Create a translation service agreement.
by: The Language123 Staff
"To avoid surprises and misunderstandings between you and your clients, it is important to set clear and practical terms and conditions to the services that you, as a translator, offer to an individual or a company. These terms include basically fees, turnaround times, quality assurance, reviews, payment methods and dates. You must open communication channels with your client from the very beginning and keep them open until the end of the project. Remember that customer satisfaction should be a priority, and that your business depends greatly on client referrals, so you should offer your translation services accordingly.
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To avoid surprises and misunderstandings between you and your clients, it is
important to set clear and practical terms and conditions to the services that
you, as a translator, offer to an individual or a company. These terms include
basically fees, turnaround times, quality assurance, reviews, payment methods
and dates. You must open communication channels with your client from the very
beginning and keep them open until the end of the project. Remember that customer
satisfaction should be a priority, and that your business depends greatly on
client referrals, so you should offer your translation services accordingly.
You can start by creating a format for your estimates, which includes your
business information, the date, your client’s name and contact information,
the description of the service to be provided, including word/page count, price
per unit (word/page), any additional expenses and the total, plus any applicable
taxes. It should also state the date the translation project is expected to
be delivered, your guarantee and revision policies (e.g. up to two revisions
at no additional charge, or guaranteed for 30 days from the delivery date).
Make sure that the client accepts the terms of your service and that he/she
agrees to pay your fees accordingly. You can also request that a percentage
of the cost of the translation be paid upfront, or, if you are to send an invoice
upon delivery, make sure that you obtain as much information about the client
as possible to secure your payment. For more information on how to prevent undesirable
situations like non-paying clients or hard to retrieve accounts, go to
Keep close contact with the client throughout the process of translating the
document, for help with particular terminology and to provide updates on the
status of the translation. It is also recommended that you check back on your
clients to make sure that the translation fulfilled their expectations and to
ask for feedback, which in turn can be translated into more referrals. Let the
client know that you offer quality translation services and that you take customer
service and satisfaction seriously.
Effective communication and outstanding customer service are key elements to
a successful translation business. If you would like to know about more tips
and recommendations, please visit us at
September 28, 2005 - Comments:1
Posted By :Margarita Trifonova Petrova - October 24, 2006