Poll: Do you raise your fees during holiday seasons? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you raise your fees during holiday seasons?".
This poll was originally submitted by Daniel Gebauer. View the poll results »
| | | | | Wishful thinking | Jun 25, 2010 |
It would be a dreamworld if I could raise me rate any time I deem it appropriate )
| | | | | | | Never happened | Jun 25, 2010 |
Unless I was asked to work on Christmas day or any other major holiday in the country where I live, I wouldn't expect to be able to raise my rates.
The only time I can is for rush rates and even those depend on who I'm working for.
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| Maybe we should? | Jun 25, 2010 |
That might be the moment to do it - when clients and agencies are desperate for translators who are actually working, not sunbathing, watching football or whatever.
I had done a long week's work by Thursday lunchtime this week, and turned down at least as much because I simply could not face my computer more hours in the day!
Actually, in previous years I have tended to take some holiday myself, which made it impossible to raise rates just at that point.  ... See more That might be the moment to do it - when clients and agencies are desperate for translators who are actually working, not sunbathing, watching football or whatever.
I had done a long week's work by Thursday lunchtime this week, and turned down at least as much because I simply could not face my computer more hours in the day!
Actually, in previous years I have tended to take some holiday myself, which made it impossible to raise rates just at that point.  But now that my family life is reorganising itself, and there are chances to see relatives at other times of the year, I am considering taking my own holiday well away from the peak season. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 05:21
English to French
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| Which holidays? | Jun 25, 2010 |
Yours, your clients’? Winter? Summer? Religious (which religion)? Northern hemisphere? Southern hemisphere?
I thought we were living in a globalised world.
Working for customers on 3.5 continents, with at least 3 different religions and in the 2 hemispheres, I just try to make the best of all worlds, and adjust to my customers. They in turn adjust to my taking a holiday now and then...
| | | | | Advantage of working during "holiday periods" | Jun 25, 2010 |
Like interlangue and brannigan, I see no justification in raising rates or demanding a surcharge, but there may be an advantage to be gained anyway. The client may have had to find a different translator (self) and if you do a satisfactory job, may decide to stay with you.
On the other hand, perhaps if you can detect that the client is having difficulty finding a translator at this time, you should certainly not allow yourself to be negotiated into any special discounts! But perhap... See more Like interlangue and brannigan, I see no justification in raising rates or demanding a surcharge, but there may be an advantage to be gained anyway. The client may have had to find a different translator (self) and if you do a satisfactory job, may decide to stay with you.
On the other hand, perhaps if you can detect that the client is having difficulty finding a translator at this time, you should certainly not allow yourself to be negotiated into any special discounts! But perhaps that is wishful thinking. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Niraja Nanjundan (X) 
Local time: 08:51
German to English
Interlangue wrote:
Yours, your clients’? Winter? Summer? Religious (which religion)? Northern hemisphere? Southern hemisphere?
I thought we were living in a globalised world.
Like translations, holidays are very subjective, so, no, I don't raise my rates during holiday seasons.
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Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 05:21
Member (2006)
German to English
why? Is it different to any other time of the year?
| | | | | There is definitely a difference | Jun 25, 2010 |
In the language pairs I work in, there are some definite holidays - the summer is more diffuse, as Scandinavians tend to take holidays and come back to work earlier than the British. December and the New Year are very clearly holidays.
There is also a pattern of work. Clients seem to clear their desks and send a crescendo of large projects just before a holiday, hoping that the translations will be in their mails when they come back to work. Some years, I feel I would have to work ... See more In the language pairs I work in, there are some definite holidays - the summer is more diffuse, as Scandinavians tend to take holidays and come back to work earlier than the British. December and the New Year are very clearly holidays.
There is also a pattern of work. Clients seem to clear their desks and send a crescendo of large projects just before a holiday, hoping that the translations will be in their mails when they come back to work. Some years, I feel I would have to work 36 hours a day all December to keep up...
July is usually madly busy, with a lull in August, but all the years I worked in-house, there was a constant chorus of: ´We´re not usually this busy in August!´ after the summer break.
Think about it folks: as you gather more experience, your work should be worth more. Are you taking on more ambitious jobs at higher prices? Doing the same jobs better or faster? Using better dictionaries, Internet resources and CAT tools than you were ten years ago?
You should be earning more after five or ten years than when you started. If not, ask yourself why, and don´t sell your work too cheaply! Try and raise rates (backed by good reasons), even if you don´t succeed. It raises awareness of the value of your work and resistance against dropping rates.
Happy translating! ▲ Collapse
| | | | m_temmer
Local time: 21:21
English to Dutch
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Michael Harris wrote:
why? Is it different to any other time of the year?
Yes and no. I'd say no because our work is worth as much in February as it is in July. But once you start thinking as a business man, you could say yes, because when translators become scarce (because those with children tend to take time off when their kids have time off), the economic value of translations goes up. We all know what happens when demand for a certain product is high and supply is low. Why should it be different in the translation business?
I have never raised my rates for that reason either, but it's food for thought.
| | | | | Yes and no, same here | Jun 25, 2010 |
My first thought to this poll question was: No, but thanks for the idea
I am thinking about this not necessarily in terms of being a rare resource with all the other translators taking time off, but as a measure to compensate for loss of work if *I* take time off.
If we charge higher fees for work during the weekend or overnight, I see no reason why we shouldn't do so during the holidays widely accepted i... See more My first thought to this poll question was: No, but thanks for the idea
I am thinking about this not necessarily in terms of being a rare resource with all the other translators taking time off, but as a measure to compensate for loss of work if *I* take time off.
If we charge higher fees for work during the weekend or overnight, I see no reason why we shouldn't do so during the holidays widely accepted in our regions, when the clients spend at least some time with their families and enjoy life while we labor and toil at the computer...
I definitely agree with Christine on raising rates. I've experienced this as a natural consequence of being "more professional" than I was in my early days as a translator. Higher rates act as a natural selection of clients - survival of the fittest payer.
Enjoy your weekends,
Annamaria ▲ Collapse
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Gina W
United States
Local time: 23:21
Member (2003)
French to English
But I got to the point of not accepting jobs over certain holidays, and now if I were to accept a job then it might be at a higher rate. The client should have an appreciation of me working when I don't need to be.
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