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Poll: Clients tend to take their freelancers for granted.
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Aug 26, 2020

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Clients tend to take their freelancers for granted.".

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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 01:19
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Partially agree Aug 26, 2020

Some might take me for granted regarding my availability but it’s kind of my fault for always being available for them (they seem shocked when I tell them I'm too busy as if they were my only customers…), but they all treat me right. Over the years, I’ve been called from time to time things like a “saint” (?!), a “miracle worker” (?!), a “goddess” (?!) and various other similar sobriquets…

[Edited at 2020-08-26 09:19 GMT]

Elaine Ruby
Kay-Viktor Stegemann
 
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Yetta Jensen Bogarde  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 02:19
Member (2012)
English to Danish
+ ...
Partially agree Aug 26, 2020

Because it is only some, and I tend to shed those fast and hang on to the respectful clients.

Kunal Jaidka
Anastasia Kingsley Kinkusic
Liena Vijupe
Giovana Zaltron
Elaine Ruby
Gibril Koroma
Angie Garbarino
 
Anastasia Kingsley Kinkusic
Anastasia Kingsley Kinkusic  Identity Verified
Member (2011)
Croatian to English
+ ...
On second thought... Aug 26, 2020

I answered No in the poll, then remembered one client who is very condescending to all freelancers, myself included. One of the PMs sctually confided in me that she will soon go back to her old job due to the snobbishness. In the past, one had questioned me had I “really” worked X amount of hours on a 50k word translation. Ummm. Yeah.
Even so, one PM does treat me very well. How is it that some PMs don’t realize that it’s the translators / other linguists on the front lines, maki... See more
I answered No in the poll, then remembered one client who is very condescending to all freelancers, myself included. One of the PMs sctually confided in me that she will soon go back to her old job due to the snobbishness. In the past, one had questioned me had I “really” worked X amount of hours on a 50k word translation. Ummm. Yeah.
Even so, one PM does treat me very well. How is it that some PMs don’t realize that it’s the translators / other linguists on the front lines, making the money? Sure there has to be order and deadlines, but mutual respect should be a given. ▲ Collapse


Elaine Ruby
Sanjin Grandić
Kaisa I
 
Michael Newton
Michael Newton  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 20:19
Japanese to English
+ ...
Freelancers taken for granted Aug 27, 2020

I quite agree. Sometimes its seems agencies think that we are "lex workers" rather than translators.
 
Lincoln Hui
Lincoln Hui  Identity Verified
Hong Kong
Local time: 09:19
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
Taking for granted Aug 27, 2020

Most people take most things for granted. These things go both ways and often a lot more ways.
 
Muriel Vasconcellos (X)
Muriel Vasconcellos (X)  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 17:19
Spanish to English
+ ...
Where is "Other"? Aug 27, 2020

It depends on the kind of client you have. My clients are extremely respectful and appreciative of my work. It may be that some agencies are more demanding and take their contractors "for granted," but they are not in my universe.

P.L.F. Persio
 
Maxi Schwarz
Maxi Schwarz  Identity Verified
Local time: 19:19
German to English
+ ...
agree with Muriel Aug 30, 2020

Muriel Vasconcellos wrote:

It depends on the kind of client you have. My clients are extremely respectful and appreciative of my work. It may be that some agencies are more demanding and take their contractors "for granted," but they are not in my universe.


I'm sometimes contacted by potential clients where the attitude and tone tell me right away that this will be a "bad fit". My relationship with clients could be described as mutual respect.

Kevin Fulton
 


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Poll: Clients tend to take their freelancers for granted.






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