| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Report: New bidding system having positive effects Thread poster: Henry Dotterer
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Late last year, we promised to focus our efforts on the jobs system. I want to report on the results of the first step, the $1/100 browniz bid fee.
Changes implemented:
- We are charging $1 or 100 browniz per bid (paying members have unlimited free bidding)
- We gave each member 300 browniz, so that everyone gets 3 free bids
- There is no more open bidding
Positive results:
- The number of bids has dropped by 80%... See more Late last year, we promised to focus our efforts on the jobs system. I want to report on the results of the first step, the $1/100 browniz bid fee.
Changes implemented:
- We are charging $1 or 100 browniz per bid (paying members have unlimited free bidding)
- We gave each member 300 browniz, so that everyone gets 3 free bids
- There is no more open bidding
Positive results:
- The number of bids has dropped by 80%
- The average rates proposed are 20-30% higher
- The quality of the bids is higher (there are almost no empty bids or \'contact-me-for-a-quote\' messages)
- There are fewer \'pot shots\'--bids submitted not because the bidder is offering to do the job, but just to send a message to the client
- Platinum signups have increased
Basically, people are only bidding when they mean it.
Negative results:
- Some jobs get no bids
- Two clients have expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of open bidding
To resolve the problem of the jobs that get no bids, we may waive the fee on jobs that can be completed by only a limited number of people (ie. hausa jobs, or \'interpreter needed in Kansas City\')
There is much more to be done with the jobs system. But now the whole thing is a lot more manageable (for example, we can now consider requiring that outsourcers reply to bidders; this was not an option when jobs were drawing 400 bids.) ▲ Collapse
| | | | | 300 BrowniZ for each member? | Jan 11, 2002 |
Every member received 300 browniz. Platinum members dont need browniz to bid.
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I wrote over your question Michaela. Sorry.
| | | | LJC (X)
France
Local time: 12:55
French to English
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| 300 BrownieZ? | Jan 11, 2002 |
Where are they? My total hasn\'t gone up, apart from the few \'agrees\' I\'ve done recently.
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Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X)
Local time: 07:55
German to English
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| Thank you, Henry | Jan 11, 2002 |
Great update, Henry - in short: quod erat demonstrandum: open bids were, indeed, instrumental in the decline of rates and standards. I am glad that, at least, this aspect is now a thing of the past. Thank you again, Henry.
P.S. You should not put too much stock in complaints from two or three outsourcers; they may have been after cheap labour anyway, so it\'s no great loss.
[ This Message was edited by: on 2002-01-11 23:48 ]
| | | | | Average Bids | Jan 12, 2002 |
I am glad that bids are closed now.
Thank you, Henry, for all your effort!
For newer professionals, is there a place where average quotes for different jobs in a language pair are listed? For example: IT/Localization, French>English = US$x.xx,
financial/business = y.yy ...
| | | | | 300 BrowniZ? Where? Where? | Jan 12, 2002 |
I join my colleagues in asking, where are the 300 browniZ Henry mentioned? My totals have not gone up either!
But it\'s a great thought, thank you, and I look forward to receiving them.
| | | | | Well done Henry | Jan 12, 2002 |
All in all, I think this was a good idea, and it appears to have had the desired effects. It doesn\'t surprise me that one or two outsourcers have complained; in fact, I would have expected a lot more.
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Pernille Chapman 
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:55
Member (2004)
English to Danish
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| 300 free BrowniZ | Jan 12, 2002 |
I haven\'t received mine either - what\'s going on?
| | | | JPC
United States
Local time: 07:55
English to French
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| Seeing other bids ? | Jan 12, 2002 |
It would very interesting to see bids by others(like on Ebay or other sites) in order to have some idea of what others are bidding and to be able to place a second bid in case. It would not be necessary to see the identity of the bidder or his/her sample translation of course, but seeing the prices and some comments would be useful.
| | | | | Beware! We just got rid of that! | Jan 13, 2002 |
JPC, we had several months discussions on this topic. Seeing the sometimes extremely low quotes of others has led to the effect that many very qualified translators felt pressured to reduce their rates. Now it is not about price anymore but how you best sell your qualifications at a reasonable rate.
| | | | Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X)
Local time: 07:55
German to English
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| Yes, please, let's not go there! | Jan 13, 2002 |
Quote:
On 2002-01-13 01:14, JE-Access wrote:
JPC, we had several months discussions on this topic. Seeing the sometimes extremely low quotes of others has led to the effect that many very qualified translators felt pressured to reduce their rates. Now it is not about price anymore but how you best sell your qualifications at a reasonable rate.
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| Thank you again, Henry | Jan 13, 2002 |
Thank you, thank you, thank you once again for closing the open bids. They were killing the site. Now that we finally got rid of them, it is all the more obvious that they were driving down the prices, and deteriorating the general working atmosphere here.
So, of course there are going to be people complaining that they can\'t cut each others\' and translators\' throats anymore, and get us to work for peanuts. Too bad.
Indeed, let\'s not go there again. Thank you, Henry, and ... See more Thank you, thank you, thank you once again for closing the open bids. They were killing the site. Now that we finally got rid of them, it is all the more obvious that they were driving down the prices, and deteriorating the general working atmosphere here.
So, of course there are going to be people complaining that they can\'t cut each others\' and translators\' throats anymore, and get us to work for peanuts. Too bad.
Indeed, let\'s not go there again. Thank you, Henry, and may those public bids never return.
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hi there, i didn\'t get any free browniZ. Then again, I hadn\'t actually made any bids beforehand, eventhough I had been on the database for a year. I do, however think the system is a good idea.
| | | | Liv Bliss (X)
Local time: 04:55
Russian to English
I didn\'t get my BrowniZ boost yet, either. It\'s on its way, I guess. Thanks, Henry, in advance for the New Year\'s gift.
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