it is true that dealing with people is
the hardest - I even had a translator rate us on proz.com
as a 1 because she did not get the job she had quoted for....
jeezz, nasty ones out there Roald; believe me when I say you
are a friend. I mean it....
What can we read
out of this? Well, for one, you can read that I am on rather
friendly terms with this agency owner, and second, you can
read that some times, the issue looks quite different from
the other side of the fence.
I ask all translators:
Do we always see to it that we are sufficiently organized
to act as professional business partners in an international
market? I am afraid the answer might be a definite mmwwwwaaa
The
first thing to have in mind is that trust works both ways.
Below are a few lessons I have learnt the hard
way. I would not presume that I always stick 100% to these
rules myself, but I most certainly try and do my very best
to be trustworthy.
Always see to it that all and any agreements with regards
to price, terms, quality and delivery times, are well adhered
to; moreover, that written agreements are issued for all pertaining
issues never assume anything, get it in writing, and
if possible, get both parties signature. Prepare a document
with your standard terms, stating both your and your customers
obligations under a standard business deal, send it to the
customer, and request a signed copy to be returned to your
fax. Do not just accept everything written in the agencys
PO, a deal has two equal parties, and prevailing business
practices might be different in their country.
Do not be afraid to tell the agency if you are having problems
with their requested deadline. Giving full notice up front
if you would need one or two days more than their request,
will in most cases earn you points in their book that you
are serious about adhering to deadlines. Some, not all that
serious agencies, will push and press until you give in, however,
just stand your ground and tell them what time you need. They
may tell you that they have to go elsewhere if you do not
agree, and in that case, just let them go. YOU are the one
in charge of your working hours, not anybody else. It is better
to lose 3 or 4 customers over this, than to work day and night,
vacations and holidays, and maybe having problems delivering
after all. Also always set aside a few hours/days for contingencies
you might have a PC disaster 3 hours before the deadline.
Been there done that
NEVER say yes to do a translation in a field/language in
which you are not competent or sufficiently experienced
you may do harm beyond your comprehension. Moreover, always
ask the agency/client/customer about terms with which you
are not familiar, again, this gives you points for being thorough
and responsible.
Always be up front with any changes in prices/terms. Do
not spring the news on the customer when asked to do a job,
but try and keep your info on pricing and terms updated in
newsletters to your customers semi-annually, or whenever necessary.
And give your customers some weeks to react to it do
not say, From next Monday, our prices will be up 50%
That is not a good way to build trust.
Always give due notice to your customers of planned vacations,
maternity/sick leave, or any other reason for you not being
able to do business as usual, such as working day and night
on a huge job for some 4 months, not being able to take on
new assignments for that period.
Always be organized, have your contact details updated,
with clear and to-the-point signatures in your e-mails, be
available on e-mail and telephone, at least put up a standard
reply for your mail, and/or an answering service for your
phone when away. Establish safe mailing routines, that you
actually get your mail to your office when it arrives.
Try and be on friendly terms with your customers, toss in
for free the odd extra proofing or a few extra terms just
before the presses are running; do not be a miser, but stand
your ground with agreed prices and terms. A deal is a deal.
Establish good accounting routines, with a good overview
of payable invoices, cross-referenced to any particular deals
entered for each invoice. Issue formal payment reminders,
with default interest and reminder fees added provided
this has been stated up front in your invoices and standard
terms.
Do not always assume that the agency is a non-payer if they
are some 3 days late with the payment. Contact them, and ask
before screaming. Quite often, there are practical
reasons for the delay. Do not act paranoid.
If push comes to shove, and the agency turns out actually
to be unwilling to pay your money, first try and get in contact
with them to find out what they claim to be the problem, assess
the validity of their claim, and first then take appropriate
action. If the customer claims more than once that I
believe the check was sent Tuesday, it either means
they are lying, or that they are not too organized, which
in both cases most probably means they are not going to pay
willingly. Get hold of a debt collection agency, preferably
in the agencys country, and ask them to collect your
money. In this case, you would need proper documentation for
your claim, copies of invoices/payment reminders sent, dated
e-mails sent, as well as copies of their answers, or transcripts
of phone calls to them. Also remember to ask the debt collector
what the countrys laws say about the validity of your
claim; their laws are not necessarily the same as in your
country.
I guess there
is a lot more that might be added here, however, my main point
is to act a professional in business deals as well as in translation,
never assume anything across borders, and try to be a friendly
supplier who makes your agencys busy days a tiny bit
easier. Being a professional in business also means that you
know what your work is worth in the market, and you set your
prices accordingly. Stick with your prices and terms, no matter
how much your prospects are moaning, and do not
be afraid to tell them if their offers are outrageous. This
will only earn you a reputation for being a true professional,
and not just a push-over.
Take pride in your
profession, and act accordingly be organized and well
prepared, have your paperwork in working order, and be up
front with any demands or requirements. I assume we would
have somewhat fewer payment issues around the world if we
all got our act together the best way possible.
Rosendal, Norway,
May 11, 2003
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