Poll: Do you accept a second assignment from a new client before being paid for the first?
Autor de la hebra: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
PERSONAL DEL SITIO
Sep 2, 2009

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you accept a second assignment from a new client before being paid for the first?".

This poll was originally submitted by Mariam Osmane

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each tim
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you accept a second assignment from a new client before being paid for the first?".

This poll was originally submitted by Mariam Osmane

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629
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Jocelyne S
Jocelyne S  Identity Verified
Francia
Local time: 10:56
francés al inglés
+ ...
A few factors Sep 2, 2009

It depends, I suppose, on the amounts in question.

I would consider doing a second assignment for a client if no alarm bells went off with the first job - and granted no more than thirty days had passed before the second job was offered (i.e. the first payment was not late).

I would probably not accept a large job if I already had a large payment pending. I would explain that I would prefer to wait until payment for the first job cleared.

That said, I gener
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It depends, I suppose, on the amounts in question.

I would consider doing a second assignment for a client if no alarm bells went off with the first job - and granted no more than thirty days had passed before the second job was offered (i.e. the first payment was not late).

I would probably not accept a large job if I already had a large payment pending. I would explain that I would prefer to wait until payment for the first job cleared.

That said, I generally ask for a down-payment when accepting large jobs from first-time customers. Most customers understand this request and don't mind doing so as a show of good faith.

I've accepted subsequent assignments from first-time (well reputed) agencies several times and I've thankfully never yet had a problem.

Best,
Jocelyne
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Jack Doughty
Jack Doughty  Identity Verified
Reino Unido
Local time: 09:56
ruso al inglés
+ ...
In Memoriam
Depends how late the first job payment is Sep 2, 2009

If I haven't been paid for the first job for two months, maybe a bit more, I'll do it. But I was recently asked to do a job by an agency whose payment for the previous job was outstanding after over four months. After failing to get a straight answer from the project manager about this, I refused the job. But I was paid for the other job very soon after that.

 
Interlangue (X)
Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 10:56
inglés al francés
+ ...
Yes Sep 2, 2009

Because I work only for trustworthy customers. "New" clients are an exception and I always enquire before I accept any "first" job.

 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 09:56
Miembro 2007
inglés al portugués
+ ...
Yes Sep 2, 2009

My "historic" clients have excellent payment records (just one or two exceptions, over the last 25 years) and I always enquire before accepting new clients (anyway most of these come from referrals).

 
Marlene Blanshay
Marlene Blanshay  Identity Verified
Canadá
Local time: 04:56
Miembro 2009
francés al inglés
+ ...
yes Sep 2, 2009

but if there has been any payment issue previously, i would be cautious. So far, i've been fortunate. One of my regulars pays 45 days but they ALWAYS pay. I'm a bit more reluctant to wait 60 days, which i consider to be kind of ridiculous.

 
Rebecca Garber
Rebecca Garber  Identity Verified
Local time: 04:56
Miembro 2005
alemán al inglés
+ ...
depends on timing Sep 2, 2009

If the first payment is not late, *and* they have a good record of payment from the Blue Board, then yes.

It also depends on the size of the job. I have completed several small jobs for clients before the first one was paid.

It also depends on how the agency wants jobs billed. One agency wants an invoice for each project, another would prefer a montly invoice listing all projects for that month.

Mostly it depends on the way the PM handled the first job. <
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If the first payment is not late, *and* they have a good record of payment from the Blue Board, then yes.

It also depends on the size of the job. I have completed several small jobs for clients before the first one was paid.

It also depends on how the agency wants jobs billed. One agency wants an invoice for each project, another would prefer a montly invoice listing all projects for that month.

Mostly it depends on the way the PM handled the first job.

The only time I've been burned was by a direct client. They didn't accept the amount of time the translation took (it was short, however, they wanted their marriage statement translated into a specific medieval German dialect), so they refused to pay the full amount for my time. That *really* cheesed me off, since I fooled one of my medievalist colleagues, who thought I had actually found marriage vows in a manuscript.
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Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
Estados Unidos
Local time: 01:56
Miembro 2003
español al inglés
+ ...
Life is too short to be overly cautious Sep 4, 2009

That said, back in the 1990s I accepted a string of jobs from a prestigious international organization and they ended up owing me $9,000 that didn't get paid for over a year.

It's like renting to tenants: you might have one bad experience and 20 good ones. But after normal precautious are taken, I think we have to take certain chances in life.


 


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Poll: Do you accept a second assignment from a new client before being paid for the first?






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