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As the world grows smaller sized; people travel across the globe much more frequently and much more business is done internationally, translation services are increasingly in demand. A translation service can now be needed for anything from the translation of an education certificate to translating a website. Because of the demand, there are now numerous translation agencies across the globe.
Finding a translation service can be daunting. Exactly where does one start off to look for a translation service and once they discover one, how do they know if they will have the ability to do the job well? What inquiries should one ask? This short article will offer you some beneficial tips on the best way to uncover a translation service to meet your desires.
Exactly where to locate a translation service?
You will discover 3 main strategies for finding a translation service.
The initial port of call must be your local directory such as the Yellow Pages. If you possess a precise business directory for your location then even greater. Merely look up “translation” or it might often be under “translators & interpreters”. Have a thumb through the listings and earmark some to contact.
The second, and easiest, means of getting a translation service is through the internet. Using the principal search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and MSN can bring up numerous listings. One added advantage of using a search engine is that you could be much more specific with your searches.
For example, if you are looking for any translation service local to you type “translation service London” or “translation service Oxford”. Similarly in the event, you are in need of a specific language try something like “A German translation service“.
With search engine results you are going to be presented with two types of listings, paid listings (advertisements) and organic listings (non-advertised results). It is good to bear in mind that those with organic listings are there to get a reason, i.e. the search engine naturally sees them as important sites for translation services. On the other hand, paid listings might be from companies that need the business. This is not necessarily a negative thing but is good to consider when making a choice.
The last means of locating a translation service is to ask colleagues, friends, or family. A personal recommendation is always best.
Contacting the Translation service
Once you have got a list of the translation service providers you want to contact, it is then key that you are prepared with the information necessary to get an accurate quote.
Any decent translation service will want to know what languages they are translating from and into, the length of the document (especially the number of source words), the nature of the text (is it business or technical?), the format of the document (is it a paper document, an email or brochure?), when you need the translation delivered by and if necessary what format it really should be delivered in. These details will help the translation service price your piece of work.
However, remember that many translation service providers may well not give you a concrete quote until they see the document. This is because once they see it they may well realize they under-quoted you as a consequence of unforeseen elements such as the format, poor image quality, or technicality of the document. It is always a good idea to have your translation in a format that may be emailed or faxed.
When speaking to the customer service agent make sure you thoroughly explain your demands. A good translation service however will always ask the right queries so they get a decent grasp of what you will need.
Questions to ask the translation service
Once you’ve established the cost of your translation it is always a good idea to probe the translation service with a few much more inquiries to gain an improved understanding of their capabilities.
For example here are 10 basic questions:
- If they gave you on price, ask what their charge is per 1000 words.
- Will they charge you per source word or per target word? For example, when you are having a document translated from Italian to English, Italian will probably be the source language.
- Is the quote they gave you fixed? i.e. they can not charge you additional afterward.
- Are all their translators qualified? What is their procedure for hiring translators?
- Do their translators work solely in their native languages?
- If your deadline is missed how will you still have to pay?
- Does the price include proofreading by another translator?
- If your translation is certain or technical, do the translators have experience in the subject matter?
- What format will they return your translation in?
- If it is a large or important job it is possible to ask to get a trial translation – however, this may well not always be free.
These inquiries for the translation service must give you some insight into their understanding of the industry and their capabilities.
Which translation service?
Ultimately many people, when it comes to the crunch choose a translation service based on cost, location, and speed of service. You will find no hard and fast rules as to how you can choose a translation service. It is really up to the individual to go with what they feel is best for them.
In the general scheme of things, most translation service providers are bona fide and professional outfits. If when asking the questions above to a translation service you sense a level of uncertainty. Then it may be greatest to go with the service that seems to know what you want and tips on how to give it to you.