What About Translation?
Before you start working with any translation vendor, make sure you've asked the following questions:
- How long have you been in business?
- Who are some of your regular clients?
- How many employees do you have?
- What are your in-office hours?
- Do you use freelance translators, in-house translators, or both? (most agencies use freelancers almost exclusively)
- What languages do you offer? For which countries?
- Are all of your translators native speakers of their target language?
- What are the educational and professional backgrounds of your translators?
- How long have your employees worked as translators?
- How do you screen and evaluate your translators?
- Do you test your translators?
- If your translators live outside the native language country, how often do they visit and keep abreast of changes in the native language?
- What guarantees do you offer that our project will be delivered on time and on budget?
- What is your translation experience within our industry?
- Can you provide references from our industry? Do you have work samples from our industry?
- What are the biggest problems and concerns that you find in translating for our industry? How do you handle those problems?
- What type of operating system do you have? Are you fully proficient in the software we use?
- Do you use a translation memory program? If yes, does your rate include delivery of those files? Do we own those files?
- Can you provide editing and formatting services as well?
- How do you handle after-project revisions? Do you charge extra? Is there a specific amount of time within which we must request revisions?
- What is your usual rate per word?
- What kind of discount do you offer for large volumes of work or ongoing projects?
- Do you charge extra for rush work?
- How are your translations certified? What does the certification include?
- What is your usual turnaround time for a project of [X] length and complexity?
