As a customer, all you're interested in is fast, accurate and, if possible, cheap translation. You don't want to hear anything more about it, you don't want the hassle, after all, that's you're paying your translator or interpreter for...

These are some useful tips related to what you should reasonably expect when you're hiring a professional translator:

• The translator should ask you for any special glossaries or documentation that he or she might find useful when translating your text. 
• Discussions relating to payment, payment practices or deadlines should take place before the translator starts working.
• "Discovering" a critical problem a day before the deadline is not good business practice. I'm not saying it cannot happen, but it's usually an indication of unprofessionalism on the part of the translator. (Of course, that doesn't include technical problems, such as a virus or a computer crashdown).
• The translator should be able to respect deadlines that both of you agreed upon.
• The translator should provide you with a top-quality translation or be honest and tell you upfront that he or she cannot handle that particular translation (You can't expect everybody to know everything). As I'm sure you already know, "honesty is the best policy", especially in this business!

• Never give me work in the morning. Always wait until the last possible minute and then bring it to me. The challenge of a deadline is refreshing.
• If it's really a "rush job," call and interrupt me every 10 minutes to inquire how it's going. That helps.
• Always leave without telling anyone where you're going. It gives me a chance to be creative trying to track you down.
• If you give me more than one job to do, don't tell me which is the priority. Let me guess.
• Do your best to keep me late. I like the office and really have nowhere to go or anything to do.
• If a job I do pleases you, keep it a secret. Leaks like that could cost me a promotion.
• If you don't like my work, tell everyone. I like my name to be popular in conversation.
• If you have special instructions for a job, don't write them down. In fact, save them until the job is almost done.
• Be nice to me only when the job I'm doing for you could really change your life.
• If I've given you the translation in time and you like it, don't pay me. Consider that the privilege of working for you is a reward in itself.