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Alice, while that is a wonderful thought

Posted By: gourdpainter on 2009-09-15
In Reply to: ANOTHER NEW TREND - Alice

it isn't realistic.  Physicians are the profit generators so no hospital is going to risk offending them.  It has always been so.  I would suggest that as an alternative the bad dictators be rotated among the MTs fairly, no excuses for not doing them.  I once worked in a small hospital where all dictation was done by the in-house transcriptionists.  There were 3 very bad dictators.  We also had to rotate on pathology which I absolutely hate.  I asked the other MTs if they would be willing to take my turn doing pathology if I would take all the dictation from these 3 bad dictators.  All were happy and I was happy, problem solved.  That's how it was in the old days.  MTs got along, worked together and there was no cherry picking.  It simply was not allowed by the department head, everyone was required to take the good with the bad.  We didn't have computers in the old days but not everything was bad either.


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They are wonderful! Pay on time, work always available, wonderful
people
Ditto, Keystrokes is a wonderful company with wonderful people! I love working for Keystrokes!
I am just not making enough money.  They are a great company though, just ask for a back up account.
Alice
The famous person who said it was Albert Einsten. I was where you were now until I signed on with MDI. They are the decent, honest company that is the exception to the rule. I have been MTing for many, many years and am still shocked at the companies out there that want to exploit the MT. Fortunately, MDI is not one of them.
Alice,
That should be Einstein, NOT Einsten. Can you tell I have been working all day? No work shortage here.
Alice
It is the same company. I am sorry it turned out that way for you. I hope you find something good.
Alice
I thought of contacting them, too, but decided why bother? I was just shocked. I mean, apart from a complete lack of business etiquette, this woman couldn't even speak correctly. Yuh know, that there stuff called grammar? Well, she didn't understand a lick of it. I was appalled--could hardly believe that any company would have someone like that representing them on the phone.
Alice
I think that what you are seeing is basically human nature at work. I don't know what the recruiter said or did not say, but please remember that being a recruiter is basically a sales job. Companies hire more people than they need because it is all about TAT. It is a standard for many companies (but not all) today, sadly.
Thanks, Alice
I appreciate you sharing your experience with Archivus. Sorry things did not go better for you there (are you still there now?). I guess the encouraging information is that they do have work, unlike some of the other companies that have a line requirement and do not have enough work for the MTs to meet quota (? just guessing that no news is good news here).

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

Have a great night!
Thanks, Alice
Your post is so articulate!
And your points are well taken.

For me, as much as I oppose NAFTA-like policies, I am not opposed to global trade.

In other words, I opposed the NAFTA (North American FREE Trade Agreement) not because it opened up markets, but because FAIRNESS should have been the F in nafta, not FREE. The agreement also provided insufficient consideration for environmental issues.

When I think about the poorest people in the world who HAVE benefitted from the global economy - if even a small amount - I cannot find it in my heart to resent them for it. They are just as human as I am.

To me, these issues are NOT black and white. If we have ANY hope of leveling the playing field, the FIRST thing to do is to become educated about the POLICIES our own government is enacting that have a DIRECT impact on our daily lives.

I hate to be a drone on capitalism, but it is just a fact that capitalism will always drive companies to put profit ahead of the needs of its workers.

I am not going to pretend I have the magic recipe for a system that allows free enterprise and at the same time PROPERLY considers its workers, but I have no doubt such a system is possible.

But if Americans think they will effect REAL CHANGE by sitting back and letting politicians continue to MAKE THE LAWS THAT FAVOR CORPORATIONS, they are truly fooled.

This is NOT about PARTY A versus PARTY B, it's about the need for a real hard look at our entire economic system - unless we are happy to continue to watch it, quote work unquote, for so FEW.
Alice
Well MQ was (and IS) traded on the stock market and I would hardly say they are an ideal company. This people worship at the Shrine of Fort Knox.
Alice and Digging In, SM
Sorry about getting your name wrong, Alice. I use Shorthand, but InstantText's method is probably much the same.

Digging, if you don't have one of those I very strongly recommend it, although Word does have a macro creation function. But whatever you do, if you're working on an employer's program, get your own program that stays with you no matter what.

In Shorthand, when I open the window where you add entries, there's a record Keystrokes button on the side. I hit that and it returns me to the text page, where I type the keystrokes as usual. When I'm finished, I hit the stop button which has appeared on the screen and give my new macro a name, which is 1, 2, or 3 letters/number/figures at most.

It's as simple as that for literally hundreds of basic corrections. Like my KK, which hyphenates two words by backing one space, inserting the dash, and returning the cursor to the next word beyond.

qiq, which erases q.i.d. and types 4 times a day for me.

Z backs up and inserts a comma, then returns to the next word.

F toggles letters into upper and lower case. I use this one thousands of times a day, but I had to copy the keystrokes from the people at productivitytalk.com because I'm no good at this stuff and my attempts to just record it didn't work. An absolute must-have! I can't believe I typed for years without it.

Virtually everthing you do, copying admit diagnoses and putting them under a new discharge dx heading, breaking up run-on sentences into two, etc., can be reduced to a tap of a key or two as you cruise by. I don't see most of my corrections occur, I'm already gone.

Be sure to check your lines per minute before you start so you can recheck them after a week of using the first few you record. You're going to love it!
I agree with Alice!!
I was with Focus for almost 5 years and I quit on Tuesday.  There is no work; I miss my Indian managers who made sure there was enough work to go around.  The new management is the worst!!  Within her first month on the job, she has lost one account with one more almost gone.  The hospital I was working on - the docs keep disappearing so it's obvious that account is firing Focus, phasing them out.  So - not even 2 months on the job and she's lost 2 hospitals?  I wanted something growing - not shrinking!   I can honestly say I loved my job up until November of 2008 when new management took over and my Indian was moved.  I, like a few others, hoped things would get better after new managment got settled in.  That did not happen!  She hired QC with transcription experience of 6 months.  How can a completely inexperienced person QC any report with any degree of accuracy?  This person pends all reports - even stats - to the hospital.  My thought:  Why hire QC?  Let MTs pend directly to the hospital since QC is incapable and cannot do their job?  Eliminate it!  I did not appreciate QC asking me about formatting reports, asking about doctors on the hospital when she should know that - after all, she was QC-ing my work since I was an MT!!  QC asking MTs how to do her job?? Enough was enough!  I left...but will always be thankful for having had the Indian folks I worked with.  They were truly second to none and I find it really sad to watch their years of dedication and hard work go down the drain in less than 3-6 months after new management started on their accounts! 
You are correct, Alice.
That is what I believe to. A run around. I would like to give an ultimatum but I do like where I am but I am putting my resume out there just in case I have to do just that. And to the other poster, yes, it is stated in our contract that after a year we will be considered for a raise. I have gone above and beyond what has been asked of me for that year, definitely not just doing enough work, etc. Ten hour days and even weekends when they need it. All I want is an answer. I think I have earned that. I just wondered if this has ever happened to anyone and how they handled it. BTW, I worked for 10 years with the same place before this and never go a raise. This time is a completely different situation.
i didn's see any name calling from Alice
you lost me...
Thanks, Alice, I had read all the negative posts. I just wanted to know if
anyone who worked for them had anything positive to say. The screaming b*@ch responding to this post doesn't realize that people do need to work, but some of us want to weigh all responses. I'm not living life looking through rose-colored glasses. I don't live it, either, by focusing on every negative my mind conjure up, like the whacko responder here. Good grief, talk about needing a life!

Thanks, Alice, doesn't seem anything has improved here as far as Focus.
what a clear, honest and refreshing post, thanks, Alice..nm
nm
I actually thought of that. I even thought of trying to go back to MQ part-time!! (sm)
I just wonder about hours at a second company.  I work days (and some nights) with this company.  I have a set schedule but with the no work situtation I've been on the computer at all hours of the day and night.  Right now I have no work, so I would love to jump on at a company #2 and start working.  Do you have to have set hours at your company #2?  Thanks for the suggestion.
It IS wonderful!

I have worked in many places in 30+ years, but this is by far the best.  Very well organized. Lots of open communication.  Ongoing conversations with your fellow editors throughout your shift.  They will listen and help on jobs that you have trouble with.  The management treats you with utmost respect.  We are all called colleagues - no superiority complexes here.  I say go for it.  I have only been here a month myself but wonder what took me so long to get here!  Please join us!!


They are WONDERFUL
I am so glad that I found this company. Great pay, great dictators, great platform, pay is always on time, what more could I want?
Since you are new everything probably seems wonderful...
because it is at first...and then the more time goes by and you keep running out of work, have your e-mails come back unanswered when you question why there is no work, etc...then you will understand...if you still love it after you have been there a few more months then good for you...but obviously there is more than one person who feels this way...
That would be wonderful! (nm)
x
I use this one and it is wonderful!
www.nolimitlongdistance.com.  The ad should be up at MTStars shortly but meantime you can go to the website.  I use it and have logged in about 12000 minutes this last month.  Still only $24.95 flat rate.  You need high-speed Internet though but other than that, it can be used anywhere in the country. 
My sup seems to think is it wonderful too but not the MTs nm
xxxxx
It may very well be wonderful for SM

the people who are posting about whatever company.  What makes one place great for them may not be your cup of tea.  It doesn't mean they are lying.  Maybe they landed on a good account.  Maybe they have a huge Expander and can make money anywhere.  Maybe they like Meditech, who knows.


But to call them liars, recruiters or anything else is not fair.


Thanks for your help. It looks wonderful.
And you are a gem for telling us about this. A big Thank you! :)
How wonderful could they be
if they were using OS MTs and did not tell the client? That stinks on ice.
That's WONDERFUL!!
Great deal! I am SO glad to hear that you have an interested audience. PLEASE come back and let us know how it goes. Good luck!!!
There is a wonderful saying
PAY PEANUTS, GET MONKEYS. How on earth they can expect quality for that price is just beyond me. I hope none of us enables their bad behavior by accepting such jobs. Believe me, it is not worth it.
QA can be wonderful, BUT
Most of the time my QA is terrific, can occasionally help me out.  For the most part, the blanks I leave they can't fill in either.  The only time I get frustrated with QA is when the QA person obviously has less experience than I do and changes things that I have done correctly to be INCORRECT.  IMO, QA people should be seasoned and well-rounded MT's.  I can't for the life of me understand why a company would put a 2-year MT in QA to do QA for MT's that have say 15 years of experience.  Usually the 2-year MT is one of the ones that NEEDS QA, simply because they have not had time to learn all the surgical terms, terms for all kinds of specialties, etc.  I don't care how fantastic you are at grammar and spelling, nor how fast you learn, for QA experience should be a must and it's just not something a 2-3 year MT has enough of.  It drove me nuts at one company I worked for when they would welcome a new QA person and say they had been an MT for 2-3 years and would now be checking the work of all MTs, many of whom had 10+ and far beyond years of experience.  I think odds are good that these are the QA people who change correct dictation to incorrect, and it just frustrates me and makes me nuts that my good name/#/initials, whatever, are on a report that I took great pains to make high quality, and then a QA person changes it to subpar and sends it through in my name, to go in a patient's medical record with errors that I did not put there and should not be there.  Anyone else experience this?
that is wonderful! There are sm
many MTs out there still able to make a living at this if they are willing to work.....even with lower cpl wages
a WONDERFUL job and how do sm
we due this every weekend? You are only working one weekend day. This is the healthcare field. Some companies require a weekend day and that is how it is. How do you adjust your family time during the week? What's the difference?

This profession has gotten ridiculous. First it started with schools touting the profession as a work at home job and everybody and his brother, sister, aunt, uncle wanted to work at home. Now that it is classified as work at home, now its too hard to work a weekend day? If you were in a hospital setting you would have to work weekends there. I get so tired of hearing this stuff.

If the job is wonderful as you say and you are not taking it for the only reason being you have to work Saturday (having Sunday and Monday off, or Friday and Saturday, then go work in a bank for crying out loud.

This is the real world and if you need to work, this is what it is. Your comment on please explain this to me as I just cannot see how it is possible absolutely amazes me. Where is hubby on Saturday? You have your time after work on Saturday just as you would during the week.

Sorry, you need to explain this as I cannot see how you think this is an impossible situation. There are plenty of folks out there who would love to have that job. Sounds like they deserve it more and wouldn't whine either.
What a wonderful moment.
Those don't come around that often. We all know that "no work" isn't always a good thing, but she got a fabulous morning out of it. Let her enjoy it, and let's hope we get one like that soon!
They are really a wonderful company with little or no
turnover in staff. The owner really knows how to treat his staff well.
Thanks to all the wonderful MTs who have responded to the ads
as well as to all those who have been with us awhile. Sue and I, along with Wendy and Vikki, Nancie, Diane, Pat, and the rest of the staff are so grateful to everyone who helps make this a great place to work and a success. We are very happy that so many new MTs will be joining us.
You sound wonderful
Or at least give me a chance to test with you?
Where are all these wonderful extras we are getting.
I would much rather be SE than this new plan.
Has been a wonderful experience for me. SM

The attitude and support I have received there have been great.  The QA is strict but very helpful, and it is actually a pleasure to work for them. The manager is a truly good person, hard to find in this field.


Sandy is Wonderful!
I worked for Fast Chart when I very first started out at home almost 8 years ago. Very honest!. The pay is not great, but you will be paid each and every time without a doubt. Also, you will have plenty of work. The consistency of reports was also excellent. If  I ever had to go back to find a job, I would work for her again in a heartbeat. I cannot say that for too many companies anymore.
yes the do!! a wonderful company
xx
The first time I used them they were wonderful, the second
time they never got back to me until I asked a mutual acquaintance and then someone finally contacted me and said they had tried to contact me earlier but... yeah, right.  I don't think so!!  Needless to say I was disappointed! 
Oh good. She is wonderful
and extremely helpful.

Everybody there is, but when a new account starts up, they are quite busy, which can't really be helped, I'm sure.
Is this from the wonderful OSi QA manager?
This is what I would expect from her.
They are wonderful for Indian MT.
xx
Get out of town!!Wow how wonderful! I will look you up there.
I am wiseoldowl2000 and have been on there since 1992, though my exhusband had been on since 2000. The night my son was born he overbid on something he already had he was so excited. But I was not yet in the E=bay world. I will definitely look you up. We should have an e bay board here, I don't know about anyone else, but I am more addicted to e bay than I am transcribing! LOL. :)
You know, this made me think of a wonderful job at
I had a great job at Diskriter.  It was a great account, and I would have been very happy, but...the MTs were allowed to email each other.  From the start, I was getting lots of emails from some gals on the account, and some on other accounts, all warning me about this and that, letting me in on the - poop - so to speak, making me feel welcome, but giving me a heads up about all the injustices, etc.  As old as I am, and as experienced in the ways of the world as I thought, I fell for it hook, line and sinker.  Had a negative outlook and just a miserable experience, which, it turned out, was created by my wonderful coworkers who were basically trying to pull one over on me and get me to quit.  Which worked perfectly. I was so shocked by the time I figured out what had gone on, and how perfectly these lovely coworkers played me like a fiddle.  Lesson learned, but boy I wish I had it to do over again.  Its just your comments about getting emails right at the start warning you - I think its a ploy and a trick to get newcomers who are a threat to be unhappy and leave right away.  So, your mind was already poisoned to KS before you even got started.
Wonderful company.
nn
Wonderful to work for
MDI is great!  They have a large variety of WT from acute care to clinic to private.  I cannot speak for others regarding line rate, but I started at 9.5 cpl 2 years ago. There has always been plenty of work for me and I am sure that is the case all around.  The owner, team leaders, and operations are the best people I have ever worked for or with, and I have been in this profession for over 30 years. 
Wonderful Webmx

Too many MTs, if you are to believe this board, have applied here and put on ice.  They apparently make a practice of overhiring.  I, myself, did the oral test with them, did great I was told (it was almost all abbreviations/eponyms) ....and then told by the recruiter that there were no jobs at the moment, but that since I had applied for 3rd shift, something should be coming up soon .....and that I should take the transcription test in the meanwhile (4 basic 4 tests).  NOW WHY SHOULD WANT TO DO THAT, GIVE THEM ANOTHER FEW HOURS OF MY TIME, TO BE PUT ON HOLD???? 


____ed once, shame on YOU, ___ed twice, shame on ME.


 


 


 


 


Wonderful addition -sm
Thank you for adding it to the list. The two of you need to represent all of us. How about forming a union? I'll join. Just tell me when and where to sign up. Thanks again!!
Wonderful post...
But I didn't think any company paid 10 cpl.  How long have you been with Keystrokes in order to make 10 cpl?  Do they base your pay on the difficulty of your accounts?
Wonderful company!
I love working with MTA.  Pay is good and on time.  Hours are flexible (probably depending on account).  Lynn is very organized and great to work for.