It’s easy enough to find a professional translation services company that can translate and localize your content these days. From technical translations to media and marketing translations, or from financial translations to legal translations, any translation vendor you choose should be able to provide you with accurate, high quality linguistic translations. That’s the baseline starting point.
It’s a given that the linguists working on your project meet formal academic qualifications and have professional experience. It’s a basic requirement that your documents go through a complete TEP Process (translation, editing, proofreading) to ensure accurate and culturally sound translation.
And if you want the graphic layouts to appear as if they were created in your target country, you may need to update the design of your document to make it culturally appropriate. So of course any high-quality translation team would offer translation-related design services, including graphic design, documentation and graphic localization.
Then what? Not everything is equal. What really differentiates one translation company from another?
When asked, “We provide excellent service,” seems to be the standard response many companies offer as their differentiating factor. But if that’s what everyone says, then it’s not really differentiating them! And what exactly does “excellent service” mean, anyway?
You might want to dig a little deeper to find out.
Here’s how we see it.
You need available, responsive, and pleasant to work with. You need to work with people who do what they say they’re going to do, within the time promised. You need trustworthiness, fairness, and follow through.
Pay attention to how you’re treated, starting with the very first encounter.
Not every translation project is going to be a tight deadline, but if one of yours is, make sure your linguistic partner can still deliver thoroughness, accuracy, and on time.
Ask about the administrative procedures and the organization and management of projects. You deserve a flexible and efficient project management system that gets you answers to your questions within minutes.
How innovative is your LSP?
Technology changes at the speed of light. You need a company that keeps up. Our Translation Management System provides you the advantage of more control and the ability to view all your key up-to-date project information at one glance. You can also rest assured that our system is secure.
Reputation is a key differentiating factor. Look at online reviews, ask for referrals, and talk to people who’ve worked with the company you’re considering. It’s one thing to hear what the company itself says. It’s another level when you hear what others are saying.
“Since 2010, we’ve had no issues with the staff, company, or payment. CEO Dimitra Hengen is an absolute pleasure to work with, as are the other members of the AOT team.”
“This is a great translation service, with really competent translators and offers a variety of languages. Highly recommended for anyone who needs a translation team.”
And lastly, check out the mission and values of the company you’re considering. This factor seems to have become even more important than ever before.
Our mission is to provide a bridge between languages and cultures and to connect people across our multilingual world so they understand each other better.
We invite you to travel with and through us, so you can encounter friendly faces wherever you go and make the world your neighborhood.
We celebrate the diversity of our human story overall and the individuality of your story specifically.
Let us help you express your story in all the languages you need for your organization’s success. Request a free quote.