Can't take it as a slap in the face .. TTS sent me an offer letter of 6 cents.-something sm
Posted By: LTMT on 2009-01-01
In Reply to: Transportal info - lrlady
I have over 30 years of experience. The sad thing ... companies advertise they want experienced MTs, but are not willing to pay for that experience. On the other side, the starting out MT can't get a job because they want experience but you can't get experience if no one will give you a job .. kinda like the old Catch 22 I read in high school.
For every MT I wish a wonderful wage with great benefits and all you need ... for MTSOs I wish a happy match with employees that will help you satisfy your clients' needs and make you a profit as well, while you are being fair to the MT too.
Complete Discussion Below:  marks the location of current message within thread
The messages you are viewing
are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select
the boards given in left menu
Other related messages found in our database
I'm not sure why it's a slap in the face
They want the absolute best, prefer someone who has a CMT, and someone with years of experience dealing with ESL type dictators. In other words, they want an American. I personally don't see it as a slap in the face, but rather a confirmation of what we tell each other on this board every day...no matter how many third world countries they want to offshore the work to, they are nowhere near as good as an American MT, and the fact that Saudi Arabia wants to hire an American rather than someone from India, which is geographically a heckuva lot closer, makes that point.
production pay is NOT a slap in the face if you are
and a professional. To me, it is an opportunity to make as much money as i feel like pushing for. I don't feel locked-in to a certain amount of a paycheck.
I think it is a slap in every US MT/QA's face for SPI to be in Vietnam.
I would hope that no one would continue working for this company. They have lied to their hospitals and my guess is a lot of hospitals would be upset to know their stuff was going to VIETNAM of all places.
Guess we can call their recruiter Hanoi Jane now.
Low is an understatement. Slap in the face is more like it!! nm
x
Crap, what a slap in the face. nm
nm
what did you see and why is a job advert a slap in the face?...nm
nm
Being paid by production is a slap in the face of quality. Bills due
determine the work ethics, from what I have witnessed. For an MT who has to come up with the money to live and the work available limited, there is a race to grab the best work, produce it as fast as possible and get on to the next job (which one may cherry pick simply because, well, they need the cash and have only so many hours to work, a limited amount of work available to them and, one might conclude, why not grab the easier work). It sucks. If there were ample work available to give the 8 hr a day MT her/him line count and provide her/him with a salary that one could live on modestly with a fair share of the good/bad, it would certainly make our days much more pleasant and then, quality would improve.
Didn't you get paperwork, offer letter, etc? sm
If they offered you a position and are already so far as setting you up with your account I would have thought you would have already filled out the required paperwork and sent in copies of your Social Security card, etc. (so you would know which company hired you). That said, there is only one Keystrokes of which I am aware. I would call them.
TransTech-still waiting for offer letter
Hi. This seems sort of related to another message I just saw on this board...I was recently hired by them and they told me they would FedEx the paperwork. Five days later, still no FedEx truck. I know I'm being paranoid (I can't help it--I was just working for OSi!!!), but has this ever happened to anyone else and/or is there anything I need to worry about? I emailed Debbie that I had yet to receive this and asked for a tracking number, and have yet to hear anything back. Thanks very much.
Letter declining job offer inside...sm
This is to inform you that I have decided to decline the offer for FT Acute Care MT. I have accepted another position. The mitigating factor in this reversal is the insurance deductible amount and the CPL pay rate as quoted for both accounts.
While I fully realize all the ramifications of MTSO outsourcing abroad, it is becoming more and more difficult for experienced MTs to remain party to the deterioration of our profession that has occured (in my case in the interim since 1974, when I began transcribing) as a result of this decline. For most of us, this is a deeply personal issue.
The experience I bring to the table after 27 years of transcription is worth more than what most MTSOs are willing to offer. I do not expect to be become wealthy as an MT, but I do expect to make a living wage while still being able to preserve a family and social life. Because the wages are so low, the benefits are an extremely important part of the picture.
If you spend any time at all in the MT chat room forums, you know that these sentiments are shared by many other MTs. Most of us are at the end of our ropes in this regard. The work may as well go to India. They can afford to live well (the way American MTs used to) with the money they are paid. Not only are we driven by these dire financial concerns but, more importantly, it is simply a matter of honor and self-respect.
This job search has been different than the ones I conducted in the past. It used to take me less than a week to secure employment with a good company. This time, it has taken me nearly 2 months to find one who is willing to pay 10 cpl for full-time employee status and offer a $500 insurance deductible that I can live with.
In all the chat room chatter, the MTs are always challenging themselves and each other to step up to the plate and refuse to allow themselves to be part of the problem, rather than part of the solution, by refusing substandard wages and benefits. I am one who accepts this challenge.
I am sorry for any inconvenience this has caused for you and I do appreciate the time you spent with me and the consideration you gave to my resume.
Gave me one rate in offer letter, then changed
SGS gave me one nonimpressive line rate in offer letter, which I agreed to, then uncerimoniously changed it to a lower rate one month later, told me I had no choice. They are not good about answering questions and do lack respect for the very people who bring in the money. It is sad and heartbreaking.
then you get changed to a production-based position according to my offer letter
NM
Forum boards VS face-to-face
or on the phone with someone. Here we don't hear tone inflections or see someone's body language, so it's a lot easier to use the keyboard in ways we otherwise would NEVER communicate.
True part of human nature. Take it with grain of salt.
What is average? 7 cents, 8 cents, 9 cents? 65-character?
x
their QA is rude. The office staff will slap you right in the head. don't think about it.
they are all nicey nice until you don't sniff the right way, then WHAMMO
I also work for 8 cents a line. I left a job typing OPs for 10-11 cents sm
to take a clinic job. I made an average of $17-18 an hour with OPs, now make $16-17 an hour, but the work is easier on me. I do not call that poor pay. I type 200+ lines an hour. True, it isn't the $26-27 an hour I was making 10 years ago at a hospital, but that's gone for good. I have excellent skills, make better than 99% on QA at any company I have worked for, and some of those have been very demanding.
I'm afraid the people that are expecting to make $20-30 an hour in MT are going to be disappointed. A few can still make that amount, but for the average good transcriptionist, the pay is much more likely to run $15-20. Benefits are pretty much gone. However, I feel that what I'm making is considerably above what I could make in another field, unless I decide to teach, which I will not do. Still, I make more than I would at Walmart or Burger King, or even a secretarial job. It's my choice. Good luck to you.
The mentoring program does not pay 8-1/2 cents per line. Believe it is like 6 cents.
n/m
4 CENTS , SCHMORE CENTS. THAT'S WRONG!
Whether an MT is new or an editor, 4 cents a line is deeply insulting, and 9 cents per line isn't really too much better. You know, I understand that most of these MT companies want to save money, but most of them don't seem to want to pay what an MT's time and skills are really worth. Why not pay an MT who has been in the field for 7-10 years or more 15 or 20 cents per line? At least I might consider working for one of these companies at home if I were to be paid that much straight off the bat for having 12 years' experience, but I guess that would be too much like right...
Do they still pay you 5 cents a line and 2 cents if you send anything to QA?
xx
I have a problem with 7 cents and 8 cents a line because
...when I started 15 years ago, my very first MT job started me out at 8 cents a gross line, then went to 9 cents a gross line after only a year. I was SOOO happy and proud of myself for choosing a profession that paid so well - I imagined myself making a lot of $$ once I had 10 or 15 years experience behind me...
Well that never happened; in fact, it all went backwards, pay wise. The company I worked for back then sold out to a national, and of course the pay was cut, and 9 cents a gross line was never to be had again, at least not that I could find. I am considered living in poverty now. I started out great but have ended up very badly.
I think my own personal problem is that it's hard for me to let go the fact that I made good money just starting out and how everything I had ever learned about jobs, careers and pay was that the more experience and education you have in a particular field, the more your pay goes up as each year passes. Well my pay has been consistently taking a nosedive for at least a decade now. I actually have to work MORE to make at least as much as I did years ago, and it's killing me health-wise as far as my wrists, my legs, my neck, my back....
It also kills me that I'm going to have to accept 7 or 8 cents a 65-character line when I made so much more than that 15 years ago.
I suppose to someone who's just starting out, 7 or 8 cents would seem pretty good, though. Maybe that's why I haven't been able to land any jobs with my resume. They may not want me with my years of experience, probably want a newbie who will be more grateful about such low pay. I dunno.
I could just kick myself for wasting money on MT school those years ago when I could've spent it on a career that would actually LAST and where I'd be making great money after being in the same field for 15 years. There's just no reward to this business. None at all, IMO.
I would NOT recommend this field to anyone just getting started. To me, it's a dead field.
I'd have more freedom working at McDonalds (for a number of reasons), and, believe me, I've been considering taking a local job around my home for minimum wage. At least I'd have a consistent paycheck and would know exactly what I'm getting every 2 weeks, then build from there as far as another job or two.
Well anyway that's all. I really need a job. I'm going down, going under, and it's a shame because I do very good work and have all this experience but no one seems to want me, even the low-paying companies. Oh well.
You get what you pay for. Face it. nm
/
Thanks. Is my face red!!! Duh !! nm
Prune Face! LOL
x
Saving face
She saw the boards, was furious, trying to gain some lost ground. If you notice the dates you know it was because of the boards. Hush money.
Let's face facts about SS...
While it is not fair to judge anything or anyone on the basis of unmonitored, anonymous blogs, created by a competing company in the industry who seeks only to destroy the competition, I can tell you FIRST HAND how a company like SS does not help itself in any way. As a former executive with the company, I can assure you that the rumors and speculation that goes on this blog is merely touching the tip of the iceberg of information,scandal and hipocrisy. Like a snake, the company is poisonous from the head on back to it's slithering, rattling tail. Regarding the MT's- most are fairly normal, hard-working folk whom do the work that is expected and get paid on time. A small percentage of the 200+ medical transcriptionists actually substantially exceed standards, and for that they are handsomely rewarded. The issues have always come from a tyrannical VP who plays serious favorites with certain MT's and supervisors, and several piss-poor field supervisors who seem to thrive on power and authority. Add to that a paranoid executive team that is convinced every employee is tealing from them, especially MT's who are not typing eight hours straight! I know some MT's who can do 1800 lines in 5-6 hours, but if you don't work eight hours a day, you're a thief! This mentality trickles down and out to the field, where these extremely under-trained supervisors take it out on their subordinates, supported wholly by their managers. I predict the company will be folded or sold/bought out in two-four years.
Oops ... my bad ... wrong MDI ... I'm with MDI-MD. (face red here -ha) nm
Not unless he wanted to see my "oh" face - NM
.
Ugh, I have typed face lifts before. sm
No way would I want that spoon elevator peeling my face off the muscles and then wrapping my head in gauze. So gross. I'll take the wrinkles any day.
No, they have not. (insert angry face here)
I talked with a few other MTs and nada. In my mind, this is just a really mean thing to do and there's absolutely no reason for it other than to be plain mean. The lady who was in charge of this stuff before had them out by January 3rd.
No end-of-year bonus either or even just a nice card....something that was always appreciated. Team that up with constant lack of work, a noose that gets tighter and tighter as far as big brother watching, and you have a company that has gone waaaay downhill as far as respect for it's employees goes.
I grovel before you with my face in the cat's litter box.
So, so embarrassing ONCE AGAIN. Personality number 684 is dissatisfied with being a simple ASSISTANT Swine Rectum Examiner and wishes to be Top Pig, so to speak! Just ignore that personality. He is always whining and complaining and then turning to posting nonsense about our dear GP.
Please pray that my interview goes well tomorrow. As you can tell, I have quite a bit of experience with rectums! And if I can convince them of that, I will once again be on my meds and will NEVER DARKEN YOUR MTSTARS DOORSTEPS AGAIN!
Again, I beg your forgiveness.
I can't wait until you fall on your face. The nerve of you sm
to think you are better than someone else. You are pathetic. Nothing will come good out of that statment mark my word.
To save face, quit. Don't think you can collect either way. -nm
x
I love the cliches, and smiley face. Thanks.
But still may wait on it. May just want to stay IC for now, and will reapply when sure I want a schedule.
and "face-to-face" needs no hyphens in this instance. NM
Brother, read it first before putting out a sad face. nm
.
IN PLAIN LANGUAGE, IT'S KNOWN AS "LOSING FACE" fm
Don't see how an MTSO can inspire faith and loyalty in his/her employees by blowing sugar up their collective behinds 1 day & all the while sticking it to them. Call me sweetie pie, sugar cakes all you want, but don't do it in the same breath as telling us we'd all have to joint a 50% salary cut club, telling us that the low work for MTs is because of the Huge responses we got for our VR takeover and that because these brand-new VR'rs are so very productive all of a sudden -- (Why not chuck the euphimisms and say straight out, There's no work because it's gone to VR - in addition, we had to overhire a bunch of newbies as prophylaxis to a lot of expected resignations - added benefit, we don't have to pay any more bonuses to keep work in TAT - but you guys (you really do rock!) did pester us about low/no work, but will just have to FLEX until November when the new accounts (Ugggh) show up...hope your landlord, grocer, hungry kids are as understanding as you are, sweetie, sugarplumb - You're all the best! 
Oh, my...she's back with her signature red face and nothing contructive to say.
.
SS is the abolute worst company on the face of the earth.
The sound quality of their files is horrendous, their dictators are mostly ESL and the absolute worst ESLs I've ever done and I do ESL all the time and am very good at them usually. I found their platform very time consuming, tech support wasn't very good, QA was an absolute joke. If you take this job you can forget the coffee, you'll need Valium. If you read through the achives there are many posts stating basically the same thing so it wasn't just me. There are even a couple of posts where people decided to take positions against the advice of many of us and they have come back and apologized that they lasted only a month or two and we were right, that it was the absolute worst company out there.
I don't know anything about the other company. I don't know if they are a new company or have changed names because I've only seen them mentioned on here a couple of times.
No. Face lifts are purely cosmetic. Go see your shrink
nm
Few cents here, few cents there stolen from you by
x
I'll add my 5 cents to your 2 for 7 cents sm
I AGREE WITH YOU!
I know an MT who sits on her laurels and whines about no work and only getting 9 cpl after 5 whole years of experience. She can type 3 specialties, won't touch an ESL, goofs off when there is work and whines when there is not. I have tried to help, but it is quite plain to me she doesn't want that help.
I have about 3 times the experience of the above MT. The only specialty I have not done is pathology. I have literally done everything else. I know the BOS 2 like the back of my hand and I have outstanding accuracy scores (even if I can't type straight here). I work as an employee and make a base rate of 8.5 cpl, which I never get because I always have some of the different incentives offered. I regularly turn that 8.5 cpl into $25 an hour and at my PT job where I get 10 cpl and faster software, I can turn that into $32.50 an hour.
I have heard, more times than I can count from other MTs that they wish they could have my income. I can tell they why they don't. It is called hang out to complain on a message board like MTStars. It is doing everything, BUT your work on your shift. It is your lack of a willingness to learn new things, even if they slow you down some. This very year, recently in fact, I was put on straight cardiology procedure notes and I didn't worry for a second that I would suffer financially. I AM FLEXIBLE and that, in a nutshell, is why most MTs will not succeed.
A long time ago I realized that if I want more money, I was going to have to work SMART, not hard. In my 15 years, I now make 5 times what I did my first year and at the same exact line rate I had then! I spend less time working to achieve that these days. So no, I can't agree with your sky is falling routine.
Most of you...your attitudes suck. If I had to have you on site as my employees, you would not last 15 minutes. The first time I heard you at the water cooler whining about your pay, I'd fire your fanny so fast it would make your head SWIM. I have eyes in the back of my head too, so when you started making that stink face you are making right now, I'd have sacked you for that, on the spot, no warning and no day's pay. The ONLY reason you all get away with this is that you THINK no one who knows you is watching and that your respective contract holders can't figure out who you are.
By and large, I can't tolerate other MTs as friends. I find them lazy, self-absorbed whiners and complainers with some the worst negative attitudes I have EVER seen! If you hate MT so very much GO GET A JOB DOING SOMETHING ELSE. I can tell you, your bad attitude, your tendency to complain, whine, witch (with a capital B), moan and ALWAYS see the most negative side of everything...THAT crap will follow you to that new career and it won't be any better than this one. You have issues and I really think they are issues for a good therapist. They are called personality disorders and many of you have them in multiples and in spades!
I think you should be completely and utterly ashamed of yourselves. Too many people are out of work, homeless, and starving this Christmas to be so opinionated and selfish.
RE: Not MQ-Letter
I have to agree with you on this--why does everyone need to be called personally and I never thought about that, was the call being recorded?? But would they not have to tell you that??
Something just does not feel right about this. The packet is coming out in Oct, our all the packets different,after you get the packet will you have to sign something to agree to that pay rate to continue with your job, and is all this heading to a merger with Spheris at the first of the year. When I was called , there were no answers to any of my questions and honestly I think the person on the phone was not prepared for any questions, just to ask you if you got the packet.
Some of the offices that have been closed so far have surprised me, especially Warminster and Atlanta, and now Houston and an office in Ohio is closing. I hope it is not the one in Columbus, that is a great office.
Where is this all going??? And all I want to do is work, if there was any!!!
yes really. it was in my letter.
under 'highlights of the plan':
#6: "opportunity for paid time off for part-time employees and PTO of up to 18 days per year for full-time employees.."
Next letter
Y
Anyone else get this letter ?
Got letter in mail -- inquiry about 'opportunity' for my service to hire on 50+ MTs including dictation platform - something about an MTSO losing 98% of its hospital business in November and wanting to place these MTs. ? I'm wondering if these poor MTs even know about it yet ??
Letter
I received this letter today, and I don't even work for SPI. I did work for Cymed (long before the merge), but have been gone from there for 2 years now. I wonder if it's anything I need to worry about. 
Did anybody get a letter from SPI
I am a former SPI employee and got a letter from the company who did our paychecks today saying an SPI employee had left a laptop on a plane that had our personal info such as SSI#, bank info, etc. and the laptop had not been recovered. They are supposed to have a 1-year free deal with Equifax for a credit watch. This is really scary to me. Was wondering if anyone else got this letter.
Letter
Yes, I also received one today. There is a thread below that was started about this, and I posted to that. I have actually never worked for SPI, but I did work for Cymed 2 years ago. It's so scary to think that my personal information might be at risk. I think it might be best to enroll in the coverage now.
SPI letter
I also recieved the letter. I worked for Cymed. My sister used to work for an insurance company and recieved the same letter. She has been monitoring her credit report but has had somebody try and change the address on a few of her credit cards. What next and how incompetent are people.
letter
Does anyone have any samples of a letter that you would send out to doc's to get their business.
I got the same letter
My letter said I had to become an employee because of state regulations - I assume this is for Massachusetts where Focus is located? That doesn't seem to make sense to me since we are located all over (I am in Kansas). I've been an IC with Focus for a year and haven't had too many problems but do get updated account specs just about everyday. I can only keep up with 1 account assigned to me bec. I can't remember everything for 3 accounts. I am content with staying at Focus but only if I can pick my shifts and days to work.
|
