Poll: If you take days off for personal circumstances, do you tell the reason to your clients? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "If you take days off for personal circumstances, do you tell the reason to your clients?".
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With one exception: when I relocated back to Lisbon in 2015, I took one week off to prepare everything and I informed all my clients of my new address. In other personal circumstances I just said that I wouldn’t be available from x until y… | | | It depends on a lot of things | Aug 6, 2018 |
These days, I may simply set up an 'out of office, back tomorrow' message on my e-mail and go out. If I can make it sound good for work too, like a planned trip to the UK, I let regular clients know I will be making good use of my time in bookshops and listening to real English etc. If it is an emergency, I simply say it is an emergency, and when I expect or hope to be back, probably in the 'out of office' message if it is really unexpected. Clients were very understand... See more These days, I may simply set up an 'out of office, back tomorrow' message on my e-mail and go out. If I can make it sound good for work too, like a planned trip to the UK, I let regular clients know I will be making good use of my time in bookshops and listening to real English etc. If it is an emergency, I simply say it is an emergency, and when I expect or hope to be back, probably in the 'out of office' message if it is really unexpected. Clients were very understanding when my parents were ill, and we found ways of working around it as far as possible. ▲ Collapse | | | neilmac Spain Local time: 11:39 Spanish to English + ... Depends on the client | Aug 6, 2018 |
I'm currently looking after my daughter following her cancer operation, which thankfully went ahead without complications and she is now recovering. Before going away, I told most of my clients that I might not be able to deliver my projects as quickly as usual for a couple of months or so, but I only went into detail about the reasons with the ones I have the closest and most personal relationship with. As it happens, I haven't had to "take any time off" and have been able to cope ... See more I'm currently looking after my daughter following her cancer operation, which thankfully went ahead without complications and she is now recovering. Before going away, I told most of my clients that I might not be able to deliver my projects as quickly as usual for a couple of months or so, but I only went into detail about the reasons with the ones I have the closest and most personal relationship with. As it happens, I haven't had to "take any time off" and have been able to cope with my usual workload at more or less the usual pace. I did refuse one job last week, because they wanted delivery within 3 days and I asked for 10, although I could have delivered it within the 3 days, but then again, I never know when a project from my regulars is going to fall into my lap... so I usually ask for a longer deadline just in case. ▲ Collapse | |
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It's not their business. My mother used to say: "Never complain; never explain." Explanations rub me the wrong way. I just want people to tell me they will or won't (be there, do this, etc.). | | |
neilmac wrote: I'm currently looking after my daughter following her cancer operation, which thankfully went ahead without complications and she is now recovering. Before going away, I told most of my clients that I might not be able to deliver my projects as quickly as usual for a couple of months or so, but I only went into detail about the reasons with the ones I have the closest and most personal relationship with. I wish her a speedy recovery! | | | Ricki Farn Germany Local time: 11:39 English to German
I just set up an autoreply "I can't read my email from ... to", but I leave it open whether I'm physically absent or just unwilling to shuffle to the computer. Burglars have email, too! I don't enjoy telling people much about my personal life because either it would make them jealous (taking the day off to buy craft material), make them pity me (sick day), or come across as just plain weird (most everything else I do). And I'm not going to make stuff up. | | | Depends on the client | Aug 6, 2018 |
When I have a longer relationship with a client (i. e. a PM of an agency in most cases), I treat them like a colleague, even though I never met them. As with a colleague, I will occasionally share pieces of personal info, like where I travel and such, or that I went to my little brother's wedding, as I did some months ago. It's okay to let the client feel that there is a real living person at the other end. Of course, an absence autoreply is the professional thing to do in any case, so tha... See more When I have a longer relationship with a client (i. e. a PM of an agency in most cases), I treat them like a colleague, even though I never met them. As with a colleague, I will occasionally share pieces of personal info, like where I travel and such, or that I went to my little brother's wedding, as I did some months ago. It's okay to let the client feel that there is a real living person at the other end. Of course, an absence autoreply is the professional thing to do in any case, so that the client always quickly is informed about unavailability. ▲ Collapse | |
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Depends on the client | Aug 6, 2018 |
Right now I am at my daughter's to meet the new baby, so not available for work .... only certain clients know the reason! | | | Mario Freitas Brazil Local time: 06:39 Member (2014) English to Portuguese + ...
Transparency is an important part of a decent business/professional routine. | | | I'm not sure it's pertinent in a freelance context | Aug 7, 2018 |
If I'm employed, then I have committed my time say from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. If I won't be there, then I must inform my employer, and the employment contract might stipulate that I must say why. As a freelance translator, I accept work from customers as they contact me, on an individual basis. Either I am available for the work, or I'm not. If I take some days off, as long as the work is still submitted by the stated deadline, it does not matter to my client how I spent m... See more If I'm employed, then I have committed my time say from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. If I won't be there, then I must inform my employer, and the employment contract might stipulate that I must say why. As a freelance translator, I accept work from customers as they contact me, on an individual basis. Either I am available for the work, or I'm not. If I take some days off, as long as the work is still submitted by the stated deadline, it does not matter to my client how I spent my time. However, if the WORK to which I committed is delayed, then the client should be informed, and the cause should also be reasonable. ▲ Collapse | | | Kay Denney France Local time: 11:39 French to English
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