Why there’s no such thing as cheap translations

 

Buying ‘cheap’ translation can mean bad news for your translation project.

Like any shrewd business owner, you’re probably looking for great ways to save time and money. But when it comes to cheap translation services, the old mantra stands true: ‘Buy cheap, buy twice!’ When you pay for professional translation services, you are paying for far more than just a completed document.

What are you paying for?

There are a slew of ‘cheap’ translators out there, advertising cut-price rates. While it’s tempting to find the cheapest freelance translator out there, just bear this in mind: Translation is tough. Lots of people are bilingual, but few are good enough to translate. It’s not just a case of translating a document word-for-word. The context, the intended meaning, grammar and syntax are all taken into account. To be a great translator, you need to be a great writer. And great writers don’t come cheap.  

Quality

If a someone offering cheap translation services can afford to charge what is often less than minimum wage, chances are they’re not going to be able to spend as much time checking and double-checking your final translation project. After all, they still have to pay the bills, and at cheap prices, they’ll be taking on a huge volume of work, just to get by. And you can bet they won’t have time to field any questions you might have. This production-line style of translation is fraught with pitfalls – sloppy translation, spelling and grammatical errors, formatting issues. The list goes on and on. Any reputable translation agency will have stringent Quality Assessment procedures in place. Here at Reflective Source, your work is checked over by no fewer than three pairs of eyes – the translator, a proofreader and your personally assigned Project Manager. If you have any queries about your project, just get in touch with your Project Manager who will be your sole point-of-contact.  

Reliability and Expertise

Picture the scene – you’ve been slaving away at your company’s next big project, you’ve got a meeting with the head honchos in the morning and all you need is your translated documents… but they’re nowhere to be seen. Oh dear. A bad translation is bad enough, but when a cheap translation means no translation at all, you can find yourself in hot water. Choosing cheap translation services often means choosing cheap service. Every one of our translators (from a bank of over 2000!) are tried and tested for reliability, quality and expertise. If they don’t make the grade, they don’t end up on our books. Each of our trusted translators has at least one diploma or equivalent in translating, and often even two or three in a specialist area. That means whatever sector you’re in, we have an experienced and reliable translator for you.  

Discounts

While there’s no such thing as cheap translation services, we understand that money can be tight. For that reason, we offer competitive pricing, with all the assurances of getting a quality translation. We even offer 10% off your first order with us. Not only that, but you can receive a discount if your project involves a high-volume of translation. High quality translation doesn’t have to break the bank. To get a competitive quote for your translation job, get in touch today.