 |
Did you get a binding estimate on the cost of the translation? |
|
|
Are there any "hidden charges" that may crop up later on such as typesetting, shipping, handling or others? |
|
|
Will the translator be a native speaker of the target language? |
|
|
Is the fee based upon the final word count in the target language? |
|
|
Will the translation be delivered in a file format you can use? |
|
|
Will you get electronic as well as hard copy of your translation? |
These are all important questions for you to have answered before you commit to having any company translate your documents.
Some companies simply refuse to give a binding estimate on costs. They will only give you a "ballpark guess" as to cost, plus or minus a certain percentage. Others may give you a figure, but then tack on added charges such as typesetting, for example, if the price they gave you turns out to cause a cost overrun for them. Some will also charge you based on the final word count in the target language. This, more often than not, gives the translator a financial incentive to be verbose. After all, he is getting paid by the word! Others will vary the cost of translation based upon their estimates of how much a given language shrinks or swells in translation. This is simply a back door method of charging by the word in the target language. Until a standardized chart appears that gives these figures authoritatively, this simply makes no sense to us. With Virginia Language Services, the price we quote you is the price we will invoice you for at the end of the project.
All our translators are native speakers of the target language. This is critical to the usefulness of your document to its intended audience, especially if it is technical in nature. If your document is going to Bolivia, do you want someone from Milwaukee translating it, or would you prefer a native South American? At Virginia Language Services, we hire only native speakers and only have them translate documents within their fields of expertise.
Most documents do not need to be typeset beyond the capabilities of most word processors. Some, however, such as machine manuals, spreadsheets, financial reports, or documents on the way to the printer, to name a few, require a little more attention to layout. If your document really needs typesetting, we can do it for you at competitive rates.
The best translation in the world is useless unless you can use it. We can deliver your translations in any current word processing format you require. If you need spreadsheets translated, we can return them to you in Lotus 1-2-3 or Microsoft Excel. We can also return your documents in Lotus Free Lance and Microsoft Power Point. You will always get a copy of your document in electronic form as well as hard copy.
Avoid these and other headaches. Come to Virginia Language Services. We offer flat rate pricing on document translation, binding estimates and no surprises. After all, it's your document and your money.
© 2012 Virginia Language Services LLC