Poll: Do you have one client you consider your favorite?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Aug 5, 2017

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you have one client you consider your favorite?".

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Connected Tr (X)
Connected Tr (X)  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:49
Chinese to English
+ ...
No Aug 5, 2017

I wouldn't say I have a single favourite client. I do have a 'core' of regular clients whom I enjoy working with because they are professional and reasonable - and they pay on time!

 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 20:49
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Yes Aug 5, 2017

I like them all, but there are certain types of clients that I work better with, so I do have some favorite clients. Not just one, but two (a direct client and a translation agency). They are friendly, polite, easy to work with, pay well and on time. I’m on very friendly terms with both of them and our email conversations are usually quite casual.

P.S. I take this opportunity to remember fondly a long-standing client (Up2date sprl) who died suddenly a few months ago during a vacat
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I like them all, but there are certain types of clients that I work better with, so I do have some favorite clients. Not just one, but two (a direct client and a translation agency). They are friendly, polite, easy to work with, pay well and on time. I’m on very friendly terms with both of them and our email conversations are usually quite casual.

P.S. I take this opportunity to remember fondly a long-standing client (Up2date sprl) who died suddenly a few months ago during a vacation in Morocco with his family. He was the best client a freelance translator can wish for. RIP, Phillipe!

[Edited at 2017-08-05 12:32 GMT]
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Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 13:49
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Yes Aug 5, 2017

I have two. One of them pays me much more than anyone else, and the other still pays well and sends me a lot of work that I can handle easily.

 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 21:49
Spanish to English
+ ...
Yes, but... Aug 5, 2017

This poll needs the "Other" option.

I have one major client who provides me with more work than the others. They trust my criteria, try not to overburden me with tight deadlines and pay on time. Most of my translation income comes from this one company. The only part of the work I do for them which I don't really enjoy is the software strings, due to the lack of context and seemingly endless amount of the darned things.

However, I also have other regular clients in the
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This poll needs the "Other" option.

I have one major client who provides me with more work than the others. They trust my criteria, try not to overburden me with tight deadlines and pay on time. Most of my translation income comes from this one company. The only part of the work I do for them which I don't really enjoy is the software strings, due to the lack of context and seemingly endless amount of the darned things.

However, I also have other regular clients in the running. They work in different areas, so the content and frequency of the work I get from them is different. I suppose if I was pressed I would say my biggest client should be my favourite, if only because they provide me with most earnings, but the truth is actually not quite so simple as that.
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Jack Doughty
Jack Doughty  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:49
Russian to English
+ ...
In memoriam
Yes Aug 5, 2017

I build up a close relationship with the authors of literary works (novels, stories) that I translate by my continuous email correspondence with them.
I have two regular (more than one novel) clients at the moment, one much more long-standing than the other, and I'd call him the favorite (the other one seems like a nice guy too though).
It's different with agencies, but yes, I have a favorite in that field too.


 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 21:49
French to English
most of them! Aug 5, 2017

Right now I have a beautiful poetic translation for an art exhibition,to do at a reasonable price, for a new client, all is hunky dory with them right now, see how it works for payment.

I have another client who pays my top price, always within a few days of delivery, and whose texts are interesting, in sustainable development.

Then there's a friend of mine who pays a decent price, never have to send out reminders, and who I love dearly because she boosted my confiden
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Right now I have a beautiful poetic translation for an art exhibition,to do at a reasonable price, for a new client, all is hunky dory with them right now, see how it works for payment.

I have another client who pays my top price, always within a few days of delivery, and whose texts are interesting, in sustainable development.

Then there's a friend of mine who pays a decent price, never have to send out reminders, and who I love dearly because she boosted my confidence at a time I sorely needed it, her files are not so interesting but she does work with me to make sure I translate everything right, it's good to be able to talk things through with clients. She has also referred me to others in the same field as her so working closely with her also helps me translate their stuff.

And an agency that doesn't really pay all that well but reliably, and sends me enough stuff to make sure I can butter my bread every month, and it's mostly stuff that doesn't need much in the way of research.
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Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Nikki Scott-Despaigne  Identity Verified
Local time: 21:49
French to English
I agree with Han Qi, a "core" of favourites Aug 5, 2017

There are a number of clients with whom I work fairly regularly or from time to time who are an absolute pleasure to work with. They are clear, polite and pay immediately. They do not whinge or otherwise complain. They expect a job to be done to the highest standard, which I endeavour to meet. They do not waste my time, I do not waste theirs. They trust me, I trust them.

 
Toni Faisal
Toni Faisal  Identity Verified
Indonesia
Local time: 03:49
English to Indonesian
+ ...
Yes Aug 5, 2017

The client is ultra-light speed in paying me directly after I sent the translation.

 
Gianluca Marras
Gianluca Marras  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 21:49
English to Italian
Voted yes but "other" was the real option... Aug 5, 2017

My first client is still my client, and we have a wonderful relationship.
Any time I had a problem in the past (like needed extra work for sudden payments for example) they provided more work, they pay on time (very quick payments actually) and they still provide about 60% of my workload.
In general all the clients I have have been "chosen". I have dropped some clients over the years, and basically the reasons were:
- late payments
- too much fuss (I mean if your proofrea
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My first client is still my client, and we have a wonderful relationship.
Any time I had a problem in the past (like needed extra work for sudden payments for example) they provided more work, they pay on time (very quick payments actually) and they still provide about 60% of my workload.
In general all the clients I have have been "chosen". I have dropped some clients over the years, and basically the reasons were:
- late payments
- too much fuss (I mean if your proofreader changes something that is correct and you are not able to tell him/her to stop trying to get more money by saying he/she needed extra-time...)
- unacceptable rates

the other clients I have acquired over the years have built a very good relationship, based on punctuality (on both sides), availability, reasonable deadlines, polite requests in case of urgent jobs.

So I can say I have kept only my favorite clients, but the first has a special place.
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Luiz Barucke
Luiz Barucke  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 17:49
Spanish to Portuguese
+ ...
More than one Aug 5, 2017

I have different kinds of clients. My relationship with some of them (bigger companies) is more impersonal. But with some clients I interact personally and I always try to be available for them first, because I like them and because they have more interesting jobs, longer timelines and better rates.

 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 17:49
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
One? No. Maybe a few. Aug 5, 2017

I do have a few clients that have been regulars for over three years, and which represent a greater share of my income, but not only one. In our profession, client diversification is a must. Sticking to one good client or one best client is a serious risk.

 
Sophie Dzhygir
Sophie Dzhygir  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 21:49
German to French
+ ...
Yes Aug 5, 2017

Mario, the question is not about regular clients or those making up the most of our income, it's about our favourite client(s). I do have a favourite client: they make up only about 5% of my income in a year, sometimes even less. Unfortunately!
But many "bigger" ones are very good too, so it's fine!


 
Vanda Nissen
Vanda Nissen  Identity Verified
Australia
Local time: 06:49
Member (2008)
English to Russian
+ ...
Yes Aug 5, 2017

Several - they are professional (always provide me with detailed instructions, polite, have realistic deadlines), and they pay my invoices without reminders.

 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 17:49
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
"One client" Aug 6, 2017

Sophie Dzhygir wrote:

Mario, the question is not about regular clients or those making up the most of our income, it's about our favourite client(s). I do have a favourite client: they make up only about 5% of my income in a year, sometimes even less. Unfortunately!
But many "bigger" ones are very good too, so it's fine!


Please note the question says "One client", not "some clients", and also that most people who answered "yes", mentioned a few favorite clients, not a single one. So the answer would be "no" even for most who answered "yes".
In my case, yes I have a few favorite clients, but I chose to answer the question correctly. No, not "One".


 


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Poll: Do you have one client you consider your favorite?






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