Are you thinking about hiring a translation agency for your business? Certifiedtranslations.co.uk is the right spot to get professional translating services in more than 120 languages accepted by all companies and government agencies. Along with this, here are some tips that will come in handy when hiring a translation company:
Asking for References
Of course, finding a translation company that claims to be professional is easy but you should look past the fancy literature on their website. When you ask for a reference, you will be able to find out more about the agency from previous customers.
As soon as you get the references, you need to call them. Here are some questions that you can ask the references:
- Were you satisfied by the quality of work provided?
- How would you rate your general experience of working with the translation agency?
- Were the rates competitive and did they have hidden charges?
- Is the company responsive and did they stick to the timelines?
Do Not Underestimate the Details that Go into Hiring a Translation Agency
For new buyers of translation services, it might be easy to underestimate the detail that goes into hiring the right company. When looking for translation services in Los Angeles, you need to consider what needs to be translated. Do you only need text translation or will there be some images in the text?
Moreover, you need to consider your timetable. You should ask the right questions to get the best services. When considering translation companies, you have to look at all aspects.
Consider the Agency’s Experience
Does the translation company that you are considering have experience in translating for a particular field? If you are in the field of engineering, you should hire a company that has experience in translating engineering texts. The same holds true for all industries because terminology ranges from one industry to the next.
Both slang and technical terms need specific knowledge in the field. For the company to make accurate translations, they must be familiar with that specific field. Therefore, you need to verify that the translation agency has experience in your field.
Ask Whether the Agency Has Experience
After considering the agency’s experience, you need to pose the question directly to them. If you ask a company whether they can translate English into Spanish, the answer might be yes. However, this answer might change when you ask whether they have done it before.
Instead of taking chances with your project, you should check whether the agency has experience in dealing with the languages you want. For instance, you can Enter to Pangeanic or any other translation company website and see what languages they can handle perfectly.
Do Not Base Your Choice on Price
If you base your decision to hire a translation company on price only, you will definitely get what you pay for. For instance, if you have a small budget and end up hiring a cheap company, you will likely get cheap services to match. Make sure that you ask the company how they confirm their translator’s qualifications.
What does the company do to ensure that their translators provide the highest quality work? Do they have a quality assurance procedure to guarantee top-quality work? Before hiring any translation company, you need to answer all of these questions. This will prevent you from wasting money on a subpar agency only to have the work redone by a different company.
Think of Contingency Plans
In case something goes wrong, you need to have other plans in place. When you consider the different steps involved in the translation process, you will see the need for alternative plans. Make sure that you ask the translation agency how they deal with complaints from their customers.
The answer to this question should determine your next steps. Your business will run smoothly when you address and resolve matters in a timely manner.
Understand How the Agency Handles Customer Contracts
How does the translation company handle customer price quotes, proposals, and contracts? This matters because you want to have input on the terminology used in your document. Are the company’s proofreading and client review processes convenient? You need to make sure that you are satisfied with the agency’s processes before hiring them.
Consider the Quality of Translation
If you have never hired a translation company before, you will have no benchmark for quality when it comes to translation services. This means that you might pay a lot of money for poor work that is error-filled. Make sure that you find out the procedures the translation company has in place to guarantee that they provide quality work.
If the company does not have any, you might be dealing with amateurs. If you are not satisfied with a certain company, there is no harm in looking until you find the right one for your needs.
Consider Different Costs
Beside the translation itself, you will find that many costs are associated with translating. For instance, if your translation project requires image editing and desktop publishing, each of these services will have separate costs. You should know that each translation company has different costs for each of these services.
To lower the overall cost, you should consider comparing all the different rates offered by different companies. Once you do this, you should choose the best company for your budget and needs.
Get a Written Contract
You need to protect yourself by asking for the following key things in writing:
- A price range, which includes an inflexible maximum price
- A hard delivery date
- A comprehensive report of the services that will be provided
Without this detailed contract, you might not get the results that you desire. You do not want to be stuck with an expensive bill because you refused to ask for a written contract.
Conclusion
You should follow the above tips to have a pleasant experience when buying translation services. If you have never hired a translation agency before, you should ask for help from people who have. Moreover, you should also consider your field and ensure that you hire a company that has translation experience in that particular field.
