Cooperation with a translation agency – everything you need to know

When people need translation services, companies and individuals generally prefer to contact translation agencies rather than freelance translators. This is mainly because very few of them have independent interpreter contacts to meet all their needs. In addition, it is quite difficult to ensure the quality and availability of individual linguists.

Cooperation with a translation office

Working with translation agencies can be complicated. So we present what cooperation with a translation agency should look like, because many people who are just starting to translate their documents or content onto a website often do not understand the processes that must be performed before the actual translation is completed. On this blog, I will present a few tips that should be remembered in order for cooperation with a translation agency to be fruitful.

Submit ready-made versions of the documents you want to translate

Each translation goes through two phases: translation by one linguist, editing and proofreading by a second linguist. If a customer makes last minute changes, each change must go through the same two phases to be reflected in the final document, which takes longer. Now imagine you need a brochure published on a computer. The text of the brochure must be approved before the translation is completed, but you decide to make changes and send them the day before the scheduled delivery date. This should not be a problem for the translation agency, but it will significantly extend the final delivery time.

Understand the costs

Typically, translation and project bids are priced based on the initial word count and the number of hours needed to complete a specific translation. They do not include an amount to cover last minute work on text or design changes, and if the customer presses for last minute changes, there will be additional costs and an extended waiting period for service. In order to avoid additional fees, all documents should be ready in their final form before sending them for translation. If you have questions about the scope of your project, ask them first so that there are no surprises later.

Take part in the translation process

No matter how skilled and knowledgeable the linguists are, the customer will always be better at knowing their products or services. Don’t hesitate to answer questions from a translator or editor, or even make an appointment to explain your brand’s performance – providing accurate information makes your work much easier and improves the quality of your translation.

Provide reference material

Reference material not only affects the quality of the translation, but also ensures that the terminology used is translated in the same way as any previously translated documents or files. This way your messages will be consistent in all languages.

Express your opinion

Give feedback on the translations, both positive and negative. This helps translation agency teams to better understand the client’s needs and preferences and possibly make changes that will improve the quality of translations in the future. Translation is a mutual process that is not possible without the close cooperation of the client and the translation agency.

Take the time to choose a translation agency

It is important to spend some time comparing and analyzing the various offers from numerous translation agencies. You can ask the agency to provide examples of the work done without revealing the client’s confidentiality. Be wary of the low rates of some freelance agencies, who are not always skilled and sometimes save on translation. It is also important to find a flexible agency that is able to complete the assignment within reasonable timescales.

Find an agency that specializes in a specific industry

Since the message from the translation must be conveyed with great accuracy, you need to find a translation agency or translator who has experience in the field in which your company operates. Only an expert in a specific field will be able to provide a high-quality translation. All translators usually have one or two specializations, be it legal, medical, financial, etc. It can also be interesting to use translation agencies that can manage a large number of projects in vast and diverse fields through their networks of specialized translators.

Translation and price

When you are looking for the right agency for your business, you will quickly find that the choice is huge, which does not always make it easy to find the right company. The choice of the agency depends largely on your needs, and on your preferences and criteria that make the translation of your text properly done. If you only need one text translated for internal use and precision and quality are not a very high priority, you can only focus on price. However, if your texts will be read by customers or partners, it is a good idea to choose a supplier that can provide the highest quality. After all, poor translation can have catastrophic consequences for your company’s reputation and jeopardize the potential value of your product in a new market.