| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: How often do you check the Blue Board when dealing with a new client? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How often do you check the Blue Board when dealing with a new client?".
This poll was originally submitted by Nathalie Bendavid
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more in... See more This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How often do you check the Blue Board when dealing with a new client?".
This poll was originally submitted by Nathalie Bendavid
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629 ▲ Collapse
| | | | Steven Capsuto 
United States
Local time: 14:59
Member (2004)
Spanish to English
+ ...
| ALMOST always | Oct 7, 2008 |
I voted "sometimes." Obviously, if an individual comes to me and says "I need my birth certificate translated," I wouldn't expect to find them in the database and I don't look (and those clients pay in advance anyway). But for commercial clients and agencies, I always check here and in other forums.
The numeric rating isn't the only deciding factor. I read comments and I mostly consider those from translators who have been members for quite some time and who have a fair number of Ku... See more I voted "sometimes." Obviously, if an individual comes to me and says "I need my birth certificate translated," I wouldn't expect to find them in the database and I don't look (and those clients pay in advance anyway). But for commercial clients and agencies, I always check here and in other forums.
The numeric rating isn't the only deciding factor. I read comments and I mostly consider those from translators who have been members for quite some time and who have a fair number of KudoZ and/or BrownieZ points. The comments are important, because often people object to things I wouldn't care about, or are willing to tolerate things I wouldn't put up with. Plus I ignore almost any ratings from more than two years ago.
BlueBoard isn't the be-all and end-all in deciding whether or not to take on a new client, but it's certainly one of many factors I think about.
[Edited at 2008-10-07 14:52] ▲ Collapse
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I don't translate birth certificates
Apart from that, I agree with everything that Steven says.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 20:59
Spanish to English
+ ...
... because I don't use proz to look for work, since I already have enough from my other sources. In my first year as a member I have taken on only one client through proz and they were affiliated to a well-known University so I trusted them beforehand.
In fact, I'm currently wondering if it's worthwhile renewing my membership at all ...
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John Rawlins
Spain
Local time: 20:59
Spanish to English
+ ...
I always check an agency's Blue Board rating.
If their ratings are less than good then I invariably refuse the job, tell the agency why I refused, and send them a link to their Blue Board page.
The Blue Board gives us the ability to quickly identify poor quality agencies and this is an invaluable service for the freelance translator.
| | | | Joan Berglund
United States
Local time: 14:59
Member (2008)
French to English
| SHOULD be always | Oct 7, 2008 |
I don't generally use Proz to find work, but I try to always check out agencies who contact me on the Blueboard, this is a major benefit of our membership I believe. Just recently, I was contacted by two new agencies. As it happened, I was in the middle of an insanely busy period and I did not check them out or get back to them right away. When I finally got around to it, for whatever reason, I started the application process with one agency first - I think they emailed me more often. I got ... See more I don't generally use Proz to find work, but I try to always check out agencies who contact me on the Blueboard, this is a major benefit of our membership I believe. Just recently, I was contacted by two new agencies. As it happened, I was in the middle of an insanely busy period and I did not check them out or get back to them right away. When I finally got around to it, for whatever reason, I started the application process with one agency first - I think they emailed me more often. I got halfway through it before I remembered to check them out - their insistence that they needed references and could not use WWAs made me suspicious. Sure enough, they had an abysmal rating, glad I found out before I went any further. When I finally got to the other company, I found they had an excellent rating, but had already had as many responses as they could handle. So from now on, I will take my own advice, and ALWAYS check before anything else. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Yaotl Altan
Mexico
Local time: 12:59
Member (2006)
English to Spanish
+ ...
I always check the Blueboard and have rejected deals with agencies holding several 2's and 1's
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neilmac wrote:
... because I don't use proz to look for work, since I already have enough from my other sources.
What on earth has that got to do with it? I don't use Proz to look for work either but I check all potential (agency) clients on the Blue Board, however they found me (through Proz, through recommendations, through other translators' websites etc.). Of course they're not all on there, but a good number are.
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| Always, cubed | Oct 7, 2008 |
Always the blue board, always TCR and always PP.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 20:59
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Basically because ... | Oct 7, 2008 |
[quote]Marie-Hélène Hayles wrote:
neilmac wrote:
... because I don't use proz to look for work, since I already have enough from my other sources.
What on earth has that got to do with it?
... it would simply be a waste of time for me to look at the Blue board, since I currently have no need for it. I'm sure it is a useful resource for those colleagues taking on work from unknown sources, unlike myself.
| | | | Tina Vonhof (X)
Canada
Local time: 12:59
Dutch to English
+ ...
That is to say: when it concerns agencies, not for private clients of course.
Given such a wonderful resource it would be foolish not to make use of it. I think that if everyone checked the Blue Board, we would have far fewer forum postings about agencies not paying or not acting professionally.
[Edited at 2008-10-07 23:41]
| | | | Nigel Greenwood (X)
Spain
Local time: 20:59
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Of course, it's a 'must' | Oct 8, 2008 |
Why did we become members of ProZ?
-To find work.
Right, then why not take advantage of all ProZ resources?
-Logical.
Not only ProZ, but that of all our colleagues, that take the time to leave comments rearding the behaviour of agencies and potential clients?
-Once again, logical.
All, I can add, is "thanks ...ProZ.
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wonita (X)
China
Local time: 14:59
| A bit off-topic, | Oct 8, 2008 |
but I always wonder how some agencies have accumulated more than 10 1s on their blueboards?
Either many colleagues do not check the BB records, or they accept jobs despite of bad BB results.
I myself always check BB, and refuse to work for those with several 1s.
[Edited at 2008-10-08 14:38]
| | | | Rebecca Hendry
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:59
Member (2005)
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Always for agencies | Oct 8, 2008 |
I always check the Blue Board, regardless of whether or not the client has come to me through Proz. And if there is no record, I enter details of the agency and post a call for entries.
Of all the advantages of paying membership, I think the Blue Board is the one I use the most.
| | | | lillkakan
Local time: 20:59
English to Swedish
| access to the BB | Oct 8, 2008 |
Bin Tiede wrote:
but I always wonder how have some agencies accumulated more than 10 1's on their blueboards?
Either many colleagues do not check the BB records, or they accept jobs despite of bad BB results.
It's not so strange. New members with only free accounts (no paid membership) don't have automatic access to the BB. Many probably don't invest in buying access to single BB records when accepting jobs from agencies/new clients, or they don't know the option exists. Thus the bad agencies will always get a number of poor sods to work for them, who don't know better.
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