Is spelling / grammar a deal breaker for you?

Today, when perusing my usual new outlets, I came across an article that stopped me in my tracks.  Perhaps it should not have; many of us that read and write a lot, or who work in the language services industry have long known that the average person has very little knowledge of good grammar or even how to spell at an average level.  However, the article, which I am printing below, shows just...

Localization (cont. from yesterday) & Business

It never ceases to amaze me how different themes will recur in my life until I grasp the importance of them.  Yesterday on this blog I mentioned running into someone locally that did not believe translation helped his business.  Today, waiting for me, was an article that actually hit my inbox over the weekend, touching on the very same issue.  Please see this article:...

Poor customer service in the translation industry cannot be tolerated!

I will go out of my way to work with, buy from, recommend, a business that has given me great customer service.  The translation industry is largely a people business, when I am in front of a potential client, I am selling my company, but I am also selling myself.  Always be aware of this. What is interesting about customer service is that it generally does not become a factor until something...

Are employees inherently “good” or inherently “evil”?

Do you think employees are inherently lazy or do you think they inherently want to do good work?  This can be debated almost as heatedly as “is man born inherently good or inherently evil?”  We have all been to a place of business or restaurant where the man or woman behind the counter isn’t going to move faster, no matter what.  You could put a gun to their head but they are still going...

Make sure everyone knows the rules BEFORE the game begins!

This posting may seem very simple but I see the negativity between agencies and translators, and, as much as I would like to distinguish my agency from that group, I have to eventually face the fact that I may not ever be able to singlehandedly overcome the space inbetween.   However, the old saying, “it takes two to tango” generally applies.  I don’t know that most agencies try to be...