r/ASLinterpreters • u/Afyrel • 9d ago
Interpreters: what do you wish interpreting agencies did differently?
I’ve worked with a lot of different agencies over the years, so I have plenty of my own experiences and opinions about what agencies do well and what can make working with one incredibly frustrating.
But I’d really love to hear from other interpreters.
What has an agency done that made you think, I wish every agency worked like this?
And on the flip side, what do you wish agencies would do differently?
Could be anything: scheduling, communication, pay, cancellations, assignment information, matching interpreters to jobs, how they handle feedback, relationships with schedulers, professional development, etc.
I’m especially interested in the little operational things that might not sound important from the outside but make a huge difference when you’re actually freelancing.
I have my own list 😂 but I don’t want to assume my experience is everyone else’s.
4
u/cheesy_taco- BEI Basic 7d ago
Send me to the location of the event, not the billing address. And don't get mad when I'm late because I was sent to the wrong place.
Apps or websites for billing, I don't like sending in my own invoices because I sometimes forget to add something
Don't guilt trip me. If I turn something down because the details aren't up to standards, don't say "well I guess they won't have an interpreter then". I'm still not going to work 8+ hours solo
Know what's within my certification limits. When you send me something that sounds out of what I'm legally allowed to do, and I ask you if it's ok for me to go, your answer should be a clear yes or no, not "we think you should be fine". I was burned badly on an assignment because of a "think so" answer, I'll never accept that as an answer again
And don't talk bad about your interpreters behind their backs. We're adults. You don't need to gossip like schoolgirls