Poll: What percentage of the job requests you receive are "urgent"? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "What percentage of the job requests you receive are "urgent"?".
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I’m not fond of rush jobs and my long-standing customers know that. Even so I can’t say no to some of them…
| | | | Angus Stewart 
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:35
Member (2011)
French to English
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A fair proportion of the projects I take on are urgent jobs. I even have one client who marks every email they send as urgent requiring a response "ASAP today" even when sent outside of business hours or at the weekend.
| | | | | 1-10% or less | May 1, 2020 |
I had an agency that frequently sent projects that were mainly urgent but this agency has not sent any since the outbreak of Coronavirus. Mind you, I used to like the texts sent. Other agencies that send frequent work occasionally send something that is urgent so I try to accommodate them as much as possible and if possible but still these instances are few and far between. One has to understand the other side too.
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| Define urgent | May 1, 2020 |
Most of my work needs to be done ASAP, but they tell me in advance that it’s coming and I set the deadline. Does that count?
| | | | Thomas Pfann
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:35
Member (2006)
English to German
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| Define urgent | May 1, 2020 |
I understood this question to be about "urgent" requests as opposed to urgent requests.
I have a couple of clients who often describe non-urgent jobs as "urgent". I don't know why – and no, it is not because they need them done urgently. A classic example: "120 words needed urgently by next Thursday".
"Urgent" and "asap" have long become completely meaningless. If something is needed by certain date or time then there might be some urgency (depending on how much it is... See more I understood this question to be about "urgent" requests as opposed to urgent requests.
I have a couple of clients who often describe non-urgent jobs as "urgent". I don't know why – and no, it is not because they need them done urgently. A classic example: "120 words needed urgently by next Thursday".
"Urgent" and "asap" have long become completely meaningless. If something is needed by certain date or time then there might be some urgency (depending on how much it is and how long the deadline is away). If something is merely described as "urgent" or "needed asap" then it probably isn't urgent and can wait until I have a moment. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Aline Amorim
Brazil
Local time: 10:35
English to Portuguese
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Teresa Borges wrote:
I’m not fond of rush jobs and my long-standing customers know that. Even so I can’t say no to some of them…
Me too.
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 10:35
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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| Two types of "Urgent" | May 2, 2020 |
There are actually two types of "Urgent" in terms of jobs:
1. The "Urgent" claimed by clients who love to use the term, and use it all the time, so when it's really urgent, you'll never know for sure. Also, clients that say the job is "Urgent" as a means to impel you to focus on their job and make sure you prioritize it, but the term is not actually due. In both cases, it's easy to negotiate a fesible deadline.
2. The "Urgent" that is really urgent and happens sporadically. These are... See more There are actually two types of "Urgent" in terms of jobs:
1. The "Urgent" claimed by clients who love to use the term, and use it all the time, so when it's really urgent, you'll never know for sure. Also, clients that say the job is "Urgent" as a means to impel you to focus on their job and make sure you prioritize it, but the term is not actually due. In both cases, it's easy to negotiate a fesible deadline.
2. The "Urgent" that is really urgent and happens sporadically. These are rare cases (10%) when you actually have to work late or in the weekends, but you can also negotiate an urgency rate.
Both cases are perfectly "dealable with", and I never refused a job or delivered it late in these cases, provided the deadline is doable.
However, in such cases that the client expects you to translate 10K words in a day, it's a "thank you, but no thank you" case. ▲ Collapse
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I rarely accept urgent deadlines, only as an occasional favor to a regular client.
| | | | Jan Truper
Germany
Local time: 15:35
Member (2016)
English to German
| Urgent = Rush Rate | May 4, 2020 |
That's what springs into my mind immediately.
The percentage of such jobs offered to me varies greatly, so I can't really answer the question.
But I strive to have a steady work flow with deadlines long enough to be able to pick a few rush cherries along the way (ideally, about 30 %).
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