| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Order cancelled because of sickness Thread poster: Natalia Pedrosa
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Lincoln Hui 
Hong Kong
Local time: 04:03
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
Daryo wrote:
that "cancellation fees/penalties" have been dreamed up ages ago, probably already at the time of barter economy.
In all fairness you should be able to claim cancellation fees - only the amount should be open to discussion, not the principle.
Cancellation fees only apply when the cancellation was unilaterally made by the client. In this case the cause for the cancellation comes from the translator announcing their inability to complete a previously agreed contract, so you're charging a cancellation fee for YOU failing to complete the job? Makes a ton of sense.
Heck, if the client decides to sue the OP, the OP might need to demonstrate force majeure in court.
[Edited at 2017-09-04 07:42 GMT]
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Tina Vonhof wrote:
I recommend to anyone that you arrange to have one or more alternates you trust, so you can mutually refer clients when you are sick or on holidays. I even have alternates for specific types of jobs, such as technical or IT. That way I can decline the job but the client will appreciate the referral and come back to me for other jobs.
I cultivate a network of colleagues whose work/specialties/languages/resources I know as reliable, and do my best to leave no client/prospect holding the sack, I mean the job.
If I can't do a job for ANY reason whatsoever... due to lacking availability, sickness, vacation, language i can't serve in, subject specialization required, special software needed, etc., I'll always try to find and offer them an adequate solution within my network.
In this case - it's worth mentioning - thankfulness, reciprocity, is NOT mutual! I've sent clients/prospects to colleagues who never referred me to anyone. Likewise, I've been referred to by colleagues I've never sent anyone. The reciprocity is between a "member" and his/her network. Over some extended period of time, the traffic will flow both ways.
I have a local client (not a translation agency) I often serve with EN>PT. Occasionally they ask me... "I need a translator into PT from HU, NL, JP..." whatever. Not surprisingly:
a) sometimes new clients contact me, and I recognize the names in their stuff from translations I did for this client;
b) some of the colleagues I referred to for these other languages refer EN jobs to me.
Of course, I am very careful in selecting the colleagues I refer clients/prospects to. If they perform badly, those prospects will naturally associate their service level to mine.
| | | | | Not the first, not the last... | Sep 4, 2017 |
Daryo wrote:
Having the kind of "support" [and respect for their own profession] too many other colleagues are showing (in general, not only in this thread) is really going to help you - and the profession in general.
(...)
With "friends" like that, who needs enemies?
This is not the first time someone implies that I do not support or respect my profession because I do not agree with his/her stance. And it will surely not be the last. Form an orderly queue please!
Daryo wrote:
The same ones who wouldn't dream contesting cancellation fees for cancelling a rent-a-car contract before it even started, of who wouldn't dream of asking for a refund of the ticket after the show started can't see what's wrong in what this agency is doing.
OK. Car rentals. Let me propose the following example: let us suppose I book a 7-seater from a car rental company and, when I have made all plans to have the 7-seater at my disposal on a certain date, they call me and say that sickness of their personnel will make it impossible to have the 7-seater ready on the agreed date; they cannot offer me the 7-seater, but a 5-seater instead. I then cancel the contract because the 7-seater is what I need and I will have to find it elsewhere. Now, according to your point of view, since I am the client who cancels, I pay?
| | | | | It happens more than we realise | Sep 4, 2017 |
Only last week I was talking to a restaurant owner and he was complaining that someone had booked a table and then phoned at the last minute to cancel the reservation. The restaurant owner had turned people away because he thought that there wasn't going to be enough room for everyone.
Last week my husband went to the doctor's thinking he had an appointment on 31 August, but when he got there, he realised that the check-up had been for 31 July. He felt bad about missing the appointm... See more Only last week I was talking to a restaurant owner and he was complaining that someone had booked a table and then phoned at the last minute to cancel the reservation. The restaurant owner had turned people away because he thought that there wasn't going to be enough room for everyone.
Last week my husband went to the doctor's thinking he had an appointment on 31 August, but when he got there, he realised that the check-up had been for 31 July. He felt bad about missing the appointment because it probably meant that someone else hadn't been able to go on the day they wanted to.
I have to refuse work on a daily basis because I'm too busy to do it, and occasionally agencies cancel work they were going to send me because the end client has changed their mind.
I am available for work seven days a week, 52 weeks a year but if I discover that I've suddently got a day off because someone has cancelled a job, I take advantage of my unexpected free time to do other things.
As for dealing with being ill, I'm afraid I can't help you there, though normal human beings should be aware that things can go wrong sometimes. ▲ Collapse
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Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 21:03
Member (2007)
English
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| Arse about face, if you'll pardon my French | Sep 4, 2017 |
Lincoln Hui wrote: Daryo wrote:
that "cancellation fees/penalties" have been dreamed up ages ago, probably already at the time of barter economy.
In all fairness you should be able to claim cancellation fees - only the amount should be open to discussion, not the principle. Cancellation fees only apply when the cancellation was unilaterally made by the client. In this case the cause for the cancellation comes from the translator announcing their inability to complete a previously agreed contract, so you're charging a cancellation fee for YOU failing to complete the job? Makes a ton of sense. Heck, if the client decides to sue the OP, the OP might need to demonstrate force majeure in court.
As Lincoln points out, this is not a case of a client/patient/passenger... (i.e. the person paying for a pre-ordered product or a service) cancelling at the last moment. It's the provider who has had to pull out of the deal at the last moment. So I believe your posting that's dripping with sarcasm is misdirected, Daryo.
| | | | Natalia Pedrosa
Spain
Local time: 22:03
Member (2012)
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | I've had enough advice, thank you | Sep 4, 2017 |
I really appreciate your concern, but would only like forget about the matter and move on.
Please respect my position.
Thank you.
Natalia
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