| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you think we should charge for the delivery of a translation memory? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you think we should charge the delivery of the translation memory?".
This poll was originally submitted by INES Reisch. View the poll results »
[Subject edited by staff or moderator 2016-07-30 01:05 GMT]
| | | | Simon Bruni 
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:25
Member (2009)
Spanish to English
If the client has the original text and the translation, then they can create their own memory if they so wish.
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 03:25
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
Yes - if the customer has not specified use of a CAT tool and delivery of a TM and they ask for delivery of a TM I have decided to create of my own accord
No - if the customer has gone to the trouble of setting up the project with a TM and other bells and whistles such as a termbase and autosuggest dictionary
Once again a poll that excludes translators who do not use CAT tools.
[Edited at 2016-07-30 08:31 GMT]
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 20:25
Spanish to English
+ ...
I have only ever used my own TMs, and I don't hand them over to clients. At least, I've never been asked to (most of my clients are direct, not agencies).
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DianeGM
Local time: 21:25
Member (2006)
Dutch to English
+ ...
Never considered this an issue
I would and do return a TM if I am provided with a functioning and useful TM by the client at the beginning of a project.
This concerns only a couple (maybe 1%) of my clients.
The others seem neither to know nor care what I do with my own TMs.
That suits me just fine as I have no intention of parting with them, or sharing them, for any fee, or otherwise.
| | | | | Creating a TM is included in my rates | Jul 29, 2016 |
The short answer to the question is no.
I use a CAT, and a TM is created as I work. I even give discounts if the CAT makes the job appreciably easier than translating without - I actually quote higher rates for working without a CAT.
Many of my clients send packages, and I return bilingual files in return packages, so the TM is included automatically. Otherwise it takes me only a few seconds to extract a TM of the text I have just translated if the client wants it. (Age... See more The short answer to the question is no.
I use a CAT, and a TM is created as I work. I even give discounts if the CAT makes the job appreciably easier than translating without - I actually quote higher rates for working without a CAT.
Many of my clients send packages, and I return bilingual files in return packages, so the TM is included automatically. Otherwise it takes me only a few seconds to extract a TM of the text I have just translated if the client wants it. (Agencies and colleagues usually do.) But they only ever get TMs of their own texts.
Most of the direct clients I work for are private individuals with no way of using a TM, and if they want, I can make sure their details are not stored in my big TM, and are deleted afterwards.
My big TMs are not for sale, and they are not entirely mine to sell or pass on. They include contributions from colleagues and agencies, and they probably include sensitive information that is difficult to filter out.
[Edited at 2016-07-29 10:19 GMT]
[Edited at 2016-07-29 11:59 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Katrin Bosse (X)
Germany
Local time: 20:25
Dutch to German
+ ...
| Other - too many variables | Jul 29, 2016 |
I work for a great variety of clients, largely grouped into publishers, agencies, and direct clients.
For some publishers (and unbeknownst to them), I keep a TM. For others I don't because there is nothing recurrent in the texts they send me.
For some agencies, I also keep my own TM but only send the target text. Other agencies send me a TM along with the source text to which I add my translation and send it back without extra charge. Sometimes in the past, an agency ... See more I work for a great variety of clients, largely grouped into publishers, agencies, and direct clients.
For some publishers (and unbeknownst to them), I keep a TM. For others I don't because there is nothing recurrent in the texts they send me.
For some agencies, I also keep my own TM but only send the target text. Other agencies send me a TM along with the source text to which I add my translation and send it back without extra charge. Sometimes in the past, an agency asked me to generate a TM from scratch to send back with the translation for which I sometimes charged a fee, sometimes not - in the latter case to my subsequent regret.
Direct clients often don't even know what a TM is and after enlightening them, they trust me to be the guardian of and keep up-to-date their company's terminology for which I don't charge extra because it's covered by the higher fee the pay me and the TM never leaves my computer. Doing this, significantly strengthens our long-term relationship.
I regard TMs as a very valuable commodity in our business. However, its value is twofold: sometimes, it's a product of my work that I can (and want to) sell to somebody. Other times, its value is purely for making my future work easier and more efficient but it's not a sellable product (because the client wouldn't know what to do with it).
With each of my clients, it works differently and when taking on new clients, the decision about what kind of TM policy I am going to apply is one of the crucial points to negotiate because it translates directly to money earned or money lost in the long run. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 20:25
Member (2006)
German to English
Julian Holmes wrote:
Yes - if the customer has not specified use of a CAT tool and delivery of a TM and they ask for delivery of a TM I have decided to create of my own accord
No - if the customer has gone to the trouble of setting up the project with a TM and other bells and whistles such as a termbase and autosuggest dictionary
[Edited at 2016-07-29 12:50 GMT]
Especially if they are not capable of creating a TM using Align, etc.
I also sometimes only supply the .Sdlxliff fie
[Edited at 2016-07-29 13:09 GMT]
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Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 14:25
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Delivery charges? I'm no delivery boy. | Jul 29, 2016 |
I'm assuming the question refers to whether we charge a customer for a translation memory requested by them after we have done the translation and without their help.
In exceptional cases, I would sell a translation memory to a client who requested it (and I have done it). A translation memory is intellectual property that belongs to me.
| | | | | Agreed in advance | Jul 29, 2016 |
My customers indicate in advance if they require a tm, so it's never an issue creating one for them.
| | | | | NO TM as standard | Jul 29, 2016 |
We know no TM is produced as standard delivery, so far by request and only a very small amount of customers request it. This opens several points to discuss but at this time will be better to say TM as a plus if agreed or TM for my own records and belongs to my DB...
| | | | Andy Watkinson
Spain
Local time: 20:25
Member
Catalan to English
+ ...
Mario Chavez wrote:
Delivery charges? I'm no delivery boy.
In exceptional cases, I would sell a translation memory to a client who requested it (and I have done it). A translation memory is intellectual property that belongs to me.
But don't you deliver your translations upon completion? Not such an objectionable term I would have thought.
I'm surprised someone paid you to do something they could do themselves in 5 minutes.
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Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 14:25
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Clarification | Jul 30, 2016 |
Andy Watkinson wrote: Mario Chavez wrote:
Delivery charges? I'm no delivery boy.
In exceptional cases, I would sell a translation memory to a client who requested it (and I have done it). A translation memory is intellectual property that belongs to me. But don't you deliver your translations upon completion? Not such an objectionable term I would have thought. I'm surprised someone paid you to do something they could do themselves in 5 minutes.
Actually, we can talk about deliverables (things, files, etc. to be delivered upon completion). A translation memory may be a deliverable in these situations:
a) Client provided a translation memory to begin with, so she has a right to request an updated TM.
b) Client didn't provide a translation memory but is willing to pay for it.
What you probably mean by “doing it in 5 minutes” is exporting a TM to a usable file, like TMX. Let's not get confused with the time a translation memory is being developed while the translator works on a project. I don't give my work for free and building a translation memory does not take 5 minutes.
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 15:25
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Simon Bruni wrote:
If the client has the original text and the translation, then they can create their own memory if they so wish.
Anyway, many clients do ask for the TM, and I'll create a TMX and send them, no problem.
Now, charging for delivering the TM, charging for formatting (one of the previous polls), charging for translation tests of less than 300 words for new clients, charging for a favor asked by a client by e-mail (like a phrase with 12 words or a revision of your own translation), and a bunch of other things people ask about in the polls or claim they always charge, in my point of view and according to my professional experience, are all pretty closefisted attitudes that do not please the client, and will certainly not help one's professional image. A few extra cents that may cost hundreds of dollars in short- and medium-term. Not advisable, IMO.
| | | | Katrin Bosse (X)
Germany
Local time: 20:25
Dutch to German
+ ...
Mario Freitas wrote: Simon Bruni wrote:
If the client has the original text and the translation, then they can create their own memory if they so wish. Anyway, many clients do ask for the TM, and I'll create a TMX and send them, no problem.
The majority of my clients are not agencies, do not own a CAT tool and sometimes don't even know what that is an what it can do. So they would not be able to create a TM from source and target text. That's a service I provide, if I so choose and for a price.
Now, charging for delivering the TM, charging for formatting (one of the previous polls), charging for translation tests of less than 300 words for new clients, charging for a favor asked by a client by e-mail (like a phrase with 12 words or a revision of your own translation), and a bunch of other things people ask about in the polls or claim they always charge, in my point of view and according to my professional experience, are all pretty closefisted attitudes that do not please the client, and will certainly not help one's professional image. A few extra cents that may cost hundreds of dollars in short- and medium-term. Not advisable, IMO.
Why do people insist that every service we linguists provide outside of translating a text should be for free?? I don't get it. If it's an extra service on top of the translation, it should be paid, unless the financial agreement between customer and client already covers it or if I choose not to charge for it for different reasons. But as a standard, we should get paid for our services and clients should not simply assume that they get things for free.
It's not about "pleasing the client". It's about knowing the value of your work and adopting a professional attitude.
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