Customer references on website when working for agencies Thread poster: Nicoise
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Nicoise 
Local time: 05:48
French to German
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Hello,
I would like to include some references of companies, for which I already did translations, on my website. Unfortunately, most of my orders come from agencies. So I work for agencies, but do the translations for companies of course. Is it possible/admissible, to indicate those companies on my website as references?
Thank you for any advice!
| | | | Diana Coada (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:48
Portuguese to English
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| You could write something along these lines: | Jan 9, 2013 |
Some of my end customers (through agencies):
- Company A
- Company B
- etc.
| | | | Nicoise
Local time: 05:48
French to German
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TOPIC STARTER
Thank you very much, Diana, that's really clever!
| | | | Kevin Fulton
United States
Local time: 23:48
German to English
| Better off listing expertise | Jan 9, 2013 |
There is no substantial prestige to be gained from working for a famous company, especially via an agency. Potential clients are much more interested in your experience and knowledge. You're much better off listing things such as "user's manual for leading IT infrastructure developer", or "annual report for major Eurozone bank". In my case, my friends might be impressed that I've done product descriptions for high-end passenger vehicles, but customers want to know whether I understand brake syst... See more There is no substantial prestige to be gained from working for a famous company, especially via an agency. Potential clients are much more interested in your experience and knowledge. You're much better off listing things such as "user's manual for leading IT infrastructure developer", or "annual report for major Eurozone bank". In my case, my friends might be impressed that I've done product descriptions for high-end passenger vehicles, but customers want to know whether I understand brake systems or torque converters. I do list a few direct clients on my web site, but only after getting their explicit permission. ▲ Collapse
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| Who pays your invoices? | Jan 9, 2013 |
The agency or their client?
If the agency is your customer, you may ask them (not their client) for permission to post them (not their client) as a reference. (It's more professional to get permission before doing so.)
The agency's clients are out of bounds to you. They're not "your" anything. You've never even dealt with them directly and you certainly have no business even mentioning their names. Would be considered unethical in many circles, and a breach of confident... See more The agency or their client?
If the agency is your customer, you may ask them (not their client) for permission to post them (not their client) as a reference. (It's more professional to get permission before doing so.)
The agency's clients are out of bounds to you. They're not "your" anything. You've never even dealt with them directly and you certainly have no business even mentioning their names. Would be considered unethical in many circles, and a breach of confidentiality.
The only legit way to mention your agency's end clients would be for you to ask the agency to get permission from the end client for you to use their name.
But it's 2013, and ethics/professionalism etc. ain't what it used to be. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Experience counts | Jan 10, 2013 |
In my C.V., I present overview of my experience by listing out selected jobs with client names under subject headings like corporate communication, banking/finance and so on. There's nothing wrong with telling your potential clients about what you've done for other companies.
| | | | 564354352 (X)
Denmark
Local time: 05:48
Danish to English
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| Confidentiality matters | Jan 10, 2013 |
I agree wholeheartedly with Cilian - you have no business listing your clients' clients on your website - that would be tantamount to breach of confidentiality.
Much better to list your experience with specific kinds of translation as Kevin suggests.
| | | | Ana Malovrh
Slovenia
Local time: 05:48
German to Slovenian
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| Confidentiality and specific markets | Jan 10, 2013 |
I agree with Cilian and Gitte,
if at all, it is better to name the agency rather than their clients.
If you don't use direct names, your message is that the information of potential clients is safe with you.
However, it also depends on the market/countries you are targeting at.
Some markets demand complete transparency and might even think you are hiding something.
If you are targeting at different markets, I would suggest you wri... See more I agree with Cilian and Gitte,
if at all, it is better to name the agency rather than their clients.
If you don't use direct names, your message is that the information of potential clients is safe with you.
However, it also depends on the market/countries you are targeting at.
Some markets demand complete transparency and might even think you are hiding something.
If you are targeting at different markets, I would suggest you write something like: "references available upon request", and then send the list individually. ▲ Collapse
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Diana Coada (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:48
Portuguese to English
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Gitte Hovedskov Hansen wrote:
... you have no business listing your clients' clients on your website - that would be tantamount to breach of confidentiality.
That's only true if you write ''I worked for Company X through Agency Y''.
There's nothing wrong with mentioning a few company names as long as you don't mention the agencies you work for, of course.
What's more believable, a or b?
a) I've translated ''user's manual for leading IT infrastructure developer'' (as Kevin suggested)
b) ''I've translated Microsoft, HP, etc., etc. user guides''
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 05:48
Member (2009)
English to German
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| Confidentiality | Jan 10, 2013 |
Hi Nicoise,
IMO permission & direct contact are the keys to listing anything on a website.
If you want to list a company name on your website for potential clients, then you should first ask the client's consent to be publicly named. Thus far you have "only" worked for agencies. Therefore, your client are these agencies. If you have worked directly with a specific company, then that company is your client.
As has been stated by our colleagues, confidentiali... See more Hi Nicoise,
IMO permission & direct contact are the keys to listing anything on a website.
If you want to list a company name on your website for potential clients, then you should first ask the client's consent to be publicly named. Thus far you have "only" worked for agencies. Therefore, your client are these agencies. If you have worked directly with a specific company, then that company is your client.
As has been stated by our colleagues, confidentiality is as important in our business as maintaining a good reputation.
Here is a real life example. Google has posted some of my books on their search engine under my real name despite the fact that they were published under my writer's pseudonym. My real name has nothing to do with my pen name for sound reasons... which have no place in this topic. And Google had never asked permission to do so. This "breech of confidentiality" is one of the reaons why I don't trust Google.
Back to your case. Do you think that potential clients would feel save trusting you with their confidential, perhaps even secrete files when you "freely" display your clients' names on your website?
If you still want to display your clients' names, instead of your expertise, then you must add a note such as: "Company names posted with permission".
These are my two cents.
[Edited at 2013-01-10 13:53 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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