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Guide to Using Professional Translation Firms

February 25, 2010

When you need a training manual, legal contract or scientific report translated into a foreign language, you can turn to a document translation company instead of independent translator to ensure that you are going to get a high-quality product. Professional companies have translators that specialize in different topics and industries such as medicine, health and fitness, marketing, law, engineering, and other branches of science. This means that you can get high quality translations whatever industry you are in. Below are some tips maximize the benefits that you get from document translation services.

1. Evaluate different quotes online Many document translation companies offer instant online quotes, or can provide you with a quote within a 24-hour time frame after you submit the specifications of your project. You can quickly find the best rate by getting your quotes this way. Just make sure you review the terms and conditions or FAQs section of the company’s website so you understand their pricing structure, fees and surcharges that may apply to your services.

2. Check the available languages and sub-dialects. Some companies offer general translations from English to Spanish, English to German and hundreds of other languages, while others offer dialect translations as well. Consider having your documents translated into a specific dialect if you have a narrow target market. A lot of meaning can be lost if a translation is not done for a specific region or group.

3. Use their customer support services. Translation service companies employ customer support staff to give more value to their customers. You can easily get updates on your project and discuss pricing and quality issues with customer support. This can help you plan better and keep your project on track.

4. Request a cultural competency assessment. Many translation service companies offer a cultural competency assessment or report as an ‘a la carte’ service. This type of assessment looks at your target market’s profile, and provides some solid information on the nuances, cultural trends and dialect that may pertain to your ideal customer. Others will offer these service for free while some may ask a fee for this. Always ask a company if they offer this service. Consider getting one because this contains invaluable information about your target market.

5. Verify if they offer a guarantee on their services It would be better if you choose to work with a company that has a service guarantee. But first, review the terms of their guarantee and check if they are accredited by known translation associations. This will ensure that you get the results you want consistently.

Document translation services provide more benefits than independent contractors. You can get more from document translation companies by fully using all their services. Always take into account these five considerations when selecting a company to work with.

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