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سبتمبر 7, 2017 | Tips

7 Questions To Ask Your Translation Services Provider

While English dominates the global stage, it’s a myth that everyone in the world speaks it. In fact, in a steadily rising global population of over 7.5 billion, there are only  375 million  native English speakers. Which means as the world continues to globalize, the need for a professional and reliable translation services provider is increasingly important.

Fortunately, the language and translation industry is keeping pace with global demand, growing at an annual rate of  5.5 percent.

With the market expanding, the number of translation agencies is increasing by the day. How can be sure of choosing the right translation services provider for your needs? The following seven questions should be mandatory for anyone in need of translation.

1. Does Your Translation Services Provider Know What You Need?

In many ways, translation is an art. Simply turning one language into another fails to capture the sheer amount of craft that goes into the work. For every kind of document, be it a medical textbook, or an epic poem, a different skillset is needed.

When looking for a translation services provider, make sure they have a team of capable translators on hand. They should be able to reproduce the nuance of the original language.

If your project needs to appeal to a certain cultural demographic through targeted localization, make sure to research well. Check the agency’s website to see if they offer this service.

Your translation services provider should be able to anticipate what you need by asking the right questions. If you don’t see any attention paid to these kinds of details, then walk. It’s possible that your translated text will find itself in a shabby condition.

2. Do they Have Experts in Specialized Fields?

Part of the difficulty in translating different genres of text is the hyper-specific terminology involved. The same person who can translate legal text accurately may flounder when faced with financial material. If you need a particular specialty, ensure your translation services provider offers it.

The demand for some kinds of translation may outstrip the supply, as industry and global trends shift. While the job of translator is growing by  29 percent  a year in the US, don’t assume that you can find the right language / specialty combination at the last minute. Try to plan ahead as much as possible.

3. Are Their Methods Right for the Job?

Most translation agencies offer both CAT (computer assisted translation) and traditional manual translation carried out completely by flesh and blood humans.

The advantages of CAT are obvious – you can get your translation back to you in far less time than if a human were working on it. This is especially helpful if you have a huge amount of material and a fast approaching deadline. And, because there’s no human involved, the cost is going to be easier on the pocketbook.

But despite these advances, CAT often struggles if it’s given anything other than straightforward, literal writing. It will fail to pick up on any kind of nuance, metaphor, or (especially) humor.

If you want your translation to maintain a certain culturally specific tone, ensure that your translation services provider offers a combination of CAT tools and human proofreading. Of, better still, that the bulk of the work will be carried out without the help of machines.

4. Do They Produce Top-Shelf Work?

The main reason people choose to shell out for a translation services provider is because they expect high quality to the point of perfection. If you wanted a slapdash translation, you’d simply plug your text into any of the freely available online translators.

Because settling for less won’t do, it’s essential to do your due diligence on the agency. An important question to ask is whether the translation services provider has any quality control measures in place.

Do they pick the right translator for the job, e.g. an expert in legalese for a legal document? Do they have a team of editors on hand to proof, double-check, and revise the material? Finally, if the end result is not to your liking, does the translation services provider have a robust refund / retranslate policy in place?

5. Can They Manage a Swift Turnaround?

In a situation where you need your project translated asap, you need a translation agency that operates around the clock, whether through scheduling, or translators placed in multiple time zones.

Given that translation is an inherently global industry, your translation services provider should not be limited to the standard working hours of a particular country. When getting a quote, email, or otherwise contacting the agency, ensure they can work according to your schedule.

6. Do They Value Confidentiality?

Depending on the project you need translated, confidentiality may be the most important factor when looking for a translation services provider.

At the bare minimum, you’ll want an agency that requires every one of its employees to sign a wide-ranging non disclosure agreement (NDA) or the equivalent. If the agency does not follow major government privacy acts such as HIPAA (in the US), that should be an automatic red flag.

Don’t make the mistake of avoiding a translation services provider altogether because your project contains sensitive material. Google translate is nowhere close to providing a secure environment, especially in the case of  legal documents. Moreover, one tiny error in a legal document translation can cause a contract to be deemed null and void.

7. Do They Have Robust Customer Service?

If you’re going through a professional translation services provider, the chances are the document(s) in question are going to be important. Peace of mind is essential throughout the entire customer experience. If you don’t feel as if your business matters to the agency, then you should take it elsewhere.

Consistent phone and email customer service is essential. A translation services provider worth its salt should accommodate your needs and go beyond what’s stated on their website.

This includes smart practices, such as assigning the same translator to your documents, or showing a willingness to go back and make changes if their original work falls short of expectations.

With the language and translation industry growing at a healthy clip, there are more options than ever for those looking to get their projects translated. Because the global nature of the market means regulation can vary from country to country, it’s up to you to do the vetting. The seven questions above are the perfect place to start.