Quality always comes at a price

 “What is cheap always turns out expensive in the end”: never was there a truer saying.

How many times have we been entrusted with proofreading translations which dragged us down into the gutter? The fingers of both hands would not be sufficient to count them, would it?

But why do these situations arise? The reply is really quite simple: because quality comes at a price.

I shall not speak of those dishonest translators who accept any job deliberately knowing that they cannot do it, although they should be sanctioned for distorting prices and scuttling the market. Neither will I speak of those who flaunt the fact that they think they know better than anybody else, and deliver translations which they have copied and pasted from a machine translation.

My aim is to address clients personally, explain to them how a good translator works, and how to avoid unnecessary revisions which will turn out more expensive than the translation itself.

Let us start at the beginning. The results you get keep step with what you claim to pay out for them. You will never attract a good translator by offering ridiculous tariffs simply by dint of the fact that the job is high volume, and that there will be more of them in the future. Can you enter into a discussion on the matter with a translator? Of course, you can! But the moment will arrive when a good translator who values himself will reject your proposal and will not even take the trouble to reply when he is asked for his “best” price.

And many will think, with all the reason in the world, that “water you do not have to drink can carry on flowing by”, because for us, a bad client is also a waste of time.

Good translators, those who deliver quality work, will always be honest with the client about the entrusted job’s scope, and will not accept translations whose area of expertise is completely alien to them, for example.

The majority of clients do not understand the translation profession. They see it as a mere task which can be undertaken by anyone who knows the source language…. nothing could be further from reality.

Good translators are native speakers, they provide complicated and creative services which need time and concentration, and will genuinely ask for a deadline extension rather than deliver a job of inferior quality, and are likewise good people to consult on language, who know how to communicate, how to advise when the job’s scope has not been sufficiently outlined, and how to clear up any doubt the client may state, and who will always check their work twice before delivering it.

A good translator always adds value to the original message, which will stave off any bad publicity, and will really meet its needs, and ultimately, only he or she knows the true value of their services.

The aforesaid services may seem expensive to you, but engaging a good translator will save you time and money over both the medium- and long- term. Investing in a quality translation is the soundest advice that Sol Marzellier Traductores can offer you.