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Disclosing companies' names
Thread poster: Alžbeta Takácsová
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Depends Feb 26, 2017

Jenny Forbes wrote:

Is it usual for a translator to know the identity of end clients? Not in my experience.


It is in mine. Much of what I do is directly for the end-client anyway, but pretty much everything I do for agencies is for publication by the end-client. It might go through an ad agency and a translation agency to get to me, but it's pretty clear who it's for (or about).

I've never worked directly for "the world's largest insulin producer" but I've done stuff for them through at least half a dozen different agencies...

@Christine: I really can't see anybody caring. We're just a tiny cog in a massive machine. And they manage to cope with the same company emptying their bins and providing their phone lines.

That said, I do find Danish agencies bizarrely obsessed with secrecy. I've never really understood why. As you point out, if you're a freelance translator it's highly likely that you also work for their competitors.

And if we can work for both agency A and agency B, we can probably be trusted to work for both Pepsi and Coke.


 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
until it grows big enough Feb 27, 2017

Not only a common sense, but also business ethics come into play.
First, let’s assume the principal notion is true–one really translated for a company.
Second, the translator is devoid of malicious intentions.

The worst-case scenario is:
(1) if the translator WORKS OK and EARNS BIG MONEY, attracting clients via the company name/logo
–then a company might claim for loss of profit;

(2) the translator WORKS POORLY and earns something, a
... See more
Not only a common sense, but also business ethics come into play.
First, let’s assume the principal notion is true–one really translated for a company.
Second, the translator is devoid of malicious intentions.

The worst-case scenario is:
(1) if the translator WORKS OK and EARNS BIG MONEY, attracting clients via the company name/logo
–then a company might claim for loss of profit;

(2) the translator WORKS POORLY and earns something, attracting clients via the company name/logo
–then a company may claim for damages/hurting the image of a firm.
Of course, big money for a person is no big money for a company, yet still there’s such a possibility in case #2 scenario, usually after a warning from the company.

As for infamous ‘translate for’ vs. ‘translate via’ (‘does the job’ vs. ‘has the job done’), the real question is “WHO translates for CLIENT” or exactly about the added value–“Does the agency REALLY translate for CLIENT?”
The client is an ultimate user, who really wants to make use of the translation, not paperboy middlemen. For me it’s like a travel, say, from New-York to Munich directly vs. from New-York, transiting (via) London to Munich; where FROM (translator) and TO (client) remain the same.

If one can prove working with a big name company, then why not mention it?
(although such a supposed association doesn't really imply or guarantee a thing)

IMO
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Alžbeta Takácsová
Alžbeta Takácsová  Identity Verified
Slovakia
Local time: 03:31
Member (2014)
English to Slovak
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
many thanks to all Mar 1, 2017

Thank you all for your time on leaving me a comment
Alžbeta


 
Yolande Hivart
Yolande Hivart
Austria
Local time: 03:31
Member (2016)
German to French
I do not disclose anything anymore Mar 2, 2017

Hi

I do not disclose anymore. I do not even bother to apply to agencies or third parties asking me to name companies or turnover of parties I am directly working with.

I did it at the beginning of my career thinking it was a marketing tool. It was not. It made my clients being prone to aggressive marketing practices from others agencies. I never gained one extra client because of it. There is always cheaper quicker, some clients make themselves a job to tell that they
... See more
Hi

I do not disclose anymore. I do not even bother to apply to agencies or third parties asking me to name companies or turnover of parties I am directly working with.

I did it at the beginning of my career thinking it was a marketing tool. It was not. It made my clients being prone to aggressive marketing practices from others agencies. I never gained one extra client because of it. There is always cheaper quicker, some clients make themselves a job to tell that they have been offered cheaper thinking i will follow. Either they believe me or they don't. I am not to care anymore. NEVER mention your rates, your work AND your clients on the same place. It is the best way to keep them.

I have learned it the hard way not to be too naive in a shark's world.
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