How should clients manage queries from the translation team?

If your company has just hired translation services from an LSP like Satsuma, you should have already assigned an internal team to communicate with the translation team that will work for you. That way, translators have a specific point of contact to provide them with the necessary references so they can comply with your company’s standards.

However, the translation team may sometimes need additional context, validation regarding terminology and style choices, or clarification of source material in order to deliver the high-quality translations their client expects. That is where query management comes in.

Query management: the client perspective

We know answering queries can be time-consuming. You may be swamped with work and not find the time to answer these questions or don’t see value in this process. However, properly answering translation queries will lead to higher quality deliveries and avoid rework later on.

Check out 3 recommended approaches toward effectively answering queries from translation teams.

1. Read all queries carefully and answer them properly

Many of the translation team’s queries may require more than a “yes” or “no” answer. Consider the queries’ context and provide the information that you deem relevant to the text’s overall quality according to your company’s standards. If a query is unclear, do not hesitate to ask the team for further explanation.

2. Forward any issues outside your reach to the appropriate professional

Some of the translation team’s queries may refer to a tool’s UI or the interpretation of the source text, which may require input from different teams in your company. Try to forward these queries to the appropriate teams in a timely manner, then send the answers back to the translation team.

Some queries may also reveal errors or inconsistencies in the source text, which can ultimately help clients improve their wording and fix potential issues.

3. When appropriate, point out whether the reference materials can help solve queries

Sometimes it’s just a matter of pointing the team in the right direction and reminding them of where they can find the necessary information. If, however, the sought-out information is not immediately available to the team, provide them with the necessary reference material and make a note to provide these references early on in future projects.