| Pagine: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you hate some of your clients? Iniziatore argomento: ProZ.com Staff
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| | Sanmar
Regno Unito
Local time: 16:10
Da Olandese a Inglese
| Would not want such clients | Feb 22, 2007 |
If I really felt that strong about a client, I would "dump" them!
In fact, I like my current clients just fine and some are absolutely brilliant. I have had the occasional awkward client in the past but I can now afford to choose not to work with people like that anymore.
| | | | Claire Titchmarsh (X) 
Local time: 17:10
Da Italiano a Inglese
+ ...
| Made me laugh anyway | Feb 22, 2007 |
Thanks Gianni, this is the kind of irreverent and childish question that I would have liked to ask, you beat me to it.
I answered yes, just for the hell of it, but I don't hate them, I just hate their annoying habits of phoning me every five seconds and inability to remember a payment deadline.
| | | | Els Spin
Paesi Bassi
Local time: 17:10
Da Olandese a Inglese
+ ...
| Just the one | Feb 22, 2007 |
I answered yes: since two weeks I absolutely detest one of my clients who dared to accuse me and two freelance translators of having used a computer translation and a bit of editing to come up with an unprofessional translation.
She commented on virtually every single word and sentence. It was in fact beautifully translated, and she didn't have a clue. She admitted as much, but never even apologised.
I am so glad to see the back of her!
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I hate working for individuals, so I just stopped doing it some time ago. People who need just one of two pages translated think they are the most important clients in the world, so I should drop everything I'm doing to translate for them a diploma or a birth certificate. They call early mornings, late evenings, holidays and weekends, they are late, they come too early, the price is too high and my pace of work is too slow. They are impossible to please and they always complain about everything... See more I hate working for individuals, so I just stopped doing it some time ago. People who need just one of two pages translated think they are the most important clients in the world, so I should drop everything I'm doing to translate for them a diploma or a birth certificate. They call early mornings, late evenings, holidays and weekends, they are late, they come too early, the price is too high and my pace of work is too slow. They are impossible to please and they always complain about everything, so I just send them to those of my colleagues who have more patience... ▲ Collapse
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Can't wait to tell them!
Nice poll, Gianni, keep'em comin'
I'm surprised to see that about 48% answered "I don't hate anyone" - to hate is human and we are all humans, aren't we?
| | | | Amy Duncan (X)
Brasile
Local time: 12:10
Da Portoghese a Inglese
+ ...
| Hate is a pretty strong word... | Feb 22, 2007 |
We may be human, and dislike some people, but I think of "hate" as being a very strong word. I can't honestly think of one single person that I hate, and I'm sure many others feel the same. I also find that as time goes on, I dislike fewer and fewer people. I have to admit, though, that I have been making some effort over the years to follow the good advice "Love thy neighbor."
Amy
| | | | Claudia Aguero
Costa Rica
Local time: 09:10
Da Spagnolo a Inglese
+ ...
| I'm not alone in this situation (mal de muchos...) | Feb 22, 2007 |
Weronika Sobita wrote:
I hate working for individuals, so I just stopped doing it some time ago. People who need just one of two pages translated think they are the most important clients in the world, so I should drop everything I'm doing to translate for them a diploma or a birth certificate. They call early mornings, late evenings, holidays and weekends, they are late, they come too early, the price is too high and my pace of work is too slow. They are impossible to please and they always complain about everything, so I just send them to those of my colleagues who have more patience...
I'm glad that I'm not the only one who receives calls or visits at the most inappropriate times. I can never forget an individual who called me very late at night asking for an urgent translation. When I told him about how late it was, he just say, "but you have all the night to do it. It can be ready tomorrow at 8:00." I'm still shocked about it.
I would also add, those individuals who ask for an urgent job and never appear for the job. I have a drawer full of original authenticated legal documents, waiting and waiting, as we say in Spanish: "durmiendo el sueño de los justos"
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Textklick
Local time: 16:10
Da Tedesco a Inglese
+ ...
In memoriam | Anyone here in the wrong job? | Feb 22, 2007 |
If you are working with people that you dislike - or even "hate", then my advice is to become a freelancer.
Reason? You are in charge.
Cultivate a sound - but not too large - clientele. Take on new clients when appropriate as backup. If they misbehave: fire them!
My partners in business can be taxing at times, but that's because they don't know what I have on my plate until I ex... See more If you are working with people that you dislike - or even "hate", then my advice is to become a freelancer.
Reason? You are in charge.
Cultivate a sound - but not too large - clientele. Take on new clients when appropriate as backup. If they misbehave: fire them!
My partners in business can be taxing at times, but that's because they don't know what I have on my plate until I explain to them.
All in all, I see them as "good mates".
Chris
Sorry Sanmar - seems I overlooked your top post as I gently scrolled down, otherwise I would have just pasted it in and said "Agree".
[Edited at 2007-02-22 17:00] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Anne Wosnitza
Paesi Bassi
Local time: 17:10
Membro
Da Inglese a Tedesco
+ ...
| It's more like avoiding... | Feb 22, 2007 |
I have two clients who really drove me mad in the past months. One had a very tight deadline set for a certain project (which also made me learn never ever to agree to do a translation anymore that would actually take two weeks but had to be done within six days - silly me!) and the other had such a bad source text that I was glad I could make the translation understandable at all ... One kept ringing me up again and again during the project and the other told me that my translation was far too ... See more I have two clients who really drove me mad in the past months. One had a very tight deadline set for a certain project (which also made me learn never ever to agree to do a translation anymore that would actually take two weeks but had to be done within six days - silly me!) and the other had such a bad source text that I was glad I could make the translation understandable at all ... One kept ringing me up again and again during the project and the other told me that my translation was far too free and, therewith, useless.
It's not that I hate them but ... I will avoid to ever work with them again.
[Bearbeitet am 2007-02-22 17:00] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Patricia Rosas
Stati Uniti
Local time: 08:10
Da Spagnolo a Inglese
+ ...
In memoriam | LOVE my clients | Feb 22, 2007 |
Textklick wrote: If you are working with people that you dislike - or even "hate", then my advice is to become a freelancer. Reason? You are in charge. Cultivate a sound - but not too large - clientele. Take on new clients when appropriate as backup. If they misbehave: fire them! My partners in business can be taxing at times, but that's because they don't know what I have on my plate until I explain to them. All in all, I see them as "good mates". Chris
Ditto with what Chris has just said!
Sure, people can be difficult (me, included), but for the most part, most of the time, my clients are delightful, supportive, and pay on time. They treat me as a colleague not an employee. When something goes wrong, there is usually a very clear reason why (not simply that the client was being a jerk).
I really do not like it that this poll used the word "hate" ... if you "hate" someone (or even just hate their habits), get away from them--that's the strongest, sanest, sweetest message to send...
| | | | Irene N
Stati Uniti
Local time: 10:10
Da Inglese a Russo
+ ...
| On a serious note:-) | Feb 22, 2007 |
I hate people who bring feelings like love (not THAT love:-)) and hate into business relationships and work environment. Keep it inside your kitchen, please:-).
After giving me a sufficient reason for disrespect the "eventually to be hated" client disappears from my contact list long before possible complications. Period.
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Patricia Rosas
Stati Uniti
Local time: 08:10
Da Spagnolo a Inglese
+ ...
In memoriam | And how professional does all of this look? | Feb 22, 2007 |
IreneN wrote:
I hate people who bring feelings like love (not THAT love:-)) and hate into business relationships and work environment. Keep it inside your kitchen, please:-).
After giving me a sufficient reason for disrespect the "eventually to be hated" client disappears from my contact list long before possible complications. Period.
I also agree with Irene, and it got me to thinking about something --
For all of those who posted their annoyance with clients: do you realize that this is easily visible to current or future clients? Those who drop in at ProZ can see this thread. Others who might someday search on your name using an engine could find this thread.
I'm all for some light-hearted polls, but given that we are supposed to be a group that is both professional and "language-sensitive," I would hope that in the future the language used in asking a survey question would be selected with greater care, and that some consideration be given to how these polls might make us look to the outside world.
| | | | Silvina Matheu
Argentina
Local time: 12:10
Membro
Da Inglese a Spagnolo
+ ...
I have clicked "other" because as a freelancer I don't hate anybody. I don't see why, as a freelancer, you should put up with a client you hate.
It's different when that situation is in house.
Maybe I hate certain characteristics of clients, e.g. when somebody corrects a webpage I translated, uploads it and then I see he/she has made mistakes and will not accept he/she has spoiled my work.
| | | | | To "hate" is a harsh word | Feb 22, 2007 |
I answered "other".
I don't hate anyone, because hating pretty much comes down to wishing ill. I would never wish anybody ill unless I didn't have the choice - in this case, I do.
When a client gets annoying and it looks like they will be like that forever, I end the business relationship. It's much the same as calling it quits with a boyfriend before going so low as to cheat on him I never cheat becaus... See more I answered "other".
I don't hate anyone, because hating pretty much comes down to wishing ill. I would never wish anybody ill unless I didn't have the choice - in this case, I do.
When a client gets annoying and it looks like they will be like that forever, I end the business relationship. It's much the same as calling it quits with a boyfriend before going so low as to cheat on him I never cheat because by the time it comes to that, the relationship is not worth being kept alive anymore. Same thing with clients. If I ever came to "hate" a client, it would mean I have no reason to collaborate with them anymore. So, I simply drop the contact before it gets as far as "hating".
Main categories that are good candidates for ending a relationship with:
- a client who keeps nagging me to bring my rates down
- a client who keeps asking for more than they paid for
- a client who displays patronizing behaviour, i.e. they make it clear that I have to do everything they want, no questions asked, and be available when they want me to regardless of my personal life, allowing themselves to be rude as soon as they come across the tiniest error, under pain of not getting paid for my work
But no, I don't hate any of my clients. Before they sink low enough for me to hate them, I get rid of them.
[Edited at 2007-02-22 19:51] ▲ Collapse
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