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Forum:	General Translation Business Issues
Topic:	TRADOS and pricing

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<TABLE BORDER=0 cellpadding=4 border=0 cellspacing=1 WIDTH="95%"><TR bgcolor="#D5E6E1"><TD COLSPAN=2><CENTER>T O P I C     R E V I E W</CENTER></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#dedfdf"><TD valign=top>Amanda</TD><TD>The French association APROTRAD (www.aprotrad.org) of which I am a member, is currently reflecting on adopting a common stance on pricing policy with regards to translations done using translation software. Agencies are doing their best to impose heavy discounts for repetition, driving down prices and making us translators feel like just another cog in the translation machinery. As one of our members put it, we didn't give discounts when we moved from typewriters to computers, as we had to invest in machines and anyway, the client got a better service. Translation software also requires significant outlays, in the software, the processing power, wide screen, etc. and the client is getting a better all round service (or is he???).We would welcome your comments and ideas on this topic, either here, or to myself (agrey@club-internet.fr) which I shall pass on. <IMG SRC="http://www.translatortips.net/ubb/frown.gif"> Should we allow discounts for repetition when using TRADOS or other? <IMG SRC="http://www.translatortips.net/ubb/frown.gif"> If so, on what basis? <IMG SRC="http://www.translatortips.net/ubb/frown.gif"> Hadn't we better agree among ourselves on a common approach rather than let "others" dictate to us?Une réflection collective s'impose.Many thanks in advance for your thoughts.Amanda------------------ </TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#f7f7f7"><TD valign=top>phil</TD><TD>At translatortips® we have realised there's a lot about CAT tools that people throughout the industry want to know. <IMG SRC="http://www.translatortips.net/ubb/frown.gif">So we're constructing a quick-and-easy-to-fill-in survey to help people who want to know things about CAT tools from users' experiences and opinions, and also to find out how everyone's perceptions of CAT tools stand at the moment. It will be posted up in the near future. <IMG SRC="http://www.translatortips.net/ubb/cool.gif">If anyone has any suggestions for questions or thoughts on information they would like to know from such a survey, please email them to me directly - <A HREF="mailto:phil@translatortips.net?subject=CAT_survey">phil@translatortips.net?subject=CAT_survey</A> {Please don't fill this forum with survey question suggestions! <IMG SRC="http://www.translatortips.net/ubb/winkgrin.gif"> All sources of questions will remain strictly confidential.}The CAT tool survey will be similar in style to the one currently running about online job sites...<A HREF="http://www.translatortips.net/job-survey.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.translatortips.com/job-survey.html</A> Have a look and feel free to let us know your opinions. We'll be sending a comprehensive report on the results to every participant FREE of charge - it could be very useful information for your business! <IMG SRC="http://www.translatortips.net/ubb/vcool.gif">------------------ <IMG SRC="http://www.translatortips.net/images/philsig.gif"> Phil Naylor <A HREF="http://www.translatortips.com" TARGET=_blank>www.translatortips.com</A> helping translators do better business[This message has been edited by phil (edited 13 February 2001).][This message has been edited by alex (edited 13 February 2001).]</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#dedfdf"><TD valign=top>alex</TD><TD> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Amanda: <IMG SRC="http://www.translatortips.net/ubb/frown.gif"> Should we allow discounts for repetition when using TRADOS or other? <IMG SRC="http://www.translatortips.net/ubb/frown.gif"> If so, on what basis? <IMG SRC="http://www.translatortips.net/ubb/frown.gif"> Hadn't we better agree among ourselves on a common approach rather than let "others" dictate to us? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Hi Amanda,this is a thorny issue <IMG SRC="http://www.translatortips.net/ubb/smile.gif">Repetitions & Basis It depends on the level of repetition. As far as I'm concerned, fuzzy matches are not repetition. If you have to spend time looking at or working on something you should get paid for it - no argument, no discount! <IMG SRC="http://www.translatortips.net/ubb/angry.gif">If whole paragraphs or pages are the same, it's a matter for negotiation. At the end of the day, if you've invested in buying and learning a CAT tool, you ought to get a large part of the benefit from that!Agreement & consensus Absolutely. The problem here is that some people are weak when it comes to negotiation.Picture this...<UL TYPE=SQUARE> <LI>You haven't worked for a week <LI>You're wondering when the next job will come in <LI>A new client phones you to talk about a job that will enable you to use the CAT tool you bought 3 months ago and haven't used yet </UL>So what do you do? Unfortunately, most people would take the job, pretty much on any terms. What is required is a standard. If enough people suggest enough good ideas, we will consider publishing a standard. We're probably big enough to get it endorsed and accepted by the industry. What do you think? ------------------ <IMG SRC="http://www.translatortips.net/images/alexsig.gif"> Alex Eames <A HREF="http://www.translatortips.com" TARGET=_blank>http://www.translatortips.com</A> helping translators do better business[This message has been edited by alex (edited 13 February 2001).]</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#f7f7f7"><TD valign=top>Efegege</TD><TD>Hi Amanda, Hi all,Has this iniciative taken form? I mean has any fellow translator done any kind of Standard pricing for working with Translation Agencies and Trados? I am currently thinking about re-negociate my pricing with them. Thanks & Kind regards,Nando <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Amanda: The French association APROTRAD (www.aprotrad.org) of which I am a member, is currently reflecting on adopting a common stance on pricing policy with regards to translations done using translation software. Agencies are doing their best to impose heavy discounts for repetition, driving down prices and making us translators feel like just another cog in the translation machinery. As one of our members put it, we didn't give discounts when we moved from typewriters to computers, as we had to invest in machines and anyway, the client got a better service. Translation software also requires significant outlays, in the software, the processing power, wide screen, etc. and the client is getting a better all round service (or is he???).We would welcome your comments and ideas on this topic, either here, or to myself (agrey@club-internet.fr) which I shall pass on. <IMG SRC="http://www.translatortips.net/ubb/frown.gif"> Should we allow discounts for repetition when using TRADOS or other? <IMG SRC="http://www.translatortips.net/ubb/frown.gif"> If so, on what basis? <IMG SRC="http://www.translatortips.net/ubb/frown.gif"> Hadn't we better agree among ourselves on a common approach rather than let "others" dictate to us?Une réflection collective s'impose.Many thanks in advance for your thoughts.Amanda<HR></BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#dedfdf"><TD valign=top>willivere</TD><TD>Did you invest $795 in Trados or any other CAT tools to earn less? I did not. Don't forget, agencies are intermediaries who need translators to survive. They earn an overhead on the translator's work. Some of them pay after 60 days, whereas there customer paid them after 30 days (i.e.30 days interest on their bank-account * x translators = a nice interest). Do they charge less to their end-customers just because the translation has been made with the help of a CAT-tools. No, sir. Why then should the translator earn less. After years in translation, I have had the pleasure to interpret too. Add to that that I would like to give languages classes once and a while. Hence, I have three activities with which to make a living and I can take a firm stance against those price-dumping agencies. I have my rate and anything below it, I am not going to accept it. It is better to have two well-paid translations a month then translating for nickles and dimes for an entire month.</TD></TR></TABLE>

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