Monday, May 04, 2009

Bribing your clients (aka recession incentives)

Translators, Inc., a world leader in foreign language solutions (aren't they all world leaders?) is giving its clients cash back offers, discounts, referral programs, and translation give-aways of up to $10,000, hoping they will give them work rather than go somewhere else.

Discount is a dirty word, mind you.

If you can give your client 10 grand, how much are you making? You obviously have loads of liquid cash lying around, or you would be mad to do this. Or maybe you have joined slave-trade and have a few guys locked up in various garages around Florida, slaving away at their laptops?

If I was a business, my first concern would be - can I get high quality for low price? After all, it is my product that you guys are translating for overseas markets. Can I trust you not to hire some local court clerk in you-know-where who does 7 languages officially and 6 others on the side while running a successful ear-cleaning and nasal-hairs trimming??

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