| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | Poll: Do you provide your phone number to clients? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Aline Amorim 
Brazil
Local time: 15:14
English to Portuguese
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My phone number (mobile) is part of my "signature" at the end of each of my emails. And I have local clients here in Baixo Guandu they prefer to call me.
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Yes but I specify I prefer to be contacted by e-mail.
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 20:14
French to English
Maïlys Vandeleene wrote:
Thank you all for answering this fast ! If I get it right, your clients usually use your mobile number (when provided) to make sure you received their email or let you know they are about to sent one.
It is a curious method, but I guess it's mainly a way for them to make sure everything is set up correctly.
Just this morning I got a text message from a client to say she'd sent me a set of texts and needed an estimate. For some reason her emails don't always go through, or not at once, so I was grateful for the heads-up. I called back to say that I hadn't received the email, she sent it to another address, and I was able to provide the estimate.
Without that, she may have gone to another translator.
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I get that messaging can be more efficient for some things, but:
1. It’s important for building a relationship to have a bit of proper human interaction - it’s not quite as good as meeting them face-to-face but it can still work wonders
2. It’s so much easier and quicker to discuss stuff - any stuff - over the phone
3. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to talk to someone
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IrinaN
United States
Local time: 13:14
English to Russian
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| Weird, weird, weird world we live in | Nov 9, 2020 |
Of course, I do. Of course, I talk to them and they talk to me. Virtual business life from a basement or a corner office... How strange and pitiful. Are we losing social skills and becoming afraid of live communications? Now, that's evil... Voices and manner of speaking on the other end tell me a lot about my counterparts, and I know how to charm them personally in response:-)
Oh well, my life is a life of a very active interpreter who spends a lot of time on the road, even these da... See more Of course, I do. Of course, I talk to them and they talk to me. Virtual business life from a basement or a corner office... How strange and pitiful. Are we losing social skills and becoming afraid of live communications? Now, that's evil... Voices and manner of speaking on the other end tell me a lot about my counterparts, and I know how to charm them personally in response:-)
Oh well, my life is a life of a very active interpreter who spends a lot of time on the road, even these days. My agents and end clients are my long-time friends, I am a part of several teams, I have phone access to big managers of the end clients and vice versa. No one on either end had a reason to complain about abuse, overstepping, breaking trust etc, ever. It's a family out there.
Live voices and calls from people you work with and for are a disturbance? How boring... Emails are often the best way to reach me and, naturally, it is an irreplaceable part of information exchange but it does not stand on the way of telephone conversations with live people. I love it. It was the same way when I was primarily a translator.
As far as protection from any unwanted calls goes, nothing can be easier. For several years now I use call announcing feature and do not even bother to look at the phone when I hear "unknown caller". Those who call for a just reason will leave a message; my banks' and providers' numbers are saved for future recognition. When I'm resting, dining and wining, goofing off on the beach, taking a nap or having a whole day off, I turn the ring or my phone off. No one can regulate my work/rest time when I feel like resting. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Yes, but skype calls and the like are more frequent | Nov 9, 2020 |
My phone number is in my profile document I send out when I am asked for my CV. Actual phone calls from my agencies are very rare. More often than that I will be asked to join a skype call or video chat/conference, but on the whole, I don't have an actual talk with a client more than once a month. The vast majority of communications happen via email or chat channels like Skype or Slack. Often the communication is asynchronous, i. e. I will reply a few hours later, if the agency is in another tim... See more My phone number is in my profile document I send out when I am asked for my CV. Actual phone calls from my agencies are very rare. More often than that I will be asked to join a skype call or video chat/conference, but on the whole, I don't have an actual talk with a client more than once a month. The vast majority of communications happen via email or chat channels like Skype or Slack. Often the communication is asynchronous, i. e. I will reply a few hours later, if the agency is in another time zone.
[Edited at 2020-11-09 13:43 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Stating the obvious | Nov 9, 2020 |
Yes, of course I do! That is why I got (amongst other things) a telephone! It doesn't make a lot of sense to have a phone, but nobody can reach you because you keep your number secret.
[Edited at 2020-11-09 13:12 GMT]
| | | | Kamlesh Dhavale
India
Local time: 23:44
Member (2013)
English to Marathi
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SITE LOCALIZER
My mobile phone number is on my invoice format, so my clients have it. I get maybe 3 calls in a good year, usually less. It don't think it is a big deal.
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My phone number is on my CV and invoices and no agency has ever abused it. As others before me stated, I only got a few phone calls when a job was urgent and the PM phoned to see whether I had received the email or not- sometimes, emails take a long time to arrive or I do not receive them or their attachment if the latter is very big-or if I was available to do the translation or not. We also communicate via SKYPE or Zoom meetings sometimes but only when something needs to be clarified and it is... See more My phone number is on my CV and invoices and no agency has ever abused it. As others before me stated, I only got a few phone calls when a job was urgent and the PM phoned to see whether I had received the email or not- sometimes, emails take a long time to arrive or I do not receive them or their attachment if the latter is very big-or if I was available to do the translation or not. We also communicate via SKYPE or Zoom meetings sometimes but only when something needs to be clarified and it is faster to talk directly to the PM than by emails going to and fro. ▲ Collapse
| | | | mughwI
United States
Local time: 14:14
English to Spanish
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I have always used dedicated devices (cellphone, computer, tablet) for my translation/consulting business.
My personal phone numbers/social media accounts are kept separate and only shared with friends and family.
| | | | | Do you allow clients to request your services? | Nov 9, 2020 |
I mean, basically that's the question, isn't it? How does a client contact me, if I don't provide a means of contact. Some of my clients aren't even on the Internet. In fact, a few don't have a computer.
| | | | | Only if requested | Nov 9, 2020 |
I seldom get called. Email is widely used by my clients. It's on my email signature anyway.
[Edited at 2020-11-09 17:39 GMT]
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Maxi Schwarz wrote:
Some of my clients aren't even on the Internet. In fact, a few don't have a computer.
Seriously? Do you specialise in geriatrics? What do they need translated? I’m intrigued...
Some of my clients clearly don’t have brains, and some still format with a spacebar, but they’re all computered up.
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 20:14
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
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Chris S wrote: Maxi Schwarz wrote:
Some of my clients aren't even on the Internet. In fact, a few don't have a computer. Seriously? Do you specialise in geriatrics? What do they need translated? I’m intrigued... Some of my clients clearly don’t have brains, and some still format with a spacebar, but they’re all computered up.
Actually if she works with executives and/or CEOs, they commonly have staff members doing all computer work for them. They just issue orders, by phone or perhaps by text/Whatsapp. That’s one possibility.
On topic, all translation clients that insisted on phone calls as main communication channel turned out not to be the best clients. Yes, abuse happened, treating me like their employee they can call whenever they want about each tiny little thing. I’m speaking about agencies. Also, I prefer to have email threads that document clearly what’s been said, when and by whom. This is not accessible on phone calls.
[Edited at 2020-11-09 18:22 GMT]
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 15:14
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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It's in my email signature. Nevertheless, I get very few calls from clients, like once a week, at the most. It doesn't really matter if you give them your phone number or not. What matters is the type of communication and relationship you develop with them. In my case, it's always preferably through e-mails, and I make that very clear, so messages, Whatsapp and phone calls are always exceptions.
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