Rush Translation: Why Rush Fees Should Be Expected
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EmailRush translation happens when someone finds themselves in a rough spot and needs translation service right away. Things get forgotten, new projects pop up, priorities change. That is completely understandable. Not all situations afford the simple benefit of planning and the problem will not go away unless addressed.
And, guess what? Most professionals in our industry are happy to help, drop everything else, roll up their sleeves and help out.
First, let’s talk about what exactly constitutes “rush”. If you need 2,000 words or less translated and you need them back in 3 business days, you will likely not incur any charges.
If we are talking about delivery within 24 hours or EOB today or projects involving multiple languages on a tight schedule, etc., we are definitely talking fast turnaround and you will see an uptick in price. Here are three reasons why:
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- Immediate, dedicated project management is needed: It takes a while for a project manager to find an available translator who is also ready to drop everything else they are doing and focus on your project. The communication that occurs and preparation of the project for translation take time.
- Translators will most likely be paid higher fees: We may use on-call translators who are paid a retainer fee or we may find a translator who is willing to set aside other work – or simply refuse other projects – and this is something that, traditionally, deserves compensation. In addition, any overnight work will also be compensated as overtime work.
- If the volume is very large, some automation may need to be used. A hybrid solution involving machine translation and human solution might be the answer for you. This requires setup and different steps than traditional translation process. If you are a current customer and such structures have been set up for you, you may avoid rush fees. With new customers, this simply depends on complexity of the task on hand.
As always, make sure you understand the process your language services provider uses. Make it clear whether all quality steps need to be included or if some can be skipped in the interest of saving time. This does not mean that the translator is rushing and may not deliver what you need. Cutting a QA step simply means that the translation will be seen and touched by fewer eyes and hands than it normally would – which, depending on circumstances – may be perfectly fine.
Call us today if you have any questions about rush fees! We won some of our best customers after we were able to help them with complex projects with fast turnarounds and are not afraid to take on a new challenge.
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