This paper describes the design and carrying out of a two-part pilot study on translation quality. The first part of the study is descriptive in nature and deals with the expectations of real users of translated tourist leaflets; the second part is experimental and is designed to allow a comparison of the assessment made by these users of a published translation, on the one hand, and a second translated version of the source text, manipulated by the researcher, on the other. The questionnaires drawn up to collect the data cover seven basic quality parameters, including accuracy of information, clarity and readability of the target text, attractive visual presentation, and professional behaviour of the translator. Preliminary results obtained in the pilot study are presented and discussed and modifications are proposed for the final version of the questionnaires. The conclusions describe the tendencies observed during this pilot stage.