In lectures and interpreters’ Codes of Conduct, one principle that is repeated ad nauseam is the deceptively simple order to “maintain professional boundaries and refrain from personally engaging with the client”. What nobody mentions is that this seemingly redundantly obvious concept is one of the hardest to uphold in public service environments, even despite the best attempts of the interpreter to do so. Today I’d like to discuss some tips for new interpreters such as myself for avoiding unwanted personal interactions with clients and upholding professional Codes of Conduct.
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I stand to leave, shaking hands, all polite smiles and thank yous before heading to reception to sign out, when over my shoulder a timid voice raises above the screeching of chairs- “Miss, would you help me ask the receptionist a quick question? Please?”
What am I to do? How cruel, how heartless to look them in the eye and condemn them to struggle when I have spent the last hour helping them gladly. Was money the only thing that motivated me then? Now that the appointment has ended, are they nothing to me? Is community not built on the selfless helping of strangers? Would I want a back turned in callous scorn in my moment of need? I mean, I’m already going there anyway. A moment’s hesitation more, then “Umm.. alright, I think it was back this way”
I feel my tutors’ disappointed resignation, generations of interpreters’ we told you so smiles look down on me as the receptionist takes longer and longer to search for the answer to the client’s question and it begins. “Your Spanish is really good, are you Argentinian? Do you live around here? Do you like your job?” Innocuous questions- surely purely innocent attempts at conversation with someone who shares their language, yet alarm bells sound in my head- I’m not supposed to be in this situation! Politely vague answers and pointed non-responses don’t work, but you can’t just walk away now without an excuse, and as you leave together, they continue “Would you like to get a coffee after? Do you use Whatsapp?”
Textbooks and lectures conveniently skip over this bit when explaining. I am a warm person, and when approached by people who so often clearly just want a friend in a foreign land, I find it hard to directly reject them or hurt their feelings with cold professionalism. However, I understand the risks both personal and professional of getting too close; I definitely do not want to be giving my phone number to clients, breaking neutrality principles by having a discussion over coffee, or being put into a bind by a “don’t tell the [service provider], but…” . So, what can one do?
I have learnt from my some of my mistakes and now have a few tips for the people-pleasers amongst us who struggle to handle these kinds of experiences.
The role of the service provider
Ideally, we wouldn’t be left alone with clients in the first place, yet many service providers (SP) don’t understand that doing so could put the interpreter in very difficult situations.
During appointments (most of my experience is with medical, social services and asylum), whilst it is rare, if the SP steps out for any reason I try to follow them outside of the room to wait for their return. They will usually accept a simple explanation that it’s better to not be left alone. If they ask me to stay, I try to busy myself looking at my notes or glossary, or excuse myself to the toilet/water bottle refill station to avoid being asked my opinion or for advice. In this case, however, it may be helpful to try to make the SP understand either in the moment or in post the risks to neutrality and professional ethics, not only for your sake but for future interpreters. It’s a sad truth that educating SPs and clients is a hugely important part of what we do, as our job is misunderstood by so many.
Despite this, there will always be those few minutes before an appointment or the walk back out (why are building layouts so complicated?), when many clients will try to strike up conversation. Whilst these are mostly innocent, many of us will want to try to avoid them as they can be hard to navigate from a neutral, professional standpoint. Let’s have a look at some tactics I’ve been using.
Politely decline: Friendly but firm
Many of us struggle to give a blunt “no” to offers for a coffee or conversation from clients, especially if they are in a delicate situation, or you have just had a very successful session together. I have found that it is possible to be friendly without budging on your boundaries through two main methods.
1. The interpreter’s Code of Conduct
“I’m sorry, interpreters work under a Code of Professional Conduct that prevents me from doing that”, or, “I can’t comment,” combined with an apologetic smile is usually my first port of call when asked to do something or give my opinion. The its-not-you-it’s-me excuse is great as there is less chance of offending clients versus outright rejecting them without an explanation, and instead places the blame on the murky concept of a higher authority. I also think this is useful as it can help clients understand the role of interpreters; many see us as advocates or friends rather than neutral professionals that work for agencies and organisations. Despite this, some have still tried to ‘convince’ me, come on, nobody will know– it’s not that serious. This is unacceptable and must be shut down, yet I try to remain kind regardless; friendly but firm. “I’m sorry, but I really can’t. It was a pleasure working with you, though. I’d love to interpret for you again in the future.” with a firm handshake and speedy escape usually keeps all feelings intact and leaves little room for argument.
2. White lies and excuses: Too busy to chat!
We were all taught as children that lying is wrong, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with having some not-quite-true excuses on hand to avoid the awkward interaction above. Maybe you’re tired, maybe the client is a little overbearing, maybe it was a difficult session, or you simply don’t want to have to defend and explain yourself or feel like you’ve let the client down. In that case, there is no reason to feel guilty about making up a train or next appointment that you have to dash off to. From experience, I’d recommend avoiding using a bathroom trip as a way to not have to make conversation with a client as you exit the building, as I have had clients wait for me to finish or even a case of a female client accompanying me in!
The only problem with the “Oh I’d love to, but I have to attend another appointment now” is that, if you interpret for the same client again, they will likely ask again, but, I suppose, nothing is stopping you from pretending to be the busiest interpreter ever (or the worst at time management!)
Work-centred Conversation: short and sweet
I don’t mean to demonise clients here, and sometimes a little conversation is nice. Before an appointment begins, many will be happy to talk about what their issue is, and, in a world where briefings are a preciously rare gem, it can be incredibly useful to know what to expect before you go in. On this, I believe timing to be very important. An interpreter is always punctual- I try to arrive to the location fifteen minutes beforehand, but I have found avoiding introducing myself to the client until 7-5 minutes before the due start time to be very useful, as it is long enough for polite introductions, small talk and maybe a little chat about the assignment, but not long enough to get into opinions, past experiences, or personal questions before being called in.
Conclusions
Essentially, since starting off with PSI interpreting, I have learnt that if someone wants to talk to you, it is hard to make them stop, but there are certain ways we can learn to guide conversations so they stay within professional boundaries and in line with Codes of Conduct. These Codes help keep both ourselves and clients safe, and are what make professional interpreters professionals. During both my undergraduate and MA, I was taught to treat them as my bible, objective laws that every decent interpreter swears by unwaveringly. Yet, in reality, some of their mandates go against my first nature, and on many occasions I have felt a bitter guilt at unwittingly finding myself in situations like the one described above. I felt woefully underprepared and alone, when the SP disappeared and I realised we had always been told to avoid personal conversations, but, crucially, not how to avoid them!
As my confidence both as an interpreter and as an adult grows, I am sure I will be able to assert my boundaries as a professional more readily, but for the time being, I hope these tips prove helpful to those like me who are still finding their footing or struggle to say no. There will never be a perfect assignment, and beating yourself up for minor slip-ups or situations you couldn’t have predicted will not help. Learn from your mistakes and devise a way to avoid them in the future.
Good luck!
Georgia Meakins
Georgia Meakins 
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