Letting Go

Letting go can be difficult, but might be necessary. Think of a break up with your first love who you found out really was dating you to meet your friend. The puppy you got for your birthday that you bonded with for a week and had to get a new home for because of allergies. The same holds true for a company that may feel loyalty and be comfortable with their translation vendor, despite the work they are receiving from them.

Letting go can be hard work. Many times we are contacted by a company that is not happy with their current translations provider. We get excited, thinking we will get a shot at their translation business. But in the end they stay put. There is comfort with the known despite the frustration. The reason is that it is seen as a considerable amount of work to switch translation vendors...but is it?

Yes, letting go can mean change. We do not recommend changing for the sake of changing, or on price alone. There needs to be an evaluation why you see a need to change and what you want the change to accomplish. Would we love it if you just came to NCS! But, that may not be in the best interest for you at this time. You owe it to your company and your current translation vendor to meet and discuss your issues. They may not know there are any problems and would welcome the opportunity to help and resolve them. You will need to be open minded because they may have issues with your company as well. If after your meeting, you still get that unnerving feeling “this isn’t going to work”, start researching other translation vendors that may meet your needs and criteria.

Letting go can be scary. It is hard to know which translation vendor to trust. We can all look and sound the same. If you do switch vendors are you going from the frying pan into the fire?

Here are some tips for the selection of translation and localization vendors, services, or companies, better known as language service providers (LSPs):

• Do your research and select a small group to further investigate. Check the web, ask associates and colleagues for recommendations, and refer to association members, LinkedIn groups, or Google alerts.
• Have an introductory conference call or meeting.
• Listen – to what they ask and say carefully.
• Ask specific questions that cover your concerns and let them know of the problems in the past, what you do now, and where you plan on going.
• Get references – from any type of industry sector. See how long they have been a client.
• Read between the lines of comparison quotations. There is a difference in the choice of words used and you need to make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Are they doing a complete edit? How is the editing done and by whom? The words “proofread, review, vet, and verify by linguist” are not necessarily “native language professional translators editing the translation by comparing it against the original source text.”
• If you need certified translation, expect to pay more, and see what additional steps the translation agency has in the translation process for certification.
• If a mistake were to happen, which they can, ask how the agency would deal with it and if they have insurance.
• Give potential translation vendors pilot projects, don’t ask for sample translations. Any agency can put their best people on one sample translation. Several pilot projects can tell a lot about their true level of customer service.
•  Evaluate your conversations and emails with your dedicated project manager or account manager. Good, clear communication is essential for smooth running projects.
• Translation vendors should be able to anticipate your need and be proactive, not reactive.
• Does your project manager ask relevant and timely questions about the project to be sure they understand your needs?
• Do they offer advice and you can consult with them? What if any fees are associated with that service?
• What is the response time when you need to contact your project manager?
• Do you get what you were promised and when?

These are just a few items to consider when thinking about switching to a new translation vendor. At NCS we believe in long-term working relationships and building a solid foundation to grow upon. There are many advantages to staying with one translation company for an extended period of time, but it does have to be the one that best suits your needs and plans for global growth.

Is it time for letting go?

Charlene Nagy
CEO of NCS