Pages in topic:   < [1 2 3 4 5 6] >
We need a whole new paradigm
Thread poster: Daniel Frisano
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:43
Member (2008)
Italian to English
But... Dec 28, 2017

Robert Forstag wrote:

I really don't find "Have a nice day" the least bit annoying, whether spoken or in writing. I also use it myself.


But you're American (or Americanised).

Here in the UK we have a concept called "privacy".

Here's how it works:I must respect your privacy and you must do likewise towards me.

So for you to make any kind of observation, exhortation, or suggestion as to how I may or many not spend the rest of my day is grossly offensive because that is a private matter and none of your business. It comes across as extremely rude.

And just out of curiosity, what do you say to someone at 5 minutes before midnight? Have a nice remaining 5 minutes of your day?

[Edited at 2017-12-28 23:06 GMT]


 
Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member for the following reason: Post removed.
Mervyn Henderson (X)
Mervyn Henderson (X)  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 11:43
Spanish to English
+ ...
Good morning/afternoon/evening? Dec 28, 2017

This is really just the same thing, wishing someone a good morning, afternoon, evening, isn't it? Not that it's a good morning weatherwise, but that you'd like it to be a good morning in all respects for the other person. And everyone says Good morning, don't they?

 
Lincoln Hui
Lincoln Hui  Identity Verified
Hong Kong
Local time: 18:43
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
O RLY? Dec 28, 2017

Mario Chavez wrote:

No risk of looking like a clown.

Do you sign your emails with "Mr. Mario Chavez"? Because I only ever see two types of people sign themselves off as "Mr.": Teachers in a school setting, and Nigerian scammer variants.


 
Mervyn Henderson (X)
Mervyn Henderson (X)  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 11:43
Spanish to English
+ ...
Doctors Dec 28, 2017

Those scammers are usually Doctor something, aren't they? Or His Excellency or His Ministerness. Or it comes "From the Desk of ...". Which is quite amusing, considering they're banging it out on a stool at some Internet naff-caff reeking of spliff.

 
MK2010
MK2010  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 06:43
French to English
+ ...
Exactly Dec 28, 2017

Mervyn Henderson wrote:

This is really just the same thing, wishing someone a good morning, afternoon, evening, isn't it? Not that it's a good morning weatherwise, but that you'd like it to be a good morning in all respects for the other person. And everyone says Good morning, don't they?



In French you bid someone goodbye by saying Good day, Good evening, Good night, etc., meaning you're wishing them an enjoyable day or night. Different cultures and languages have their own expressions of greeting and farewell, spoken and written. I don't see what the big deal is. I suppose Happy New Year is offensive to some people too, if we are to follow that logic.

It used to be that in French, you would end a formal letter with a ridiculous and convoluted standard expression begging the person to accept the expression of your most sincere / respectful / distinguished sentiments. Thank goodness it has now become acceptable to use an expression as short and to-the-point as the English-language "sincerely."

Have an awesome day everyone!

[Edited at 2017-12-28 17:41 GMT]


 
Mario Chavez (X)
Mario Chavez (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 06:43
English to Spanish
+ ...
Business writing in English Dec 28, 2017

Lincoln Hui wrote:

Mario Chavez wrote:

No risk of looking like a clown.

Do you sign your emails with "Mr. Mario Chavez"? Because I only ever see two types of people sign themselves off as "Mr.": Teachers in a school setting, and Nigerian scammer variants.


We can dispense with trying to ridicule personal preferences, right? Nobody signs Mr Edward Gentz or Ms Jane Burroughs. We use the honorifics with opening, not closing, greetings.

Here's an example:

Robert Wang
University of Alberta

Dear Mr. Wang,

Welcome to our university!

Another example:

Elif Borçu, Manager
Turkish Airlines

Dear Ms. Borçu,

[Because Elif is a female Turkish name].

I really hope this clarifies things for you.


 
Lincoln Hui
Lincoln Hui  Identity Verified
Hong Kong
Local time: 18:43
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
Har har Dec 28, 2017

We can dispense with trying to ridicule personal preferences, right? Nobody signs Mr Edward Gentz or Ms Jane Burroughs. We use the honorifics with opening, not closing, greetings.

People from cultures outside the Western sphere of influence, especially professionals, could make things easier by signing on their correspondence with their customary way of being addressed, whether it's Ms. Kumiko Suzuki or Mr. Kazuo Tasheda, for instance.

You're the one who made this ridiculous suggestion.

[Because Elif is a female Turkish name].

I don't think it's reasonable to expect someone not familiar with Turkey to know that.

And I'm still waiting for you to enlighten me on how to address one Leslie Johnson. Or Alex Brown. Have a nice day.

[Edited at 2017-12-28 17:50 GMT]


 
José Henrique Lamensdorf
José Henrique Lamensdorf  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 07:43
English to Portuguese
+ ...
In memoriam
I get many attorneys Dec 28, 2017

Mervyn Henderson wrote:

Those scammers are usually Doctor something, aren't they? Or His Excellency or His Ministerness. Or it comes "From the Desk of ...". Which is quite amusing, considering they're banging it out on a stool at some Internet naff-caff reeking of spliff.


They write me, "My name is Attorney Mwamba Dagrossa..."

... and I feel tempted to write back, "Dear Attorney, do you mind if I call you Tony?"

Back to the OP, as we drifted to customer service courtesy...

Some of us provide good customer service. As corporate training courseware is my main specialty in translation, I've been through far more than my share of customer service programs.

So many of us give the customer the impression that they are the only client we have in the world. Even though they contact us only once, or at most twice, in a year, they count on our immediate and unlimited availability, and consider it outrageous that we could be busy when they finally needed our services.

There are others that require us to jump through hoops to log in to their web site, and keep our availability calendar there permanently updated. I was selected as a vendor by one client, about 4 months ago. Every two weeks, they send me an e-mail to update my availability calendar on their portal. How many jobs have they assigned me in this meantime? None!

I built a page on my web site, which links to the Proz availability calendar, which I chose as "neutral ground". At first, there was a link, in case anyone wanted to check. However every time it was "green", I received a flock of e-mails offering me jobs at despicable rates. Now that page is hidden, I provide the link to my regular clients, so they don't have to Skype me asking about my availability.

Hence the new paradigm should include respect for the translator's availability and time management. Instead of the client merely shortening the turnaround time just to "make sure", they should get real about their true deadlines.


 
Lincoln Hui
Lincoln Hui  Identity Verified
Hong Kong
Local time: 18:43
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
Depends on the type Dec 28, 2017

Mervyn Henderson wrote:

Those scammers are usually Doctor something, aren't they? Or His Excellency or His Ministerness. Or it comes "From the Desk of ...". Which is quite amusing, considering they're banging it out on a stool at some Internet naff-caff reeking of spliff.

The ones dying of cancer often call themselves Mr. or Mrs. something.

[Edited at 2017-12-28 18:31 GMT]


 
Michele Fauble
Michele Fauble  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 03:43
Member (2006)
Norwegian to English
+ ...
Buona giornata and Bonne journée Dec 28, 2017

Not defending 'Have a good day' - I find it as annoying as anyone - but Italian 'Buona giornata' and French 'Bonne journée' have the same meaning, and I rather like these.



[Edited at 2017-12-28 18:54 GMT]


 
Maxi Schwarz
Maxi Schwarz  Identity Verified
Local time: 05:43
German to English
+ ...
on the first five Dec 28, 2017

None of them exist in my work. I don't see them as paradigms or guidelines - simply, I don't work that way.
For no. 6, I do tell people that I freelance. It means that I am no employed or seeking employment; I will do translations of a project / document upon request and mutual agreement on my price, turn-around etc. No comment on no. 7. Germans tend to be quite formal, so German clients tend to use my last name, and i usually invite them to call me by the first.


 
Mervyn Henderson (X)
Mervyn Henderson (X)  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 11:43
Spanish to English
+ ...
Well, that's reasonable ... Dec 28, 2017

Lincoln Hui wrote:


The ones dying of cancer often call themselves Mr. or Mrs. something.

[Edited at 2017-12-28 18:31 GMT]


... if I were a scammer dying of cancer, there's no point trying to wow people with the Minister of Finance angle. Best just to be a lonely Mr. or Mrs. or Ms., creditors banging at the door as you lie prostrate on a flea-ridden bed, bones standing out a hideous white beneath the scrawny grey flesh, just waiting for a gullible mug, I mean a Good Samaritan, to come along and help rip that unforgiving poison out of a rapidly failing body ...


... (thinks) Jeez, it could work, for God's sake. Time to create a few plausible e-mail addresses and dream up a sob story ...



[Edited at 2017-12-28 20:21 GMT]


 
Sarah Lewis-Morgan
Sarah Lewis-Morgan  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 11:43
Member (2014)
German to English
+ ...
Whether people address me by my first name is not an issue Dec 28, 2017

After a lifetime in England of being addressed by my first name by garage mechanics, doctors, bosses, customers etc., it seemed initially quite strange to be called "Frau" in Germany. (Fräulein is not used for adults at all, so there is no "Miss/Mrs/Ms" conundrum.) As long as the addressee is polite and gets my gender right - and although my name is a female one in Germany, I have been called "Herr" - I am really not bothered.

Strangely, though, despite not liking to be instructed
... See more
After a lifetime in England of being addressed by my first name by garage mechanics, doctors, bosses, customers etc., it seemed initially quite strange to be called "Frau" in Germany. (Fräulein is not used for adults at all, so there is no "Miss/Mrs/Ms" conundrum.) As long as the addressee is polite and gets my gender right - and although my name is a female one in Germany, I have been called "Herr" - I am really not bothered.

Strangely, though, despite not liking to be instructed to have a nice day by Americans, somehow being told to have "einen schönen Tag" in Germany has never bothered me. In fact I hadn't even thought about it until I read this thread. It seems quite inoffensive and on a par with being wished a Merry Christmas or a good evening, while the American version does not. I wonder why...
Collapse


 
Robert Forstag
Robert Forstag  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 06:43
Spanish to English
+ ...
You have missed your calling! Dec 28, 2017

Mervyn Henderson wrote:

Lincoln Hui wrote:


The ones dying of cancer often call themselves Mr. or Mrs. something.

[Edited at 2017-12-28 18:31 GMT]


... if I were a scammer dying of cancer, there's no point trying to wow people with the Minister of Finance angle. Best just to be a lonely Mr. or Mrs. or Ms., creditors banging at the door as you lie prostrate on a flea-ridden bed, bones standing out a hideous white beneath the scrawny grey flesh, just waiting for a gullible mug, I mean a Good Samaritan, to come along and help rip that unforgiving poison out of a rapidly failing body ...


... (thinks) Jeez, it could work, for God's sake. Time to create a few plausible e-mail addresses and dream up a sob story ...



[Edited at 2017-12-28 20:21 GMT]


There is plentiful work awaiting you in Nigeria and Benin, my friend. You even had me reaching for the Kleenex.

I bet you wouldn't make amateurish mistakes like wishing your recipients a "blessed day" or calling them "dear."


 
Pages in topic:   < [1 2 3 4 5 6] >


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

We need a whole new paradigm







Trados Business Manager Lite
Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio

Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.

More info »
TM-Town
Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business

Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.

More info »