A corporate translation request usually arrives as a one-line message: file attached, how long will it take. Yet any answer given without knowing what that file is, where it will be submitted and in what form it will be required is no more than a guess. This section describes how the first contact, in which the request is really understood, is handled.
What is asked at first contact
The target language, the delivery date and the purpose of the document are the first three questions, and nothing moves forward until all three are answered. These questions are asked not to stall the client but to be able to give a correct answer. The answers are recorded in writing.
The purpose of the document
The same document may be read for information or submitted to an official body, and the two cases call for different work. If it is to be submitted to a body, the legalisation chain and the declaration come up. If the purpose is not learned at the outset, the job is redone later.
The expectations of the receiving organisation
The organisation the document will be submitted to may have its own expectations of format and certification, and the client knows them. If the expectation is not asked about, the work proceeds on assumption. If the assumption is wrong, the delivered job is not accepted.
File format and legibility
Whether the incoming file is scanned or editable changes the working method completely. No turnaround estimate can be made on a file that cannot be read. No date is given before the file has been seen.
Establishing the volume
The size of the job is measured not by the number of pages but by the amount of text, and the two measures give very different results. A page dense with tables and a sparse page are not the same. The measurement is made with a tool.
Repetition rate
If the document has repeated sections, the volume of work changes accordingly, and this rate can be measured. The measurement is passed on to the client transparently. Figures are discussed instead of guesses.
Establishing the urgency
The date given by the client and the time the job requires usually do not match, and this is said early. An unrealistic commitment lowers quality directly. Alternative plans are offered.
Determining the confidentiality level
The sensitivity of the document affects the working arrangements and the size of the team. A confidential file is worked on by a smaller team, and this is reflected in the turnaround. The level is asked about at first contact.
Whether it carries personal data
The presence of identity, health or judicial information in the file changes the process from the start. These files are processed under a separate regime. This is established at first glance.
Relationship with previous jobs
If the client has previously translated documents, they are requested for the sake of terminological continuity. This request both raises quality and shortens the turnaround. The archive is checked.
Whether a terminology list exists
If the organisation has its own term preferences, these are obtained at the start of the job. A list that arrives later means the work already done has to be gone over again. The question is asked at first contact.
The contact person
Who is to be asked when a question arises during the job is decided at the outset. A single contact person reduces uncertainty. The person and the way to reach them are recorded.
Expected response time
How quickly questions will be answered affects planning and is discussed. A late answer delays delivery directly. This link is explained to the client.
Preferred form of delivery
In which file format and in how many copies the translation will be required is asked at the outset. A later change of format may require the output to be produced again. The preference is obtained in writing.
No quote on incomplete information
A quote given before the information is complete turns into a dispute about scope during the job. Waiting is cheaper than correcting afterwards. This limit is explained to the client openly.
Recording the request
Every condition discussed is recorded in writing and read back to the client. A verbal understanding is remembered differently later on. The record becomes the basis of the job.
Declining a job that cannot be done
If the language pair, the turnaround or the confidentiality condition cannot be met, the job is declined at the outset. Accepting it and failing to deliver on time does greater harm. The refusal is communicated with its reason.
The next step
Once the information is complete, the file is measured and the scope is defined in writing. These two steps form the basis of the quote. The order is not broken.