There are always two different types of companies in this world. Some portray themselves as the budget option, with seeming low costs being proudly advertised. Sometimes there aren’t any hidden extras, but that doesn’t mean that you’re getting good value for money. In fact, it can mean you’re getting a substantially worse service, which could cost you or your company money in different ways. It’s really important to make sure you’re working with the right people and getting the right kind of service.

Think about it in terms of flying. There are budget airlines and there are luxury airlines, and both offer something a bit different. At face value you could assume that the budget airline will be the cheaper option, and therefore best for those on a budget. However, you will need to pay extra to book a specific seat, for your luggage, and for any in air refreshments. You can even end up with hefty out goings on the payment method you use (you’re better protected if you pay by credit card, but you may also incur a charge). With the more expensive airlines these costs are usually included as standard. You know exactly what you’re paying for, what you’ll be getting, and ultimately it can actually end up costing considerably less than the so called ‘budget options’.

There are lots of businesses which operate in this way, including translation agencies. Essentially what it means is you’re going to need to pay close attention to the small print, and make sure you know exactly what you’re getting.

What is an automatic translation agency?

Traditionally, a translation agency would need an open dialogue with the client and their translators in order to establish the best possible pairing to make sure the work is completed to the high standard necessary. A translator needs all the skills of a copywriter and more, so it’s very difficult to offer cheap alternatives.

Automation has begun to come in to all businesses. Sometimes it can be beneficial, time saving, and allow precious man hours to be spent doing what’s really necessary. At times though, this becomes a way of cutting corners and avoiding vital practise which, while time consuming, is really important for the client.

The issues with automatic translation are basically limitless. Rather than establishing a strong working relationship and making sure the translator has the ability and the knowledge to accurately translate and proofread a piece, a database will be used by the translation agency to match clients to translators based on language alone.

This is a terrible practise which can lead to inaccurate translations. It’s necessary for the translator to understand the purpose of the translation, and the context, and when a translation agency uses automation they don’t usually ask the right questions.

Instead, make sure you get real value and the translation you need by picking the right agency. A good way to tell whether they’ll be thorough is to think about how many questions they asked. If they just wanted to the documents walk away immediately.