Poll: On which criteria do clients choose their translators? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "On which criteria do clients choose their translators?".
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Except for the cases where they contacted me following a recommendation by a client or a peer I’m not sure why they choose me in the first place, but when they keep on sending me work it must be because they are happy with everything…
| | | | Lieven Malaise 
Belgium
Local time: 07:54
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
There are a lot of criteria imaginable, but I think rates and quality delivered are the main ones. Price/quality is everything.
| | | | | New clients, regular clients, satisfied clients or dissatisfied clients looking for a new translator | Jun 11 |
Private individuals, one-off clients, potential long-term clients, small firms, large groups ....
They are all looking for different things, and there is no way you can lump them all together.
The price is very important, but some clients have no idea what translation actually involves, or what a reasonable price would be. Others do know, and are prepared to pay for quality, but many are pressed themselves.
A one-off private individual with a birth, marriage or di... See more Private individuals, one-off clients, potential long-term clients, small firms, large groups ....
They are all looking for different things, and there is no way you can lump them all together.
The price is very important, but some clients have no idea what translation actually involves, or what a reasonable price would be. Others do know, and are prepared to pay for quality, but many are pressed themselves.
A one-off private individual with a birth, marriage or divorce certificate will probably go for the cheapest.
Someone applying for an important job will - at least in principle - want an impressive-looking CV translated in style, along with the hard-earned diplomas and whatever, but will balk at the cost - it really is a lot for a private individual.
A big industrial concern will want a long-term agreement, and someone who can handle multiple languages, so they wil probably go for an agency. Some want quality, some are surprisingly indifferent! Some will pay for it, others will try to press the price.
Small companies with different needs and approaches...
So: all the reasons mentioned may apply, and then some!
[Edited at 2026-06-11 13:35 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Zea_Mays
Italy
Local time: 07:54
English to German
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| quality is often unknown beforehand | Jun 11 |
Serious agencies: credible self-presentation + professional presence (+ references if existing) + rates within a reasonable range at first, often followed by a test which should prove one's skills.
I think new translators are often selected based on gut feeling and rates, where the gut feeling is based on (most of) the criteria above.
Recently I've been approached by a new agency or more precisely one of their collaborators who previously worked for another agency I've been collabora... See more Serious agencies: credible self-presentation + professional presence (+ references if existing) + rates within a reasonable range at first, often followed by a test which should prove one's skills.
I think new translators are often selected based on gut feeling and rates, where the gut feeling is based on (most of) the criteria above.
Recently I've been approached by a new agency or more precisely one of their collaborators who previously worked for another agency I've been collaborating with for around a decade. No test required, but quite some red tape.
[Bearbeitet am 2026-06-11 11:07 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Michael Newton
United States
Local time: 01:54
Japanese to English
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If it's an agency: cheap.
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Lieven Malaise wrote:
There are a lot of criteria imaginable, but I think rates and quality delivered are the main ones. Price/quality is everything.
Plus the fact that they can rely on you and don't have to chase you for delivery or quality etc, a myriad of reasons but I've had this mentioned to me, that they don't have to chase me for the work.
| | | | Daryo
Local time: 06:54
Serbian to English
+ ...
| How am I supposed to know? | Jun 13 |
All I could do is to make more or less plausible guesses based on what the end result looks like. But that's very far from being some foolproof method.
All I know for sure is that all of my direct clients (for interpreting or translating) found me by recommendation.
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...precisely: networking, no matter if it is a quality guaranteeing network or just by the principle "one hands washes the other".
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