Job quote contact method: email Thread poster: Anmol
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Another one of those too-good-to-be-true job listings offering "Potential SS>TT Translation for Regular Work" at the princely sum of 0.01 cent/word hit the Jobs Postings recently.
I've noticed that many such listings, if not most, specify an e-mail contact method and not a ProZ Quote contact method.
I've never quite understood why ProZ provides a method for suppliers to get in touch with outsourcers directly by e-mail, foregoing valuable revenue. On the one hand, it... See more Another one of those too-good-to-be-true job listings offering "Potential SS>TT Translation for Regular Work" at the princely sum of 0.01 cent/word hit the Jobs Postings recently.
I've noticed that many such listings, if not most, specify an e-mail contact method and not a ProZ Quote contact method.
I've never quite understood why ProZ provides a method for suppliers to get in touch with outsourcers directly by e-mail, foregoing valuable revenue. On the one hand, it might be altruistic. Then again, it could serve the purpose of attracting non-paying members to the site. On the other hand, it leads to a lack of transparency and hides the number of potential bidders.
Unfortunately, I've seen this contact method used overwhelmingly by agencies with low BB ratings as well as low-paying outsourcers. I for one am able to garner a better picture of an agency by the number of bids its jobs attract, and the lack of transparency and the general impression that low-paying agencies and agencies with low BB ratings use this method does not make me very comfortable with this method.
What could be other preferred reasons for using the email method that I am missing? And why would agencies prefer to use the ProZ Quote method if the email method is better/cheaper?
[Subject edited by staff or moderator 2009-07-22 09:07 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | We've got the opposite problem | Jul 22, 2009 |
Funny. Whenever we post a job (which is rare these days) and specify we would like applicants to use the ProZ.com system so we can have all the quotes grouped together, we usually get a ton of e-mail applications.
The reason seems to be that many translators don't believe in spending money to make money.
I would think that one motivation for agencies to ask for e-mail quotes could be to maximize the number of responses they get instead of limiting the number of applican... See more Funny. Whenever we post a job (which is rare these days) and specify we would like applicants to use the ProZ.com system so we can have all the quotes grouped together, we usually get a ton of e-mail applications.
The reason seems to be that many translators don't believe in spending money to make money.
I would think that one motivation for agencies to ask for e-mail quotes could be to maximize the number of responses they get instead of limiting the number of applicants to those who are willing to a) restrict themselves to using the ProZ.com system where requested and b) spending the fee Proz.com charges then for placing bids. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Samuel Murray 
Netherlands
Local time: 11:21
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
| With e-mail, the translator is helpless | Jul 22, 2009 |
Anil Gidwani wrote:
What could be other preferred reasons for using the email method that I am missing?
Well, if I have to speculate, I'd say that it's because e-mail allows a translator to write the response himself and choose for himself what information he wants to provide or not provide. With the ProZ.com message system, the translator is limited to certain text fields, meaning translators who are incapable of writing a good e-mail might still manage to create the impression that they're good translators.
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I prefer to receive e-mail quotes rather than Proz ones, so I can keep them organized within my mail folder the way I want to. With the Proz system, I have them grouped by language and premium users first, but that's it. I feel, it becomes really confusing when there are many applicants for one specific job.
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