| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | Poll: What is your rate (relative to your normal one) for an urgent job requiring work all night? 投稿者: ProZ.com Staff
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MSuderman
Local time: 08:10
スペイン語 から 英語
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| An editor's viewpoint | Aug 8, 2006 |
As someone currently editing someone else's bad and clearly rushed translation (slogging through it would be more accurate), I can only say that rush jobs are bad for everyone involved... The translator can't do his or her best work and the client winds up with an inferior product.
I personally don't accept rush jobs because I can't uphold the same quality if I'm working very long hours. I like to turn in work that is well-researched and entirely publishable, so I edit my own work ... See more As someone currently editing someone else's bad and clearly rushed translation (slogging through it would be more accurate), I can only say that rush jobs are bad for everyone involved... The translator can't do his or her best work and the client winds up with an inferior product.
I personally don't accept rush jobs because I can't uphold the same quality if I'm working very long hours. I like to turn in work that is well-researched and entirely publishable, so I edit my own work 2-3 times before turning it in, which takes time. When the client is agreeable, I prefer to let it sit for a couple of days before the final edit, but that is often not possible. It would be nice if clients factored translation time into their deadlines.... but that's another subject altogether.
[Edited at 2006-08-08 21:03] ▲ Collapse
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50% surcharge on rush/high output jobs, no exceptions. I will gladly work late hours for a normal fee, but a 3k job sent at 10 PM will definitely end up being charged extra.
| | | | Textklick 
Local time: 16:10
ドイツ語 から 英語
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追悼 | Quality rules | Aug 8, 2006 |
Nesrin wrote:
If I don't have the time, I don't do it.
If I have the time, I do it, and I don't really care if it's an urgent job for the CLIENT.
I don't think there should be such a thing as a rush rate. It seems to imply that if I usually do x words per hour, for an urgent job I would do 2x words per hour. This is just not possible.
...or that if I usually work 8 hours per day, I work 15 hours per day to complete a rush job. This SHOULDN'T be acceptable, and will certainly affect the quality of the job.
Or am I misunderstanding something here??
I don't think you are misunderstanding anything. Keep it down to 12 hours max. I might do more for a customer who is a good friend and desperate, but as long as he/she is prepared to review the work.
Those are the rules which surely must logically apply to every pro, be they "nighthawks" or "dayhawks".
Regards
Chris
[Edited at 2006-08-08 22:54]
| | | | | Did I propose this poll??? | Aug 8, 2006 |
I really don't recognize this question.
Thomas
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Elena Woontner (X)
米国
Local time: 08:10
英語 から イタリア語
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It's really a weird poll, and even weirder is the number of people who charge normal rates by working for a rush job...all night? Even road workers get double pay for working at night, are we serious?
Hopefully not, otherwise it's clear that there will always be offers like 3 cents per word for a rush job.
Sometimes people should really look at their self-respect.
| | | | Irene N
米国
Local time: 10:10
英語 から ロシア語
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| Who says that night always equals rush? | Aug 9, 2006 |
Today I'm goofing off and doing some house chores, so if I were up to it (and I'm not) I would take 1-2K words overnight and continue goofing off tomorrow after some sleep. Where is the rush for me? For the client - maybe, but nothing stops him from sending it to Russia. So... they call me, if I want it - I take it, if not - they'll send it to Moscow, it's a 9-hour time difference. 1-2 thousand words in 8 hours is no rush by any standards.
I still do not understand why is it assumed... See more Today I'm goofing off and doing some house chores, so if I were up to it (and I'm not) I would take 1-2K words overnight and continue goofing off tomorrow after some sleep. Where is the rush for me? For the client - maybe, but nothing stops him from sending it to Russia. So... they call me, if I want it - I take it, if not - they'll send it to Moscow, it's a 9-hour time difference. 1-2 thousand words in 8 hours is no rush by any standards.
I still do not understand why is it assumed that 9-6 work is implied at all times and the night work is something undoubtedly on top of it...
Irene
Edited at 2006-08-09 02:49]
[Edited at 2006-08-09 03:44] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Irene N
米国
Local time: 10:10
英語 から ロシア語
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Elena Woontner wrote:
Sometimes people should really look at their self-respect.
Sometimes people do and do not appreciate these kinds of implications and patronizing.
| | | | Manuel Rossetti (X)
Local time: 16:10
| NO all nighters | Aug 9, 2006 |
Mara Bertelsen wrote: I cannot imagine accepting a job that requires me to work all night. I pulled enough all-nighters in my days at the university, and have thankfully put that behind me
I couldnt agree with you more Mara.
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AWa (X)
Local time: 17:10
英語 から ドイツ語
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| Working hours | Aug 9, 2006 |
I do charge extra for rush jobs or jobs that require working "after hours".
The reasons:
a) with rush jobs: an "insurance" against clients making it a habit to expect me to work while they enjoy their evening/weekend.
b) Clients expect me to be available during normal office hours, which means that from 9-5 I have to be around the house - not neccessarily glued to the computer, but not too far away from it, either.
So, if a direct client call... See more I do charge extra for rush jobs or jobs that require working "after hours".
The reasons:
a) with rush jobs: an "insurance" against clients making it a habit to expect me to work while they enjoy their evening/weekend.
b) Clients expect me to be available during normal office hours, which means that from 9-5 I have to be around the house - not neccessarily glued to the computer, but not too far away from it, either.
So, if a direct client calls after 4 pm asking to have xx pages translated by noon the next day I inform them about the surcharge, ask for a contact in case urgent questions come up during translation - and get to work. The same goes for proof-reading jobs to be done on Saturday because a client suddenly realizes that whatever they came up with language-wise in a document that needs to be delivered to their clients by Sunday morning cannot be sent "as is" .
If the "after hours" work is due to my schedule (e.g., I start work early to get a lot done before the temperature in the office reaches unbearable 30°C and take a long siesta) there is no surcharge. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Aurora Humarán (X)
アルゼンチン
Local time: 12:10
英語 から スペイン語
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| More than 150% | Aug 9, 2006 |
For an urgent job requiring work all night I would charge 150 and more (the more depending on the variables we all know).
It does not matter if I stay up at night: every gesture we make sets standards in the community: not all translators work at night and this is not a minor detail.
Same happens with weekends. If I have to work during the weekend I will usually charge higher as that should not be a normal practice. If we sometimes do it is because we manage our time as... See more For an urgent job requiring work all night I would charge 150 and more (the more depending on the variables we all know).
It does not matter if I stay up at night: every gesture we make sets standards in the community: not all translators work at night and this is not a minor detail.
Same happens with weekends. If I have to work during the weekend I will usually charge higher as that should not be a normal practice. If we sometimes do it is because we manage our time as freelancers so we can go to the movies on a Tuesday morning but we should bear in mind which the normal business hours are.
Au ▲ Collapse
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Well, I don't do nights, not on a keyboard anyway. If I don't get a good night's sleep I'll be in a terrible mood the next day and take twice as long to do half as much so for me that would be just a waste of time = a waste of life.
Sounds like some of you work nights and sleep days like people who work clubs or bars, that sounds ok if you have time for fun and other things and keep work professional and enjoyable.
On the question of urgent jobs for the same price as a ... See more Well, I don't do nights, not on a keyboard anyway. If I don't get a good night's sleep I'll be in a terrible mood the next day and take twice as long to do half as much so for me that would be just a waste of time = a waste of life.
Sounds like some of you work nights and sleep days like people who work clubs or bars, that sounds ok if you have time for fun and other things and keep work professional and enjoyable.
On the question of urgent jobs for the same price as a normal job, if you do that pretty soon everything gets urgent as there's no reason why it shouldn't be for the client, and your working life will be more stressed out than profitable or enjoyable. If something is really urgent almost all clients will cough up about 30% more or change their minds and tell you it isn't that urgent after all so you can do it without a rush.
Put yourself in the client's shoes
Normal job = 50 bucks
Rush job = 50 bucks
Why would they tell you it's a normal job?
Or
Normal job = 50 bucks
Rush job = 70 bucks
Maybe it isn't so urgent after all, but if it is at least you've got something for your troubles.
On the question of changing poll questions. This site is great but that's one of the least likeable things about it, along with changing profiles and things like that. Henry get a grip mate, all things like that do is make you unpopular for no good reason. Maybe ask the person first before changing a question, a bit of common courtesy never hurts, give members the chance to choose which profile instead of forcing your preference on everyone. It's your site but sometimes it's like being forced to take caustic soda without the sugar pill.
[Edited at 2006-08-09 08:10] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Aurora Humarán (X)
アルゼンチン
Local time: 12:10
英語 から スペイン語
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| Even if they don't say it is urgent ... it is sometimes obvious! | Aug 9, 2006 |
Jo Macdonald wrote:
Put yourself in the client's shoes
Normal job = 50 bucks
Rush job = 50 bucks
Why would they tell you it's a normal job?
Hi!
Well, they don't need to say it usually.
And again, as we have said in so many polls: "it depends"! We can think of a couple of different situations.
"Hello, Au. I need 3,000 words for tomorrow." (Ouch) Here, the urgency is obvious: or does this client think that I am in standby mode waiting for him to send me a job? (Fortunately, this is not the case). I would say: listen, I am working on something else and (may be) to take this assignment for which you just give me the necessary translation hours, I will need to use my night hours and bla bla bla.
My clients know that my daily delivery is about 2,500 words. So, if they come sith 2,500 to be delivered in, say, 5 hours, that is clearly an urgent job and I will have to put myself in turbo mode (most of us have that feature, you know: round eyes fixed on the computer, huge mug with coffee, fast hands on the keyboard and nobody dares to talk to you ).
Au
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Irene N
米国
Local time: 10:10
英語 から ロシア語
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| Straying from poll | Aug 9, 2006 |
Is it a judgement day? People who arrange their work hours like myself do not really need opinions on how to live from now on. Now we are anything from stupid to unfair competitors. We just answered the question. Please, hold it right there.
Following your steps, I find it ridiculous that people who choose to freelance and have a chance to control their schedules in the fulliest sense possible in fact live by office clerk hours and waste all the beautiful mornings and all the wonder... See more Is it a judgement day? People who arrange their work hours like myself do not really need opinions on how to live from now on. Now we are anything from stupid to unfair competitors. We just answered the question. Please, hold it right there.
Following your steps, I find it ridiculous that people who choose to freelance and have a chance to control their schedules in the fulliest sense possible in fact live by office clerk hours and waste all the beautiful mornings and all the wonderful daylight staring at the computer. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | In my opinion, .... | Aug 9, 2006 |
What is ridicolous here is that when the client says it is quite urgent and you do it without sleeping on the remaining of a day which has been quite tiring for you and can not say no to a client of yours, that client may come back to you the following week and may ask you for some additions on that translation. If it were a rush job, why does that translation stay with him that late?
| | | | RobinB
米国
Local time: 10:10
ドイツ語 から 英語
| Overnight jobs... | Aug 9, 2006 |
... really do exist.
The CEO decides to rewrite his AGM speech (which already lasts 3 hours). The auditors have decided that the financial statements need to be restated. The company's headcount reduction plans have been leaked, and it needs to get a lot of material into the public arena, real fast. The regulator has decided to pounce on the company, and it needs to get a press information pack ready before the markets open the next day. And so on, and so on.
This quest... See more ... really do exist.
The CEO decides to rewrite his AGM speech (which already lasts 3 hours). The auditors have decided that the financial statements need to be restated. The company's headcount reduction plans have been leaked, and it needs to get a lot of material into the public arena, real fast. The regulator has decided to pounce on the company, and it needs to get a press information pack ready before the markets open the next day. And so on, and so on.
This question surely isn't about what sort of normal routines translators work ("larks" or "owls"), but how they respond to a situation where a client really needs translations double-quick, and the only way to get them done is to work through the night until they're finished.
Emergencies occur at our clients from time to time, and it's part of our business relationship to drop everything else and help our clients master a potentially mission-critical risk.
So of course we charge double (or sometimes even more; it's our sleep we're sacrificing, after all, plus our concentration the next day). But in almost all cases, these are "blank cheque" situations anyway, where the cost of the translation doesn't exactly weigh heavy on the scale of things. And you earn the undying gratitude of your client, you really do.
But I'd certainly concur with many of the comments about "rush jobs". It happens far too often that you get a job in for Friday evening, only to find out on Monday that the idiot at the client left for a long weekend at lunchtime on Friday. That's why a rush surcharge tends to concentrate the client's mind on what is really urgent, and what isn't. It's far harder to justify an additional charge to your cost centre if your manager knows that your own deadline wasn't particularly tight after all. ▲ Collapse
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