How to Select a Professional and Reliable Translation Agency

Not all translation agencies are created equally and, even though they may offer you the same translation services and even work with the same language pairs, there are a number of conditions they should satisfy and that you should take into consideration in order to make sure that you choose the most professional and reliable translation agency available in the market.

Translation Companies and Credentials

To begin with, it is essential to understand that, since the translation industry is not standardized nor heavily regulated, there’s no global agreement on what quality standards translation agencies should held up to. There are a vast number of accredited associations for language professionals and language service providers that have established their own standards but not all translation agencies stick to them.
That said, whether you are a freelance translator wishing to offer your language expertise or a client looking for a translation agency, hiring a company that belongs to world known translation associations is an excellent starting point.

Certificates

Similarly, professional and reliable translation companies usually achieve various certifications that emphasize their commitment to translation accuracy, professionalism, respect of private information and so on. Certified translation companies and certified translators are required in some translation fields, especially to translate legal issues or documents that need to be presented before national or regional authorities.

Does Size Matter?

Choosing a large translation company over a small one has nothing to do with how professional or reliable it is. Small companies may find it more difficult to allocate a large document that needs to be translated over a short period of time or may not be able to provide you with translation services in certain language pairs. On the other hand, larger companies may be more competitive and they may find it easier to satisfy urgent translation requests or translate documents to or from a rare language. As regards customer service, you can have good and bad experiences in all kinds of agencies as the way professional translators are treated and the way clients requests and concerns are handled depend more on the corporate culture of the translation agency than on its size.

Referrals: When Opinion Matters

One of the best ways of selecting a professional and reliable translation agency is through referrals. Asking around friends or colleagues who have used translation services before can help you shortlist only the translation agencies that receive the highest opinions. The Internet is also a good place to search for highly reputed translation companies. Doing some serious research is important.