| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: Which is the main reason that may lead you to decline a job from a creditworthy outsourcer? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Mario Chavez (X) 
Local time: 09:31
English to Spanish
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| There is no objective main reason | Nov 15, 2016 |
Different strokes for different folks. One main reason for you (low rates, for instance) may be a minor reason for me.
Why do we keep struggling to find one main reason that will be acceptable to the majority? Life is not math. Speaking of science, I might start answering polls with the quantum spin states: up, down, left, right, out.
The same answers can be useful in politics.
| | | | | Unacceptable rate | Nov 15, 2016 |
2. Outsourcer's attitude
3. Long payment term
4. Too short deadline
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Chris S wrote:
How many translators does it take to change a lightbulb?
At least 20, it would seem, as 19 will refuse to take sides on whether or not it needs changing.
Is it really that hard to think of a *main* reason?
Mine is being too busy, so the answer is "too short a deadline".
*Laughing out loud while nodding in agreement*
| | | | Samantha Payn
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:31
Member (2008)
Russian to English
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| I'm with Chris and Domenico | Nov 15, 2016 |
The main one for me is "outside my areas of expertise". As others have stated - there is an implied conflict in "credit-worthy" and "too low a rate": an unacceptable rate for me is one of the definitions of "not credit worthy". As is stroppy behaviour. And there is often wriggle room in the deadline/rate question if you ask.
[Edited at 2016-11-15 12:21 GMT]
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| usually too busy... | Nov 15, 2016 |
and the deadline is too short and the client won't budge... 
| | | | Catherine De Crignis (X)
France
Local time: 15:31
Member (2012)
English to French
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| Game over for lightbulb-changing challenged translators? | Nov 15, 2016 |
I stopped working for one client who paid well, but only ever seemed to have urgent projects for me (plus they were super rigid on deadlines). After a while I simply got tired of their unrealistic demands.
I waved goodbye at another one because they would not keep me in their books when I raised my rates.
This is why I can't name one factor.
Besides I feel we must all try to strike the right balance between the different reasons for working or not working for such and such cli... See more I stopped working for one client who paid well, but only ever seemed to have urgent projects for me (plus they were super rigid on deadlines). After a while I simply got tired of their unrealistic demands.
I waved goodbye at another one because they would not keep me in their books when I raised my rates.
This is why I can't name one factor.
Besides I feel we must all try to strike the right balance between the different reasons for working or not working for such and such client. For instance I may earn a little less with some clients than others, but have more fun/less pressure, etc. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Catherine De Crignis (X)
France
Local time: 15:31
Member (2012)
English to French
+ ...
Mario Chavez wrote:
Life is not math.
It's not often I agree with you Mario, but I do today!
| | | | | If you insist on a MAIN reason | Nov 15, 2016 |
Then I exclude without further consideration any enquirers who start by offering a rate that is below my limits.
The other reasons take a little time to consider.
If I can see that a job is outside my subject areas, I turn it down at once, but I am a generalist and take on a fairly wide range.
Difficulty - well, if I know enough about the subject area, it is a challenge, not a problem. Challenges are what make this job enjoyable. If it is difficult ... See more Then I exclude without further consideration any enquirers who start by offering a rate that is below my limits.
The other reasons take a little time to consider.
If I can see that a job is outside my subject areas, I turn it down at once, but I am a generalist and take on a fairly wide range.
Difficulty - well, if I know enough about the subject area, it is a challenge, not a problem. Challenges are what make this job enjoyable. If it is difficult for other reasons - illegible, hopeless formatting or whatever, I may turn it down, but I sometimes discover the problem too late and have to struggle with it!
I don't mind rushed jobs and short deadlines as long as I can fit them in between whatever else I have in hand. Even the best clients have rushed jobs now and then. On the other hand, if I am too busy, then I am still too busy, even for quite realistic deadlines.
Long payment terms... As long as clients DO pay, as agreed, when the time comes, then I can wait, unless it is a very large job and correspondingly large fee. Most of my jobs are small, so no problem.
If PMs are rude or unprofessional, they go to the back of the queue and I give others higher priority. I try to give them the benefit of the doubt or put it down to cultural differences. I live in Scandinavia and my own manners sometimes strike people as 'abrupt', to use a Northern English expression.
It depends whether they are actually obstructive, make me waste time, or hinder my work. If so, I drop them sooner or later.
OTHER - a sure reason why I will refuse work from a client is if they introduce a digital platform with so much security that it takes me half an hour to log in and find the files I am supposed to work on. It is usually the same with delivery and invoicing, even if these clients have not been dismissed for paying low rates from the start...
Another criterion is their CAT tool. I use my CAT or no CAT. End of discussion.
[Edited at 2016-11-15 14:46 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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I am busy
If I am not I can think about it, but I would decline a job if the rate offered is too low.
I always refuse a job when the deadline is not realistic....
Long payment terms? I have client who pay after 4 hours, after 1 week, after 1 month, after 2 months. Once we agree on payment terms and rate and you contact me, the only reason why I refuse a job is that I am busy.
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I would agree that all of these are relevant, but one thing that bothers me is when the outsourcer has a long series of hoops I have to jump through before even letting me know the rates or allowing me to see any of the text to be translated. I mean things like registering with their portal, taking a test/tests, printing, signing and scanning NDAs, setting up user and password details, getting my head around their invoice process, etc...
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 09:31
English to Spanish
+ ...
| I heart France | Nov 15, 2016 |
Catherine De Crignis wrote:
Mario Chavez wrote:
Life is not math.
It's not often I agree with you Mario, but I do today!
Vive la différence !
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 11:31
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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| Several of the above, plus... | Nov 15, 2016 |
Ricki Farn wrote:
... would have been a good reply option. Several of these are exclusion criteria.
Indeed, several of the above would surely be good enough reason for me to decline a job. Plus, I would add terrible PDFs scanned as images.
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inkweaver
Germany
Local time: 15:31
French to German
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Several of the above, in fact.
If you do insist on a main reason, though, it would be 'unacceptable rates', followed by 'long payment terms' (30 days EOM is my standard with my regular clients, that's generous enough I think) and a job not matching my fields of expertise. I aim to deliver quality translations and if I know nothing about a certain topic chances are that the result will be below my own standards which I certainly don't want (although some agencies don't seem to care...).
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Mario Chavez wrote:
Sonja Kroll wrote:
Too much work already - that's been my number one reason for the last decade.
Lucky kid
My health state doesn't agree at all I am lucky -.-
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