Several years ago I found the 12 Tips you see below somewhere on the Net and today I don't unfortunately remember the name of the author but I still do share most of the points... 

12 Tips from a Translator to a Project Manager on How to Enhance their Relationship 1. Never give me work in the morning. Always wait until 5:00 p.m. and then bring it to me. The challenge of a deadline is refreshing. 2. If it's really a "rush job" call in and interrupt me every 10 minutes to inquire how it's going. That helps. 3. Always leave the office without telling anyone where you're going. It gives me a chance to be creative when I need to ask a question. 4. Don't give me any reference materials, glossaries or relevant info. I need to learn how to function as an independent translator. 5. If you give me more than one job to do, don't tell me which is the priority. Let me guess. 6. Do your best to keep me busy. I like translation and really have nowhere to go or anything else to do. 7. If a job I do pleases you, keep it a secret. Leaks like that could inadvertently cause me to rise my rates. 8. If you don't like my work, tell everyone. I like my name to be popular in conversation. 9. If you have special instructions for a job, don't write them down for me. In fact, save them until the job is almost done. 10. Never tell me about other people you're working with. When you refer to them later, my shrewd deductions will identify them. 11. Be nice to me only when the job I'm doing for you could really change your life. 12. Tell me all your little problems. No one else has any and it's nice to know someone is less fortunate.

NK

  So familiar!  Which is why I cherish my regulars as much as I do.

9. If you have special instructions for a job, don't write them down for me. In fact, save them until the job is almost done.

In one particular case, should read...... save them until after the job is done.

In the same vein, project managers should ask the client whether there are any special instructions.  More than once I've been caught out because the client informed the PM after the fact about some extras that he had wanted but had not spelled out.  It can leave both PM and translator scrambling to change things after the fact for the sake of customer satisfaction.  Now, if a direct client contacts me directly, I ask as a matter of routine whether there area any special wishes.  If the job comes via an agency, then someone else has to ask that question, especially since a lot of agencies want no contact at all between their client and the translators.

Maxi

I got caught on this one:

For an edit and revision job, always ask the price for proofreading only. I have plenty of time and ooodles of money, so don't worry if it takes an extra five hours and I lose $200.00. In fact, I'll do it gladly.  

Nanna 

1. is quite interesting

I received an offer from my agency on Tuesday.  I responded and accepted 6 hours later that was Tuesday 18:00 CET.  I am waiting until now for the said "4000 words due by Friday noon project".  I am curious as to what will happen in the next 24 hours.

Originally written by Marie Glück I am waiting until now for the said "4000 words due by Friday noon project".

One piece of advice to you, Marie: never except any job without having a look at the whole text you are supposed to work with. As a result you will never wait and (which is even more important) you will never get quite disagreeable surprises...

NK

If you accept, three days before the deadline, a job that takes three days to do, and don't receive the work until one day before the deadline, then the deadline should be extended because this is not what you agreed to.  It can be negotiated in a professional manner, citing the client's interest, because you wish to give your client a quality product which cannot be done if created in haste.

Maxi

Dear Nikita (and the others),

thank you for sharing!

I'm currently doing research on the relationship between translators and their clients (and any intermediary project managers),

if you want to share even more, take a look at my online questionnaire 'Translator-Client Relation' via http://www.vamos.vlhora.be/Open_Inqs.asp

In return you will receive a free set of guidelines on improving translator
websites (based on earlier research).

olaf

Hie! Maxi,

Thanks a lot for your advise (last week).  When I finally received the project 18:00 on Thursday, deadline was Friday 16:00 I made a call to London to negociate time because I knew I could not do a perfect job in such a short notice.  After a few emails the PM suggested to share the project, my husband suggested that she gives it all to that other translator.  Her answer was OK.

But two days later the agency sent another offer and the third offer I am working on it now.  The relationship is excellent.  I think people appreciate honesty.  I wouln´t take a project that I cannot return on time and aggrevate myself and others.  I think the story is too long already. 

Your advise encouraged me to take a firm stand.

Thank you,

Marie Madeleine

Done. Waiting for the guidelines.

NK