What to Consider When Placing a Translation Order

Based on our experience over the years, we have prepared the following guide for you, inspired by the customers who have been wronged by some low-quality translation agencies and then turned to us to solve their issues. If you are going to place a translation order, you should pay attention to the following 15 points before choosing the translation agency that will carry out the translation.

1- Pay Attention to the Geographic Location of the Translation Agency You ChooseIf you are not going to receive your translation in electronic formats, make sure the translation agency is close to you. Otherwise, you may face extra costs due to shipping fees or travel expenses and may also experience time loss. However, just because a translation agency is close to you does not mean it is definitely a good option. Therefore, in addition to the proximity of the translation agency, you should also consider other points we mentioned below.

If the translation agency you are considering is located in a city far from where you live, get a clear price after conveying all your requirements regarding your translation order. To avoid any issues with order delivery, discuss all the details and clarify the price, and if possible, keep a record of the translation agency's price statement. If it is in a district, reach an agreement regarding shipping fees. Some translation agencies may send the translation file to you via free shipping, while others may charge additional fees for shipping costs. Ask the translation agency about this detail when placing your order and clarify the shipping costs at the beginning of the process if there is no option for free shipping.

2- Request a Clear Price for Your Translation Order

After conveying all your requirements regarding your translation order to the translation agency, get a clear price. To avoid any issues with order delivery, discuss all the details and clarify the price, and if possible, keep a record of the translation agency's price statement.

3- Clarify the Delivery Time at the Beginning Unfortunately, some translation agencies approve the time requested by the client to take the order and advance payment, even if delivering the order within that time is impossible due to the content's density.

Such offices generally do not deliver the work on time and request additional time from the client repeatedly, causing inconvenience. To avoid encountering a negative situation regarding the delivery time, try to clarify and document the delivery time.

4- Ask Whether Quality Control is ConductedUnfortunately, some translation agencies deliver the translation directly to the client without going through any quality control after receiving it from the translator. However, all texts, regardless of how expert and good the translator is, should be delivered to the client after being evaluated. Therefore, it is essential for every translation agency to have a quality control unit and for the translation received from the translator to be subjected to quality control procedures before being delivered to the client.

5- Ask Whether Quality Control is ConductedUnfortunately, some translation agencies deliver the translation directly to the client without going through any quality control after receiving it from the translator. However, all texts, regardless of how expert and good the translator is, should be delivered to the client after being evaluated. Therefore, it is essential for every translation agency to have a quality control unit and for the translation received from the translator to be subjected to quality control procedures before being delivered to the client.

6- Ensure That the Translation Agency is a Sworn Translation Agency if Your Translation Needs to Be SwornIf your translation needs to be sworn, make sure that the translation agency you are placing the order with is a sworn translation agency. Otherwise, even if the translation agency produces a very high-quality translation, this translation will not be sufficient for you.

7- If Notary Approval is Required, Ask the Translation Agency About the Notary Fee at the Start and Clarify ItIf notary approval is required for the translation, inform the translation agency about this and find out whether the notary fee is included in the translation price. If the notary fee is not included in the translation price, clarify the notary fee at the very beginning of the process.

8- If Your Document Will Be Submitted to an Institution, Ask the Relevant Institution About What Approvals are Needed Before Placing Your Order and Share This with the Translation AgencyYou need to learn about what approvals are required for the documents you need to submit to an institution. If there are requests for notary approval, consulate approval, apostille/verification or foreign affairs approval, you should find out about these before creating your order and share them with the translation agency.

9- If Approvals from Other Institutions are Required, Find Out Whether the Translation Agency Provides Document Approval Tracking Service and Plan AccordinglyIf you need to obtain approvals from other institutions for the document you have requested a translation for, you should find out whether the translation agency offers document approval tracking services. This way, you will have a better chance of progressing faster without experiencing issues or difficulties in your notary, foreign affairs, consulate approval, or apostille/verification processes.

10- Ensure That the Translation Agency Guarantees the Quality of the TranslationIf a translation agency does not guarantee the quality of its translations, do not engage in business with them. Especially in jobs requiring notary approval, if errors in the translation come to light after the notary and other approvals are obtained, and the translation agency does not accept responsibility for it, all the expenses you paid will be in vain.

11- Review the Translation Agency's References and Documents on Their WebsiteBefore placing your translation order, review the references and documents of the translation agency. This way, you can get an idea of how reliable the translation agency is before placing your order.

12- Be Cautious of Those Who Do Translation as an Extra Job Some businesses that offer consulting services in other fields may provide translation services as a side job. However, since such businesses are not specialized in the field of translation, you can somewhat anticipate that the quality of the translation you receive as a result of your order may not meet your expectations.

13- Research the Sensitivity of the Translation Agency Regarding Information Security and PrivacyBe informed about how much importance the translation agency you choose to work with places on confidentiality. Also, try to learn about what measures they take for the information security of the file you will submit for translation.

14- Always Check Important Information After Receiving the TranslationEven if you do not have knowledge of the target language in which the translation is done, make sure to check titles, names, addresses, and other special institutional and personal information.

15- Do Not Forget the Advantages of Corporate Translation AgenciesMake an effort to prefer corporate translation agencies to ensure a smooth translation process. In addition to providing quality translations and timely delivery of the translation file, corporate translation agencies may also offer various other advantages. When making your choice, keep in mind additional services such as free shipping that corporate translation agencies can offer.