| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10] > | Can we please do away with unreasonable requests from outsourcers? Thread poster: Bernhard Sulzer
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Bernhard Sulzer 
United States
Local time: 00:47
English to German
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TOPIC STARTER | Advertising services for unreasonable rates isn't helpful to our business | Jan 8, 2017 |
Annamaria Amik wrote: Bernhard Sulzer wrote:
Usually, the first thing is that you express an interest, and based on the information given, the translator can even provide a tentative price or rate/rate range in his/her first reply and make it clear that any firm quote must be based on a review of the original documents and the assessment of the required work. No, that's not the first thing. The first thing for me is to check whether the agency is a good one an worth even those few minutes of my time. Seeing right from the start that they work in the low-price segment of the market, and that segment exists even if you don't like it, is very helpful for me, because I really don't have the time to prepare a customized answer to impress a client who cares nothing about that kind of impression and only looks at the rate. Accountants, lawyers, architects, etc. charge different prices, mostly based on how good and experienced they are, at least where I live - why should this be any different in the case of translators?
The reason there are so many low offers on job boards is because they are accepted. Why else would they continue to be posted? I have already talked about why certain translators just jump to do that instead of approaching the quoting process differently. When the initial option of posting rates/rate ranges by outsourcers is taken away, the balance shifts from the outsourcer to the translator, as far as the initial rate quote is concerned. That's what I am asking for. You might not see this as in your favor, but it certainly is what I perceive as a better chance to make my quote heard, and besides, it boosts the image of the site, acknowledging the translator as service provider and the outsourcer as client. That's what I would like to see on this site, and I think if Proz.com takes the initiative, many will applaud it. I have already discussed many other points concerning job boards earlier in this thread. As in: Ignoring cheap outsourcers and their offers is not going to make them go away; on the contrary, the continued opportunity to advertise such low rates/rate ranges, being the first to do so in the chain of negotiations and successfully finding people who will accept anything without even making an effort to think twice simply encourages them to keep doing this. Now, you might not think this has an impact on all of us, but I do.
Bernhard Sulzer wrote:
He/she can also emphasize a few other points, such as being an expert in the field, having experience, being committed to quality and timely delivery etc.
That doesn't take long... and will encourage job posters to think more about the value of translations and the worth of our work in general, to whom they should give the project or how much they should actually charge their client for it.
Annamaria Amik wrote:
Wow, is that really "just another point"? Isn't that a professional translator's strength, being the best in his/her field? That's the first thing a translator should point out in a quote, isn't it? This is my rate and you should choose me, because I'm so darn good and have such a terrific understanding of my fields that you won't get this anywhere else. At that first stage of negotiation, quality and punctual delivery are just words, personally I think only beginners use arguments like that, i.e. ones they can't really prove.
Above, I am talking about a situation in which you already made an initial decision to contact an outsourcer based on the post. It's a first contact and it's probably good to do that pretty quickly. It's a first contact, possibly (not necessarily) with a rate suggestion. Now, based on the answer that comes back, a translator will have more information to then get the ball rolling, if he/she so chooses. That way, you make your voice heard even though it might not work out. It's important to me and I hold for the whole business.
When I wrote "He/she can also emphasize a few other points, such as being an expert in the field, having experience, being committed to quality and timely delivery etc" - meaning in the initial first reply to a post - I don't say that these points aren't important, I am saying that one should do exactly that instead of simply accepting a project unseen and on price. Of course there should be a way for the outsourcer/direct client to verify claims and that's what our profiles and feedback sections are for.
Bernhard Sulzer wrote:
but when it comes to new clients, it becomes harder to make it clear to them why they should pay that expert's fee instead of going to the cheaper competition that promises them the same thing and hires willing translators on job boards.
Annamaria Amik wrote:
Of course it is harder to make it clear they should pay the expert's fee! Being able to make this clear is just another difference between an amateur and an expert. It is the translator's job to convince the client that he's really good, it is not something the client should just assume.
Quality should not be assumed, it should be proven. Many clients do care deeply about quality. And with a client who cares about quality, a low-price translator will only get away with a bad translation once, so he is not really a professional translator's competition. Now if a cheap translator happens to be good, but charge lower fees for various objective and subjective reasons (see my calculations in my previous messages), it is really his business. An amateur will never put an expert out of business, at least not out of the business the expert wants to keep.
Now, what my post says is that we are not just trying to convince a prospective client to work with us, we are also doing it while cheap requests to do the same abound on job boards. You might think that that is of no consequence to our business, but I disagree. Remember, we are always in competition and, to a certain degree, dependent on agencies that secure jobs from end clients. What goes on between outsourcers and end clients is very significant to me. We should not encourage outsourcers to ask for peanuts by giving them the opportunity to do so on job boards. Another point that I disagree with is that one should assume that cheaply paid projects are always done by amateurs or inexperienced translators who will fail to provide a good translation. As I have already discussed earlier, there are a few reasons why able translators simply accept cheap rates without knowing the consequences or because they think they have no choice. Again, we should not encourage this for the reasons I already stated.
And if a translator decides to provide translation services for a certain price, she/he should do so because he/she is the one deciding on the rate, not the outsourcer.
Bernhard Sulzer wrote:
Here on this site, we should have a chance to stand out...
Annamaria Amik wrote:
Yeah, and we should stand out by being good and better than others, not because ProZ removes any possibility of not standing out.
We should stand out as professionals, and we claim it in our profiles, but the job board displays at what price professional services are provided and that impression continues.
[Edited at 2017-01-08 15:24 GMT]
| | | | | Annamaria wins | Jan 8, 2017 |
Annamaria Amik wrote:
An amateur will never put an expert out of business, at least not out of the business the expert wants to keep.
Very nicely put. I hope you're right.
Bernhard, I think she just owned you, lol.
| | | | Bernhard Sulzer
United States
Local time: 00:47
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | You're free to think what you want, but ... | Jan 8, 2017 |
Chris S wrote: Annamaria Amik wrote:
An amateur will never put an expert out of business, at least not out of the business the expert wants to keep.
Very nicely put. I hope you're right. Bernhard, I think she just owned you, lol.
.. it's not the amateur translators I am mostly concerned about. Although they are not helping either.
I refer you to my previous comments about why I ask for the removal of the option for posters to demand/expect unreasonable rates (our image on/ the image of this site, wrong impression of price ranges for professional services, inducement of any translator to jump on cheap projects, impact for the translation business in general, encouragement of outsourcers to simply state ratess/rate ranges etc.) I don't feel owned, Chris, really.
| | | | MK2010
United States
Local time: 00:47
French to English
+ ...
| But doesn't the "ProZ window" work both ways? | Jan 8, 2017 |
Bernhard Sulzer wrote:
As a professional and serious translator and businessman who has a profile here on a site that is called Proz.com, I think it gives the wrong impression to any visitor who is trying to gauge the value of translation work before he/she posts a job on the job board.
Just as all sorts of posters from all over the world with all sorts of different budgets, professional credibility, and expectations come here to make deals, so too do hundreds of thousands of translators with widely varying degrees of skill. And just like some rates offered here are absolutely criminal, it is equally... what's the word... let's just say, there are translators here who have no business here claiming to be professional linguists --at least not to the level they advertise. I have been appalled more than once by what I've seen on "translation samples" from profiles in my language pair--by translators who seem to be doing quite well for themselves, apparently. But inferior linguists are still listed on the same site as you. Yes, there are ways to try to stand out (personally, I mostly work with direct clients and don't use ProZ for jobs much, which is why I haven't taken the step towards membership yet), and hopefully serious potential clients can separate the wheat from the chaff but overall, this is a ginormous, global, virtual marketplace free-for-all. It is what it is.
And because of that, some of us here would really like to be able, at one glance, to estimate what a poster's budget range is and decide if it's worth our time to even consider responding / quoting / applying.
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Bernhard Sulzer
United States
Local time: 00:47
English to German
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TOPIC STARTER | Who are the posters that mainly offer projects on job boards?! | Jan 8, 2017 |
MK2010 wrote: Bernhard Sulzer wrote:
As a professional and serious translator and businessman who has a profile here on a site that is called Proz.com, I think it gives the wrong impression to any visitor who is trying to gauge the value of translation work before he/she posts a job on the job board.
Just as all sorts of posters from all over the world with all sorts of different budgets, professional credibility, and expectations come here to make deals, so too do hundreds of thousands of translators with widely varying degrees of skill. And just like some rates offered here are absolutely criminal, it is equally... what's the word... let's just say, there are translators here who have no business here claiming to be professional linguists --at least not to the level they advertise. I have been appalled more than once by what I've seen on "translation samples" from profiles in my language pair--by translators who seem to be doing quite well for themselves, apparently. But inferior linguists are still listed on the same site as you. Yes, there are ways to try to stand out (personally, I mostly work with direct clients and don't use ProZ for jobs much, which is why I haven't taken the step towards membership yet), and hopefully serious potential clients can separate the wheat from the chaff but overall, this is a ginormous, global, virtual marketplace free-for-all. It is what it is. And because of that, some of us here would really like to be able, at one glance, to estimate what a poster's budget range is and decide if it's worth our time to even consider responding / quoting / applying.
It's not just all sorts of posters from all over the world. It's mainly the ones I was criticizing. You are not using the site , so I kind of understand why you are not concerned. I am not going to repeat what I said before on the subject. I think it should be clear why I am concerned.
| | | | | Definitely! It would be in Proz's best interest | Jan 8, 2017 |
MK2010 wrote:
Just as all sorts of posters from all over the world with all sorts of different budgets, professional credibility, and expectations come here to make deals, so too do hundreds of thousands of translators with widely varying degrees of skill. And just like some rates offered here are absolutely criminal, it is equally... what's the word... let's just say, there are translators here who have no business here claiming to be professional linguists --at least not to the level they advertise. I have been appalled more than once by what I've seen on "translation samples" from profiles in my language pair--by translators who seem to be doing quite well for themselves, apparently. But inferior linguists are still listed on the same site as you. Yes, there are ways to try to stand out (personally, I mostly work with direct clients and don't use ProZ for jobs much, which is why I haven't taken the step towards membership yet), and hopefully serious potential clients can separate the wheat from the chaff but overall, this is a ginormous, global, virtual marketplace free-for-all. It is what it is.
And because of that, some of us here would really like to be able, at one glance, to estimate what a poster's budget range is and decide if it's worth our time to even consider responding / quoting / applying.
As the low-pay trend takes over the Proz job board, more and more top-flight professional translators are opting out of the Proz (paid) membership. Yet we remain as free users.
No idea about your reasons, but I got tired of being offered:
- translation jobs offering 5¢/word, give or take a few cents from that;
- "must have Trados, no other, or get lost!" when NO CAT tool will be of any use there.
What would be the unbiased, strictly mathematical trend?
In some unforeseen future, serious clients, those really seeking get high quality and willing to pay what it costs, will set as a basic requirement on their jobs on Proz that translators should be free users, not members!
I see it quite often on the social media... "I was a (profession) until recently, when I quit/got sacked. As I am fluent in another language, I'd like to try working as a translator. How do I get clients?"
The most frequent answer is "Get a Proz membership and a ton of Kudoz/Browniz!"
Something here is not working as intended...
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 06:47
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Bernhard Sulzer wrote: Samuel Murray wrote: Bernhard Sulzer wrote:
...created by the window display of... Can you show us a screenshot of the window that irks you? What I meant with this is simply postings of unreasonable requests by outsourcers on job boards.
Oh, I see, you're using "window" as an adjective.
Bernhard Sulzer wrote:
I am a member of the site. My name appears here.
You don't mention any rate information on your profile page. What do you think most of your visitors think of you, because of that? "This guy must be very expensive, because he's afraid that if he mentions his rates, it will scare off clients" or "This guy must be quite cheap, because he doesn't want his colleagues to see just how low his rates are"? No-one knows what goes through a visitor's mind.
How many potential clients who visit your profile page will also visit the job board? Not many, I think. And none of those that do will be able to see the low rates unless they have English/German as a language combination on their own profile pages (since visitors who don't qualify for jobs don't get to see the budget information).
| | | | Bernhard Sulzer
United States
Local time: 00:47
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Some thoughts | Jan 8, 2017 |
Samuel Murray wrote: Bernhard Sulzer wrote:
I am a member of the site. My name appears here. You don't mention any rate information on your profile page. What do you think most of your visitors think of you, because of that? "This guy must be very expensive, because he's afraid that if he mentions his rates, it will scare off clients" or "This guy must be quite cheap, because he doesn't want his colleagues to see just how low his rates are"? No-one knows what goes through a visitor's mind.
I don't state a rate on my profile page because I want to first be considered as a possible translator for my expertise, not because of the price. But it does also have to do with the current "rate climate" on Proz.com
Samuel Murray wrote:
How many potential clients who visit your profile page will also visit the job board? Not many, I think. And none of those that do will be able to see the low rates unless they have English/German as a language combination on their own profile pages (since visitors who don't qualify for jobs don't get to see the budget information).
I simply think that getting rid of the option for posters to request and expect unreasonable rates will make it clearer that it is the translator who should state the rate and that it will help us all in the long run. At least outsourcers would not be encouraged to expect good work for very low rates. Will it work? I don't know. But I think it's worth a try.
[Edited at 2017-01-09 00:57 GMT]
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Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 06:47
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
| Deciding which is the lesser of two weevils | Jan 9, 2017 |
Bernhard Sulzer wrote:
I simply think that getting rid of the option for posters to request and expect unreasonable rates will make it clearer that it is the translator who should state the rate and that it will help us all in the long run.
Okay. So, this is just a case, then, of being forced to choose between two bad options: option 1 is avoid any mention of rates in public, which forces translators and clients to spend a lot more time (often wasted time) on on-boarding (as Henry calls it) in the short run, and option 2 is mention rates in public, which puts downward pressure on rates (and on clients' perception of value) in the long run.
| | | | S_G_C
Romania
Local time: 07:47
English to Romanian
Bernhard, I feel you are talking about translation ethics and about ethical vs. unethical conduct. You claim that it is simply unethical to ask for/work for low or very low rates.
(Note: I understand that 0.05 USD - or was that EUR? - is simply unacceptable, in your opinion, but then, which would be the lowest ethical rate for all language combinations?)
Unfortunately, ethics only works in an ideal world - or, here, in an ideal global marketplace. Which I don't see how ... See more Bernhard, I feel you are talking about translation ethics and about ethical vs. unethical conduct. You claim that it is simply unethical to ask for/work for low or very low rates.
(Note: I understand that 0.05 USD - or was that EUR? - is simply unacceptable, in your opinion, but then, which would be the lowest ethical rate for all language combinations?)
Unfortunately, ethics only works in an ideal world - or, here, in an ideal global marketplace. Which I don't see how it could be achieved, since reasonable living standards greatly vary across the globe, like Annamaria has already explained. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Confidence of translators would help | Jan 9, 2017 |
I applied to a job post here for a very sizeable project, which is in my area of expertise and which I would enjoy working on, however, since I have to turn away a good number of jobs, I will not spend my time preparing an 800 word free sample. I offered other samples or a paid sample. Today, the agency declined my offer, telling me that no other translator, who applied declined to do the sample, that their client is very fair in offering to pay the successful translator for doing the sample, an... See more I applied to a job post here for a very sizeable project, which is in my area of expertise and which I would enjoy working on, however, since I have to turn away a good number of jobs, I will not spend my time preparing an 800 word free sample. I offered other samples or a paid sample. Today, the agency declined my offer, telling me that no other translator, who applied declined to do the sample, that their client is very fair in offering to pay the successful translator for doing the sample, and (basically) how dare I even apply, if I don't want to meet their demands?!
And I thought this was a negotiation between two potential business partners?!
So I do wonder, whether many translators just accept everything that is put to them by agencies, many of whom are probably very skilled sales people and negotiators as this is their bread and butter - and how dare we try to negotiate!
I think I have lost interest in that project, even if she came back to me. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Back to square one | Jan 9, 2017 |
Bernhard Sulzer wrote:
I simply think that getting rid of the option for posters to request and expect unreasonable rates will make it clearer that it is the translator who should state the rate and that it will help us all in the long run.
And we're back to what unreasonable means. What is unreasonable for you, considering your own circumstances, may be perfectly reasonable for someone else, like I explained.
I don't believe translation is a universal value that should have the same price everywhere. Just like any other service on the market, it is priced according to certain factors, one being cost.
Just for the sake of argument: someone here said that the price range should be roughly the same because we provide this service via the Internet, in a universal environment. So, when we provide it to local clients, should we charge lower rates, because in that case it is not provided via the Internet, i.e. the universality factor does not apply? This is absurd. I'm no economic genius, but as far as I know, globalization, or in our case, the broadening of the vendor pool, means that price competition will be fiercer, not more subdued!
Leaving this aside, your basic problem seems to be that clients can get the same quality you're providing, from translators who, for various reasons, work at lower rates. As far as I know, this is the very definition of price competition. You won't be able to eliminate it, because
1) some translators can actually afford charging lower rates and if this gives them a competitive edge, why shouldn't they?;
2) quality is such an elusive term. More often than not the low-raters provide lower quality. Demand will force a good translator to raise his rates, eventually.
If you still insist that price competition should have no place in our profession, maybe it would be much more constructive to take a positive approach. Instead of singing the same laments of low rates, maybe you could design a workshop or something, to convince/motivate/inspire the other translators that they should charge at least your rates?
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| Reversed ubiquity | Jan 9, 2017 |
Annamaria Amik wrote:
I don't believe translation is a universal value that should have the same price everywhere. Just like any other service on the market, it is priced according to certain factors, one being cost.
Just for the sake of argument: someone here said that the price range should be roughly the same because we provide this service via the Internet, in a universal environment. So, when we provide it to local clients, should we charge lower rates, because in that case it is not provided via the Internet, i.e. the universality factor does not apply? This is absurd. I'm no economic genius, but as far as I know, globalization, or in our case, the broadening of the vendor pool, means that price competition will be fiercer, not more subdued!
I am in Sao Paulo, translating EN-PT for clients from Sydney eastbound all the way to Istanbul. As I am selling my services from Sao Paulo, it makes sense to charge Brazilian rates, and use Brazilian interest rates for deferred payment.
ACME Translations is in New York. They are reselling translations in 100+ different language pairs, done by translators located around the globe, for clients located anywhere on this planet. As they get experience, and IF they are properly managed, they'll have developed, at least:
a) a database of translators in various locations, working diversified language pairs, having different specializations, and variable skill levels, to build a list of decreasing "best matches" for each job;
b) means to quickly contact and ascertain each best match's price and availability (otherwise these shouldn't be among the options in the database);
c) a table on best payment term practices for each vendor/client country (i.e. where it is better/worse to charge/pay COD/later - two 2x2 matrices, respectively for buy/sell relating their country to each vendor/client);
d) suitable credit-checking procedures to alter the use of such matrices;
e) an adequate markup to cover the cost of these services and make a profit; and
e) skills to use/automate this entire system.
If they do, ACME will be adding value to their translation agenting endeavors. They'll provide a valuable service to the end-client by managing the process of getting whatever they need translated into the languages they need, with the quality they need, within the time frame they need.
If they merely offer a blanket "we pay translation 5¢/word, 60 days after month-end", they'll be showing their hand in that they are nothing beyond file-pushers. Smart clients should immediately realize that they'll be better off if they either google for translators themselves, or use free Google Translator if they can't afford a better option.
This is the "theory" behind many of the recommendations I provide in my article (intended for end-clients), "Should you hire a Freelance Translator or a Translation Agency?".
Annamaria Amik wrote:
Leaving this aside, your basic problem seems to be that clients can get the same quality you're providing, from translators who, for various reasons, work at lower rates. As far as I know, this is the very definition of price competition. You won't be able to eliminate it, because
1) some translators can actually afford charging lower rates and if this gives them a competitive edge, why shouldn't they?;
2) quality is such an elusive term. More often than not the low-raters provide lower quality. Demand will force a good translator to raise his rates, eventually.
If you still insist that price competition should have no place in our profession, maybe it would be much more constructive to take a positive approach. Instead of singing the same laments of low rates, maybe you could design a workshop or something, to convince/motivate/inspire the other translators that they should charge at least your rates?
Just like a translation agency is expected to do all those things above, each freelance translator under adequate self-management should accurately determine how much they should charge for each type of service they offer, as well as how much interest they should charge for deferred payment - if this is relevant where they live (deferred payment is equivalent to a translator granting a loan to their client).
I could go really deep into further detail, however the individual translator's goal is to determine and keep rates that lead to selling most of their available working hours for a suitable price. Bottom line is:
- If they set rates too low, they'll be smothered by low-paying jobs, working overtime, and making less than they should.
-If they set them too high, they'll make good money while they work, but will remain jobless most of the time.
It's a delicate balance. However if we transpose an agency's "we pay 5¢..." attitude to the translator, we'll get a situation like this:
CLIENT: "Mr/s. Translator, how much would you charge for (specific job)?"
TRANSLATOR: "I dunno! How much would you be willing to pay?"
This is the extended version of what is actually taking place when a translator fills in an online application form (which could be a Proz job bid) with:
Rate: Negotiable
The above should lead anyone to spot a dysfunctional attitude on either side of the deal.
Unless it interferes with Proz meeting its business objectives (like I remarked on a previous post on this thread), there is no point in curbing either option.
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 06:47
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
Gabriele Demuth wrote:
And I thought this was a negotiation between two potential business partners?!
They are negotiating with you and 20 others. So it's a negotiation between 21 potential business partners.
Annamaria Amik wrote:
And we're back to what unreasonable means. What is unreasonable for you, considering your own circumstances, may be perfectly reasonable for someone else, like I explained.
Things can be subjective but there's also a baseline for "reasonable". For instance, 0.03 rate will not make anyone have a very comfortable living, even in the "cheap" countries (whatever that means).
José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
I see it quite often on the social media... "I was a (profession) until recently, when I quit/got sacked. As I am fluent in another language, I'd like to try working as a translator. How do I get clients?"
The most frequent answer is "Get a Proz membership and a ton of Kudoz/Browniz!"
Perhaps this is how the rate in my language pair dropped from $0.16 to $0.02 in a seven year span since I came here? Many people were recommended ProZ membership and KudoZ points, so now there are 50 of them bidding on one job instead of 5 of them like before? Natural result? A huge drop in rates.
[Edited at 2017-01-09 12:30 GMT]
| | | | Bernhard Sulzer
United States
Local time: 00:47
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Not lamenting, just talking | Jan 9, 2017 |
Annamaria Amik wrote: Bernhard Sulzer wrote:
I simply think that getting rid of the option for posters to request and expect unreasonable rates will make it clearer that it is the translator who should state the rate and that it will help us all in the long run. And we're back to what unreasonable means. What is unreasonable for you, considering your own circumstances, may be perfectly reasonable for someone else, like I explained.
Unreasonable is it when very low rates are paid because the agency says so and translators do as they are told. I think that we should be the quoting a price, not simply accepting it.
Annamaria Amik wrote:
I don't believe translation is a universal value that should have the same price everywhere. Just like any other service on the market, it is priced according to certain factors, one being cost.
Just for the sake of argument: someone here said that the price range should be roughly the same because we provide this service via the Internet, in a universal environment. So, when we provide it to local clients, should we charge lower rates, because in that case it is not provided via the Internet, i.e. the universality factor does not apply? This is absurd. I'm no economic genius, but as far as I know, globalization, or in our case, the broadening of the vendor pool, means that price competition will be fiercer, not more subdued!
It comes down to competition, yes. But this no competition. I already talked about it.
If you want to charge a local client or a client in a low-cost country less, it should be you doing it, but every professional translator will resist following a trend that we can see here. What I am saying is don't encourage it by letting those outsourcers state whatever they feel is appropriate for them.
Annamaria Amik wrote:
Leaving this aside, your basic problem seems to be that clients can get the same quality you're providing, from translators who, for various reasons, work at lower rates. As far as I know, this is the very definition of price competition. You won't be able to eliminate it, because
1) some translators can actually afford charging lower rates and if this gives them a competitive edge, why shouldn't they?;
2) quality is such an elusive term. More often than not the low-raters provide lower quality. Demand will force a good translator to raise his rates, eventually.
I don't agree with 1); that would be an amateur doing that, and it's like a doctor saying, from now on, I will work for very very low rates. That's not going to happen. I understand things are different in your country, but try to understand it from my perspective. If I wereto work for 5 - 10 Cents every time I get a project, it becomes ridiculous. So, let's not encourage a trend.
Annamaria Amik wrote:
If you still insist that price competition should have no place in our profession, maybe it would be much more constructive to take a positive approach. Instead of singing the same laments of low rates, maybe you could design a workshop or something, to convince/motivate/inspire the other translators that they should charge at least your rates?
Not lamenting, just trying to put a point across that is important to me. I do work hard and am flexible with prices, but I need to consider what's happening in the world of translation services in general and on Proz.com because I am a paying member.
[Edited at 2017-01-09 13:35 GMT]
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