| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you usually charge different rates to agencies and direct clients? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you usually charge different rates to agencies and direct clients?".
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Agencies usually don't/cant't go over certain rates (the ones they set) and I understand they have different costs.
Direct clients on the other side can pay more, and I charge the full service (translation and proofreading- sometimes done by a colleague).
| | | | Adnan Özdemir 
Türkiye
Local time: 21:55
Member (2007)
German to Turkish
+ ...
1) Since 1993 my customer (agency): I can give some discounts...
2) Since 2010 my customer (agency): I can give some discounts too. Plus I can demand -at the beginning of our business rel.- higher rates...
3) Direct clients: Depends of direct client
Anadolu'dan selamlar
Saludos desde Anatolia
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 20:55
Spanish to English
+ ...
There's not much to be done about agencies - unless desperate, they will usually just seek another translator who will accept their offer.
I do tend to give spontaneous surprise discounts to other self-employed colleagues (did so yesterday) because I like things like that happening to me.
Normally, with regular clients I try to stick to my basic rates across the board, and still haven't raised them since the "economic crisis" began.
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Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 20:55
English to French
+ ...
Agencies take care of my marketing and possibly my collection costs - I find it quite normal to "pay" them for that service.
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I do not have many direct clients, apart from one or two non-profit organisations who rely heavily on volunteers and donations. If the job is big enough to charge for at all, I charge agency rates.
But don't let agencies press your prices down.
A propos, I have just seen an agency on the Net that charges its clients 97 Euros per thousand words for a professional translator, quality control and a PM to coordinate the job. Think about it, folks. Even if they do have to p... See more I do not have many direct clients, apart from one or two non-profit organisations who rely heavily on volunteers and donations. If the job is big enough to charge for at all, I charge agency rates.
But don't let agencies press your prices down.
A propos, I have just seen an agency on the Net that charges its clients 97 Euros per thousand words for a professional translator, quality control and a PM to coordinate the job. Think about it, folks. Even if they do have to pay three people and the office expenses out of that... There should be a decent rate for the translator!
The same agency offers a service at 30 Euros per thousand words - they describe it as automatic translation and a translator spends 40 minutes revising the text instead of two hours translating from scratch. 
Translating is work, however you do it, so we should not underrate ourselves!
[Edited at 2011-01-28 10:30 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Strange Question | Jan 28, 2011 |
What a strange question! "Strange" isn't really the first word that came to mind. (But all the others might be rude). Of course, direct clients have to pay/pay different rates (usually 2-2.5 times more). Otherwise I'd have quit the translation business years ago.
| | | | Sebastian Witte
Germany
Local time: 20:55
Member (2004)
English to German
+ ...
| 29% either do charge or consider charging direct clients the same rates they charge agencies | Jan 28, 2011 |
That is a disturbing figure. It's called selling out. It should be 0%.
[Edited at 2011-01-28 12:43 GMT]
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Patricia Charnet
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:55
Member (2009)
English to French
I charge good rates to agencies who pay them because I tend to do specialised works.
Sometimes I charge reasonable rates to direct clients when it's an individual i.e. court's proceedings for divorce, birth certificates, etc.
Sometimes I charge more expensive rates to direct clients but I bear in mind that good agencies do carry out a thorough proofreading of my work, and that I'm not infallible, so when I don't have that backup quality control from the good agencies, I... See more I charge good rates to agencies who pay them because I tend to do specialised works.
Sometimes I charge reasonable rates to direct clients when it's an individual i.e. court's proceedings for divorce, birth certificates, etc.
Sometimes I charge more expensive rates to direct clients but I bear in mind that good agencies do carry out a thorough proofreading of my work, and that I'm not infallible, so when I don't have that backup quality control from the good agencies, I have to do a 3rd and sometimes 4th checking of my work before sending the assignment to the client - and this justifies the higher rate.
Sometimes I charge the same rate to both - it depends if the direct client is a small company, a big company, the type of direct client too if it's a solicitors firm (private or legal aid - I charge reasonably for firms doing legal aid work) or a pharmaceutical company (the latter I often charge good rates).
It varies - but I've had some agencies asking me to charge a higher rate to direct clients so that I don't undercut them.
I also offer a reasonable rate to direct clients and fast payer agencies who give me regular work - and a higher rate to slow payers. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Anna Haxen
Denmark
Local time: 20:55
Member (2005)
English to Danish
+ ...
I have very few direct clients - usually individuals or non-profit organisations. The agencies I work for pay good rates (i.e., the rates I ask for). Plus, the amount of work I put into a translation, including proofreading and double-checking, is the same for agencies and direct clients.
| | | | | Charging the same price makes absolutely no sense | Jan 28, 2011 |
If the direct customer, maybe for different languages or whatever, needs an agency, he will expect the same price, as he is a "direct customer" for both, the freelancer and the agency, and he will not understand why prices are different.
Furthermore, there is no need for a translator to "pay" agencies for their service, they do it themselves - through the higher price they charge the customer.
N.B. Yes,... See more If the direct customer, maybe for different languages or whatever, needs an agency, he will expect the same price, as he is a "direct customer" for both, the freelancer and the agency, and he will not understand why prices are different.
Furthermore, there is no need for a translator to "pay" agencies for their service, they do it themselves - through the higher price they charge the customer.
N.B. Yes, Sebastian, you are right, these are quite disturbing figures. Would you, were you a manufacturer, charge the same price to your wholesalers and direct customers (if you had any)? This would be unconceivable, right? Think about it....
[Bearbeitet am 2011-01-28 18:37 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 20:55
English to French
+ ...
Christel Zipfel wrote: Furthermore, there is no need for a translator to "pay" agencies for their service, they do it themselves - through the higher price they charge the customer.
That is what I mean: the difference between the price they charge their end client and the price they pay me is what "pays" their marketing MY services and finding clients for ME. It allows me not to hire a salesperson.
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| yes and it depends | Jan 28, 2011 |
Some agencies offer different editing rates. And sometimes projects have lower budgets, so I take that into account, especially private clients.
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Interlangue wrote: Christel Zipfel wrote: Furthermore, there is no need for a translator to "pay" agencies for their service, they do it themselves - through the higher price they charge the customer. That is what I mean: the difference between the price they charge their end client and the price they pay me is what "pays" their marketing MY services and finding clients for ME. It allows me not to hire a salesperson.
Excuse me, I misconceived your statement.
| | | | Laurent KRAULAND (X)
France
Local time: 20:55
French to German
+ ...
| Two different pricing structures - at least. | Jan 29, 2011 |
I think there are at least two different pricing structures, namely the "downwards" and the "upwards" ones.
Downwards:
Agency makes offer to client, deducts its own internal processing costs and the rest yadda yadda. What is left is offered to the translator.
Upwards:
Agency asks translator for rates, adds its own internal processing costs (and the rest...) and makes offer to client.
What I find disturbing tbh is not the downwards... See more I think there are at least two different pricing structures, namely the "downwards" and the "upwards" ones.
Downwards:
Agency makes offer to client, deducts its own internal processing costs and the rest yadda yadda. What is left is offered to the translator.
Upwards:
Agency asks translator for rates, adds its own internal processing costs (and the rest...) and makes offer to client.
What I find disturbing tbh is not the downwards structure in itself, but the fact that some agencies will take a good percentage merely for repackaging files - without any added value - and basically expect us to do additional work (DTP, among other things) at no cost because they will touch the file only to forward it. ▲ Collapse
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