Translator English French Guide: Choosing a French Language Translation AgencyNeed a French language translation? Perrine, Professional Translator English French, suggests looking at more than just price when choosing a translation agency. Read these important tips to sort through similar-sounding agency offerings and get the best value for your translation budget. Were you looking for a free online translation instead? How to choose a translation agencyWhich translation agency is the best choice for your French translations? Here are some factors to consider: 1) References. Who are the current clients of this agency? Ask for references, and then follow up on them to find out how satisfied their clients are. Many agencies also publish client lists on their websites. "Look carefully at the agency's areas of specialization. And see if the agency's been around for a long time." - Perrine Souffez, Translator English French 2) Price. There is a huge range in prices between one agency and another. If the price is too low, that should raise your suspicions. After all, the agency has to cover its costs, and is therefore cutting corners somewhere. On the other hand, if the price is too high, you may end up paying for the company's higher overhead (or profit margin) and not actually get extra value for your money. We do not advise choosing an agency based on price alone, as price is not a reliable indicator of quality, and there are significant differences in the quality you will get from one agency and another. Still, price should always be a factor. It's a good idea to get multiple quotations for your French language translation so that you have a basis for price comparison. Click here for more about French language translation pricing. If timing is a critical factor in your project, asking for timing estimates can also help you make a decision. But beware of companies that offer super-fast timing, as this may be a bad sign in terms of the level of quality control. Click here for more about translation timing. "When an agency has low prices, that doesn't mean it's any good. It's better to choose an agency that charges a little more or charges market rates than to end up with a bad translation." - Perrine Souffez, Translator English French 3) Quality control measures. Really investigate this. If your French language translation is for publication, make sure that the translation company will use both a native translator and a native editor, and that the editor will be checking every word against the original text, not just glancing over the document. We have been told by project managers for other agencies that many agencies claim to offer "revision" as part of their service, but this revision just involves a project manager or someone else taking a superficial look at the document to check for completeness and formatting. If you need a high-quality French language translation, this is not enough. One way to make sure that the translation is actually passing through an editor is to request a copy of the editor's modifications in addition to the final translation. Perrine Souffez, Translator English French previously worked as a project manager in a translation agency. Read our conversation with her about quality control practices in the agency where she was employed. 4) Services covered. If you require specialized services for your French language translation such as website programming, investigate to find out if these are areas in which the agency regularly works or if they would be subcontracting to a third party (or otherwise improvising) to meet your needs. Make sure the agency is experienced at the services they will be providing to you. 5) You can also ask for the CV and sample translations for the specific French translator who would be working on your project. Questions to ask a translation agency:
Translator English French Guide - Related PagesA day in the life of a translation agency: Read our interview with Perrine Souffez, Translator English French and former translation agency project manager. Get advice on choosing a freelance translator Go to the main Translator English French category page
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