Poll: Among your clients, do you notice a tendency towards shorter deadlines?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Apr 22, 2017

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Among your clients, do you notice a tendency towards shorter deadlines?".

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Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 02:41
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Not really Apr 22, 2017

The ones that are demanding shorter deadlines are also the ones that are paying 1975 rates. My regulars are careful not to expect more than they know a person can handle comfortably and still present good work.

[Edited at 2017-04-22 08:36 GMT]


 
DEVANATHAN RENGACHARI
DEVANATHAN RENGACHARI  Identity Verified
India
Local time: 15:11
English to Tamil
+ ...
Shorter deadlines Apr 22, 2017

Most of the time, I have come across deadlines which are very demanding.

Regards,
Devanathan


 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 09:41
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Not really Apr 22, 2017

As I said before (another quick poll): One of my regular clients (a high-paying direct client) has two types of deadlines: hard (urgent) and soft (whenever you can). Curiously enough I get more of the second category than of the first, though from time to time it happens that one job gets “promoted” and suddenly turns urgent…

I do agree with Muriel, my regulars know me quite well and what I can and can't do.


 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 10:41
Spanish to English
+ ...
No Apr 22, 2017

But occasionally I might get an urgent request from one of my direct clients. And the one or two agencies that I occasionally work with tend to always have short deadlines, but they are aware that I have other clients that I need to juggle if I am to offer them my services, so they usually try to be as flexible as their clients will allow, that is, if they want me to do a specific job. They do have other translators too.

 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 10:41
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
No Apr 22, 2017

I have weeded out in my clients, and simply ditched the ones who always have tight deadlines.

I have landed myself a lot of work this weekend, because I can be flexible and I do take on urgent jobs when I can fit them in, but I have firmly told the client that it was impossible to deliver on Friday, and they would have to wait until Monday.
That same agency does its best to educate clients and negotiate realistic deadlines, so they give me longer deadlines when possible.
... See more
I have weeded out in my clients, and simply ditched the ones who always have tight deadlines.

I have landed myself a lot of work this weekend, because I can be flexible and I do take on urgent jobs when I can fit them in, but I have firmly told the client that it was impossible to deliver on Friday, and they would have to wait until Monday.
That same agency does its best to educate clients and negotiate realistic deadlines, so they give me longer deadlines when possible.

I have several others on similar terms.
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Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Yetta Jensen Bogarde  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 10:41
Member (2012)
English to Danish
+ ...
No Apr 22, 2017

Most of my clients are agencies, and if the deadline is too tight for me I just decline the job, and they will ask someone else.

From this year I have decided not to take on deadlines that stresses me out.

[Edited at 2017-04-22 13:55 GMT]


 
Rebecca Garber
Rebecca Garber  Identity Verified
Local time: 05:41
Member (2005)
German to English
+ ...
My schedule trumps theirs Apr 22, 2017

If their deadline is too tight, I don't take the project.
I work for a number of agencies and one direct client. The deadlines vary depending on the agency, from deadlines that I set to extended deadlines to a regular weekly project. One very large agency consistently has short deadlines, so I only take those when I have nothing from my regulars.

Frankly, rates are more important to me than the deadlines. I can deal with a tight turnaround, but I'm onot going to do that at a d
... See more
If their deadline is too tight, I don't take the project.
I work for a number of agencies and one direct client. The deadlines vary depending on the agency, from deadlines that I set to extended deadlines to a regular weekly project. One very large agency consistently has short deadlines, so I only take those when I have nothing from my regulars.

Frankly, rates are more important to me than the deadlines. I can deal with a tight turnaround, but I'm onot going to do that at a discounted rate.
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Lingua 5B
Lingua 5B  Identity Verified
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 10:41
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
Not really. Apr 23, 2017

Only noticing a tendency towards lower rates.

 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 06:41
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Not feasible Apr 23, 2017

Although they might try to require a shorter deadline, we're not going to do any magic or sacrifices. There are so much words we are able to translate per day, and that's it. If a client wants us to increase that number of words or work on weekends, urgency rates apply.

 


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Poll: Among your clients, do you notice a tendency towards shorter deadlines?






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