Poll: Do you generally provide references when offering your services? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you generally provide references when offering your services?".
This poll was originally submitted by MARIA RUSSO
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. F... See more This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you generally provide references when offering your services?".
This poll was originally submitted by MARIA RUSSO
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629 ▲ Collapse
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Usually no. I don't feel it's right to go into details about the projects; I myself would love to hear about an agency's projects, about their clients and translators and to be able to contact their translators so I can know how much they were satisfied with that agency, but somehow I don't think some agency will share that with me.
| | | | Russell Jones 
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:16
Italian to English
I don't need to "offer my services".
ProZ.com does that for me and my clients find me.
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Even if I'm asked to provide references, I never do. I can't understand the reason why they need references. If the agency takes a look at one's profile, especially with visible WWW entries, year of experience, number of KudoZ answered, etc. I believe that those factors would show how competent that translator is. And I don't want to bother agencies asking them to provide references for other agencies.
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Melzie
Local time: 21:16
French to English
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I mainly work with agriculture. The people who come to me generally already have all the information about me they want through word of mouth. It's the type of network/client base that takes a loooooong time to build up.
| | | | Ken Fagan (X)
Local time: 21:16
French to English
| Don't need to... | Jun 24, 2009 |
my references are readily available to everyone (in "People", "Hola", "Hello", "Voici", "Chi", "Gente", etc., etc.)
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Double
[Edited at 2009-06-24 20:46 GMT]
| | | | | Just click the WWA-star | Jun 24, 2009 |
If I am looking myself for new contacts I point to my
Proz-profile underlining that they find references when clicking on the WWA-star.
Ken Fagan wrote:
my references are readily available to everyone (in "People", "Hola", "Hello", "Voici", "Chi", "Gente", etc., etc.)
Not your references.
Just the one from the handsome gentleman who is supposed to pimp your profile.
[Edited at 2009-06-24 10:05 GMT]
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Ken Fagan wrote:
Don't need to...
my references are readily available to everyone (in "People", "Hola", "Hello", "Voici", "Chi", "Gente", etc., etc.)
[Edited at 2009-06-24 13:26 GMT]
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This was one of those poll questions I was afraid to see the answers to. I anticipated that the majority would provide references up front. I am relieved to find out that only 12% do so (at this point of the poll).
I don't provide references and I never really needed to. Some new contacts ask for references, and I usually don't enter any business relationship with these contacts. If I were a babysitter or a cleaning lady, I would find it normal to be asked for references. But I am a... See more This was one of those poll questions I was afraid to see the answers to. I anticipated that the majority would provide references up front. I am relieved to find out that only 12% do so (at this point of the poll).
I don't provide references and I never really needed to. Some new contacts ask for references, and I usually don't enter any business relationship with these contacts. If I were a babysitter or a cleaning lady, I would find it normal to be asked for references. But I am a translator - a whole different breed of freelancers.
Somebody was talking about a herd over the past few days on this forum. I am glad to see that, although many of us look at the eternal rate issue from the viewing angle of a herd, it is not the case when it comes to references. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Only if/when they put a gun to my head... | Jun 24, 2009 |
I don't like to share the result of my hard work with complete strangers... I mean, maybe they'll become faithful customers and/or close friends, but in the meantime, they don't need to be made privy to information or content that some previous customers have handed me in confidence...
If an outsourcing firm or fellow translator demands that I disclose such content, then I forbid myself to work with them, period.
Our work is based on trust. One way to lose our customers... See more I don't like to share the result of my hard work with complete strangers... I mean, maybe they'll become faithful customers and/or close friends, but in the meantime, they don't need to be made privy to information or content that some previous customers have handed me in confidence...
If an outsourcing firm or fellow translator demands that I disclose such content, then I forbid myself to work with them, period.
Our work is based on trust. One way to lose our customers' trust is to disclose content they provided us... ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Testimonials | Jun 24, 2009 |
ViktoriaG wrote:
This was one of those poll questions I was afraid to see the answers to. I anticipated that the majority would provide references up front.
Well, by reading that maybe I put it wrong. WWA-entries are rather testimonials than references, I guess.
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Sara Senft
United States
Local time: 15:16
Spanish to English
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My general policy is to not provide references. It's an issue of time and respecting privacy.
Sometimes I am asked for references. When this happens, I typically explain my policy and why. If that is not sufficient for the client, we don't work together. I would rather not work with a client that doesn't respect my values.
Another alternative I suggest is to look at my WWA entries. (Just like so many of us suggest!)
| | | | Özden Arıkan
Germany
Local time: 21:16
Member
English to Turkish
+ ...
| Same as above | Jun 26, 2009 |
I do exactly as Sara does - the only difference is that I refer them to my Project History.
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