Pros
Company policies are relatively complete and available for those who hunt for them. I happened to have worked with an amicable SLS (senior language specialist) and was happy to have worked under her, although I felt that she did not uphold and enforce what should be required of an interpreter.
Cons
Threshold for job is low, quality of service is sad (because they don't do anything to attract good employees), appalling working conditions (sick and losing your voice will result in an "unexcused absence"), disregard of standard working conditions of an interpreter, lack of human contact (except when they need to tell you you are in trouble!), a lack of motivation for employees to do their job well. I might be the first person here to criticize the quality of service provided by the interpreters, even though I was one of the interpreters at this company. Please understand that I have no ill feelings toward any fellow interpreters working here, but as I have been on the giving end of service (and did what I could), and as I have been an observer of said service (the first day of work involved listening in to co-workers' calls), and as I have also been on the receiving end of service (my own family often requires the help of an interpreter, and often I am not authorized to interpret for them, so I sit down and listen in), I honestly feel that the quality of service is quite disappointing. I will obtain a master degree for translation and interpretation in a few months, therefore I would like to offer some of my thought on what I believe went wrong: 1. Initial training concentrated on company procedures and protocol, but no test was required for employees to demonstrate that they understand said procedures and protocol. I have observed many interpreters being rude, taking over the call from the client and LEP, etc. 2. Many, as a matter of fact, more than 75% of the interpreters I spoke to, felt that they were very inadequately prepared for the job. One interpreter told the patient there was a problem with her spleen while another told her it was the pancreas, when the correct answer was in fact yet another organ. The interpretation quality of many interpreters working for LLS was not remotely passing, yet they are handling medical and court situations. Sometimes, it is quite clear that these interpreters lack linguistic proficiencies, and other times, I could tell the interpreter would have done a much better job had he or she received proper training. 3. The compensation package is simply unattractive to truly qualifying interpreters, unless they do not mind working at home for a little bit of pocket money (some do so because someone else puts bread on the table in the family and their income is less important, and working at home is convenient). The company should be well aware of how awful their compensation package is, and I really have no need to say more on this subject. 4. An interpreter is not supposed to work non-stop for hours and then enjoy a 15-minute break. Again, the company should have a good idea about how an interpretation works. If you work somewhere else, you get bathroom breaks on top of your mid-morning 15-minute break (I simply haven't worked at another company that would tell me otherwise, so why should LLS treat their employees like they are some streamline workers chained to their workstation?). When working consecutively, an interpreter needs a small break every hour. Even just 5 minutes is better than nothing. 5. The company has employees across the US. Why can't LLS organize some kind of "meet up" event once a year around major metropolis such as SF, LA, NYC, Chicago, etc? It doesn't cost much and is a nice way to tell the employees "hey we actually exist! let's get some human contact!" Sometimes, people forget that they deal with real humans, even if they don't get to meet face to face. It'd be a good reminder to the managers and employees alike, that the other side has blood and flesh too. 6. Last but not least, let me add this: I happened to have worked for a world-renowned client of LLS, and they recently switched from LLS to another company. The reason? Their doctors and nurses used to have to dial 9-1-800-XXX-XXXX everytime they need an LLS interpreter, but now they are with a different telephone interpreting company, all they need to dial is THREE numbers! LLS could have done a little more to provide a thoughtful, simple way for their clients to reach them. But alas, they did not.
