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Bad experience with an agency
Thread poster: Teresa Bento
the Train
the Train  Identity Verified
Local time: 20:19
English to Arabic
+ ...
Why Tests When You Can Provide A Sample Mar 16, 2007

Hi Teresa,
Do not let this upset you. From their attitude, it seems they are going down not up. Sooner or later they will come back. They always do when the translator is good and fast. You completed your test on time and passed it.
I think somebody can know from a couple of paragraphs if the translator knows what he/she's doing. So, what the point of long tests...is that the agency can not tell the difference?
If the client refuses to accept samples of my work, insists on a ... See more
Hi Teresa,
Do not let this upset you. From their attitude, it seems they are going down not up. Sooner or later they will come back. They always do when the translator is good and fast. You completed your test on time and passed it.
I think somebody can know from a couple of paragraphs if the translator knows what he/she's doing. So, what the point of long tests...is that the agency can not tell the difference?
If the client refuses to accept samples of my work, insists on a test, and provides a long one, I usually translate no more than two important paragraphs and make it clear in my e-mail that the pragraphs I have chosen are good examples of how I do my work. Actually, they do not mind this attitude -this is if they have good intentions of course-, which is the type of clients you want.



[Edited at 2007-03-16 13:38] ▲ Collapse
 
Iris Shalev
Iris Shalev  Identity Verified
Israel
Local time: 22:19
English to Dutch
+ ...
similar story Jun 4, 2007

Hi Teresa,

I'm sorry to open this thread again, but I wanted to ask you whether this agency has ever sent you work again? I find myself now in almost exactly the same situation as you described. This agency contacted me about six months ago. I did their lengthy translation test, was accepted, downloaded their software, was sent a dongle to plug into my computer, did their practise file... and waited.

I regularly hear from them when they send general announcements to all... See more
Hi Teresa,

I'm sorry to open this thread again, but I wanted to ask you whether this agency has ever sent you work again? I find myself now in almost exactly the same situation as you described. This agency contacted me about six months ago. I did their lengthy translation test, was accepted, downloaded their software, was sent a dongle to plug into my computer, did their practise file... and waited.

I regularly hear from them when they send general announcements to all their translators. They require me to send them availability reports every monday. Twice they have sent me another training file to 'evaluate my skills'. But they have never yet sent me any work. What they have done is send emails stating that they have a job to all their translators, with the message that the one who replies first gets the job (needless to say I have never 'won' the job.)

I did not mind all of this too much (it could be that they are just low on English to Dutch jobs right now and it will pick up again later)... until I saw a job posting on ProZ from this company, asking for English to Dutch translators and promising them 'continuous work' (as they promised me six months ago.)

I seriously have a mind to delete their software, send back their dongle (that I paid a deposit for), and send them a message telling them I have too much to do trying to make a living to be constantly doing their 'practise files' and waiting for them to ever get around to sending me work (seeing as they have such a need of English-Dutch translators).

End of rant! I hope you have had more luck with them by now.

bye - Iris. ▲ Collapse
 
Matthew Holway
Matthew Holway  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 21:19
Italian to English
+ ...
positive feedback Jun 6, 2007

Jack Doughty wrote:

This company has a rating of 5 on the Blue Board. Would it be possible for agency management people to join ProZ purely for the purpose of writing glowing references about their own company on the Blue Board? I hope ProZ has some safeguard against this sort of thing, and I would like to know what it is.


sure its is Jack.. I'm sure agencies falsely give themselves positive feedback.. There are a few groups on Yahoo I've found that discuss this matter in detail.. plus it turns out that black lists (something I considered putting together) get "removed" quickly by whatever authorities - fair enough as I'm sure an agency's situation changes a lot in time.. We do need a clearer and more reliable method though..
 
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Bad experience with an agency







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