| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Client paid only for translation, without the proofreading step and discovered mistakes afterwards Thread poster: Anna A. K.
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Anna A. K. 
Germany
Local time: 15:53
Member (2020)
English to German
I recently had the opportunity to undertake a translation project for an agency. Typically, there is a proofreading step after I deliver my translation, but this time the agency informed me that the client had only requested translation services, excluding proofreading.
After completing the translation, I received an email from the agency two weeks later. They informed me that the client had discovered typos and mistranslations in another language pair, prompting the client's reques... See more I recently had the opportunity to undertake a translation project for an agency. Typically, there is a proofreading step after I deliver my translation, but this time the agency informed me that the client had only requested translation services, excluding proofreading.
After completing the translation, I received an email from the agency two weeks later. They informed me that the client had discovered typos and mistranslations in another language pair, prompting the client's request for all language pairs to be reviewed by the translators once again.
This file is quite extensive, and reviewing the entire text from scratch would take approximately 1.5 hours. The agency is expecting me to perform this additional work for free. It's important to note that the discovery of errors in a different language pair does not directly relate to my translation. Furthermore, it appears that the client may be reluctant to invest in proofreading services, yet still expects the same level of quality. What do I make of this situation? ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Extra billing | Jul 7, 2023 |
If you have delivered what they ordered and paid for, i.e. the translation, and they have found nothing wrong with that, further services would be billable in my opinion.
If it's a regular and important client, you could be a bit flexible while pointing out that you obviously aren't responsible for other people's mistakes and that this is not something they can expect. If you provide any work billed by the hour, you could also spread the time needed for this over a number of future ... See more If you have delivered what they ordered and paid for, i.e. the translation, and they have found nothing wrong with that, further services would be billable in my opinion.
If it's a regular and important client, you could be a bit flexible while pointing out that you obviously aren't responsible for other people's mistakes and that this is not something they can expect. If you provide any work billed by the hour, you could also spread the time needed for this over a number of future tasks. ▲ Collapse
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Anna A. K. wrote:
I recently had the opportunity to undertake a translation project for an agency. Typically, there is a proofreading step after I deliver my translation, but this time the agency informed me that the client had only requested translation services, excluding proofreading.
After completing the translation, I received an email from the agency two weeks later. They informed me that the client had discovered typos and mistranslations in another language pair, prompting the client's request for all language pairs to be reviewed by the translators once again.
This file is quite extensive, and reviewing the entire text from scratch would take approximately 1.5 hours. The agency is expecting me to perform this additional work for free. It's important to note that the discovery of errors in a different language pair does not directly relate to my translation. Furthermore, it appears that the client may be reluctant to invest in proofreading services, yet still expects the same level of quality. What do I make of this situation?
I would do it as a complimentary service. You can learn quite a lot by reading though your own translations after a while, and you're helping out the agency. I am sure they will apreciate it, as they have a problem in their hands. (I am off course assuming agency isn't low balling). If you are confident your translation is fine, do a quick monolingual readthrough.
At the same time, you can express to the agency that the customer is pushing for a service that they didn't pay for. And that the proper thing would be to use an external reviewer to ensure quality.
| | | | IrinaN
United States
Local time: 08:53
English to Russian
+ ...
| Questions, questions | Jul 7, 2023 |
It's a mess from the beginning. A mixture of utter unprofessionalism with a faint foul smell of cheating. The claim that the client ordered translation without proofreading sounds weird to me. I guess the end client had no idea what he was doing in the first place, and the agency didn't bother to explain that there is no such thing to be sold for a final product. Or there should have been an "as is" disclaimer. Most likely, they underbid a competitor and then transferred the entire proofreading... See more It's a mess from the beginning. A mixture of utter unprofessionalism with a faint foul smell of cheating. The claim that the client ordered translation without proofreading sounds weird to me. I guess the end client had no idea what he was doing in the first place, and the agency didn't bother to explain that there is no such thing to be sold for a final product. Or there should have been an "as is" disclaimer. Most likely, they underbid a competitor and then transferred the entire proofreading load onto the translators.
Whatever steps the client was omitting, your agreed translation rate should include final proofreading, so if you did it thoroughly on a first try, then you don't need to spend any more time on it. The file that would require 1.5 hours of full-scale careful proofreading by a professional editor should be no bigger than 5-8 pages. Not that extensive, really. Your own, assumingly an already thoroughly proofread file should take you 30 min max, if you feel that this is necessary at all for you to sleep tight. Treat it as "sh... things happen" just this once and do it but take Thomas's advise - weigh on client's importance for future cooperation yet point out that in this instance they didn't prove to be the smartest kids on the block and they won't fool you twice.
Good luck.
[Edited at 2023-07-07 11:32 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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I would not do it for free and a good agency would not expect you to work for free.
| | | | Tony Keily
Local time: 15:53
Italian to English
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| Maybe you could do it for a quiet life, but... | Jul 7, 2023 |
... you should also point out to the agency that it is at fault for allowing a customer to ask for partial translation services (in derogation of ISO 17100), missing out a vital step (revision - not proofreading, please!), and then complaining when it sees the results of this botched process.
What annoys me in these cases is how agencies, who have set up the whole job, leap out of the way like matadors and leave the translators to pick up the pieces.
| | | | | The client should point out precisely where there are mistakes | Jul 7, 2023 |
With or without a proofreading stage after you deliver your translation, I assume you check your work to find the inevitable typos and minor flaws, and deliver a text that is the best you can produce. I try to do an extra check after a pause if I know there will be no further proofreading before delivery to the client, but there is not always time.
Even then, it is very easy to miss your own errors if you check too soon after completing the text. You see what you intended to write, ... See more With or without a proofreading stage after you deliver your translation, I assume you check your work to find the inevitable typos and minor flaws, and deliver a text that is the best you can produce. I try to do an extra check after a pause if I know there will be no further proofreading before delivery to the client, but there is not always time.
Even then, it is very easy to miss your own errors if you check too soon after completing the text. You see what you intended to write, and that is why it is a good idea to have someone else proofread your work!
Since the client has chosen to skip that step and has not paid for it, they are really only entitled to have serious errors corrected, and they should draw your attention specifically to whatever they are not satisfied with. Everything can be said in several ways, so if you have checked your work properly the first time round, then you cannot sit and guess what precisely the client is not happy with.
And only correct it for free if there really is something you have overseen, not preferential changes. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Anna A. K.
Germany
Local time: 15:53
Member (2020)
English to German
TOPIC STARTER | Mistakes were found in another language pair | Jul 7, 2023 |
And only correct it for free if there really is something you have overseen, not preferential changes.
Actually, the mistakes the client is talking about were found in another language pair, NOT in my language pair (EN-DE). But to be sure, he wants to have ALL the language pairs checked once again, including mine. So that makes the whole situation a bit different.
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Kay Denney
France
Local time: 15:53
French to English
So they didn't pay for proofreading, and now want you to do it for free?
They need to pay you to do it, unless they can point to specific mistakes in your work (not that of the other translator).
Otherwise all their client learns is that they really don't need to pay for proofreading, they just need to kick up a fuss and say "there were mistakes".
I was once told the end client didn't like my style and to please rewrite the text better. I refused, because they d... See more So they didn't pay for proofreading, and now want you to do it for free?
They need to pay you to do it, unless they can point to specific mistakes in your work (not that of the other translator).
Otherwise all their client learns is that they really don't need to pay for proofreading, they just need to kick up a fuss and say "there were mistakes".
I was once told the end client didn't like my style and to please rewrite the text better. I refused, because they didn't point to any specifics, and only made subjective complaints. I still work for that agency, I presume my arguments were convincing. I suspect that the end client was hoping to get out of paying. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Stepan Konev
Russian Federation
Local time: 16:53
English to Russian
Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL wrote:
I would not do it for free and a good agency would not expect you to work for free. Why not? Isn't it your work to proofread your own translation and remove all typos and other issues?
| | | | Stepan Konev
Russian Federation
Local time: 16:53
English to Russian
Actually, it is your work to proofread your own translation. Why your client should pay for that?
If you are totally sure that your translation is free from typos or other issues, then just send the same translation again without doing anything. But I am pretty sure there are things you may want to change now to make your original translation even better. It often happens after you click 'Send' in your mailbox.
[Edited at 2023-07-07 17:03 GMT]
| | | | jyuan_us
United States
Local time: 09:53
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
Stepan Konev wrote:
Actually, it is your work to proofread your own translation.
I do so on every piece I translate, but it doesn't mean the client doesn't need to have a third-party translator proofread my translation, unless I'm paid a TEP fee. Some clients even use two more persons to work further on the translation copy: an editor and a proofreader, although they may have different names for these roles.
[Edited at 2023-07-08 04:35 GMT]
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Michael Newton
United States
Local time: 09:53
Japanese to English
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| proofreading? | Jul 8, 2023 |
Why would you not, before delivering the translation, go over the translation scrupulously ensuring that there are no mistranslations, typos, errors or omissions? Hopefully you have performed a spellcheck. This is part and parcel of the translation function and there is no reason why you be paid extra for it.
| | | | | Some of you need to read the OP again | Jul 8, 2023 |
The question is about doing a second round of proofing for free. Which you should be paid for.
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Stepan Konev wrote:
Why not? Isn't it your work to proofread your own translation and remove all typos and other issues?
proofreading my own translation is something I do anyway, together with spellchecking and QA. So, I have already done it. If the agency wants another round of "official" proofreading without having found any fault in my translation, they will have to pay for my time.
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