It goes without saying that when enlisting the services of a translation agency, it is hugely important that the translator is reliable, fluent and aware of regional differences and colloquialisms. The actual translator, however, is just one part of a team which, together, forms a reputable and successful translation agency.
Just as important as the translator are the network of professionals behind the scenes. Everybody from the sales and marketing people who attract new business to the production team who deal with the day to day running translation jobs have a vital role to play. Entrepreneur Richard Branson once said that” You ought to train staff enough that they can leave – but treat them well enough that they don’t want to.” This is good advice for any company who intends to stay the distance.
A Great Team Wins Gold For a Translation Agency
Crucial to the success of a translation agency are the customer service professionals. The very heart of a great company, the customer service team are the bridge between the client and the translator and are the people that the client is likely to go to when a job has been done well and, more importantly, when it hasn’t. A skilled customer service professional is able to communicate with the client in a sympathetic and efficient way and is able to gauge the client’s satisfaction with a project, sometimes reading between the lines as well as listening to what is said. Although it is the quality of work completed by the translator that is the bread and butter of the company, it is the job of the customer service staff to ensure that clients will not only return with further work but, will also recommend the company to other professional contacts. Project Manager Fionnuala McMullan said about Future Trans:
“I have been working with Future Trans on several accounts for about 15 years now. They are a very reliable vendor and the quality of their work is excellent. They are very responsive and always ‘go the extra mile’ to ensure that all client requirements are met. I like the fact that this is a large and stable company so there is always someone to help.”
Working Together, Growing Together
They say that you can’t please all of the people all of the time and it is, unfortunately, inevitable that there will be the occasional complaint or less than favorable review from the client. It is up to the customer service personnel to find out where the problem lies and then to try, to the best of their ability, to resolve the issue to the client’s satisfaction. A client will often forgive a mistake but is very unlikely to forgive shoddy service and so this is a pivotal role within any successful agency.
Future Trans’ Customer Relation Manager, Rosa Hermann believes that the key to forming a solid relationship with a client is to listen to their concerns and to then act on those concerns quickly, efficiently and sympathetically, a policy which has served Future Trans well for over 20 years.
