Translation Services Are Not a Commodity
What Informed Translation Clients Need to Know – Part #2
If you’ve ever taken a class in economics you may recall that a commodity can be defined as a product or service differentiated mainly by its price. In other words the attributes of every unit of a commodity are essentially the same.
If translation services were a commodity then purchasers could evaluate translation services solely by comparing pricing. However, to informed translation clients, translation services are not rightly a commodity … not even close. Companies such as Affinity Translation and others differentiate translation services in a variety of ways that their clients value including the following:
1. Time Tested Translators: The translators that work for us have earned their expert status over the course of hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of translation projects. The linguistic qualifications of these professionals are well established and thoroughly vetted.
2. Native Speaking Translators: Our translators are native speaking in the target language (the language we’re going into). Some freelance translators promote their ability to translate in both directions within their language pair (e.g., English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English). However, this is hardly ever ideal since translators are naturally strongest in their native language.
3. Post-Translation Editing/Proofing by a Second Translator: We provide post-translation editing/proofing by a second translator to ensure that the highest quality translation standards are met. Post-translation editing/proofing is essential in almost every category of translation project.
4. Range of Translator Specializations: Most translators have areas of specialization that correspond with their unique experiences and backgrounds. It’s important to match just the right translators with the unique requirements of each project.
5. Immediate Project Start: We maintain a pool of qualified translators so that we can begin your project right away. This is an important advantage that derives from having an extensive roster of available translators to assign to projects.
