| Pages in topic: [1 2 3] > | "My usual rate for Indians is X" - insulting to an agency? Thread poster: Samuel Murray
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Samuel Murray 
Netherlands
Local time: 06:10
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
G'day everyone
If an Indian agency contacts me for translation work, and I tell them "My usual rate for Indian clients is X", would that be interpreted as insulting by the agency?
Thanks
Samuel
[Subject edited by staff or moderator 2010-07-29 13:56 GMT]
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 06:10
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
You ask us if THEY would see it offensive?
You haven't presented any arguments as to why you have specific rates for Indians. That'd help in giving some answers.
I don't quote on jobs offered by Indian agencies, because I know they are looking for very cheap rates. They may interpret it any way they want, and I interpret their cheap rates as very offensive.
| | | | Kate Chaffer
Italy
Local time: 06:10
Member (2009)
Italian to English
| Why tell them? | Jul 29, 2010 |
Would you be offended if someone talked about their usual rate for South Africans? I don't know why you would need to specify that you have a special rate for Indian agencies. If you do, fair enough, but just tell them it's your rate. No chance of offending anyone that way.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 06:10
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Lingua 5B wrote:
You ask us if THEY would see it offensive?
The fact that you read my post doesn't mean it is addressed to you. (-:
You haven't presented any arguments as to why you have specific rates for Indians. That'd help in giving some answers.
That is false logic, I'm afraid. The fact that one has valid reasons for doing something doesn't mean no-one will find the actions objectionable.
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Hello Samuel,
I'd just write "My usual rate is X and upfront payment required", as many agencies based in India have bad reputation as late- or non-payers.
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 06:10
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
Samuel Murray wrote:
That is false logic, I'm afraid. The fact that one has valid reasons for doing something doesn't mean no-one will find the actions objectionable.
Yes, maybe, but with valid explanations the action may become reasonable, not only objectionable.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 06:10
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Kate Chaffer wrote:
Would you be offended if someone talked about their usual rate for South Africans?
No, I wouldn't, but South African culture is different from Indian culture, so who knows?
I don't know why you would need to specify that you have a special rate for Indian agencies. If you do, fair enough, but just tell them it's your rate.
Well, the fact is that the rate I'm willing to work for for Indian clients is less than the rate that I'm willing to work for for non-Indian clients. If I just tell the Indian client that X is my usual rate, I'd be lying, because my usual rate is much higher than that.
I prefer it that what I say to clients in my correspondence with them is consistent with what I write on my profile page or on my web site, so if my web site says my usual rate is Y, I need to explain why I'm quoting X as a "usual rate". If a client sees that my web site says Y but I quote him X, he might think that I'm desperate for work, or alternatively he might wonder if rate I tell him is likely to change soon, for the worse (from his point of view).
In fact, I already do this when working for South African clients -- I tell them "My usual rate for South African clients is X" because it is much lower than my usual rate for non-South African clients. But because I'm South African myself, this is perhaps also less likely to be taken as an insult.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 06:10
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Stanislav Pokorny wrote:
I'd just write ... as many agencies based in India have bad reputation as late- or non-payers.
Actually, my experience with Indian agencies has been pretty good so far. They offer low rates, yes, but they are often highly organised (very business oriented), and I can't recall having had problems with prompt payment.
Of course, one can't generalise, and I'm sure there are also bad agencies in Indian as there are in any country.
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Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 06:10
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
So you are basically asking if they will be insulted having learned your rate for them is cheaper than for other clients?
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 06:10
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | @Lingua 5B II | Jul 29, 2010 |
Lingua 5B wrote: Samuel Murray wrote:
That is false logic, I'm afraid. The fact that one has valid reasons for doing something doesn't mean no-one will find the actions objectionable. Yes, maybe, but with valid explanations the action may become reasonable.
I think that that is a cultural assumption, which I'm trying to avoid here. Perhaps in your culture, if someone insults you and then gives a reasonable explanation for the insult, you'd then feel less insulted. In my culture that won't happen -- no amount of explanation (no matter how reasonable) will remove the sting of an insult, and it may be the same in India.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 06:10
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | @Lingua 5B III | Jul 29, 2010 |
Lingua 5B wrote:
So you are basically asking if they will be insulted having learned your rate for them is cheaper than for other clients?
That is a large part of my question, yes.
| | | | Kate Chaffer
Italy
Local time: 06:10
Member (2009)
Italian to English
| No usual rate | Jul 29, 2010 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
so if my web site says my usual rate is Y, I need to explain why I'm quoting X as a "usual rate".
From what you've written, it doesn't sound like you have a "usual" rate. You have one for South Africa and one for India and I presume you have another for Europe. I'd make this clear on your website.
Edit: I've just looked at your website. I see you have different rates for different countries. How about adding a line saying "Rates for other countries on request"?
[Edited at 2010-07-29 10:37 GMT]
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Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 06:10
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Kate Chaffer wrote:
From what you've written, it doesn't sound like you have a "usual" rate. You have one for South Africa and one for India and I presume you have another for Europe. I'd make this clear on your website.
Your suggestion is quite reasonable, but I can't do that, for two reasons:
1. My usual rate for India is actually my usual rate for Indian, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, China, Mongolia, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, etc.
2. I prefer not to advertise my lower rates. Lowering a rate should be an exception, not a rule, and I don't want to give a public impression that it is a rule for me. In fact, I had strongly considered to not even mention my special rate for South Africans, but it so happens that a sizeable amount of my work originates from South Africa (about 20-30% of it, in fact).
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 06:10
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
| Not cultural/ personal. | Jul 29, 2010 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
Perhaps in your culture, if someone insults you and then gives a reasonable explanation for the insult, you'd then feel less insulted. In my culture that won't happen -- no amount of explanation (no matter how reasonable) will remove the sting of an insult, and it may be the same in India.
Not really, it's about me, not my culture. I like reasonable conversation with valid arguments, particularly in business context. I want maximum clarity in my business correspondence.
I also see a huge contradiction in your question: you are asking if they will be offended having gotten what they were looking for - cheap rate?
[Edited at 2010-07-29 10:47 GMT]
| | | | Jaroslaw Michalak
Poland
Local time: 06:10
Member (2004)
English to Polish
SITE LOCALIZER | Many different ways to say it... | Jul 29, 2010 |
Why don't you just write "My special rate for you would be ...".
Then they will not be insulted, but rather flattered. And basically what you write will be true, which is even better...
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