Poll: What is the one thing you wish your current clients could improve? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "What is the one thing you wish your current clients could improve?".
View the poll results »
| | | | | Volume of work | Dec 22, 2017 |
I'm not really complaining, but in a perfect world I'd be spending all my time with my favorite and best-paying clients.
| | | | Gitte Hoveds (X)
Denmark
Local time: 09:28
Danish to English
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| Volume of work | Dec 22, 2017 |
As I only have clients with whom I have agreed terms and conditions, the only thing I would want to change is the amount of work.
Just keep it coming...
| | | | EvaVer (X) 
Local time: 09:28
Czech to French
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| Depends on the client | Dec 22, 2017 |
Every client has their own strengths and weaknesses.
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| More regular volume of work | Dec 22, 2017 |
I’m quite happy with my current client base (excellent communication, acceptable payment terms, good quality assurance process). Like Muriel, I’m not complaining but if my best clients would increase the volume of work they send and, above all, make it more regular I would be even happier…
| | | | | Definitely payment terms | Dec 22, 2017 |
I just wish every one would pay within 30 days!
| | | | | Payment terms | Dec 22, 2017 |
This is the bugbear of many translators. We are at the end of the line. It is not difficult to understand that clients prefer to wait until they have received money in from a project before they pay money out. However, the fact is that that way of working places us in the position of our clients' banker. That should be their problem, not ours.
My standard terms require payment upon reception of an invoice, which usually means 5-10 days. Others pay at the end of the month. Beyond tha... See more This is the bugbear of many translators. We are at the end of the line. It is not difficult to understand that clients prefer to wait until they have received money in from a project before they pay money out. However, the fact is that that way of working places us in the position of our clients' banker. That should be their problem, not ours.
My standard terms require payment upon reception of an invoice, which usually means 5-10 days. Others pay at the end of the month. Beyond that, I think it is completely unreasonable for clients to expect more than 30 days. Here's why I think payment terms above 30 days are quite unreasonable:
- mutual respect: I provide the work, I should be paid within a reasonable time, i.e. at the latest, at the end of the month in which the work was supplied. After all, we meet deadlines!
- stabilising income: I see no reason to play banker to my clients. I offer language services, not banking services.
- risk: if a client runs into cashflow problems, I prefer to limit problems of recovery, or of potential loss, to one month's work. That is already risky enough. Again, beyond that is just plain unreasonable.
[Edited at 2017-12-22 12:02 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 09:28
Spanish to English
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Nowadays, I'm pretty much OK with the status quo. My biggest and best client pays me promptly every month and others don't really take too long. I also have five or six academic clients that actually pay me in advance in order to use up their yearly budgets. They also tend to respect my comments and feedback and take them into account, which is nice. The only agency that I'm currently working with occasionally also pays in the month after they receive the bill, so no complaints there. Which remi... See more Nowadays, I'm pretty much OK with the status quo. My biggest and best client pays me promptly every month and others don't really take too long. I also have five or six academic clients that actually pay me in advance in order to use up their yearly budgets. They also tend to respect my comments and feedback and take them into account, which is nice. The only agency that I'm currently working with occasionally also pays in the month after they receive the bill, so no complaints there. Which reminds me, I need to bill them for something I did earlier this month…
Happy holidays everybody! 
[Edited at 2017-12-22 12:10 GMT]
[Edited at 2017-12-22 12:11 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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The crappy online platforms most clients tend to use these days...
| | | | Eden Cope
United States
Local time: 01:28
Swedish to English
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| Payment terms | Dec 22, 2017 |
I would love it if my clients would pay me faster. My current client is already late on my payment. Their terms are 45 days, but it has been over 50. I need to pay my bills, you know.
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 04:28
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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| Two "others" | Dec 24, 2017 |
The two first things that came to my mind were not in the list:
1. I would love if some clients who insist in using their useless on-line platforms would allow me to work with my software, my TM's, my TB's and my equipment at home. The work would be delivered a lot faster with a lot better quality.
2. I would also love if most of my clients dismissed their revisers, and maybe paid me a bit more, since they would be saving a lot of money to deliver much better jobs to t... See more The two first things that came to my mind were not in the list:
1. I would love if some clients who insist in using their useless on-line platforms would allow me to work with my software, my TM's, my TB's and my equipment at home. The work would be delivered a lot faster with a lot better quality.
2. I would also love if most of my clients dismissed their revisers, and maybe paid me a bit more, since they would be saving a lot of money to deliver much better jobs to their clients than what they deliver after their revisers destroy my work.
[Edited at 2017-12-24 05:07 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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