Poll: How often does the end client of your translation know who you are?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Sep 22, 2019

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How often does the end client of your translation know who you are?".

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Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 06:46
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
I'm guessing "Never" Sep 22, 2019

With one of my clients, an international organization, the Translation Service has told me more than once that a unit has asked them to use me in the future, but they didn't divulge my name. They don't want the units hiring translators directly because it undermines their mission - i.e., their volume of work justifies hiring more in-house translators and support staff, purchasing resources, etc. The same rationale probably applies to agencies.

Of course, individual direct clients kn
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With one of my clients, an international organization, the Translation Service has told me more than once that a unit has asked them to use me in the future, but they didn't divulge my name. They don't want the units hiring translators directly because it undermines their mission - i.e., their volume of work justifies hiring more in-house translators and support staff, purchasing resources, etc. The same rationale probably applies to agencies.

Of course, individual direct clients know who I am.
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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 13:46
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
How often? I don’t know... Sep 22, 2019

1. My direct clients know who I am (at least the person(s) I’m in contact with);
2. I’ve been asked occasionally by some agencies to contact directly the end client with questions about the translation;
3. I translate regularly articles under my name for a Portuguese newspaper and a Portuguese magazine.
For the remaining, I haven’t got a clue…


 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 10:46
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Not often at all Sep 22, 2019

Again, working for agencies, you know they do all possible efforts for the client NOT to know who you are. They know you could eventually negotiate a better price directly with the client, among other things. Plus, they want the client to think my translator is AGENCY and they do a great job, not JOHN. Although they know many Johns exist, companies talk to and deal with other companies, not individuals.
I do have client agencies that sometimes put me in direct contact with a client, but it
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Again, working for agencies, you know they do all possible efforts for the client NOT to know who you are. They know you could eventually negotiate a better price directly with the client, among other things. Plus, they want the client to think my translator is AGENCY and they do a great job, not JOHN. Although they know many Johns exist, companies talk to and deal with other companies, not individuals.
I do have client agencies that sometimes put me in direct contact with a client, but it's very rare.
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Platon Danilov
Platon Danilov  Identity Verified
Ukraine
Local time: 15:46
English to Russian
+ ...
other Sep 22, 2019

It's only when the end client is my direct client. It's not often at all, but sometimes I have direct (=end) customers.

 
Gibril Koroma
Gibril Koroma  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 09:46
French to English
+ ...
I don't know Sep 22, 2019

I don't know. I deal directly with agencies most of the time. My direct clients of course know me and often recommend me to others.

 
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Yetta Jensen Bogarde  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 14:46
Member (2012)
English to Danish
+ ...
Rarely Sep 22, 2019

I would say

 
Claudia Aguero
Claudia Aguero  Identity Verified
Costa Rica
Local time: 07:46
Spanish to English
+ ...
Always Sep 23, 2019

I only work with direct clients. Most of them personally come to pick their sworn translations up and we have a little chat. The rest of my clients send their couriers and all of them have my address.

 
Liviu-Lee Roth
Liviu-Lee Roth
United States
Local time: 09:46
Romanian to English
+ ...
Many times Sep 23, 2019

Considering that I translate and interpret for the DOJ, although I receive the order to translate through an agency, many times I know the federal prosecutor who wrote the document and he knows me. I never tried to "jump" the agency.

 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 14:46
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Sep 23, 2019

Sometimes the end client will know it was by "Neil, the translator", some will know that it was done by "the translator", some will know that it was done by "a translator", and others won't even give it a thought.

I suppose that "knowing who I am" is relative.


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Kaisa I
Liviu-Lee Roth
Kevin Fulton
 
Maxi Schwarz
Maxi Schwarz  Identity Verified
Local time: 08:46
German to English
+ ...
Often, depending Sep 27, 2019

My own end clients know who I am since they selected me as translator. When I do certified translations, my stamp, certification letter bearing my name and certification number - all of which they present to whatever official - are part of the translations. Other translations done for agencies do not have those circumstances, in which case the client won't know who I am.

 


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Poll: How often does the end client of your translation know who you are?






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