Poll: If you receive an email from a client on a weekend or holiday, you...
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Aug 26, 2017

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "If you receive an email from a client on a weekend or holiday, you...".

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Gianluca Marras
Gianluca Marras  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 18:00
English to Italian
reply but ... Aug 26, 2017

I usually tell all my clients when I am on holiday.
Obviously with smartphones now we can reply to clients, but when I write my reply I always remember that every new job, or other things (like finalization of a translation) will be dealt with when I am back.
Weekends? I do not receive work related emails at weekends.


 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 18:00
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
It depends very much on the client Aug 26, 2017

I set an 'out of office' message when I am on holiday, and that tells everyone I am not available.

I do not normally have my phone and e-mail accessible when I am not working, so it may be some time before I see the mail, and that often applies at weekends. Not always, however - here I am on a summer Saturday morning, just taking a break from a huge rushed job...

I answer my regular clients when I can, but generally ignore new ones! Unless they are enormously promising
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I set an 'out of office' message when I am on holiday, and that tells everyone I am not available.

I do not normally have my phone and e-mail accessible when I am not working, so it may be some time before I see the mail, and that often applies at weekends. Not always, however - here I am on a summer Saturday morning, just taking a break from a huge rushed job...

I answer my regular clients when I can, but generally ignore new ones! Unless they are enormously promising or have an offer I seriously want to consider.

Like asking: 'are you available next week?' two days before the end of my holiday. Well-organised clients who plan like that deserve at least a little attention!
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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 17:00
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Reply as usual Aug 26, 2017

I haven’t received work related emails during the weekend more than 4 or 5 times and then I dealt with them as usual. The same doesn’t apply to public and local holidays as they are different from country to country and clients might ignore them. I also reply as usual, adding a little note saying “I’m not working today, it’s a holiday here”. Regarding my holidays I always tell my clients well in advance that I will not be available from xx until xx…

 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 18:00
Spanish to English
+ ...
Reply as usual Aug 26, 2017

I claim to provide a 24/7 service, so I usually reply ASAP no matter what day of the year it is.

 
Philippe Etienne
Philippe Etienne  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 18:00
Member
English to French
Next work day Aug 26, 2017

If I am on holiday or during the weekend, my customers know I don't work, so it won't be them.

I reply to prospects after the weekend or when I am back at the office if there is any chance it could lead to work.

I may have an entirely different view if I were working with end customers, but then I wouldn't charge the same rates at all as with agencies.

Philippe


 
Jessica Noyes
Jessica Noyes  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 13:00
Member
Spanish to English
+ ...
Floating Weekends Aug 26, 2017

Both my husband and I are self-employed, and the kids are up and gone, so our "weekends" float around the calendar and come to rest wherever we need a little personal time.

 
Michael Harris
Michael Harris  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 18:00
Member (2006)
German to English
Reply as usual Aug 26, 2017

If I am actually working and see the mail.
But if I am "there", then business as usual, we are for all self-employed or freelancers.

Are we running out of real translators again - anonymous!


 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 18:00
French to English
depends on the client Aug 26, 2017

If it's a long-standing client, and therefore trusty and well-paying, I'll answer. If it's an agency or potential client I might just answer, but probably won't ever get started on a translation unless they give me a hefty weekend rate.
My partner and I both work at weekends when it suits us, but not all day, more like an hour here or there. I will mostly get an hour or so done before my partner is up. It's more a matter of getting a draft done so I can polish it up with fresh eyes the ne
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If it's a long-standing client, and therefore trusty and well-paying, I'll answer. If it's an agency or potential client I might just answer, but probably won't ever get started on a translation unless they give me a hefty weekend rate.
My partner and I both work at weekends when it suits us, but not all day, more like an hour here or there. I will mostly get an hour or so done before my partner is up. It's more a matter of getting a draft done so I can polish it up with fresh eyes the next day in time for delivery rather than doing the whole thing without a break. Also getting ahead in case anything juicy comes in on Monday.
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John Fossey
John Fossey  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 13:00
Member (2008)
French to English
+ ...
Other: Reply on Monday Aug 27, 2017

I don't usually check my business email on the weekend.

And neither do most of my clients.


 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 10:00
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Reply as usual Aug 27, 2017

Given that I have clients in many different time zones, including Japan, I have to respect their hours.

One advantage is that when I do respond, I might land a nice plum because other colleagues are at the beach.


 
Hege Jakobsen Lepri
Hege Jakobsen Lepri  Identity Verified
Norway
Local time: 18:00
Member (2002)
English to Norwegian
+ ...
Depends on what I'm doing Aug 27, 2017

... it only happens very rarely with regular clients, but when it does happen, I'm frequently busy doing something else and not checking my e-mails.
If they ask me to work on Canadian local holidays, I'll tell them, but unless I'm away home, try to accommodate their needs.


 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 14:00
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Weekend? Let me check the dictionary... Aug 27, 2017

I reply as usual. My weekends may be on a Saturday/Sunday, but they can also be on a Tuesday/Wednesday. It depends on the week. Since when do freelance translators have regular weeks and regular working hours?

 
Diana Obermeyer
Diana Obermeyer  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:00
Member (2013)
German to English
+ ...
If I'm working Jan 19, 2018

I don't check messages on a smartphone or whatever.
I see emails if I'm sitting at the computer. If I sit on the computer, I generally work.
Some weekends I do that, and will see weekend messages. If I see them, I will reply as usual.
If I have no project pressure, I will take the weekend off. That means the computer stays firmly switched off and I am unlikely to be anywhere near civilisation or internet reception. Consequently, I won't see weekend messages and don't respond t
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I don't check messages on a smartphone or whatever.
I see emails if I'm sitting at the computer. If I sit on the computer, I generally work.
Some weekends I do that, and will see weekend messages. If I see them, I will reply as usual.
If I have no project pressure, I will take the weekend off. That means the computer stays firmly switched off and I am unlikely to be anywhere near civilisation or internet reception. Consequently, I won't see weekend messages and don't respond to them until the next working day.

I don't think that's much different to responding to clients in other time zones during my working hours. I don't get out of bed at 1am to respond to them, either.

On a holiday, I will occassionally check emails - whenever I venture into civilisation. Clients are warned in advance and mostly refrain from trying to contact me in that period. I did sack a client once that completely ignored my holiday notice despite several reminders and kept following up with multiple panicky messages if they didn't receive a response within half an hour or so.
It was after that experience that I decided to firm up and keep the computer switched off.

[Edited at 2018-01-19 14:28 GMT]
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Poll: If you receive an email from a client on a weekend or holiday, you...






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