If you don’t know the technical jargon, it can be difficult to decide which translation services to buy – the calculation methods and services packages vary enormously. And you can’t rely on price as an indicator of how good the translation will be. So it pays to look closely at how a potential translation service provider works, what you’re getting for your money, and what you aren’t. We don’t want you to compare apples and oranges, so here’s what lies behind all the jargon.
There are so many language service providers and translation agencies to choose from, and it can be a good idea to get quotes from a number of different places. But these quotes, and particularly the prices, will almost certainly vary enormously. So you need to know how to compare them!
Don’t be seduced by the price
On their own, the numbers don’t tell you much. Make sure you check what the price includes in each case, and in particular what isn’t included – services which aren’t included might end up costing you more money than you bargained for, and what looked like the best value quote can quickly become a lot more expensive. Unfortunately, by the time you discover that it’s usually too late.
These hidden costs can be surcharges for express jobs, minimum rates for very short texts, hourly rates for preparing the files before translation and making them ready to use afterwards, charges for maintaining translation memories or for handling complex file formats, technical support costs... there’s a lot that can add to what you end up paying.
Which basic services are included?
So you should find out which services are included in the price per word/line. The first question to ask is: does the price include project management? After all, the “translation” itself isn’t the whole story. It can’t start until the project has been prepared, and it can’t be delivered until the files have been exported and checked – and only an experienced project manager will know exactly how to do that. In addition, it’s much better if you as a client get the same project manager for all your projects, as that way they’ll come to know all your specific requirements inside out.
The next question: does the language service provider work with a CAT tool or translation memory system? The answer really should be “yes”, as these tools and systems are now standard and reduce the amount clients pay for their translations enormously, but some agencies charge extra for preparing files and/or maintaining translation memories.
Who does the translations?
It’s also a good idea to look critically at who provides the agency’s translations. Are they professional, experienced specialist translators? If you’re looking for a long-term collaboration, will the agency give you core translators to handle all your projects? Ultimately, the quality of the translation depends on the translator. If the price seems very low, you should get suspicious: below a certain price (which varies depending on the translator’s language and where they live) it simply isn’t possible in good conscience to produce a high-quality translation. It may be that the translator is using machine translation without telling anyone.
Review vs. final checks (following the four-eye principle)
Of course it’s true that four eyes will see more than two, but when you see an agency offering something along the lines of “Translation with final checks following the four-eye principle”, you should ask who the other pair of eyes belongs to. If it’s a project manager or “another linguist” doing the final checks, that’s not a real review. This form of quality control usually uses computer software, and there’s nothing wrong with – in fact it’s commonplace. But it’s important to know that it isn’t an ISO 17100 review, which involves a second specialist translator reviewing the translation by checking it against the source text and correcting any mistakes. If a quote includes a real review, the price will usually be noticeably higher (but watch out, because even here there can be differences: some reviews only check randomly selected sections of the text rather than the whole thing).
CAT grids and savings
If the translation agency works with CAT tools, they’ll be using what are known as “CAT grids”. Translation memory systems allow clients to save money on their translations, and these savings are listed in the CAT grid – but there are different ways of passing on this information to prospective clients. So make sure you check which savings you’re getting and how they’re calculated.
Source language vs. target language
Prices are usually worked out based on the number of words or lines in the source text, but some translation agencies also factor in the target language. Many languages are longer than English or German, which means translations into them end up being longer than the source text. So if the agency charges by target language word/line count, you’ll end up paying more.
Other things to consider
- Is the translation agency actually ISO certified, or do they merely “work in accordance with ISO specifications”?
- Can the agency handle the file formats I use? If so, do they charge different amounts for different file formats?
- Do the translation agency’s workflows fit my in-house workflows?
- Do they charge by word count or by the number of lines?
Find out more about these questions, and why they’re so important.
It pays to look closely
It’s the small things, which are often easy to overlook, that can end up costing you a lot more than you thought. So to find out exactly what you’ll be getting for your money and make an informed decision, review the quotes you get carefully and talk to the agencies. It’s the smart thing to do.
Main image: © Storyblocks
