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Do you ignore offers from certain regions?
Thread poster: Heinrich Pesch
Heinrich Pesch
Heinrich Pesch  Identity Verified
Finland
Local time: 11:39
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
+ ...
May 11, 2012

At least I have decided not to react to job offers from certain parts of the globe (and Europe). Because they never accept my rates anyway. How about you?

 
Paula Hernández
Paula Hernández
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:39
English to Spanish
+ ...
Yes May 11, 2012

India and China, their rates are ridiculous.

 
Spencer Allman
Spencer Allman
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:39
Finnish to English
Yes May 11, 2012

Most

 
wonita (X)
wonita (X)
China
Local time: 06:39
Yes May 11, 2012

Heinrich Pesch wrote:

At least I have decided not to react to job offers from certain parts of the globe (and Europe). Because they never accept my rates anyway. How about you?


I only answer inquiries from a small part of the world.


 
Gerard de Noord
Gerard de Noord  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 10:39
Member (2003)
English to Dutch
+ ...
I always answer May 11, 2012

IMHO members who endorse ProZ.com's Professional Guidelines can't ignore inquiries (they receive in a personal e-mail).

Professional translators and translation companies:
represent their credentials, capabilities and experiences honestly
answer, courteously, inquiries related to services, fees and available equipment,
etc.

Cheers,
Gerard


 
Monika Rozwarzewska
Monika Rozwarzewska  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:39
Member (2006)
English to Polish
+ ...
me too May 11, 2012

Gerard de Noord wrote:

IMHO members who endorse ProZ.com's Professional Guidelines can't ignore inquiries (they receive in a personal e-mail).


And although it is true that most agencies from India and China offer ridiculous rates, so do some from the USA and other countries. Such generalizations are simply wrong.


 
ATIL KAYHAN
ATIL KAYHAN  Identity Verified
Türkiye
Local time: 12:39
Member (2007)
Turkish to English
+ ...
Rates May 11, 2012

I think it is more professional to give them your rates, and let them decide to work with you or not. Is it not?

 
Ty Kendall
Ty Kendall  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:39
Hebrew to English
Don't tar everyone with the same brush May 11, 2012

I certainly wouldn't ignore anyone, simply on the basis of geography. There's something quite narrow minded about that, and I agree with previous posters who indicate that it may well contravene professional guidelines.

Whilst it's true that certain countries in particular have bad reputations, there are more professional ways of handling enquiries from them, rather than ignoring them (remember that "Ignore" and "Ignorant" share the same etymology!)...

You
... See more
I certainly wouldn't ignore anyone, simply on the basis of geography. There's something quite narrow minded about that, and I agree with previous posters who indicate that it may well contravene professional guidelines.

Whilst it's true that certain countries in particular have bad reputations, there are more professional ways of handling enquiries from them, rather than ignoring them (remember that "Ignore" and "Ignorant" share the same etymology!)...

You could just prepare a standard, respectful reply (and use it as a template) if you really aren't interested in doing business with them.

I also agree with Atil, if they are of the peanut-paying variety, then the mere mention of your rates will most likely scare them off and you still come away with your professionalism intact.



[Edited at 2012-05-11 11:51 GMT]
Collapse


 
Charlie Bavington
Charlie Bavington  Identity Verified
Local time: 09:39
French to English
God, yes May 11, 2012

Heinrich Pesch wrote:

At least I have decided not to react to job offers from certain parts of the globe (and Europe). Because they never accept my rates anyway. How about you?

I will respond if and only if I'm addressed by name, but I have yet to actually accept an offer from anywhere where I am not moderately confident that effective debt collection procedures are available to me. Which pretty much means EU only, as my insurance doesn't cover our litigious chums in North America.
(The point about rates is not my motivating factor: low rates are not geographically specific; mysterious legal systems are - to an extent, anyway.)

[Edited at 2012-05-11 13:01 GMT]


 
Heinrich Pesch
Heinrich Pesch  Identity Verified
Finland
Local time: 11:39
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
I agree May 11, 2012

Ty Kendall wrote:

I certainly wouldn't ignore anyone, simply on the basis of geography. There's something quite narrow minded about that, and I agree with previous posters who indicate that it may well contravene professional guidelines.

Whilst it's true that certain countries in particular have bad reputations, there are more professional ways of handling enquiries from them, rather than ignoring them (remember that "Ignore" and "Ignorant" share the same etymology!)...

You could just prepare a standard, respectful reply (and use it as a template) if you really aren't interested in doing business with them.

I also agree with Atil, if they are of the peanut-paying variety, then the mere mention of your rates will most likely scare them off and you still come away with your professionalism intact.



[Edited at 2012-05-11 11:51 GMT]


But it would be fair if those outsourcers would state right in there first message what rates they think acceptable. I respect those who state "those who want higher rates kindly not respond". It saves both parties time and effort.


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 10:39
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
No, I always communicate May 11, 2012

Heinrich Pesch wrote:
At least I have decided not to react to job offers from certain parts of the globe (and Europe). Because they never accept my rates anyway. How about you?


Clients from certain parts of the world do tend to offer lower rates than others, but I believe that one should always communicate with potential clients. Sometimes jobs come along that are worth doing. Sometimes agencies from rich countries offer low rates and vice versa.

I also have different rate thresholds for different parts of the globe. If an Indian agency offers me USD 0.06 per word, then I know that they're offering a very high rate (for their region), so that tells me a lot about the client.

If a US client offers me USD 0.06 per word, then I know that the offer is very low, and that too tells me something about the client. I will never (touch wood) accept a USD 0.06 offer from a US client but I might accept a USD 0.06 offer from an Indian client... depending on my schedule, the type of work involved, and the odds of future filler work.

An interesting rule of thumb is that low paying clients are more demanding and less professional, so in terms of that rule, the Indian agency offering USD 0.06 would be far more desireable than a US client offering the same. This is just a general rule, however -- one must not stereotype.

What I don't think one can do, is infer the payment terms from the region. I have US clients that pay at 90 days and I have Indian clients that pay almost immediately, and vice versa.


 
wonita (X)
wonita (X)
China
Local time: 06:39
May 11, 2012



[Edited at 2012-05-11 13:41 GMT]


 
Rolf Kern
Rolf Kern  Identity Verified
Switzerland
Local time: 10:39
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
Depends May 11, 2012

Depends on the wording of the enquiry. When I quote, I always quote a fixed price, no "rate".

 
David Wright
David Wright  Identity Verified
Austria
Local time: 10:39
German to English
+ ...
Not exactly ignore May 11, 2012

Firstly, I get a lot of "dear translator" mails where Ijust click the "not available" button or ignore them; they are little more than spam as far as I am concerned.

Nor do I take on jobs from Spain, Italy or the USA since I have yet to be offered (after negotiation) a rate that I consider acceptable. I do accept offers from the UK, Germany, France and Switzerland. I haven't had from any other countries than the aforesaid, so I'm not sure what I would do.


 
Philippe Etienne
Philippe Etienne  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 10:39
Member
English to French
To: Proz.com Member May 11, 2012

Irrespective of the region, anybody who ticked a number of translators in a filtered directory list to send the same generic email will not get any response from me.

I reply to people who are aware they have contacted me (possibly for a reason).

Incidentally, I have never worked for middle/far-east companies.

Philippe


 
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