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Poll: If a client asks for a volume discount, how much would you offer? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "If a client asks for a volume discount, how much would you offer?".
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Paul Lambert 
Sweden
Local time: 21:02
Member (2006)
Swedish to English
+ ...
| We don't have the benefit of economies of scale. | Jun 27, 2021 |
Higher volumes just means more work for less pay. Doesn't make much sense to me.
If you ordered a six drinks at a bar, do you think you would get them for the price of 5?
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Paul Lambert pretty much summed it up, but I would just add that it's an odd thing to ask, volume discounts. As if the client was telling you "Be grateful that I'm giving you so much work."
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| Yes, but on my terms | Jun 28, 2021 |
In my experience, clients enquiring about volume discounts rarely give large volumes of work. On a few occasions, I was willing to give a 8-10% discount for workloads over 25000 words a month, but none of these clients ever reached that threshold.
Paul Lambert wrote:
If you ordered a six drinks at a bar, do you think you would get them for the price of 5?
Some Czech bars do offer 6/7/8 beers for a price of 5/6/7 if you order them at once. They bring a portable tap to your table and you draw them yourself.
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Jan Truper
Germany
Local time: 21:02
Member (2016)
English to German
A volume discount would amount to a pay cut, since I have no shortage of work at my regular rate.
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| Client relations | Jun 28, 2021 |
I don't give volume discounts as such, but for long-standing clients who send me regular work I will nudge the rate towards the lower end of my range, and I may throw in the occasional freebee, etc. For me, this is just a normal part of client relations.
A new client who starts asking me for a volume discount before sending me any work at all can go fish, as the Americans say.
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In my experience, a large-volume job requires more effort, not less. As the many ideas unfold, you have stay aware of their underlying meanings, which may not be clear in a literal translation.
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:02
Member (2008)
Italian to English
I hope the agencies are reading this, and learning. We're not selling fish at the market.
[Edited at 2021-06-28 07:49 GMT]
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 21:02
Spanish to English
+ ...
Depends on who the client is, what the job consists of, and how much I want to keep them satisfied. My rates are already low enough in terms of value for money (quality/price ratio).
PS: I hardly do any agency work nowadays. I don't think it even accounts for 5% of my earnings.
[Edited at 2021-06-28 07:53 GMT]
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Paul Lambert
Sweden
Local time: 21:02
Member (2006)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Anton Konashenok wrote: In my experience, clients enquiring about volume discounts rarely give large volumes of work. On a few occasions, I was willing to give a 8-10% discount for workloads over 25000 words a month, but none of these clients ever reached that threshold. Paul Lambert wrote:
If you ordered a six drinks at a bar, do you think you would get them for the price of 5? Some Czech bars do offer 6/7/8 beers for a price of 5/6/7 if you order them at once. They bring a portable tap to your table and you draw them yourself.
Another good lesson for translators (and everyone else): No analogy is ever 100% on.
[Edited at 2021-06-28 07:53 GMT]
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I’ve never been asked and as other colleagues have already said a large volume does not mean less work but if I was it would depend on the job itself and on the client (I’d find really difficult to say no to one of my clients). Like Philip, I may throw in an occasional freebie if I think they deserve it. Though I have a minimum charge I have been waiving it for my longest-standing customer for ages. It's nice to be nice (and it pays handsomely).
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matt robinson
Spain
Local time: 21:02
Member (2010)
Spanish to English
None of my regular clients would ever ask me to drop everything in order to take on a large volume project. If they did, they would probably offer a higher rate, rather than a lower one. With new clients I prefer to build the relationship over time, and I wouldn't instigate or enter into a discussion about "volume".
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I like the 1-3% bracket because it makes clear that this is a symbolic discount. As others have pointed out, human translation does not scale (which is the reason for the desperate search by clients/agencies for technical solutions of any kind). On the other hand, having a big project saves me some hassle (like invoicing or communicating for a number of smaller jobs) so I could justify something like 1-3%. Therefore I could offer this kind of discount to a good and reliable client as a sign of g... See more I like the 1-3% bracket because it makes clear that this is a symbolic discount. As others have pointed out, human translation does not scale (which is the reason for the desperate search by clients/agencies for technical solutions of any kind). On the other hand, having a big project saves me some hassle (like invoicing or communicating for a number of smaller jobs) so I could justify something like 1-3%. Therefore I could offer this kind of discount to a good and reliable client as a sign of good will without giving up any substantial part of my remuneration. ▲ Collapse
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Paul Lambert
Sweden
Local time: 21:02
Member (2006)
Swedish to English
+ ...
| Fair enough, Kay-Viktor | Jun 28, 2021 |
Kay-Viktor Stegemann wrote:
I like the 1-3% bracket because it makes clear that this is a symbolic discount. As others have pointed out, human translation does not scale (which is the reason for the desperate search by clients/agencies for technical solutions of any kind). On the other hand, having a big project saves me some hassle (like invoicing or communicating for a number of smaller jobs) so I could justify something like 1-3%. Therefore I could offer this kind of discount to a good and reliable client as a sign of good will without giving up any substantial part of my remuneration.
That much I would do. If indeed in the end equation, given that time is money, I could earn more by getting more translation done in the time I might otherwise be pounding the pavement, then it would make sense.
Taking the question more literally, however, simply offering discounts on volume for the sake of volume is a losing proposition.
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| A negative discount | Jun 28, 2021 |
Large jobs almost invariably involve some kind of inconvenience to me, and asking for a discount is the kind of cheek that would bring out my inner child, so I would put my price up instead.
But I don’t ever get asked for discounts.
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