| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | A favourite client asks for new, much bigger TM discounts Thread poster: Renate Schipper
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hello,
My very first forum post, and it's about money! How boring. Better cut to the chase A client I've been working with for 10 years has announced they're going to use a new project management system and that they would like to now apply a new TM discount scale to all future translation jobs. No reason given, unless you count the new pm system. See the proposed scale below, preceded by the discount scale I used unt... See more hello,
My very first forum post, and it's about money! How boring. Better cut to the chase A client I've been working with for 10 years has announced they're going to use a new project management system and that they would like to now apply a new TM discount scale to all future translation jobs. No reason given, unless you count the new pm system. See the proposed scale below, preceded by the discount scale I used until now.
Old scale:
Locked segments: 0% of word rate
Context match: - (skip)
Repetitions:10%
Cross-file repetitions: 10%
100%: 10%
95-99%: 30%
85-94%: 50%
75-84%: 70%
50-74%: 100% ▲ Collapse
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You forgot to add the new scale
| | | | Renate Schipper 
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:46
English to Dutch
TOPIC STARTER | here's the new scale + 2nd half of post :-) | Feb 9, 2021 |
@Crhis - oops half the post disappeared after posting, how odd! The new scale:
Locked segment: 0% of word rate
Context match: 10%
Repetitions: 10%
Cross-file repetitions: 10%
100%: 10%
95-99%: 25%
85-94%: 25%
75-84%: 25%
50-74%: 100%
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That’s way too little for 75% matches, which are often useless, and for it to be the same as for 99% matches is even weirder...
I’d ask them if they haven’t made a mistake!
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Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:46
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| They have to be kidding | Feb 9, 2021 |
Renate Schipper wrote:
95-99%: 25%
85-94%: 25%
75-84%: 25%
75-84% discounted to the same level as 95-99%? So you get paid for a segment with 75% match at the same rate as a 95% match, even though the former might need to be extensively re-written?
I'm all for the proactive use of CAT tools, but that doesn't look fair at all.
In theory you could go back and analyse a few past projects with these two discount matrices to see if it makes much difference, but I'd bet it results in worse outcomes for you and better outcomes for the client. Else why would they be requesting it?
Dan
| | | | | When did you last get a `pay rise´? | Feb 10, 2021 |
Do any of your expenses go down?
Have you ever put your rates up, or are you still working for the same rate as when you started 10 years ago?
You have ten years more experience than then, and they want to pay you less?
I would ask them whether the new scale is a mistake, and ask to renegotiate your basic rate up!
Put it diplomatically, of course.
I know the problem - I get paid a lower basic rate by my oldest, favourite clients! I know them and... See more Do any of your expenses go down?
Have you ever put your rates up, or are you still working for the same rate as when you started 10 years ago?
You have ten years more experience than then, and they want to pay you less?
I would ask them whether the new scale is a mistake, and ask to renegotiate your basic rate up!
Put it diplomatically, of course.
I know the problem - I get paid a lower basic rate by my oldest, favourite clients! I know them and get on with them, and they do all the work around translating, so I work efficiently for them, without struggling with formatting or other tiresome little extras. I reckon I still make quite a good hourly rate when I work for them, but I would not accept a cut from any of them! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 18:46
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Renate Schipper wrote:
Old scale:
95-99%: 30%
85-94%: 50%
75-84%: 70%
0-74%: 100%
New scale:
95-99%: 25%
85-94%: 25%
75-84%: 25%
0-74%: 100%
My main issue is with the discounts for the lower matches. It's quite a big drop. ... I think the new scale is simply not fair.
Well, if this is non-negotiable, then you're going to have to accept the new rates sheet. But I agree that it is risky to accept 25% for the lower matches, especially if you're going to be getting a lot of them. If you look at your previous work for this client, do you typically get a sizeable amount of low fuzzy matches?
Christine Andersen wrote:
I would ask them whether the new scale is a mistake...
I agree, it does seem like a typing error.
PS. Your post got truncated because you used a < character, and ProZ.com's 20-year old forum software considers that to be the start of code. People who press the Quote button can still see the entire post, though.
[Edited at 2021-02-10 09:41 GMT]
| | | | | Does the name of the client start with an 'A'? | Feb 10, 2021 |
If yes, then I saw them on Linkedin yesterday. If no, then there are more weirdos around.
Anyhow, in my humble opinion, this grid is unacceptable.
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Thomas Pfann
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:46
Member (2006)
English to German
+ ...
| Check how much difference it makes | Feb 10, 2021 |
Dan Lucas wrote:
In theory you could go back and analyse a few past projects with these two discount matrices to see if it makes much difference
That's what I would do first. Check if it makes much of a difference. If it does, you could also consider agreeing to the grid but raising your base rate at the same time.
| | | | | Almost the same new grid | Feb 10, 2021 |
Locked segment: 0% of word rate
Context match: 0%
Repetitions: 10%
Cross-file repetitions: 10%
100%: 10%
95-99%: 20%
85-94%: 35%
75-84%: 35%
50-74%: 100%
Of course you can set a higher rate or say you don't agree, but I'm afraid it's mostly take it or leave it.
[Bijgewerkt op 2021-02-10 12:25 GMT]
| | | | Michael Newton
United States
Local time: 12:46
Japanese to English
+ ...
| TM Discounts | Feb 11, 2021 |
They are your favorite client but apparently you are not their favorite translator.
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Renée van Bijsterveld wrote:
Locked segment: 0% of word rate
Context match: 0%
Repetitions: 10%
Cross-file repetitions: 10%
100%: 10%
95-99%: 20%
85-94%: 35%
75-84%: 35%
50-74%: 100%
This is exactly the same grid I received earlier this month from a client. And...
Robert Rietveld wrote:
Does the name of the client start with an 'A'?
In my case, yes it does! A multinational empire that has been busily gobbling up smaller companies across western Europe over the last year or two, including three companies I had worked for previously. And it seems they don't hang around long before applying their particular kind of money-making tactics. Within just days after one of those three companies was taken over last autumn, its PMs started playing financial hardball with overtures such as "Are you free for this project? I can offer you 50% of your rate...", in the hope that I would take that to mean "we can't offer you more than that". I stood my ground, and lo and behold, they were willing to offer me 100% of my rate after all, but perhaps only because it was ROM-ENG, where they won't be spoilt for choice for native ENG-speaking translators.
Michael Newton wrote:
They are your favorite client but apparently you are not their favorite translator.
This is apparently a mass email to all of their translators, I don't think they have favourites (on the contrary, I get the impression they despise the lot of us equally!) There was no "do you agree to this?" or anything like that, of course, it was simply presented as a fait accompli. Now, do I put up my base rate and risk never hearing from them again? I'll mull over my decision over the weekend. Luckily, they're not a regular client of mine anyway.
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Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 18:46
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
| Company beginning with A | Feb 12, 2021 |
Can somebody send me the name of the company please? Thanks.
| | | | Renate Schipper
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:46
English to Dutch
TOPIC STARTER | Thank you everyone, for all your replies!! | Feb 12, 2021 |
Christine Andersen wrote:
Have you ever put your rates up, or are you still working for the same rate as when you started 10 years ago?
I put them up only once, last year I think it was.
I would ask them whether the new scale is a mistake
I'll do that. I hadn't considered yet it might simply be a typo. I don't think so but it doesn't hurt to ask.
[Edited at 2021-02-12 20:28 GMT]
| | | | Renate Schipper
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:46
English to Dutch
TOPIC STARTER | Amount of low matches varies | Feb 12, 2021 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
Well, if this is non-negotiable, then you're going to have to accept the new rates sheet. But I agree that it is risky to accept 25% for the lower matches, especially if you're going to be getting a lot of them. If you look at your previous work for this client, do you typically get a sizeable amount of low fuzzy matches?
It depends... But I did compare both scales for a number of projects, and even if they contained a lot of Context Matches (which I had to skip and didn't get paid for until now) and a low number of low fuzzy matches, I was still off better with the old scale.
PS. Your post got truncated because you used a < character, and ProZ.com's 20-year old forum software considers that to be the start of code. People who press the Quote button can still see the entire post, though.
Aha! That's good to know. 2nd post got cut off again, right after the wretched new scale
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