Discussion Topic: Tell Us About Your “Nightmare Client”

Every translator, interpreter, freelancer and language service professional has had at least one “nightmare client.”

One of our translator once told us: “I can handle a client who is ignorant. I can handle a client who is arrogant. But not a client who is both.”

If a client is ignorant but not arrogant, you can do great work for him, because he will let you, for the most part, run the show — and look to you for advice and guidance.

If a client is arrogant but not ignorant, he may be demanding, but you can learn from him — and take your translation work to the next level.

A nightmare client, to me, is one who is both ignorant … he doesn’t know anything about your translation service or skill … and arrogant: even though he doesn’t know anything, he proceeds to dictate to you how to do your translation work.

Have you ever had a “nightmare client”? What were they like? What did you do about it? Did you keep working for them? Or did you “fire” that client? If so, PLEASE tell us how you did that!?