Background: Mylanguageconnection is a translation agency in UK.
Step 1: Sample test:
Inquiry:
On April 24th, we got the following inquiry from the client.
We have a potential new client who has requested a test piece translation of points 1-10 of this document done in a bilingual table
If we win this, this has the potential to be a really good client as they are about to open a China office for their continued expansion.
Please could you get this back to me by Friday 26/4/19 at 1200 (GMT+1)?
Sample test arrangement: Best linguists are the assurance of success.
First of all, we picked up the content to a bilingual Word file from original PDF file.Considering it’s a long-term project, we asked for a help from our RM to arrange two in-house linguists, translator: Kathy, editor: Sue.
And the client required the linguist’s CV, we delivered the test sample together with CV on April 26th.
Step 2: Follow up:
Test result:
On April 30th, we got the information from the client that we passed the test sample and the client release the first batch 2480 words to us to translate and review by his own’s reviewer.
First batch: Delivery and feedback
We delivered on May 6th and the client sent the reviewer’s result to us on May 9th, most of the translation was changed and some of them are transcreation and wrong editing after confirming with our translator, so we replied our opinion to the client about the changes.
Then the client’s reviewer confirmed our translation quality is not good and all the changes are necessary as following:
“Every change I made, I think it’s necessary. It’s either because of wrong meaning or because of unproper translation. If you still think much of them are just style change, please specify. I’ll explain to you one by one.”
Because the client can’t understand Chinese at all, we have to prove our quality is not as bad as the reviewer’s feedback, fortunately, the content we translated including the test sample and the reviewer changed a lot too, then we clarified to our client that the end client are happy with our translation quality for the sample test, but now the reviewer change everything, that is to say, the quality of our sample test is bad too, so I replied to the client as following:
“Maybe the reviewer is your best proofreader, if she would change everything in the translation and return back to us to confirm and change one by one, I have to say that we will quit this project in future, we can’t bear the cost like this.”
Then the client agreed to provide our original translation to the end client and there is no any feedback.
From this project onwardsour client releases all the translation PO relating Chinese to us.
Summary: When we are confident with our quality, we shall prove to our client with detailed information promptly then you will get the trust from the client.
