Do you raise your rates every year? विषय पोस्ट करनेवाला व्यक्ति: Claire C
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Claire C
नीदरलैंड
Local time: 10:30
अंग्रेजी से फ्रांसीसी
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Dear translators,
I have been working for a number of translation agencies for some years now. Any time I have tried to increase my rates, they refused. Some of them even try to lower my rates every other year.
I am now looking for direct clients, as I do not want to work for the same price as 6 years ago anymore.
So I was wondering: do some of you manage to increase your tariffs with your regular clients? If so, are they direct clients, or agencies? How often do you increase t... See more Dear translators,
I have been working for a number of translation agencies for some years now. Any time I have tried to increase my rates, they refused. Some of them even try to lower my rates every other year.
I am now looking for direct clients, as I do not want to work for the same price as 6 years ago anymore.
So I was wondering: do some of you manage to increase your tariffs with your regular clients? If so, are they direct clients, or agencies? How often do you increase them? By which percentage?
Thank you! ▲ Collapse
| | | | ATIL KAYHAN 
तुर्की
Local time: 12:30
सदस्य (2007)
तुर्की से अंग्रेजी
+ ...
I actually have two different rates, one in USD and the other in Turkish Lira. I generally do not raise my rate in USD. I assume that the inflation rate for USD is negligable. However, I do raise my rate in Turkish Lira from time to time. That is because there is a high inflation rate in Turkey (at least 10 % per year). I do not have a set frequency by which I raise my TL rate. Sometimes I realize that I need to raise my TL rate due the the gap between my two rates, and I just do it. Note... See more I actually have two different rates, one in USD and the other in Turkish Lira. I generally do not raise my rate in USD. I assume that the inflation rate for USD is negligable. However, I do raise my rate in Turkish Lira from time to time. That is because there is a high inflation rate in Turkey (at least 10 % per year). I do not have a set frequency by which I raise my TL rate. Sometimes I realize that I need to raise my TL rate due the the gap between my two rates, and I just do it. Note that this is not actually a raise. It is just a compensation for the high inflation in Turkey. If you calculate the real value of my rate in TL, it is probably not increasing. It may even be decreasing over time. Did I confuse you?
If we come back to the issue of my clients, I obviously do not face any problems with my clients outside of Turkey. The ones in Turkey are somewhat more complicated. I think that I have less and less clients over time. Well, not much I can do about that. It might have nothing to do with my rates. There are definitely circumstances that are beyond my control in Turkey. I just try to do my best, and wish for the best. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | My (imperfect) strategy | Sep 21, 2015 |
Claire C wrote:
...do some of you manage to increase your tariffs with your regular clients? If so, are they direct clients, or agencies? How often do you increase them? By which percentage?
Thank you!
I never went down the direct-client road because I am quite comfortable working with agencies only.
I increase my rates whenever I feel they've remained the same for too long, without shame and without other explanation than my last increase date: since 2000, I must have increased them around 4 times, usually by a eurocent/source word. I still have occasional agency customers who took all my periodic increases for more than 13 years, but I am no longer their first choice except for projects for which they think I do make a difference. Or when they don't have any other options available!
I used to increase my rates in October, but now it is in July. July usually brings its lot of prospects whose usual translator is on holiday and who are looking for new blood. Since a foot in the door is a foot in the door, why not at the higher rate, so that it remains stable for the next few years.
Working with a set of loyal, long-standing translation agencies, I apply the same blanket rate to them all.
When it's time to change gears, I offer a higher rate to any prospect agency. When I feel I have enough work with the new rate and the newly vetted agencies, I inform lower-paying agencies that I increase my rate. Some continue sending offers, some stop (which, in practice, means they "refuse" my rate).
This leads to the renewal of part of my core of agency customers (and end-customers served, market segments translated, text types, workflows and what-not), while always maintaining a sufficient pool of customers in order not to run dry.
However I failed to enter the next level last time I tried around 2011, and in 2006, I lost 50% of business for a couple of months because my busiest agency customer rejected my increase. I then got plenty of time to prospect and got more space to accommodate jobs from other agency customers, but this strategy shows its limits and can be risky.
But I think that to avoid the risk of losing customers, the only way is to never increase rates, or even better, have them dictated by your customers.
Philippe
| | | | Vadim Kadyrov
युक्रेन
Local time: 11:30
सदस्य (2011)
अंग्रेजी से रूसी
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| The thing is that | Sep 21, 2015 |
agencies rarely increase rates they pay. Instead, they tend to find another translator in this case.
In order to increase your rates, I think you have to try to find new clients and gradually "squeeze" low-payers out.
I think, this strategy is much better.
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| Beyond my idea | Sep 21, 2015 |
Vadim Kadyrov wrote:
agencies rarely increase rates they pay. Instead, they tend to find another translator in this case.
In order to increase your rates, I think you have to try to find new clients and gradually "squeeze" low-payers out.
I think, this strategy is much better.
I need to say "Beyond my idea."
The reason is that web-based job price trends deteriorate continuously since the competitive bidding system expels good quality translators out of the marketplace. If I fight with many bidders, I need to drop my price only.
Then, I accept only jobs from familiar agencies who can pay me with permanent price level. Raising price for urgent job is probable, but it is so rare.
Soonthon L.
| | | | Jeff Whittaker
संयुक्त राज्य अमरीका
Local time: 04:30
स्पेनी से अंग्रेजी
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| Do you raise your rates every year? | Sep 21, 2015 |
If I raised my rates .01 every year (starting at 0.09 in 1993), I would be charging 0.31 a word right now.
Claire C wrote:
| | | | Heinrich Pesch
फिनलैंड
Local time: 11:30
सदस्य (2003)
फिनी से जर्मन
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| Search for the poll result | Sep 22, 2015 |
There was a poll about this a few weeks ago. You will find the result there.
| | | | | Recent polls | Sep 22, 2015 |
Following Heinrich suggestion, here are several recent polls referring to your question. Hope this helps:
See more
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Claire C
नीदरलैंड
Local time: 10:30
अंग्रेजी से फ्रांसीसी
+ ...
विषय आरंभकर्ता
Thank you for all your answers. It is always good to know about colleagues' experience, since we all work so far from each other!
I will definitely try to get new clients first, and then increase my rate with my existing clients...
Have a nice day/good night everybody!!
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