Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers here to the questions we get asked the most often
In what languages can you serve me?
We work for you with native proficiency of advanced in-house linguists in
- English (British & US & Australian English)
- German (Standard German & Switzerland and Austrian German)
For a growing number of relevant further European languages we collaborate with a network of professional associates and partners, and our coordination team manages the process.
Our expertise extends, naturally, to country-specific and regional nuances, major dialects, as well as popular changes and trends in common daily language use.
What different kind of language services do you provide?
Our specialist services comprise four groups (for more, please see ‘Our Services’):
(1) Writing:
– Legal & Academic Writing
– Business Writing
– Rewriting
– Copywriting
– Creative Writing
– Journalistic Writing
(2) Translation:
– General Translations
– Legal & Administrative
– Business & Financial
– Technical & Scientific
– Literary Translations
– Localisations
– Transcreations
(3) Editing:
– Project Editing
– Substantive Editing
– Stylistic Editing
– Copyediting
– Production Editing
– MTPE
(4) Proofreading:
– Grammatical and syntactical errors and anomalies
– Typographical, spelling or punctuation errors
– Lexical repetition or omissions
– Citation and quotation errors
– Formatting & Layout
How can I receive a quotation for my project?
Just complete the enquiry form on our Services Pricing page, on Get a Free Consultation, or you may use any of the forms on our various pages of this website. We will revert to you quickly.
How to submit documents for my project?
With all of the enquiry forms available on this website you can directly and safely upload your files and documents. Alternatively, you could send these as an email attachment.
How do I order the project work and instruct you?
If you already have a quotation from us, you can conveniently confirm on the page Approve the Quotation and Pay. Otherwise you may first request a quote, or if you are sure on everything yet anyway, use one of the forms on this site or drop us an email in order to instruct us right away.
Is the information I provide to you confidential?
Yes, it definitely is confidential. Our clients and business partners expect us to safeguard personal information during our processes with the upmost care. Therefore, all along the way, our processes ensure highest security of information and full professional confidentiality to best practice western solicitor standards. Also we can at any time sign a formal Confidentiality / Non-disclosure Agreement between us.
How can I pay for the project work?
For your convenience, we have created the page ‘Approve the quotation and pay’ on this website. It is a central safe place where you can handle approval of your quotation and the payment for the project work by all of the popular payment methods in a straightforward and secure manner.
Keep it simple, safe and practical!
Is your payment process safe?
Everything humanly possible is done to ensure your payment and data are safe.
SSL protocol is used to encrypt information on this website. You can check it in the web address bar where you find the padlock symbol and an “https://” in front of our web address of avalon-linguistic.com.
All payments or transactions are processed through a secured and trusted payment gateway.
Furthermore, 3D Secure, a technology used by most Banks now, creates a secure password for every online transaction and provides an additional layer of security through identity verification.
This fully complies with Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirements according to the second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) regulation in Europe.
How and when will I receive your work?
Once our work on your project to the agreed deadline has completed and passed final quality control here, the project manager will sign off. We will then instantly notify you by email with all files being attached.
What is your accuracy certificate?
For Translation work, the Certification of Translation Accuracy formally confirms that the original document presented has been translated by our qualified and experienced professional translators, and that the translated text, to the best of our knowledge and belief, is an accurate and true translation of the original document.
For Writing, Editing and Proofreading work, the Certification of Professional Accuracy confirms that all of the project work has been carried out by our qualified and experienced language professionals, applying due diligence, that the result meets our internal quality parameters and, to the best of our knowledge and belief, also is lege artis and to the highest current industry standards.
Can I be really sure you will meet the deadline that we agreed?
Yes, you can rest easy and rely on us to be on time. The rapid advancement of the digital economy and the hyper-connected “always-on” world in which we live today demand faster, better and more efficient professional language services than ever.
As part of our customer satisfaction and quality philosophy it is ultimately vital to us that we deliver with precision under all circumstances and at all times exactly as we say: “Accurate. On time. Every time. Guaranteed”. Our track record is for 100%, and you can count on us to meet your deadline too!
Will you assist me exactly in my time zone?
AVALON is international and operating in a global environment. Business never sleeps, neither that of our clients, nor does our own. In the way we are organised and by our structural capacity, we are ready to serve you wherever you are, whatever your time zone. Greenwhich Mean Time, Easter Time Zone, Pacific, Central or Atlantic Time Zone … you name it. To us, it does not make a difference, and you may rest assured that we can indeed serve you exactly to your time.
Can you do project work overnight / on weekends / on holidays, if required?
We can indeed serve you outside the petty rigidity of ‘9 to 5′ schedules. As business really never stands still, and we are open for business around “all clocks” – in all time zones this is to say –, ’24/7/365’ is not just a slogan, it rather is concept and programme by itself.
Hence, irrespective if it’s at any time night, weekend or holiday in any corner of the world, we will be at work for our clients.
I would need the work done almost instantly – do you offer a rush service?
AVALON Express is the answer to your question and for your very sensitive deadlines and extremely urgent or even instant work needed.
The Express operation will take care of it, arrange and ensure the necessary and is available 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week/ 365 days a year.
A modest surcharge may apply, please refer to page ‘Standard rates – details’, and we will advise you specifically in our quotation.
Email for ordering: express@avalon-linguistic.com
Do you operate like an agency firm?
No, we definitely and for good reasons do not operate like an agency.
To achieve and maintain our quality standards, it just wouldn’t be good enough to outsource projects or parts of project work to anybody else outside our actual control.
We rather decided that we must own the whole process and therefore exclusively work with our own in-house staff and teams. The only input from outside comes from trusted associates and partners when, in specific scenarios, we may need expert knowledge that we don’t have available between ourselves or for local or regional expertise on the ground in some countries.
This boutique company model makes us different and is the main organisational factor behind our supreme quality.
Who will be working on my project?
Each project is assigned to highly experienced individual linguists or structured teams who are master of their respective field.
Thus, our language services are powered by versed consummate language professionals with proven track records of excellence. They hold solid education and advanced degrees, and they are primary speakers of the language they translate or which they write, edit or proofread in.
Just the best for the best project results!
Will I have a point of contact with my project?
Indeed, you will always have a designated point of contact with us who knows you, your project(s) and the relevant background and circumstances of same.
It is normally the project manager who will take you through the process and co-ordinate and communicate everything to ensure smooth running and a successful outcome of your undertaking.
I have only a small task of one standard page - do you charge a mimimum fee?
By our high standards of business ethics we believe in fairness in business. This means transparent favourable prices with no setup fees, no minimum spending or hidden costs, no small print.
While we are used to work on very large and challenging long-term projects, we will be happy to bring the same performance and attention to small projects as well, which we appreciate all the same.
Clearly and expressly, there is no project which we would deem “too small”, and there is no minimum fee or whatsoever with us.
Do you offer a dedicated preferential service for corporate clients?
We believe that for our corporate and enterprise clients it is crucial to get knowledge, advice, support and priority attention in the most effective and direct way.
As our corporate client you get premium personal service and guidance with an expert corporate project manager throughout the entire lifecycle of your project(s) and of your collaboration with us.
This means just one central point of contact for your corporate in all your dealings with us.
Email: corporate@avalon-linguistic.com
What does your 100% customer satisfaction guarantee entail?
Quality is at the heart of everything that we do in our business day by day. It is our unique selling point, our hallmark and our best policy.
Should you ever in any way be not entirely satisfied with our work, there is the AVALON 100% Satisfaction Guarantee on every single project.
This guarantee of ours is simple and exactly what we say it is – no hidden small print, no tricks:
Simply contact us within 14 days of project completion and let us know exactly what your issue is. We will review it and respond to you within 24 hours with a proposed solution and continue working with you to resolve your concerns.
Only when you are fully happy with the result, will we stop.
Probably have more questions than those answered above? Just drop us a message, and we will revert to you.