ProZ Find: No pre-populated budget range, please Thread poster: Dr. Matthias Schauen
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When looking for translators on ProZ Find, the Options sidebar allows to filter for a specific budget. I have a suggestion regarding this function:
The From and To fields are shown pre-populated in light grey with 0.09 and 0.15, respectively. I suggest to change this to 0.00 in both fields. I would prefer prospective clients not to see an "anchor price" before they enter their budget, at least not if the anchor is below my standard rate.
It seems that the fields are not really pre-po... See more When looking for translators on ProZ Find, the Options sidebar allows to filter for a specific budget. I have a suggestion regarding this function:
The From and To fields are shown pre-populated in light grey with 0.09 and 0.15, respectively. I suggest to change this to 0.00 in both fields. I would prefer prospective clients not to see an "anchor price" before they enter their budget, at least not if the anchor is below my standard rate.
It seems that the fields are not really pre-populated, since when using the arrow buttons to increase or decrease the values, they start at 0.01. Then, the warning that the rate is below the average community rate is shown until this rate is reached. This then also serves as a price anchor, but I have no idea how to circumvent this without losing this functionality. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Pros and cons | May 14, 2019 |
Dr. Matthias Schauen wrote:
The From and To fields are shown pre-populated in light grey with 0.09 and 0.15, respectively. I suggest to change this to 0.00 in both fields. I would prefer prospective clients not to see an "anchor price" before they enter their budget, at least not if the anchor is below my standard rate.
I understand your point, Matthias, and I think it's a good one. Sadly, however, IMHO, this argument goes to the heart of the whole issue of setting a minimum price for translations. If a minimum price is set, there is the danger that clients will end up treating it as the maximum price. On the other hand, setting no price at all (as you suggest in this case) runs the risk of attracting clients below our target rates.
No easy solution I fear!
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To be honest, I’m surprised translators charging more than 15c a word would be seeking or receiving work on ProZ. Are there really clients placing work at those rates on here?
| | | | | Solutions .... | May 15, 2019 |
Here is something I posted 4 years ago:
Constructive criticism Apr 25, 2015
I suggest the job board system needs to be completely revamped.
1. Get rid of posters dictating the terms (rates, posting language - we don't need to read "quote your "best" rate, "only so and so need to "apply," ....)
2.Create a new submission form for posters that let's them state what they need in respectful and realistic terms. They are actually the applicants, the ... See more Here is something I posted 4 years ago:
Constructive criticism Apr 25, 2015
I suggest the job board system needs to be completely revamped.
1. Get rid of posters dictating the terms (rates, posting language - we don't need to read "quote your "best" rate, "only so and so need to "apply," ....)
2.Create a new submission form for posters that let's them state what they need in respectful and realistic terms. They are actually the applicants, the "clients" looking for service providers, and the more respectful a post is, the more likely it seems to me that professionals will answer it and suggest a realistic and fair rate and provide a professional service - as one could expect from a person featured on a portal that calls itself "Proz.com.".
3.
Review and change the guidelines for Certified Pro membership - isn't it supposed to reflect adhering to best business practices?
If this site calls itself "Proz.com," it makes no sense to have a "Certified Pro" outsourcer post translation jobs for USD .04/word (not just German to English) and expects them to be done by "experts,"or asks for your "best" (= a very very low)) rate or expects unrealistic deadlines. How is that professional? What does that say about everyone else who carries that badge and either posts or accepts such "jobs"?
4. Create a panel consisting of seasoned translators and Proz.com staff who work together to find solutions for these problems.
5 Or you could find a new name for your translation portal.
Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike all that Proz.com offers. I like the forums - and I appreciate to be able to contribute to this discussion - and other things. But the way this site nowadays seems (to me!) to be driven by advertising and low-ball offers isn't enticing me (currently) to become a member again.
All is certainly not well here. It's not my intention to bash ... but I understand how others can feel pretty strongly about some issues and simply vent their anger somewhere else.
From: https://www.proz.com/forum/prozcom_translator_coop/285001-proz_bashing_on_fb_and_elsewhere-page4.html#2422166 ▲ Collapse
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Samuel Murray 
Netherlands
Local time: 04:43
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
| @Matthias, @Chris and @Bernhard | May 15, 2019 |
Dr. Matthias Schauen wrote:
I would prefer prospective clients not to see an "anchor price" before they enter their budget, at least not if the anchor is below my standard rate.
I understand your concern, but I think the pre-populated rates are meant as GUI assistance. They help users figure out how the search fields work. They remind users that "9c" and "15c" (or similar numbers) should not be entered as "9" and "15" but as "0.09" (yes, and not "0.9") and "0.15".
The most common rate by far that is charged at ProZ.com 0.08, so "0.09" actually pushes rates upwards.
FWIW, more than 90% of rates above 0.08 that are reported on profile pages are below 0.15. Less than 1% of rates reported by translators on their profile pages are above 0.18. I understand that this may seem to those who have higher rates to be something that drags rates down, but for most people this actually pushes the rates upwards.
Instead of setting the grey rates to 0.00, I would suggest retaining "0.09" but setting the maximum's grey rate as "0.23". It's still lower than some people's rate, but it would perform a more effective role in pushing rates up without confusing those who need these grey numbers to learn how the fields work.
Then, the warning that the rate is below the average community rate is shown until this rate is reached. This then also serves as a price anchor...
Yes, in the battle against low rates, one has to decide which rate to defend. In the warning, the system does not defend a specific, arbitrary rate but rather the "average community rate", which is not 100% accurate but it is useful enough.
Chris S wrote:
To be honest, I’m surprised translators charging more than 15c a word would be seeking or receiving work on ProZ.com. Are there really clients placing work at those rates on here?
Yes, I would not be surprised if there are. But such clients do not use the jobs board.
Matthias' post is not about the jobs board, but about the ProZ.com Find directory. This is a service used by clients who are looking for translators that they can contact individually or in which they can send a job post to only very specific selected translators (as opposed to just all and sundry, in the jobs post system).
Bernhard Sulzer wrote:
Here is something I posted 4 years ago:
... I suggest the job board system needs to be completely revamped.
I think you misunderstood the post. Matthias' post is not about the job board but about the directory search. Revamping the job board isn't going to affect the issue that Matthias is commenting on.
[Edited at 2019-05-15 07:43 GMT]
| | | | | Concerning directory search | May 15, 2019 |
I did mean my comments to also pertain to prospective clients specifying rate ranges or budgets in the directory search. I admit that wasn't clear.
If anchors appear as Matthias writes, it suggests a commonly adhered-to price range with a minimum and maximum rate. Warnings about entering rates below community standards are certainly good and help prevent bottom rates as long as those posters even care about that. But nevertheless, I would like to see any price or price range posting/dicta... See more I did mean my comments to also pertain to prospective clients specifying rate ranges or budgets in the directory search. I admit that wasn't clear.
If anchors appear as Matthias writes, it suggests a commonly adhered-to price range with a minimum and maximum rate. Warnings about entering rates below community standards are certainly good and help prevent bottom rates as long as those posters even care about that. But nevertheless, I would like to see any price or price range posting/dictating by prospective clients gone, incl. from directory search. If you would instead just post a link from the directory search to community rates, that might be something I can accept although those rates are very relative with regard to people who charge more. In any case, in a professional translator client relationship it should be the translator who first suggests a price based on his or her review of documents and other job requirements. My take. ▲ Collapse
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