The quality of document translation service and the companies that provide the service have increased this past few years. However, with the increase of providers comes a dilemma; there are more choices now and its difficult to discern which companies can be trusted to deliver a quality service. Price is not your only concern when finding a translation company, you also need to know whether they can deliver the service that you need. Get the most value out of your money  by asking  translation companies these questions:

Does the company provide an instant cost estimate of your project? Many document translation companies offer an instant quote online, which can make it easier to manage your budget. All you need to do is submit the details of your project and include your contact information. Companies may either provide a quote automatically or have an account representative review your project and send you the estimate within the day. Whatever their method might be, you can expect a reasonable estimate of your project quickly.

Do they provide industry specific translation services? Reputable companies can provide translations for a specific niche market or topic. Your project will be assigned to a translator with background knowledge of your industry. Industry-specific translations include business and financial translations, marketing brochure translations, intellectual property law and patent contract translations, scientific manual or textbook translations, and pharmacology or medical report translations. Always make it a point to ask a company the specialized translation services they offer.

What is the estimated turnaround for the translation? Various companies have the option to expedite small projects and deliver them within 24 to 72 hours. Make sure you are clear about the estimated turnaround time for your particular project so you can keep the rest of your projects on schedule.

Do their translators have certifications and training? Translators are required by some firms to undergo training and to acquire certificates. Find out if the company recognizes translator associations such as TRANSLEX, ATA, the U.K. Institute of Translation and Interpreting, and UN amongst others.

Does the company assign a dedicated account manager for each client? A lot of companies assign a project manager to serve as a client’s contact person throughout the project. The primary job of account managers is to update the clients regarding the status of the project. Account or project managers will also be in charge of sending you the final bills and invoices for your project, and can explain the costs of your particular document translation project in greater detail.

Does the translation company uses software for translations? Software programs can quickly translate documents but most software are not intelligent enough yet to provide very accurate translations. Look for a company that uses only native-speaking human translators so that your document will be of the highest quality, and will make sense to a native-speaking customer or client.