| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Have friends or family ever approached you to get your services for free? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have friends or family ever approached you to get your services for free?".
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Let’s start by saying that I haven’t been asked often. Sometimes it has been the other way around: they wanted to pay but I didn’t accept. Over the years, I translated for free a few CVs for family members and occasionally my youngest daughter needs my help with the translation of recipes and menus. Some years ago, I collaborated on a translation (mostly editing) with one of my nieces, who is a medical doctor, for a very, very special price. I’m also the first port of call for my only tr... See more Let’s start by saying that I haven’t been asked often. Sometimes it has been the other way around: they wanted to pay but I didn’t accept. Over the years, I translated for free a few CVs for family members and occasionally my youngest daughter needs my help with the translation of recipes and menus. Some years ago, I collaborated on a translation (mostly editing) with one of my nieces, who is a medical doctor, for a very, very special price. I’m also the first port of call for my only translator daughter (the middle one), sometimes she considers me as her private dictionary (not that I mind!)… ▲ Collapse
| | | | Alex Lichanow
Germany
Local time: 18:46
Member (2020)
English to German
+ ...
The only two times that a friend needed a translation from me, he actually gave me a better rate than I originally quoted.
| | | | Sadek_A 
Local time: 20:46
English to Arabic
+ ...
Yes, for medical reports. They like to get front seats on their conditions, even before speaking to their doctors.
But, for free is usually not the problem, wanting the translation in no late than a flick of the finger is!
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For small, private jobs I would not dream of asking for payment from family and friends. They do not directly ask me to do it for free, and they do not ask often.
It takes longer to invoice personal documents like birth certificates than to translate them, and the odd recipe or newspaper article is usually quite easy.
I also have a relative who runs his own business and regularly asks me to translate for him, but he pays, and the first time, when I tried to give him a special... See more For small, private jobs I would not dream of asking for payment from family and friends. They do not directly ask me to do it for free, and they do not ask often.
It takes longer to invoice personal documents like birth certificates than to translate them, and the odd recipe or newspaper article is usually quite easy.
I also have a relative who runs his own business and regularly asks me to translate for him, but he pays, and the first time, when I tried to give him a special rate, he complained that I did not charge enough! We are good friends in private, but business is strictly business. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ivana Kahle
Germany
Local time: 18:46
Member (2007)
German to Croatian
+ ...
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But I actually offered to translate, into Spanish, the lyrics of a song that one of my favorite cousins, who used to go to Mexico quite often to jam with other musicians, wrote many years ago. So for me and him, it would have worked the other way around, if I had actually ended up doing that.
[Edited at 2022-08-18 10:43 GMT]
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 18:46
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Yes, but I've also had friends and family ask me for a quote. And I've had clients ask me to do something "as a favour" (sometimes even clients that I've never worked for before).
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| Asked? Never | Aug 18, 2022 |
I have never ever been approached by anyone trying to get a translation from me for free. That of course does not mean I have not done free translations for relatives or whoever I wanted to. Definitely. Last year, someone who had done a favour to my familiy needed a translation which of course he wanted to pay. But I did it for free, and I was more than happy to return the favour.
[Edited at 2022-08-18 13:35 GMT]
| | | | Hipyan Nopri
Indonesia
Local time: 23:46
Member (2005)
English to Indonesian
+ ...
| Really Often | Aug 18, 2022 |
In my early years as a translator, almost all of my friends who asked me to translate their coursework did not ask my rates at all because they expected free translation services.
Yes, in my early days as a translator, I was reluctant to discuss my rates with my friends who asked for translation services.
However, with time and a sense of professionalism, I finally mentioned my rates whenever a friend asked for my translation services.
Almost one hundred pe... See more In my early years as a translator, almost all of my friends who asked me to translate their coursework did not ask my rates at all because they expected free translation services.
Yes, in my early days as a translator, I was reluctant to discuss my rates with my friends who asked for translation services.
However, with time and a sense of professionalism, I finally mentioned my rates whenever a friend asked for my translation services.
Almost one hundred percent of those who came immediately left after I told them the rate of my translation services.
Yes, that is the culture of people in Indonesia. They tend to want to get free translation services if they are friends with a translator. ▲ Collapse
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Yes, of course. And sometimes they do favours for me. Isn't that what friendship is about? If it's a big job that they need for professional reasons, then that's different, but for small, occasional "services" I wouldn't dream of asking for payment.
As for family, it's never come up and is never likely to, as it's hard to imagine any of my family ever needing a translation between Greek and English.
I once acted as an ad hoc interpreter for a fellow plane passenger who ... See more Yes, of course. And sometimes they do favours for me. Isn't that what friendship is about? If it's a big job that they need for professional reasons, then that's different, but for small, occasional "services" I wouldn't dream of asking for payment.
As for family, it's never come up and is never likely to, as it's hard to imagine any of my family ever needing a translation between Greek and English.
I once acted as an ad hoc interpreter for a fellow plane passenger who was taken ill and had to see a doctor, but I was just killing time until my next flight, anyway. I'm a professional and I expect to receive a commensurate fee for the work I do, but that doesn't mean I'm a rapacious monster when it comes to getting paid. ▲ Collapse
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My brother-in-law, for his business. When he started taking me for his secretary working for free, I stopped.
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I have done quite a bit of translation for friends and relatives, but they have all insisted on paying full price.
I am sure this attitude is a cultural thing.
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 18:46
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
| A couple of times, I wouldn't do it again. | Aug 19, 2022 |
Good example:
My neighbor needed some documents translated from French for his insurance, and he paid a very high fee for a simple one pager. I just interpreted some sections to him in five minutes. This is the only good example I can remember.
Bad example 1:
My friend, an engineer, needed some technical text done. He won multiple praises and projects thanks to my translation. When I asked him to share some profits, he said: But you ONLY translated. However... See more Good example:
My neighbor needed some documents translated from French for his insurance, and he paid a very high fee for a simple one pager. I just interpreted some sections to him in five minutes. This is the only good example I can remember.
Bad example 1:
My friend, an engineer, needed some technical text done. He won multiple praises and projects thanks to my translation. When I asked him to share some profits, he said: But you ONLY translated. However, there is a tiny good portion in this example. I took some samples from this text when bidding on a technical project in the same field, and I won the project, precisely thanks to this sample (according to PM). It was a longtime project with fairly good earnings.
Bad example 2:
A friend, piano expert got involved in international classical music projects. She is a great piano player and expert, no doubt about that, but speaks very bad English or almost does not speak it all. So she constantly needed to coordinate with classical music students from various countries, by email and in English. I helped her a couple of times to draft some emails. It resulted in her calling me constantly at odd hours to help her draft an email. I had to cut all contact. Mind you, she was receiving huge amounts of money to coordinate these projects, yet wanted assistance completely free of charge. It's obvious her colleagues who spoke better English did not have her level of expertise, so they picked her.
Conclusion:
When friends or family ask, "I am busy, unfortunately" or "I don't do that type of translation, unfortunately".
[Edited at 2022-08-19 08:46 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 18:46
French to English
Yes, I have often translated small texts for free, and once a long text too, a report by a friend working with Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
I was recently approached by a friend asking if I could translate a text for an artist friend of his. The text was pretty long and technical, in a very intellectual style, not at all the type of translation anyone can just dash off. It would have needed several days hard work to produce something decent. Since the artist was living in poverty, ... See more Yes, I have often translated small texts for free, and once a long text too, a report by a friend working with Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
I was recently approached by a friend asking if I could translate a text for an artist friend of his. The text was pretty long and technical, in a very intellectual style, not at all the type of translation anyone can just dash off. It would have needed several days hard work to produce something decent. Since the artist was living in poverty, I agreed to do it for half my usual rate. He decided not to have the text translated, because it was still too expensive for him.
I later learned that he sold a work for €40,000, which is more than I earn in a year. If he comes back wanting a translation now, I'll bill my full rate.
On the other hand, a friend setting up her own business asked me to translate her website. She insisted on paying my full rate, although I did give her a small discount. She paid immediately, and has had me translate updates ever since, and even asked me to edit a book she wrote in English, all in all a fruitful collaboration.
[Edited at 2022-08-22 12:01 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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