We all have our own way of using language and our own preferences. While we accept this premise, it can be difficult to distinguish between “correctness”and “preference”. This often causes unnecessary problems, linguistic arguments and frustration. The best way to avoid it altogether is to trust the linguistic expertise being offered and work closely with the translation provider to ensure that the final text is the most appropriate for the business objective at hand.
The best way to achieve the desired result first time around is to communicate clearly with the translation supplier what is required in each case. It sounds obvious enough, but this simple approach is often not followed and causes problems and frustration in later stages.
Another consideration is the fact that different documents are written in different ways depending on who they’re addressed to (customers, senior management, distributors, press contacts, etc.). QuickSilver’s team of translators is very aware of this, and factor other elements into their work (e.g. a formal vs. more informal register) as appropriate.