I was supposed to be in Athens yesterday and today - interpreting at a European employee forum. Unfortunately, due to the general strike announced for Greece, the meeting was cancelled.
My first thought was, oh good, I won't get stuck at some airport AGAIN, but then I got nervous - what are the cancellation terms on my contract?
For too many years I was very naive when it came to dealing with clients. Maybe it's just the case in Slovakia, but here it's not usual to actually get a binding contract to confirm an interpreting assignment. So it did happen that my assignment was cancelled two days before the meeting were to take place and I was left with nothing.
Maybe it does happen to other linguists too that they don't regard themselves as business entities and are way too willing to accept any terms whatsoever just to get some work. And then we complain that clients have no respect for our profession. However, respect doesn't come out of nowhere. We have to earn it not only by providing a top-notch service but also by communicating professionally.
When I decide to buy a product or service, I know that I have to sign a binding order or even pay a deposit. Sometimes this deposit is as much as 50% of the total amount. Yet when someone calls me and asks me whether I'm free to interpret on a given date, I just accept it and never ask for a written confirmation. This has to change.
The next time a client inquires about my services, I'll have my standard terms and conditions ready and I will ask him or her to sign a binding contract. If I want to be treated like a professional, I have to act like one. It may put off some clients who would not accept paying the full price for a meeting that gets cancelled. But then again, when we buy an airline ticket, a holiday and such, we accept that there is no refund.
It is not acceptable that only the interpreter bears the financial risk. We are small businesses and we need to protect our interests.
Luckily, my contract for the employee forum was a good one and I should get the full fees despite the cancellation.
My first thought was, oh good, I won't get stuck at some airport AGAIN, but then I got nervous - what are the cancellation terms on my contract?
For too many years I was very naive when it came to dealing with clients. Maybe it's just the case in Slovakia, but here it's not usual to actually get a binding contract to confirm an interpreting assignment. So it did happen that my assignment was cancelled two days before the meeting were to take place and I was left with nothing.
Maybe it does happen to other linguists too that they don't regard themselves as business entities and are way too willing to accept any terms whatsoever just to get some work. And then we complain that clients have no respect for our profession. However, respect doesn't come out of nowhere. We have to earn it not only by providing a top-notch service but also by communicating professionally.
When I decide to buy a product or service, I know that I have to sign a binding order or even pay a deposit. Sometimes this deposit is as much as 50% of the total amount. Yet when someone calls me and asks me whether I'm free to interpret on a given date, I just accept it and never ask for a written confirmation. This has to change.
The next time a client inquires about my services, I'll have my standard terms and conditions ready and I will ask him or her to sign a binding contract. If I want to be treated like a professional, I have to act like one. It may put off some clients who would not accept paying the full price for a meeting that gets cancelled. But then again, when we buy an airline ticket, a holiday and such, we accept that there is no refund.
It is not acceptable that only the interpreter bears the financial risk. We are small businesses and we need to protect our interests.
Luckily, my contract for the employee forum was a good one and I should get the full fees despite the cancellation.
Great article and keep it up your nice work.
ReplyDeletefrench interpreters