Lessons learned at the wordface: dealing with complaints

19 Jun 2013 | 6 Comments | posted by Megan Onions | in The Business of Translation

Many of us have experienced the awkward situation, where a client gets in touch after a project and is disappointed. The difficulty comes in dealing with this information. There are a number of possible reasons for the client’s reaction:

•You made an error
•The client is not able to judge the quality of the translation
•There is room for improvement in your pre-project workflow

I speak from personal experience when I say that everyone makes mistakes. This includes you. This also includes your clients. It pays to remember is that a mistake is an opportunity to improve. No matter how hard you work, how meticulous your translations are, how rigorous your QA processes, things can, and do, slip through the net. What marks you out as a professional is how you react.

Sometimes, it can be tempting to press the panic button:

 

Instead, take a deep breath and consider the following options:

•Apologise

If the error is yours, own up and apologise. I have been surprised by some extremely defensive reactions to situations like this in the past. A lot can be gained (or salvaged) from taking responsibility for a mistake. The client is able to see that you are accountable for your actions, and this will most likely enhance your reputation, rather than damage it. In contrast, taking a defensive or even hostile approach when dealing with these situations will inevitably leave you looking for another client.

•Client education

Dissatisfied clients are often no reflection on your skills. In fact, as I said earlier, situations like these can actually be opportunities for you to demonstrate exactly how skilled you are. The fact is that many translation buyers simply don’t have the ability to review the finished product. This is where problems with external ‘experts’ come in. I’m sure I’m not the only one, who has had to explain that a client’s doctor/aunt/friend, who spent a year in the UK in the 80s doesn’t necessarily know the ins and outs of the language as well as a native speaker. The trust that your client puts in you gives you a position of responsibility, which, given the right client (some just don’t care, sadly), can result in them gaining a better understanding of the industry, the translation process and your own capabilities.

•Get an independent review

If you or your client feel that such a step would be productive, what about asking a colleague to review your translation? In this situation it might be a good idea to ask someone with either a high-level qualification, advanced membership of a professional association or a significant amount of experience in the industry. Remember, you are either trying to build or rebuild the trust between you and your client. He or she needs reassurance about your credentials, and appearances, numbers and figures will work in your favour. This backup will often be enough for the client to at least see your worth, which will then allow you to explain your translation choices and, hopefully, come to a satisfying conclusion for both parties.

If you feel that this step is worth it, the question then becomes who should pay for this service. If you have a professional collaboration with a colleague, this might be the time to call in a favour. However, if you pay for the reviser’s time yourself, justify it as a small expense, which may well pay off big time in the long run.

•Improve your pre-project procedures

A lot of the problems that result in client complaints are linked to the parameters that are set before the translation actually begins. Imagine that a new client has phoned or emailed and you have agreed on rates and a deadline. What comes next? Do you just start translating? Or do you ask for reference material, a glossary of company or preferred terminology and the name of a person to contact with queries? This point is relevant to translators, who work primarily with direct clients, as (good) agencies will provide this information as a matter of course. In order to integrate these questions into your workflow, you could construct a series of short questions to send along with confirmation of the order in the form of a brief. Depending on the length, technicality and complexity of the project in hand, the brief can cover tone of voice, specific terms to avoid (perhaps competitor product names) and any images, which will accompany the translation.

This brief can be a solid foundation to fall back on in cases of client dissatisfaction, as you will have a record of his or her preferences.

How do you deal with dissatisfied clients?
Do you ask clients to fill out a brief?
As always, tips and comments are greatly appreciated!

Note: another great post on this topic is When a client is dissatisfied on Thoughts on Translation