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8 Tips to Choose the Best Language & Transportation Services
Looking for professional language and transportation services is an important yet, difficult task. Choosing the right provider will enhance existing business relationships and solidify new relationships. When you need a professional document translator, spoken translator or medical transportation driver, there are many things to consider. With so many service providers out there, how do you know which is best for your business and clients?
Professional language and transportation services enhance the service and experience you provide to your clients. To get started, use the protocol or policies already in place at your organization as a guide through the process. Reach out to your human resources representative for a copy of your procedures for servicing clients with cultural and language differences. These documents you already have in-house will detail federal or state legislation, compliance, are a reflection of your company’s mission statement, etc. As a result, the selection process will be much smoother.
Hiring professional linguists and drivers is not the same as hiring other business services like, hiring someone to fix the electrical units in your office. This process requires throughout due diligence and can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start.
Use the eight tips below to guide you through your selection process.
How to Choose Language and Transportation Services…
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- Determine Your Needs- First, perform an audit of your needs. What kind of services do you need? Do you need an interpreter to come to your business? Or is phone translating a better fit? When you know exactly what you need, comparing companies is easier.
- Service Offering- After the audit, think of what your company may need in the future. Many times a client will contact us for a one-time translation but down the road when they need to localize their corporate website, they’ll return to our services.
- Professional Linguists vs Non-Professionals- Business-to-business language services are provided by a professional linguist because, a bilingual co-worker or family member do not have the training to provide quality services. Be wary of companies or individuals that do not provide professionally qualified linguists. Professional interpreters receive advanced education and training in industry best practices, such as language specialization, HIPAA privacy codes and dialectical differences. Knowing a language does not mean that an individual is able to perform all the necessary duties required.
- Know the difference between an spoken translator and document translator.
When requesting information or services, it’s important to know that spoken translation and document translation are two different services. A document translator translates written text word-for-word, meaning-by-meaning from one language to another. An spoken translator listens to a speaker and then verbally converts what is said to a target language.
- Know the Types of Medical Transportation- The medical condition or other circumstance of a patient determines the type of transportation that is best fit for the situation. There are many types of medical transportation services that are for emergency and non-emergency situations. A good transportation company will provide a variety of these services.
- Get References- Searching for business-to-business services often requires a reference check or testimonial. Does this particular company specialize in services for your industry? If so, they will have no problem providing you with a reference or testimonial from their clients. Also, verify the recruitment process of each company. Are their linguists qualified? What kinds of background checks and training do drivers adhere to? Again, a reputable company will have no problem sharing this information with you.
- Project Planning- Projects for document translation and website localization can involve multiple persons working in conjunction. Find out how the company assigns each project internally, to determine the timeline and the workflow to expect.
- Contracts? RFPS? Mandatory or preferred contract/RFP procurement regulations are managed by our Bid & RFP manager. To release a competitive request for a bid or quote, email [email protected] or call 800-726-9891 for more information.
- Determine Your Needs- First, perform an audit of your needs. What kind of services do you need? Do you need an interpreter to come to your business? Or is phone translating a better fit? When you know exactly what you need, comparing companies is easier.
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How we compare to other agencies
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- 9,000 Contracted Linguists & Drivers NATIONWIDE
- 200+ Spoken Languages & American Sign Language NATIONWIDE
- 24/7 Customer Service Web Portal. – No voicemails, just us, here to help!
- 99% Fill Rate- Guarantees an interpreter for your next appointment
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Contact Us
About Us
The IU Group of companies includes Interpreters Unlimited, Accessible Communication for the Deaf, Albors & Alnet, and Arkansas Spanish Interpreters and Translators. We are headquartered in San Diego, California as a small business and a minority-owned company. IU Group is committed to providing equal opportunity in the work environment. More than 90% of the IU Group staff is of a minority group. This diverse background aids our team in supplying linguistic and cultural translation services to clients. A combined 70 years in the industry has demonstrated a surplus of leadership best practices, which has helped establish its respected role in the language services community.
IU specializes in government, education, insurance, healthcare and corporate language and transportation services across the United States.
At IU, the linguists and drivers we provide are professional independent contractors. Before linguists are brought on board, we check their references, credentials and backgrounds. All of our drivers undergo similar background checks and are CPR certified.
For more information please call 800-726-9891 to speak with a representative.