Poll: Have you found it difficult to get clients to provide public feedback or testimonials for you?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Jun 15, 2017

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you found it difficult to get clients to provide public feedback or testimonials for you?".

View the poll results »



 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 14:57
Spanish to English
+ ...
No Jun 15, 2017

Although having said that, I must admit I can't recall ever having asked for any while working as a translator. If I had to look for testimonials or feedback now, I wouldn't foresee any problems.

 
Jack Doughty
Jack Doughty  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:57
Russian to English
+ ...
In memoriam
Not directly Jun 15, 2017

But I have translated novels for authors who wish to pose as native English speakers, on the grounds that this will help their books sell, so they don't want to credit me as the translator.
I don't feel I can refuse such requests, as literary work is hard to come by and I don't want to lose work by attempting to insist on being credited.


 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 06:57
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Jun 15, 2017

I answered "I've never asked for it," but then I remembered that I have occasionally asked for letters of reference for grants, mortgages, etc., and my clients were kind enough to provide very nice statements. But I never asked for testimonials to promote my business.

[Edited at 2017-06-15 10:26 GMT]


 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 13:57
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other Jun 15, 2017

When some years ago I decided to create my website I did ask my clients to provide testimonials and they all obliged.

Most of my WWA entries in Proz haven’t been requested by me.


 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 13:57
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
It would be inappropriate to ask for feedback on this site Jun 15, 2017

Unless or until ProZ.com gives clients the right to give a true opinion, how can you solicit anything? "Dear client, Please leave feedback. Oh, by the way, it must be good, or else!" ???

Some have very kindly left feedback, but I've never asked anyone to, and I don't see how I possibly could in the current situation.


 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 14:57
French to English
for my diploma Jun 16, 2017

I went through a process to have my professional experience recognised as equivalent to Master level of education. I needed to ask clients' permission to include their translations in the file I submitted as proof.
Most obliged, some specifying that I would need to black out any identifying elements. Several spontaneously included a testimony, and they were highly complimentary. One even mentioned my very keen sense of discernment and rich vocabulary, which is probably the compliment that
... See more
I went through a process to have my professional experience recognised as equivalent to Master level of education. I needed to ask clients' permission to include their translations in the file I submitted as proof.
Most obliged, some specifying that I would need to black out any identifying elements. Several spontaneously included a testimony, and they were highly complimentary. One even mentioned my very keen sense of discernment and rich vocabulary, which is probably the compliment that means the most to me professionally speaking.
Collapse


 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 10:57
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Not at all Jun 16, 2017

I have 98 positive WWA in ProZ. Very few clients refused to reply. None replied negatively.
I have asked for feddback several times, upon requests of potential new clients, and I don't remember any client refusing to provide such feddback (by e-mail).
I also have several positive feedbacks in Linked-in.
It's a common thing in the market to request and provide feedback. It's also a very positive thing that improves the market as a hole.


 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 13:57
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Negativity is not an option Jun 16, 2017

Mario Freitas wrote:
I have 98 positive WWA in ProZ. Very few clients refused to reply. None replied negatively.

That's my point above: there is no option to answer "No" to the question "Are you willing to work with XYZ again?" All we are doing is fishing for compliments, not asking for unbiased feedback. I personally can't/won't do that.


 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 10:57
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Non-negatives Jun 17, 2017

Sheila Wilson wrote:

Mario Freitas wrote:
I have 98 positive WWA in ProZ. Very few clients refused to reply. None replied negatively.

That's my point above: there is no option to answer "No" to the question "Are you willing to work with XYZ again?" All we are doing is fishing for compliments, not asking for unbiased feedback. I personally can't/won't do that.


Sheila, there are no sites that allow a negative feedback. If they did, users would simply flee from it. That's why Facebook does not have a "dislike". When you ask for a WWA, the person can either answer "Yes" or not reply at all and just erase the message, which has happened to me before. So all the positive WWA you get mean the client is willing to work with you again. If the site allowed the clients to say "No, this guy is an incompetent" and let that appear in your profile, how many people would ever use it at all?


 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 13:57
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Not just ProZ.com? Jun 19, 2017

Mario Freitas wrote:
there are no sites that allow a negative feedback. If they did, users would simply flee from it.

Is that the case with all the translation-secific ones? Maybe we're a particularly sensitive crowd? On more general sites for freelancers or even just people (naming no names, as per forum rules) you can choose how to rate and what you say, within reason.

Of course, we should have the same rights as our outsourcers have on the BB side of the coin. We should have the right of reply to all comments, and to squash any that aren't acceptable, along the same lines as LWA entries.

If WWA entries are negative simply because the client wasn't happy with what they paid for, why should those entries not appear? This site is supposed to be for professionals, and potential clients have a right to know about our reputation. We all talk about our reputation, but how much are all those compliments worth when clients don't have freedom? None of us relish negative comments, but we shouldn't have the right to be selective about them, IMO. We do already have the right to hide all feedback, which is more than outsourcers have.


 


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Poll: Have you found it difficult to get clients to provide public feedback or testimonials for you?






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