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Fake people and rude colleagues
Thread poster: Andreas Granzow
Gabriele Demuth
Gabriele Demuth  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:30
English to German
Hm? Feb 8, 2017

EvaVer wrote:

Rachel Waddington wrote:

EvaVer wrote:
... that this shocks you. This is a normal way of communication mostly by American agencies, and we often do the same in Eastern Europe - it saves everybody's time when writing/ reading the message, going straight to the core. When sending translations to regular local (direct) clients, I sometimes just send the file with no comment at all, and they send me work the same way, unless it's urgent (then they have to make sure I am available) or they have other special instructions to provide.


That sounds like a recipe for misunderstandings. How do you know you have the go-ahead to start translating if all you get is a file with no comments?

... they only send it if they definitely want it translated, and won't give it to anybody else unless I refuse it. And if there is no comment, it means the target language is clear between us.


Interesting! I can only imagine this to work with regular clients where you have come to an understanding that this is the way you work? But still, usually agencies need to know quickly as most projects are urgent to some extent, and they can't wait all day just to find out that the translator can't do it for some reason? In my experience everyone writes a couple of nice sentences (or maybe just one), and most importantly, people want confirmation that the project is in hand or can to go ahead.

[Edited at 2017-02-08 10:51 GMT]


 
Angie Garbarino
Angie Garbarino  Identity Verified
Local time: 17:30
Member (2003)
French to Italian
+ ...
Ok then Feb 8, 2017

Andy Watkinson wrote:

It's a complete waste of their/my time to even bother with any niceties - there's no need for "please find attached"; I can see if the effin' thing's attached and if it isn't I'll get back to them.


So you deliver jobs with no comments at all?, Not even "hola aqui la tienes, saludos"?

Ok... not my case but... ok


 
Mervyn Henderson (X)
Mervyn Henderson (X)  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 17:30
Spanish to English
+ ...
I reckon ... Feb 8, 2017

++++++++++++++++++++

Or also... 7 Feb

Elizabeth Tamblin wrote:

... or "who's" and "whose".


...in German das, dass and daß

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
... you've "mist" the point here, Andreas. The words "glass houses", "stones", "shouldn't" etc. come to mind. Better edit sharpish.


 
Inga Petkelyte
Inga Petkelyte  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 16:30
Lithuanian to Portuguese
+ ...
Lots of them out here Feb 8, 2017

Andreas Granzow wrote:

Hello and Hi from Germany,

While outsourcing some work over the past few months, I ran across some seriously strange people.

The first kind ... those, who claim to be a translator. Complete with CV, Name etc, but when checked up on the name, none of these have an FB, LinkedIn or any account. The net doesn't know them.
That in itself wouldn't be a problem ... I don't particularly care for much about me being on the net either. But those supposed translators can't even write a 5 line mail without a bunch of issues ... in their native language?

And then there is the other kind ... those who DO exist as real people and who's profile, CV and name actually match. But they are rude to an extent where I loose the will to outsource anything. Emails are answered with single words, no courtesy, no politeness, nothing. Quite frankly, I find this an insult to any standards and to our industry.

And then, of course, the third kind ... the special snowflakes. Now, I have been in the business for roughly 16 years. So I do have my habits as well. But when a freelancer is supposed to be working on a project but I receive an email from him/her every five minutes. Wanting this and that, clarifying this or that or the other (even though things have been clarified to begin with). And then the special snowflake whining of "I would prefer this, I would prefer that" - sorry but that is where my courtesy ends ... very fast. Best example today: an outsourced file was sent to the freelancer at 8:00 in the morning. At noon, she was still sending emails to me in 10-minute intervals, asking for special this and special that, after everything was negotiated yesterday already.

How about you, dear colleagues? What special snowflakes, ruffians or other strange people have you met during your odyssey?


Thanks God, I am in a better position - I don´t need to outsource. That makes everything much easier for me: normal emails are answered, while weird or anonymous ones are plainly ignored.
But if you need more snowflakes, there are plenty of them out here.
Some have this constant need to deviate from the given topic, some seem to constantly miss a clear view of the real world, and there is a special one that spends days here in forums picking on everyone's smallest mishaps in their writing, but when this special snowflake was pointed out his own mistakes in his profile, in a very friendly and mild manner typical to the Spanish, the answer was: "Let's not get personal". LOOOL !


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:30
Member (2008)
Italian to English
My favourite agency Feb 8, 2017

My favourite agency sends me jobs attached to short message (in Italian) like:

Can you do this for Thursday PM? Let me know and I'll send you the PO.

Ciao ciao

X (kiss)


Angie Garbarino
 
Mervyn Henderson (X)
Mervyn Henderson (X)  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 17:30
Spanish to English
+ ...
Part-time snowflakes Feb 8, 2017

It might be, as Angela mentioned, that sometimes people are simply having a very bad day and are just waiting for the phone to ring to wrench someone's head off at the roots and have them eat it. But if it's all the time, then it's a different kettle of fish. In that case it's a person to whom life has been unkind, on whom Lady Luck has never smiled. You can find them in large numbers at airport departure gates, for example, just waiting for the chance to confiscate lighters, scissors, cans of b... See more
It might be, as Angela mentioned, that sometimes people are simply having a very bad day and are just waiting for the phone to ring to wrench someone's head off at the roots and have them eat it. But if it's all the time, then it's a different kettle of fish. In that case it's a person to whom life has been unkind, on whom Lady Luck has never smiled. You can find them in large numbers at airport departure gates, for example, just waiting for the chance to confiscate lighters, scissors, cans of beer, flick-knives, revolvers, grenades, Tasers etc. to take home, anything to mess things up for people laughing excitedly as they gad off to the sun while they have to stand around a big building in the middle of nowhere mumbling: "Wearing any metal items, sir?" "Can you take your shoes off please, madam?" "Did you pack this case yourself, miss? I'd like to have a quick look under your lingerie there, if you don't mind."

I used to do occasional jobs for a bloke who wasn't actually rude himself, but he seemed to be paying someone to do that for him (and to him as well) indirectly in the background. Every time he rang me he spoke in heavily accented English, but at intervals his voice faded a little on the phone, when he must have been turning his head in another direction to say "Was?" to someone, whereupon a very very very angry woman, who I knew for a fact was his secretary, not the boss, would literally screech at him in German. Then he'd come back to me with more details, and the yelling in the background would start in again. Any time I had to ring them I had to go through her - the first time I rang to ask something about the job, she simply said "Ich kann kein Englisch", and hung up. She never acknowledged e-mails either. But since that outfit didn't account for much of my turnover, it didn't bother me, and frankly the screaming in German was rather funny.
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Merab Dekano
Merab Dekano  Identity Verified
Spain
Member (2014)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Test Feb 8, 2017

Some people are rude. One of the ways to avoid it is to administer them a test before putting them on your list of potential outsourcers.

If they deliver on time, show healthy levels of independence, do a nice job, and communicate efficiently yet politely, then put them on the list. You can’t just go there and outsource to a total stranger.

On the other hand, and cases of extreme rudeness aside, I do value when people get to the point, like:

“Hi [name
... See more
Some people are rude. One of the ways to avoid it is to administer them a test before putting them on your list of potential outsourcers.

If they deliver on time, show healthy levels of independence, do a nice job, and communicate efficiently yet politely, then put them on the list. You can’t just go there and outsource to a total stranger.

On the other hand, and cases of extreme rudeness aside, I do value when people get to the point, like:

“Hi [name]

I would need this file returned by tomorrow EOB. Can you take it on?

Regards,
[name]”

To which I would answer:

“Hi [name]

Thanks. Sure, will do.

Best,
[name]”

This is much better than some lengthy ceremonial rhetoric, such as:

“Dear Mr [last name]

I hope you and your family are doing fine, and very happy 2017!!!

I am glad to let you know that there is a juicy project that just crossed my desk, and I thought, given your skills and extensive experience in the field, you could consider working on it and deliver it as per our terms and conditions below.

Please be advised that we at [company name] value very much your dedication and professional collaboration with our company, which allows us to grow our business, optimise profits, achieve customer satisfaction and engage in a mutually beneficial collaboration.

I also wanted to mention that our valued client needs the translation to be returned by the day after tomorrow in the morning. However, since we still need to edit the translation, we would greatly appreciate your help if you could deliver the translated text by tomorrow, end of the business day.

Please be so kind as to let me know whether or not you would have availability to work on this particular project, and if so, if you could deliver the translation by the proposed deadline. Please note that deadlines are very important to our customers and we do our utmost to meet all the deadlines that our clients set.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and for your valuable feedback. Your input is very important to our company, bla, bla, bla...

Yours faithfully
[signature]”
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Angela Malik
Angela Malik  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:30
German to English
+ ...
Healthy balance -- we still need to invest in our relationships Feb 9, 2017

Merab Dekano wrote:

On the other hand, and cases of extreme rudeness aside, I do value when people get to the point...

This is much better than some lengthy ceremonial rhetoric...


I agree, but there is a healthy balance between just sending a file, no real communication, not even a clear go-ahead (and vice-versa, receiving the file, giving a one-word response) -- i.e. no real investment in the business relationship -- and sending essays with family updates complete with photos of the kids and the garden.

I never just reply with short blunt responses but I tend to ignore a lot of the extra "fluff" in the email. For example:

"Hi Angela,
I hope you had a good weekend! Mine was great. My partner and I went to a show and then spent Sunday relaxing over brunch and newspapers. Heaven! Next week we are going to Barcelona for a city break. I can't wait for the Spanish sun!
Anyway, a new job has come in. [Description of job, deadline, etc.]
Let me know if you can fit this in for me."

And my reply will generally be:

"Hi X,
Happy Monday! The file you sent looks fine, and delivery by X will be no problem. Thanks!"

Although if I "sense" that this particular client would prefer a more personal touch, I may add a line or two about how Barcelona is nice this time of year or something. Like I said before, it depends on the relationship.


 
Annamaria Amik
Annamaria Amik  Identity Verified
Local time: 18:30
Romanian to English
+ ...
Depends on the client and the relationship Feb 9, 2017

Angela Rimmer wrote:
Although if I "sense" that this particular client would prefer a more personal touch, I may add a line or two about how Barcelona is nice this time of year or something. Like I said before, it depends on the relationship.


Absolutely, it all depends on the relationship. The personal touches need not be lengthy travel journals. On the other hand, in a business relationship that has been going on for years, the parties will normally know each other's styles and short sentences might suffice that may seem rude to others.

Just the other day a favorite client sent me an inquiry with nothing more than the file and "Monday morning?" - I actually liked the fact that nothing more was needed.

Investing in a relationship also means that we don't get too wordy with clients who don't have the time or need for that kind of communication.

[Edited at 2017-02-09 09:36 GMT]


 
Merab Dekano
Merab Dekano  Identity Verified
Spain
Member (2014)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Seconded Feb 9, 2017



Like I said before, it depends on the relationship.



I forgot to mention that short emails may only seem natural and acceptable with clients I’ve spent years working with (never just file without any text in the body of the message, though).

I too sometimes include a note or to off-topic, when I feel it’s proper. A couple of words, really.

So yes, it very much depends on the relationship.


 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 17:30
French to English
Agree Feb 9, 2017

My best relationships with clients are such that we can simply send files off with nothing but "Monday OK for you?" and "sure" and "here it is". However, I don't start out with one-worders. I will first have a good long chat, preferably over the phone, about my approach to translation, the fact that the target might look considerably different to the source, asking whether they have any stuff already in English or are interested in me giving them a glossary for approval and so on. This will bol... See more
My best relationships with clients are such that we can simply send files off with nothing but "Monday OK for you?" and "sure" and "here it is". However, I don't start out with one-worders. I will first have a good long chat, preferably over the phone, about my approach to translation, the fact that the target might look considerably different to the source, asking whether they have any stuff already in English or are interested in me giving them a glossary for approval and so on. This will bolster their confidence in me, and I get an idea of what they expect from me.

My current favourite client used to ring me up after every translation with queries until she gained confidence. She had had a very negative experience beforehand so it took a while. She just recently changed jobs, but made sure I would continue to supply her successor at her old job (and I've already had a press release from that firm) as well as immediately imposing me in the new one (a couple of press releases due any minute now).

I don't like to talk too much about personal stuff and will generally take my cue from the PM. If they mention a day off I'll say something friendly but not inquisitive. I might volunteer a bit of information such as imminent travel plans if it's likely to affect my work schedule, and chat a little about it if they seem interested. It is nice when you get to know them a bit better, but professionalism has to take precedence at all times.
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Luximar Arenas Petty
Luximar Arenas Petty  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 12:30
English to Spanish
+ ...
LOL! :-) Feb 9, 2017

Inga Petkelyte wrote:

Thanks God, I am in a better position - I don´t need to outsource. That makes everything much easier for me: normal emails are answered, while weird or anonymous ones are plainly ignored.
But if you need more snowflakes, there are plenty of them out here.
Some have this constant need to deviate from the given topic, some seem to constantly miss a clear view of the real world, and there is a special one that spends days here in forums picking on everyone's smallest mishaps in their writing, but when this special snowflake was pointed out his own mistakes in his profile, in a very friendly and mild manner typical to the Spanish, the answer was: "Let's not get personal". LOOOL !


 
Angie Garbarino
Angie Garbarino  Identity Verified
Local time: 17:30
Member (2003)
French to Italian
+ ...
This is perfect Feb 9, 2017

Tom in London wrote:

My favourite agency sends me jobs attached to short message (in Italian) like:

Can you do this for Thursday PM? Let me know and I'll send you the PO.

Ciao ciao

X (kiss)


few but kind words


 
Robert Forstag
Robert Forstag  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 12:30
Spanish to English
+ ...
Cut the crap! Feb 10, 2017

Merab Dekano wrote:

“Dear Mr [last name]

I hope you and your family are doing fine, and very happy 2017!!!

I am glad to let you know that there is a juicy project that just crossed my desk, and I thought, given your skills and extensive experience in the field, you could consider working on it and deliver it as per our terms and conditions below.

Please be advised that we at [company name] value very much your dedication and professional collaboration with our company, which allows us to grow our business, optimise profits, achieve customer satisfaction and engage in a mutually beneficial collaboration.



I too find all such bullshit insufferable, especially when (as is inevitably the case) it comes from people who don't know me, couldn't care less about my weekend or vacation plans, and who have shown themselves unreliable in terms of displaying standard businesslike courtesy and respect.

In this regard, I am not sure which is worse: such fake friendliness or downright rudeness....


 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 16:30
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
I'd go with rudeness (on their part) any day Feb 10, 2017

Robert Forstag wrote:
I too find all such bullshit insufferable, especially when (as is inevitably the case) it comes from people who don't know me, couldn't care less about my weekend or vacation plans, and who have shown themselves unreliable in terms of displaying standard businesslike courtesy and respect.

In this regard, I am not sure which is worse: such fake friendliness or downright rudeness....

With fake friendliness, anything you say to cut it short could be construed as being rude to someone who's being friendly. That puts you in the wrong. If they're downright rude then you're free to tell them exactly what you think of them.

But I'm all for informality. I sometimes indulge in a bit of a natter with a long-term client (re holidays, festivals, weather...), and a greeting at the beginning of the day. But most of the time it's very short and to the point.


 
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Fake people and rude colleagues







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