| Các trang trong chủ đề: [1 2 3] > | Poll: Would you lower you rate if the agency guaranteed more hours? Người gửi thông tin lên tuyến đoạn: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Would you lower you rate if the agency guaranteed more hours?".
This poll was originally submitted by Kylie Kirkpatrick. View the poll results »
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My time and experience does not magically become worth less just because I'm (supposedly) getting more work, especially if that additional work means that I'm potentially missing out on other, properly paid jobs.
Big industry players have been pushing hard for translators lowering their rates, but we finally need to recognize collectively that these big players do NOT mean well.
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Bỉ
Local time: 15:04
Thành viên kể từ 2020
French to Dutch
+ ...
That would be the same as a volume discount, which doesn't make sense in our industry. It's even insulting, because it suggests that receiving enough job offers to keep you busy or to make enough money is very hard to achieve and you should be "grateful" that someone is willing to give you more work. I would rather consider quitting the industry than saying yes to this type of unacceptable requests. For the same reason I would rather die than contacting customers I haven't heard of in a while. I... See more That would be the same as a volume discount, which doesn't make sense in our industry. It's even insulting, because it suggests that receiving enough job offers to keep you busy or to make enough money is very hard to achieve and you should be "grateful" that someone is willing to give you more work. I would rather consider quitting the industry than saying yes to this type of unacceptable requests. For the same reason I would rather die than contacting customers I haven't heard of in a while. It's a matter of self-respect and presenting a strong, reliable and stable image of yourself.
Accepting this equals accepting a wage decrease, by the way.
Finally, beware of agencies "guaranteeing" more hours. They basically can't (and won't), but in the meanwhile you would have agreed to lower your rate. ▲ Collapse
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This is a recipe for being so busy at low rates that you have no time when more lucrative offers come in.
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Justin Peterson 
Tây Ban Nha
Local time: 15:04
Thành viên kể từ 2007
Spanish to English
| Yes, if I need the work... it's all a question of the math | Nov 13 |
Yes, if the volume is large and steady enough
If you're busy, obviously taking large jobs at a lower rate isn't worth it, because you could be working non-stop at a higher rate
But if you have lulls ... steady work at a lower rate is good business
It all depends on your situation at any given time
To those who reject the very idea on principle, as if one has a right to a certain rate ... I just don't get that logic
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Justin Peterson wrote:
To those who reject the very idea on principle, as if one has a right to a certain rate ... I just don't get that logic
But we absolutely DO have that right. As freelance translators, we are running a business. A small one-person business, but a business nonetheless.
Would you try to dictate your plumber's or mechanic's business? Should they accept lower rates because there has been a lull in clogged toilets and broken engines lately?
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If you lower your rates what will happen when you decide to raise your rates back up again? Anyway, if an agency can guarantee more hours, doesn’t this means that they have plenty of work to offer?
P.S. To be honest, I have negotiated my rates with a very regular customer on a project by project basis, but that's a different story.
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Bỉ
Local time: 15:04
Thành viên kể từ 2020
French to Dutch
+ ...
Justin Peterson wrote:
To those who reject the very idea on principle, as if one has a right to a certain rate ... I just don't get that logic
It's not that difficult.
First of all my rates are precisely defined and based on how much, how long and how fast I can translate. I can't frivolously lower them without facing the direct consequences.
Secondly my goal is to be and remain available as much as possible to customers that are willing to pay my rates. I have a nice bunch of loyal customers and during the larger part of the year (let's say 10 out of 12 months) it's already difficult enough to limit the number of declines (90 out of 335 job offers until now this year), let alone if I would start to accept work at lower rates.
Instead of accepting those rates I would start to look vigorously for new, well-paying customers. Otherwise I would risk to find myself in a fatal race to the bottom: if you accept lower paid work, you will be less available to better paying customers (you can't just walk away from accepted lower paid work if a better paying client shows up, can you?), resulting possibly in less work from those same customers over time, which finally will leave you behind with a lower income or harder work for the same income.
Based on what I said above my approach seems very logical, imo.
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Justin Peterson
Tây Ban Nha
Local time: 15:04
Thành viên kể từ 2007
Spanish to English
| It's a strategic decision, then | Nov 13 |
Then it's a strategic decision.
It can be wise, or unwise, but it's a strategic decision, not a question of principle, as you contended
Suggesting that taking a lower rate is some kind of betrayal could be considered a bit insulting to all those who have no choice but to work for low rates, whatever their profession or situation might be
Everyone does the best they can ... it makes sense to insist on higher rates, if you can get them. It's that simple.
Lieven Malaise wrot
Justin Peterson wrote:
To those who reject the very idea on principle, as if one has a right to a certain rate ... I just don't get that logic
It's not that difficult.
First of all my rates are precisely defined and based on how much, how long and how fast I can translate. I can't frivolously lower them without facing the direct consequences.
Secondly my goal is to be and remain available as much as possible to customers that are willing to pay my rates. I have a nice bunch of loyal customers and during the larger part of the year (let's say 10 out of 12 months) it's already difficult enough to limit the number of declines (90 out of 335 job offers until now this year), let alone if I would start to accept work at lower rates.
Instead of accepting those rates I would start to look vigorously for new, well-paying customers. Otherwise I would risk to find myself in a fatal race to the bottom: if you accept lower paid work, you will be less available to better paying customers (you can't just walk away from accepted lower paid work if a better paying client shows up, can you?), resulting possibly in less work from those same customers over time, which finally will leave you behind with a lower income or harder work for the same income.
Based on what I said above my approach seems very logical, imo.
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Bỉ
Local time: 15:04
Thành viên kể từ 2020
French to Dutch
+ ...
Justin Peterson wrote:
Suggesting that taking a lower rate is some kind of betrayal could be considered a bit insulting to all those who have no choice but to work for low rates, whatever their profession or situation might be
Who exactly is suggesting this and how? I most certainly didn't suggest this. I just think it's a very unwise thing to do in the long term, so I don't do it and I never will.
| | | | | Don't believe promises like that | Nov 13 |
Rate reductions for long-term collaboration can often be accompanied by extended payment terms, resulting in a reduction of real income and increased risk. I fell for that once.
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Bỉ
Local time: 15:04
Thành viên kể từ 2020
French to Dutch
+ ...
Justin Peterson wrote:
It can be wise, or unwise, but it's a strategic decision, not a question of principle, as you contended
I would rather say that it's a mix of principle and strategy. As I said I will never lower my rates merely out of fear that I won't receive enough work anymore. That's principle, because if my strategy would fail, lowering my rates would be the only way to survive, but I prefer quitting over that (simply because I'm convinced lowering rates for that would be the beginning of the end).
I might lower my rates in the future, but that would be because I've become even faster than I am today, so my profitability would be maintained. But chances are low, because my last rate increase dates back to 2015 or 2016. That alone equals some sort of rate decrease due to inflation.
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| Contacting ex-clients | Nov 13 |
Lieven Malaise wrote:
For the same reason I would rather die than contacting customers I haven't heard of in a while. It's a matter of self-respect and presenting a strong, reliable and stable image of yourself.
This can be a very effective form of marketing and will not damage your image if you are skilful in the way you communicate. If they are not sending you work anyway I can't see you have anything at all to lose.
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Bỉ
Local time: 15:04
Thành viên kể từ 2020
French to Dutch
+ ...
Rachel Waddington wrote:
This can be a very effective form of marketing and will not damage your image if you are skilful in the way you communicate. If they are not sending you work anyway I can't see you have anything at all to lose.
I'm not convinced. What message can you send that doesn't convey the notion of "I'm out of work, please give me some"?
| | | | | Contacting ex-clients | Nov 13 |
Lieven Malaise wrote:
Rachel Waddington wrote:
This can be a very effective form of marketing and will not damage your image if you are skilful in the way you communicate. If they are not sending you work anyway I can't see you have anything at all to lose.
I'm not convinced. What message can you send that doesn't convey the notion of "I'm out of work, please give me some"?
You could just send them a friendly message updating them about any new qualifications or fields you've been working in (or whatever). This is an entirely normal type of marketing that might just mean you are top of mind when they next need a translator.
If you are busy anyway and don't need to do that kind of thing that's great, but dismissing it as something degrading and shameful seems a rather extreme position.
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