| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Snowed under and turning clients down - what do you do? Thread poster: laure claesen
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laure claesen 
France
Local time: 12:32
Member (2005)
English to French
Hi Guies,
Really need a break, haven't stopped all day and this is never ending.
These days, more and more often, I fiind myself turning jobs down. I hate it. I hate to say to my clients that I just cannot work on their marvellous projects.
I just wanted to ask you, my dear colleagues, if you have implemented satisfactory strategies (over the years maybe) to share work or built teams or created partnerships - whatever?
And was it efficient, an... See more Hi Guies,
Really need a break, haven't stopped all day and this is never ending.
These days, more and more often, I fiind myself turning jobs down. I hate it. I hate to say to my clients that I just cannot work on their marvellous projects.
I just wanted to ask you, my dear colleagues, if you have implemented satisfactory strategies (over the years maybe) to share work or built teams or created partnerships - whatever?
And was it efficient, and did you end up setting up an agency?
I just do not want to set up an agency, because I don't want more bureaucratic work than what I already have.
Am I prejudiced? Is it the way out for all freelance sourdoughs?
It would be good to read what you have to say on this topic.
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| | | | Andy Lemminger
Canada
Local time: 04:32
Member (2002)
English to German
| Raising fees? | Sep 18, 2012 |
Hi Laure,
One idea would be to raise your fees.
You could raise them just for the kind of jobs that you enjoy less, to be sure that you retain your favorite clients.
A network of colleagues sounds very nice as well, especially if it worked as a black box for the client, ie they assign jobs to you and you get them done, sometimes "with the help of your friends".
It also poses difficulties though: You have to forward the money, you'll sure have different rate... See more Hi Laure,
One idea would be to raise your fees.
You could raise them just for the kind of jobs that you enjoy less, to be sure that you retain your favorite clients.
A network of colleagues sounds very nice as well, especially if it worked as a black box for the client, ie they assign jobs to you and you get them done, sometimes "with the help of your friends".
It also poses difficulties though: You have to forward the money, you'll sure have different rates and how can you get on a common ground, what will happen if the client doesn't pay (will you bear the cost), what happens if complaints come in. You would really have to trust these colleagues and they would have to trust you.
Also the availability is very often equally bad in my experience.
Many of my contracts make sure that I have to personally do the translations myself, which is another problem in this scenario.
Let me know how it works out if you take this route...
Best regards
Andy
www.interlations.com
[Bearbeitet am 2012-09-18 16:57 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Shiya Luo
Local time: 03:32
English to Chinese
+ ...
| Just refer colleges to the clients | Sep 18, 2012 |
Have an email template that says something like:
"I would love to collaborate with you, but unfortunately I'm working on another project at this moment. I have a colleague who will be more than qualified for this job, he/she has XXX credentials, here is his/her contact information"
This way clients will contact you again for future jobs since they will feel that you can always solve their problem, and colleagues will return the favor when they can.
[Edited at 201... See more Have an email template that says something like:
"I would love to collaborate with you, but unfortunately I'm working on another project at this moment. I have a colleague who will be more than qualified for this job, he/she has XXX credentials, here is his/her contact information"
This way clients will contact you again for future jobs since they will feel that you can always solve their problem, and colleagues will return the favor when they can.
[Edited at 2012-09-18 17:18 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | abufaraz
Pakistan
Local time: 16:32
English to Urdu
+ ...
| 'College' or 'Colleague' | Sep 18, 2012 |
Shiya Luo wrote:
"I have a college who will be more than qualified for this job"
Please correct me if I am wrong but I think you meant 'colleague' and not 'college'.
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Shiya Luo
Local time: 03:32
English to Chinese
+ ...
aburiaz wrote:
Shiya Luo wrote:
"I have a college who will be more than qualified for this job"
Please correct me if I am wrong but I think you meant 'colleague' and not 'college'.
Oops, typo.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 12:32
Spanish to English
+ ...
Take the opportunity to weed out some of the less... let's say flexible clients, the ones that you could do without, "pour encourager les autres".
| | | | | Raise your rates | Sep 19, 2012 |
Selectively raise the rates of those customers you feel are less strategically important, send you less interesting work, and/or those who send you very many small jobs instead of a reasonable amount of medium-sized or larger jobs. This way, if you keep working for these less interesting customers, the extra effort will pay financially.
If some of these customers decide to choose another translator because they are not willing to pay the new rates, let them choose the other translat... See more Selectively raise the rates of those customers you feel are less strategically important, send you less interesting work, and/or those who send you very many small jobs instead of a reasonable amount of medium-sized or larger jobs. This way, if you keep working for these less interesting customers, the extra effort will pay financially.
If some of these customers decide to choose another translator because they are not willing to pay the new rates, let them choose the other translators themselves, so that it is not your responsibility should something go wrong with the new freelancers. Just for your peace of mind!
I would think carefully about raising the rates of customers you feel are more important or better match your concept of a good and pleasant professional life (maybe those with attributes like more flexibility with deadlines, more interesting work, good payers, reasonable/kind project managers...). ▲ Collapse
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aburiaz wrote:
Please correct me if I am wrong but I think you meant 'colleague' and not 'college'.
Sorry, but I think this comment was unnecessary. I reckon we all understood colleague alright.
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Kristina Thorne
France
Local time: 12:32
Member (2011)
French to Finnish
+ ...
I don't mean flexible as in take on the job anyway, just propose your best completion time and regret if that isn't possible. By all means also suggest someone else for the task if you think they may be suitable. I haven't established networks this way so don't know whether that goes down well if the client didn't expressly ask for possible recommendations. But I have found that clients appreciate if you try to find a solution in terms of delivery times, and don't seem to have lost anyone just b... See more I don't mean flexible as in take on the job anyway, just propose your best completion time and regret if that isn't possible. By all means also suggest someone else for the task if you think they may be suitable. I haven't established networks this way so don't know whether that goes down well if the client didn't expressly ask for possible recommendations. But I have found that clients appreciate if you try to find a solution in terms of delivery times, and don't seem to have lost anyone just because I've not been able to take one of their projects on. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Use your Proz availability calendar. | Sep 19, 2012 |
I had the same problem. So I started updating my Proz availability calendar (see http://www.proz.com/translator/108723) and suggesting to my customers that they refer to the calendar before writing or calling. I pointed out to them that doing so would spare them having to contact me directly and wait for a possible negative reply. Several customers have already thanked me for taking this approach.<... See more I had the same problem. So I started updating my Proz availability calendar (see http://www.proz.com/translator/108723) and suggesting to my customers that they refer to the calendar before writing or calling. I pointed out to them that doing so would spare them having to contact me directly and wait for a possible negative reply. Several customers have already thanked me for taking this approach.
The flood of superfluous requests gradually declined to zero. The only problem I've noticed is that customers may take a day or two to notice that I've become available before they start writing or calling again, but I don't mind a break between jobs---especially big, intensive jobs. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I wish it worked ;) | Sep 19, 2012 |
Richard Bartholomew wrote:
I had the same problem. So I started updating my Proz availability calendar (see http://www.proz.com/translator/108723) and suggesting to my customers that they refer to the calendar before writing or calling. I pointed out to them that doing so would spare them having to contact me directly and wait for a possible negative reply. Several customers have already thanked me for taking this approach.
You are so very lucky to have such understanding clients! I do update my ProZ calendar, as well as my skype status on the daily/hourly basis (f.eg. "Available for new projects after 4PM GMT+3") but it simply won't work for me (( When my customers want something, they want it like right now... I am still struggling to think out a nice and professional way to say 'no' in such cases.
| | | | | 1. Say no, 2. Raise rates | Sep 19, 2012 |
Assuming that your clients are agencies, it is their job to have several translators in a given subject matter/language pair they can turn to in case their first choice is not available.
In my experience, raising rates is also a good way to rearrange your workload and earnings share per client. In 2006, I had come to the point where I was losing my sanity (400 deadlines/year), so I increased my rates by 10% or so. One major client replied that I couldn't do so whenever I wished. So ... See more Assuming that your clients are agencies, it is their job to have several translators in a given subject matter/language pair they can turn to in case their first choice is not available.
In my experience, raising rates is also a good way to rearrange your workload and earnings share per client. In 2006, I had come to the point where I was losing my sanity (400 deadlines/year), so I increased my rates by 10% or so. One major client replied that I couldn't do so whenever I wished. So I wished them good luck, lost 30% of business in the process and gradually reorganised my agency client base to spread my risk.
I now still turn down work, but I feel much more in control of my schedule and lowered my turnover by about 10% while having a much better quality of life.
Of course, negociating deadlines is part of the tools we have to use to get an optimal schedule at all times. When I turn down a job from a returning customer, I ALWAYS state when I could deliver it, provided it's not too far away from the deadline originally stated. Deadlines are often more flexible than some will tell you.
Always keep your health in mind. When you're 25, a lot of things are much more bearable than at 40: so when the time comes, do not hesitate to take drastic measures to keep enjoying life.
Philippe ▲ Collapse
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John Fossey
Canada
Local time: 06:32
Member (2008)
French to English
+ ...
| On raising rates | Sep 19, 2012 |
By all means raise your rates. However, you may well find it doesn't slow down the work!
Raising rates often puts you into a different category of business and you can find yourself more in demand from higher paying clients, not less. At the same time, these higher end clients will be more understanding of your limited work availability.
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Philippe Etienne wrote:
In my experience, raising rates is also a good way to rearrange your workload and earnings share per client. In 2006, I had come to the point where I was losing my sanity (400 deadlines/year), so I increased my rates by 10% or so. One major client replied that I couldn't do so whenever I wished. So I wished them good luck, lost 30% of business in the process and gradually reorganised my agency client base to spread my risk.
I think that agency felt that you were their employee, and were clearly wrong about it. I think they probably understood the actual situation when you turned them down.
| | | | | Tell then what you're going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them. | Sep 19, 2012 |
Alexandra Schneeuhr wrote:
...When my customers want something, they want it like right now... I am still struggling to think out a nice and professional way to say 'no' in such cases.
Perhaps it's just a matter of explaining the approach's advantage for them. Tell them that they can find out instantly whether or not you have available capacity for their job rather than having to wait around even a few minutes for you to reply with that information. That way they can instantly move on to a different translator if need be.
Remember, don't tell them about the advantages for you (not having to take time to turn down innumerable requests)---tell them about the advantages for them. And of course you may have to gently remind them when they come to you with something you have no capacity to handle at the moment. My customers all seem to have gotten the message by now and actually seem to like this approach.
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