Latest from the blog

Posted on17 June 2016

Translation Agency Tips: #24 Maintaining a Good Relationship with Agencies

Maintaining a Good Relationship, translation agency, freelance translaters, st albans, relationships, business, atlas translations

So you’ve been approved to work with an agency, and have maybe had a couple offers of work, but what can you do to ensure these offers keep coming in? Below we’ve outlined some tips of effective ways of maintaining a good relationship with a translation agency.

Now, here’s a bit of a disclaimer – as a personable, friendly agency, the tips outlined are things that WE appreciate from suppliers, however unfortunately there are agencies out there who won’t feel the same way. But don’t worry! It can’t hurt to try and get in touch with staff members at agencies you’re signed up with, and it will quickly become obvious if you’re wasting your time! But why even try? We’ve outlined in a previous blog the value of standing out and marketing yourself, and this is a very important part of that. Besides, if you’ve gone to the trouble of filling out a lengthy application form then you may as well do your best to try and get some work out of it!

The first step to take is to engage with the agency. Get in contact to introduce yourself – remember picking up a phone (though scarier) and actually speaking to someone is far more effective than sending an email which can easily be overlooked. Even better (if you’re in the area) is visiting the agency in person. You may want to arrange a good time with the agency to do this. We love having our suppliers come and visit us for a cup of tea/coffee and a chat, so next time you’re in St Albans…

Social media is another way of getting in touch with an agency. Add them on whatever you use and like/share/comment on posts (please leave a comment on this blog and like us on Facebook!).

Keep an eye on networking events and conferences agencies are attending. These present good opportunities to introduce yourself in a professional environment. Atlas Translations hold Open Days for suppliers twice a year. Come along, meet the Project Managers! You’re so much more likely to receive assignments if people can put a face to the name. We have suppliers who come to every open days and are so familiar by now we see them as part of the team rather than freelancers.

Keep in touch with your agency and send them frequent (perhaps weekly) updates on your availability. Just by chance, the person you’ve just emailed may have received an urgent assignment in your language pairing. Suppliers often think that this would be annoying for the Project Manager but trust us, it’s not. And it’s a great way of getting your name known by the members of staff! If you do email saying you’re available, please do remain contactable, and perhaps stick an automatic out of office message on if you’re not. We have suppliers who email us telling us they’re available, only for us to email them 10 minutes later and not receive a reply – not the best way of maintaining a good relationship!

Above all, be friendly. These are people you’re dealing with, and (in most cases) not some soulless, faceless corporation. We understand it can be frustrating to sign up with an agency and then not receive any assignments, but what will make this worse is getting upset/angry and complaining directly to the people you want to work with! Instead, give the agency a call for a friendly chat, reminding them you’re available for work and what it is you do. Being polite and friendly will go a long way to forming a long lasting successful working relationship with a translation agency!
Save

ISO 17100 – ISO 17100:2017 for Translation Services (since this standard began, in 2008, externally audited annually).
Mindful employer

Mindful Employer Plus – As a Charter member, our team have access to an Employee Assistance Program with 24/7/365 support, as we work toward achieving better mental health at work.
Federation of Small Businesses and the Self-Employed

A proud member of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), a dynamic and inclusive not-for-profit membership organisation. FSB is dedicated to supporting and empowering small businesses across the UK and is committed to fostering an environment where entrepreneurs can thrive, innovate, and succeed.

Atlas Translations has been accredited by the Fair Tax Foundation since February 2024. The Fair Tax Foundation is a not-for-profit social enterprise developed by a team of tax justice, corporate responsibility, and ethical consumer experts. It was launched in 2014.

We’ve been registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) since 2004. Go to https://ico.org.uk/ for more information.

We hold a full membership in the Association of British HealthTech Industries. The ABHI supports the HealthTech community by providing products and services that help people live healthier lives. As the voice of the industry, we show the value of health technology and overcome barriers to people benefitting from it now and in the future.

Certified since 2003, externally audited annually. ISO 9001:2015 is the international standard for Quality Management Systems (QMS), applicable across all sectors. ISO 9001 provides a framework to respond to changing quality requirements in line with changing demands across society, economics and the environment.
Logo

Disability Confident Committed is creating a movement of change, encouraging employers like ourselves to think differently about disability and take action to improve how we recruit, retain, and develop disabled people. Being a DCC employer is a unique opportunity to lead the way in our community and show that we’re a disability inclusive employer.

Corporate membership of the ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting) since 1994. Corporate Member of the Year 2021. ITI is the only UK-based independent professional membership association for practising translators, interpreters and all those involved in the language services sector.

CIEP: We’ve held Corporate membership Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading since 1993. CIEP are an international membership organisation that offers training and community for editorial professionals (copy editors and proofreaders) while helping members develop business confidence.

ATC: We hold full membership with the Association of Translation Companies, a trade association representing the interests of language service companies in the UK and internationally. It is the leading voice for companies operating in the UK’s language services industry.

Living Wage Employer: As a living wage employer, we believe our staff deserve a wage which meets every day needs. The Living Wage Foundation has a mission to encourage employers to play their part in tackling in-work and post-work poverty and provide a decent standard of living by paying the real Living Wage, adopting Living Hours and Living Pensions as well as wider good employment practices.
4-day week

Proudly a 4-Day Week Employer since 2019. Amongst other items, the 4-Day Week initiative calls for a reduction to the maximum working week from 48 hours per week to 32 hours per week by 2030.

 
GBC_Accredited_Logo

A member of the Good Business Charter since 2022. The GBC is a simple accreditation that organisations of all sizes in the UK can apply for in recognition of responsible business practices.
PIF

We’re a proud member of the Patient Information Forum (PIF), a membership organisation for anyone producing health information and support. PIF promote access to trusted, evidence-based health information for patients, carers, the public and healthcare professionals.