Our Company FAQ

Description of InterStar Translations services

  • Professional conference simultaneous and consecutive interpretation;
  • Document translation services;
  • Cultural consulting;
  • Escort and event interpretation for business talks, training events, etc;
  • Interpreter Assessment;
  • Seminars for professional conference interpreters.

In what ways InterStar Translations is different from other translation and interpretation agencies?

Our company is owned by a professional conference interpreter who is a member of AIIC  – International Association of Conference Interpreters. AIIC has been promoting high standards of language interpretation and quality for over 60 years. It is a globally recognized interpreter association.

How InterStar Translations works with clients.

We collect inputs from our potential client, prepare an estimate, have the estimate approved by the client, sign contract(s) with the client, prepare for the event, perform our services, and invoice our client. A contract is needed to provide any service.

What information is needed to provide a free estimate for translation or interpretation services?

InterStar will require the following information to be able to prepare an estimate

(all information is treated as confidential):

 

For translation:

 

We will need to see the actual text to be able to make an estimate. If no text is available, we will need:

 

  • Topic of the text
  • Level of difficulty (general, technical, etc.)
  • Audience for the document
  • Languages
  • Deadline
  • Amount of words (we can calculate it for you as well if we have the document)
  • Formatting (DTP) requirements
  • Any other special requirements

 

For interpretation:

 

  • Dates
  • Mode of interpretation: simultaneous, consecutive, escort, etc.
  • Nature of assignment (conference, business talks, etc.)
  • Topic(s)
  • Languages
  • Traveling requirements
  • Will there be any overtime?
  • Do you need simultaneous interpretation equipment?  (can be provided at extra cost, a separate quote will be created. Additional information will be requested.)
  • Will you need audio services (PA system, microphones, etc)
  • Any other special requirements

You can also fill out our Simultaneous Interpretation Services Request Form form.

PS: All estimates assume that the variable expenses (airfare, hotels etc)  may be within +/- 20% of the estimate with given project parameters. We always charge our clients for such expenses at cost and provide receipts where available.

simultaneous interpretation equipment leasing

Yes, isolation booths or whispering interpretation equipment can be provided. Simultaneous interpretation in the booth also requires interpreters to be able to hear everything that is being said in the room via microphones (audio services, a “full house feed”.)

We can provide either simultaneous interpretation equipment or both audio services and equipment as needed. We work with professional simultaneous interpretation companies providing quality equipment, and we own equipment too. We avoid AV companies that have little or no experience with simultaneous interpretation equipment, because it is a very specialized area.

All equipment is provided with a technician as needed.

In case of client provided equipment we have developed a list of specific simultaneous interpretation equipment requirements to the equipment.

How many interpreters need to be hired for conferences.

It depends on the project and the number of languages, but in the simplest case you will need

  • at least 2 interpreters both for consecutive and simultaneous interpretation, unless the duration of an assignment is less than 30 minutes for simultaneous and 2 hours for consecutive interpretation.

Generally we do not allow our interpreters to work alone longer than that, because it has adverse impact on quality.

How quickly do I need to start looking for a language interpreter?

As early as you possibly can. There is a very limited number of experienced interpreters on the high end market and they are usually busy for up to several months in advance.

Most professionals we work with are freelancers, so they will accept the first firmly confirmed assignment. An assignment is confirmed when we sign a contract with our client.

In our past experience, it is virtually impossible to find an experienced interpreter at a short notice.    

Description of how we hire professional conference and consecutive interpreters.

No. We use local interpreters first, however, we prefer to use experienced interpreters who we trust regardless where their professional domicile is. Travel costs are negligible compared to the additional quality and peace of mind.

Sometimes quality local interpreters may not be available. Frequent domestic and international travel by interpreters is standard practice in the industry.

Why we charge by the day for conference interpretation.

We can always discuss your project and customize our prices for you, however, for conference interpretation we charge by the day.

Our interpreters are highly qualified and experienced freelancers. Even if they work for 5 minutes, they will not be able to sell the rest of the time on that day to anyone else. Therefore, we have to charge by the day. It is standard practice on the high end interpretation market.

How much we charge.,

We charge a fair market rate, however, because of low overhead costs our translation and interpretation services  are actually medium-range priced.

We do not compromise on quality, we will only hire professional established interpreters and translators with a good reputation in the industry.

Therefore, we have to charge professional rates to our clients and do not work on the “gray market” or outsource projects to contractors who agree to work for next to nothing with poor quality.

 

InterStar Translations fees and charges, cost of services

For Translations:

  • our cost per word of the original text includes professional translation and editing by a different editor. Special formatting, DTP and other services are extra and charged at per hour rates as needed. One round of corrections is included in the price, however, changes by the client and additional text modifications are charged extra. We provide an estimate before we start work and it has to be approved by our client.

 

For Interpretation:

  • in case of consecutive, simultaneous, and escort interpretation we follow recommendations laid out by the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC) as far as number of interpreters, shift duration, etc.

For conference interpretation our rates are charged for the standard 6 hour day with overtime if any.

20% project management fee is added to the total invoice.    

Advice to conference organizers who use interpreters

Here is a special article we wrote with tips and recommendations for conference participants who use language interpreters: Guidelines for Organizers, Participants and Chairs of Bilingual and Multilingual Meetings.

Forms of prepayment

It depends on the nature of the project. A contract is required to provide services.

You will be invoiced NET 30 after we deliver the product. We do not accept foreign checks.

InterStar Translations cancellation policy

Our professional conference interpreters commit their time and effort to the project. They spend a lot of time preparing for confirmed assignments.  

They will not be able to find other assignments on a short notice if the your event is postponed, moved or cancelled. Therefore, we have to charge a cancellation/change fee after we sign a contract with our client and with them.

It is usually 50% of the professional fee if the change/cancellation/move happens earlier than 30 days before the beginning of the event, and 100% of the professional fee if it happens later than 30 days before the beginning of the event plus all relevant actual expenses.

Accepted forms of payment for translation and interpretation services

InterStar accepts the following forms of payment:

  • company business checks from a US bank (no personal or foreign checks accepted);
  • credit cards (Visa, MasterCard);
  • international and domestic bank wires.

 

Our quality interpretation and translation services.

We do not promise the impossible (for example any languages into any language on any topic.)

We do not promise “cheap and good quality”. We deliver professional services at professional prices with high quality and customer satisfaction.

However, we shall:

  • use due diligence in hiring freelance translators and interpreters;
  • make every reasonable effort to insure that InterStar translators and interpreters have all the information they need to perform their tasks professionally and with high quality;
  • follow appropriate business practices, including quality assurance practices for translation and interpretation industry;
  • provide timely and full response to all customer comments and/or complaints if any.

 

Description of InterStar Translations language services.

We are language translation and interpretation agency based in San Francisco, USA.

Our description of what simultaneous interpreters do.

We prepared a special educational post for our clients about simultaneous interpretation: Simultaneous Interpretation FAQ.  

Please see our special post called: Consecutive Interpretation FAQ.