Dear KS, problems since October, oh yes
Posted By: Mojo workin' on 2006-01-10
In Reply to: I don't work in the office and never claimed to. I am just saying that since the new office open - KS Team Lead
My experience is very recent.... still waiting to hear from ....... who said I passed but she is too busy to talk to me for the past 3 weeks. Told me to be patient. I am glad my patience paid off in that I got a better job than KS was offering.
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Have been with MDI-MD since the end of October,
and to my knowledge they only hire MTs as Statutory Employees.
I have been with Keystrokes since October....
I love it...wonderful supervisors and they truly appreciate their MTs...would recommend it to anyone...
Six years this October.
nm
October is close enough
You don't have to be to the letter, to the day, to the exact moment. It's October in 3 months. Four years and 9 months is just as good as five years.
Been with TT since October. Came from MQ. TT is the best company
I have ever worked for. The work is good and plentiful (I have only run out a couple of times and then I have had plenty on my backup). Tech support is good. Communication is great and I really feel like they care about making this a good place to work. The owner used to be an MT and so she knows what it means to do this job. I say go for it.
Been here since October and love it! :-) nm
And Chicago CSC is closing also as of end of October...nm
nm
Knew this would happen !!! Did it in October, too. nm
x
I heard back the next day, but that was in October
Guess it just depends on the recruiter and how urgently they need MTs.
Yes it does. MQ bought Lanier in October 2003.
..
Not when I was hired (October). Great company. :-) nm
Same thing happened at TT the year before in October, too.
For those of us left with TT for 2 year, there is hardly ever sufficient work to work your negotiated shift. Always asked to flex and move right into the weekends to get enough lines, if possible to even on weekends for everyone trying.
Actually, my hire date was October 9 last year
but since it was my first new job in almost 28 years, it was a BIG thing. I left the old job because my beloved boss closed down his practice to join another one, and the other group declined to hire me. Their loss. I was hired by a medium-sized national that just got acquired by a large national. We're 1 month into the new regime (so if we want to get technical, I actually have started a new job in the last 30 days) and the only thing that has really changed so far is the pay period is now twice a month instead of every 2 weeks. I still work the same shift, the same accounts, the same pay rates, the same supervisors and QA people, the same platform, everything.
There's been some grumbling on this board about the new company and how they lure you in with big promises and then you always seem to run out of work, coincidentally just before you achieve the gross pay required per period to be considered full time and thus eligible for benefits. Of course I can only speak for myself, but I haven't seen any such thing, and the only times I have run out of work (briefly) have been on or around holidays. If the work is coming in slowly at any other time, our people actually call the clients and ask them what's going on. (And then they send out e-mails to let us know what's happening.) I work a 32-hour week (by my choice) but probably at least 9 days out of 10, there is enough work that I could work a full 8 hours if I wanted to. (And this pay period I came in at 25 percent over the gross minimum--and I know for a fact my own pay rate is actually on the lower end of the scale, so reaching that minimum is NOT exactly difficult. At least not for me.)
We don't get a lot of extraneous e-mails, only necessary announcements and requests, and we're all on IM so we can always find somebody to help if we have a question. We are also not only encouraged but strongly urged to send ANYTHING doubtful to QA, even if we have to leave 100 blanks in a report. They'd rather have a QA blank than a guess. And QA has NEVER gotten the least bit snarky with me; even when it's been a real duh! mistake on my part, the worst I might get is a smiley face with a gently-worded note pointing out the error.
I have a co-worker who was hired the same day I was, on the same account. She has a neighbor who works for the company that just acquired us, and LOVES it; in fact, she was encouraging my co-worker to jump ship and c'mon over, until we all found out we were all comin' on over anyway, as of April 1.
In fairness, we are supposd to get written info in October. nm
nm
The letter about the pay cut in ASR was mailed out and is to begin October 1. No question about it.
Didnt you get the letter.
Show of hands: Who at MQ is excited its finally OCTOBER?
 Packet time and for many, Big Decision time...
October is usually slow. This week is a Jewish holiday sm
I believe, Sukkoth. Don't think the grass is greener anywhere. The only thing that irks me about QT is someone saying they'll have work for me in 10 minutes, a half hour, or an hour, and nothing ever comes through. My time is valuable to me. Sitting around and waiting for nothing really, really irks me. Other than that, I really love this company, and it would take something really serious, like them outsourcing or selling out to MQ, to get me to leave. However, I'd really like it if they'd not leave me hanging for work when they say they're putting some in my queue. Maybe I should send them a bill for waiting time. MY TIME IS MONEY!!
I work parttime as an IC for another national which really helps! When one is slow, the other is busy. Nice balance.
Anyone with BIG Enterprises out of Maryland? No reply to 2 resumes in October. nm
s
Same thing in October, then accounts went to voice recognition,
causing low work situations at times. They push those jobs through VR and Exspeech rapidly and I found Exspeech to be one of the worst editing platforms I had ever used.
Hopefully, TT will pick up accounts in order to keep all those 25+ MT's they are advertising for busy -- because the jobs on these new accounts go through VR at a rapid rate, and regular transcribing disappears in a hurry. If these 25+ MT's don't like Exspeech method of editing, then you will most likely end up with lack of work very soon. It happened with the *big hiring spree* back in October last year ! The mass hiring of MT's are used to *train* dictators for Exspeech. The pay reduction is at the rate of 50% less for editing.
I suppose most companies in this business are going in that direction now to make larger profits.
No, they built a new one last year and moved into it in October or November. sm
I think they have a really big office now, from what I heard.
The person I am talking about started the second week in October for HR but the recruiter has been
with us since late summer.
I am going to dig into this, so thank you for the information. There is too much back and forth going on here to sort through what is true and what is not, so I am going to take some time and take it to my coordinator.
It might seem petty to a lot of you that we are willing to do this, but reputation is important and we have all been working too hard to let things like this happen.
I know that there will be flames here but the truth is that the Keystrokes Management Team has been working very hard to reverse a lot of things that happened in the past in order to make KS the best company in the industry. This takes time.
I do know that there are a lot of happy MTs at KS as we do not have a lot of emplpyee turnover, but I also know that one unhappy person can be like poison. Rather than attacking that person or persons, we are working on the reasons that they are unhappy and working to change that.
If KS was such a bad company, it would not grow as it has. I am not saying that they are perfect, just that they are not as this board portrays.
Another thing is that so many people attack the owner and say that she is unprofessional. You obviously have not met her. She is all business with her employees and customers and actually a fun person to be around as well. I have never met someone who gets as much done as she does and her customers love working with her.
I just think everyone should form their own opinions.
Wall Street Journal article, October 2004
A friend sent this to me. UCSF heard from an overseas MT who had not been paid that if she did not receive the $$ owed her she would publish the reports on the internet. There was a lot of followup to this which I will not go into here, but why wouldn't this sort of thing still be possible.
Later that year there was a report of a group of MTs in Bangladesh who tried to force a change in their local management by threatening to make transcribed documents public.
After that California was supposedly looking at a bill to disallow sending confidential medical reports overseas as they are not bound by HIPPA. Never heard what came of that.
I still tell these stories to anyone considering sending work abroad. I just wish some of them overseas would be stupid enough to actually pull a few stunts like that and then see how much work we lose.
Yes my dear...
Simply divine intervention, I guess. I should also mention that since I got the $3 raise (which will be promptly taken away in January) they have been routing all the longest reports, foulest dictators and general pond scum to moi. I used to churn out 150 reports a day but since my "raise" am lucky to slog thru 90 or 100 (on a good day).
MQ doesn't fool me in the least - I was born in the morning but it wasn't THIS morning!
PS: Thanx 4 your sympathy (and orchestral overture! LOL).
Dear me2, how did they cut the
pay in half, was it because the system was so bad everyone's production dropped or was it because they actually cut everyone's CPL. Just curious. I want to go into this with my eyes wide open.
Dear No Name
You forgot to put the apostrophe in wouldn't little miss perfect. I am sure she didn't find anyone to pass the test.
Of course I don't, dear.
You can't tolerate being opposed and you can't tolerate being agreed with. What exactly can you tolerate, other than the sound of your own voice?
Sure, dear, whatever you say...
Dear Fat Cat
Can you email me the name of the company you are happy with so that I can apply?
I just lost a great account we worked on for several years. There was a takeover by a corporation and they dumped the service I was working for.
you my dear, are probably...sm
one of those MTs who do NOT depend solely on YOUR income to live. I busted my behind trying to make money with VR, and THAT IS NOT realistic unless you work 20 hours a day.
If it works for you, that is great....but most MTs i have spoken with who LOVE VR,.....are the ones who really and truly do NOT have to worry about money or in this MT thing just to have something to do make mad money on the side.
Dear FED UP
The exact same thing happened to me, but my company started with the letter D. I was scheduled to be working on/and or set up on a certain date, but 3 weeks went by and no one knew what was going on from the HR manager to the transcription manager to the missing in action tech person. A supervisor decided she would do it herself and downloaded the software on my computer. Then the QA person, started training me, but was adding and taking materials out as we went along in training. Then, I was told I needed to have UNLIMITED LONG DISTANCE, that they would only pay for if it was through VONAGE, anthing else, I would have to pay for out of pocket myself. To add further insult to injury, the old, outdated, dictaphone C-phone they sent me would not program or the commands were incorrect and I just had it. I QUIT THAT DAY WITH AN EMAIL.
Oh dear!
Taxes not going to the government? Whatever shall we do about that?
Well, in point of fact, all my taxes are going to the government, I am simply the one who has to keep track of them, since there is no withholding. I get a 1099 every year, which I file with my taxes. Are you sure you are not confusing IC with earning money ''under the table''?
The only thing that could vaguely qualify me as an employee is the ''ongoing relationship'' line in the IRS definition of employee. But since I sign a contract from year to year, and since either party can break it with proper notice, I interpret that to mean I am an IC. If they decide my services are no longer required, I don't qualify for unemployment. I am happy to forfeit even that for the freedom to come and go as I please.
I do not require group health insurance, as I have it through another source, so I cannot think of any reason in the world why I would want to be this company's employee rather than an IC. If I want a day off I can take it without going over some company-imposed limit on time off within a certain period. I can really pound the keyboard if I need money, without violating some overtime hours restriction. I feel respected and I feel appreciated. I am considerate of their needs - to a point - but I am my own boss.
Can you seriously believe that all we need to do is everybody become employees making 10-plus cpl with full benefits and hospitals won't seek to cut their costs however they can? I feel that with so many of our jobs going overseas, the IC option is one factor that keeps employing US MTs viable. If you can do without company benefits, and thrive without company restrictions a TRUE IC job is great.
Like dear old dad used to say........... sm
If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, every day would be Christmas.
There are MTs on the Chartmatrix side of the Web who have already expressed their opinions about the changes that are upcoming as well as their experience with the software, and those opinions are not very glowing. Combined with the out of work situation and the overhiring situation, I can't see how this change will benefit the MTs in the least. Maybe the high producers, unless they have reached the top tier, will be happy with it, but the average to lower producers are going to suffer a real loss in income, no doubt about it.
Just curious, what did you hate about the Web?
Dear Lord, lol
C'mon, people, lighten up.
Okay, one of the reasons I posted on here was because I DIDN'T want to sow seeds of discord within the company and cause trouble there. I wanted to know if I was alone in my perceptions, if I had been too hard on Transcend or if there were others who felt the same way, if I was alone.
I talked to a member of the quality council about it, who actually felt similarly in some ways, and there was only one other person I trust enough to talk to about it in detail with through email. I thought if I talked to anyone else about it, I'd be causing trouble, and I thought maybe she and I were alone.
As I said previously, I see where I could've done some things differently, and Transcend could've too. Both sides of an argument usually contain truth, there are rarely any innocent "victims."
No, I will not post specifics because it might discourage new people who haven't had the same experience as I did and perhaps my experience was unique to me and a few individuals for whatever reason, which again, was the same reason I didn't post on the forum or email others and ask.
If anything, the cheerleaders now are making me MORE comfortable with my decision to quit by their behavior on here, not less.
If you could perhaps see another perspective other than your own and allow for the possibility that just because YOU see things that way doesn't mean everyone does, then you might learn something useful, learn from others' mistakes or the company could learn from its mistakes, that's what I'm going to do with this.
It appears that others are trying to control the negativity out of everyone, like Stepford Wives, instead of listening better and learning from our mistakes, which might make us all more productive as individuals and a company; however, this behavior is evidence that that will never happen, so I standby my decision to quit.
Thanks for helping me out with that, and it wasn't the negatives that did it, it was the beating-a-dead horse cheerleaders who are misjudging why people are afraid to talk about their concerns.
If it's positive for you, that's all that matters. Boundaries, people. Why are people taking it so personally if Transcend is insulted?
Dear Mrs. Lincoln:
See post by ADMIN: That's right. Back up your claims with facts, not with lunatic remarks.
Post a Reply] [View Follow Ups] [Company Board] Posted By: Administrator (sm) on 2005-09-20 In Reply to: Absolutely . . . sm - me
Step up to the plate and post in more of a professional manner. Otherwise, it serves no real purpose. MTStars was not created for people to come only to post their personal smear campaign.
Dear unhappy, is that IC or FT
is that MDI Maryland or what. I can't seem to find their web site. I would also apply. Not too happy with the way MQ is headed. I am happy you got your raise. I do feel sometimes the lines are jiggled a little bit, but not sure.
Dear Nervousnelly
I just wanted to say that I have had some ins and outs with KS. I worked for them full time for about 8 months. Then I left after some issues with pay, not getting paid, bad checks and also a company-wide pay decrease. However, I did go back after being assured that these issues were straightened out. Upon my return, I saw that nothing had changed and that I had been knowingly mislead. Since that time, there have been continuous negative threads about KS. I also knew an MT that was still working there after I left. She stayed for quite some time but had many problems while she was there. The main issues, no matter what the circumstances, always came down to being lied to. The owner and others in positions of authority did nothing but tell half-truths. So, please consider this when making your choice. Please do not discount all the negative posts as being a disgruntled ex-employee or the same person. Save yourself some heartache and find another company.
No, what is embarrassing (2 r's, dear) (SM)
is how any of you believe one thing on this board, period.
Any person in the world can post anything they want. You have not a clue whether these posts are from individuals or all the same person; whether they are even an MT or not; whether they ever worked for a company or not.
It is embarrassing (again, 2 r's) that no one has the good sense to realize that reputations are at stake and since companies are the only names that can be dropped, they are the target.
If companies could post names of problem MTs and MEs, this board would triple in size for the blackballing going on.
You want the anonymous protection to come here and hurl slurs at someone you are upset while keeping your own pitiful work ethic and quality and production tightly under wraps.
I really thought MTs had a higher IQ than this. Certainly, as women, I hoped there was more character and integrity than to behave so wrecklessly - all because you THINK you have total anonymity here.
wake up, my dear...sm
one of my hospital accounts had their radiologists buy a very nice expensive Dictaphone VR program because they saw it in action at the next hospital. Within 30 days --not even kidding-- all the radiology work was done by the docs without even editing by MT's. Took the 3 full time MT's and put them on H&P's. One of the dictators is a stubborn old Indian but too bad, so sad, they made him do it anyway.
I am not your dear! I am a veteran MT who has never taken
their test but I am telling you what I know from QA. I definitely am not your dear and will never be. I think you need to come off your high horse.
Just to follow up. Some dear one,
another MT, posted on the Main Board, I believe, about our job as MTs; how hard it really is, how much knowledge we need to do this job, and may I add, cannot do this job just fresh off the street. Why are we not valued by the people who hire us!? Doesn't make sense. Then during the interview, you're asked, *Do you have any questions?* Well, yeah, but am I going to get the truth, or just what you think I want to hear? So I just don't ask anymore. Just had an interview the other day, was kind of excited at the time, sounded good, but now I have that nagging feeling that maybe I'm better off where I am working now. To my thinking, it's a roll of the dice....as someone once told me *You pays your money and yous take a chance.* LOL But really, I wish you well in this dog eat dog mentality of the MT business.
Dear Recruiters: I would like to sm
know why you don't state in your job ad what kind of internet connection is needed. Mainly, I would like to know if satellite is acceptable so I know whether or not to even pursue it. Some do say so, but many do not. I really just wonder why. It wastes the time of the recruiter with useless email questions and the MT's time trying to find out.
Dear Confused:
You are not alone, dear. There seems to be many, many that promise this and that, benefits that sound great, pay sucks, etc., but I like many would like to have a life. I take pride in my work even if others do not notice, I will work extra when needed, but that does not include 24/7, as it seems if you do it a few times they rely on that, even though if you choose that route you are considered not a team player and will also work the extra mile if there is an incentive, which in most cases there is not. I now have a happy home though I always look to see what is out there just to be looking. It is our perogative to go from job to job if we are not happy because that ONE job will come along sooner or later, you may find out the grass is not greener on the other side of the fence, but a chance you may have to take. I love what I am doing and that is why I choose to work at home as a medical transcriptionist. It does not, however, mean I have to be at a company's beck and call whenever. I have worked both clinic and radiology and like both, clinic because usually no holidays and radiology because the pay is better. I now work for a company that never bothers me; no phones calls, no daily emails except for my appointment sheets. Only occasionally will get an email saying they have extra work and asking for any help from anyone, not just me, if we have the time. It is wonderful not being bombarded with petty stuff on a daily basis. This is an ideal position. You sound like me, getting all worked up, then it is hard to concentrate and do your work in both quantity and quality Hang in there. It is not the end of the world. I am wishing you the best.
Dear Little Miss Red Pen
You responded to my post saying I would think you weren't very bright at all…That's quite some judgment to make - that someone is not very bright - based on maybe 15 or 20 words they have written - this board is full of people who engage in that kind of judgmental baseness..and it says a whole lot about who they are…
Maybe I can explain myself a little more clearly so even someone like you can understand..
I used 2 forms of the word life one with a small L and the second with a capital L - I can see you didn't notice the nuance but it is the kind of literary gradation many of the intelligent posters on this board often employ..
When I spoke of going through life - with a small L - I was as obvious talking about people who breathe - take up space - in this case - are mediocre - controlling - anal retentive - who don't have the capacity to engage in ideas so resort to red penciling everyone in life they disagree with - it's a particular ugliness people with unhappy lives and small minds are prone to..
I then urged you to get a life with a capital L - meaning disabuse yourself of the notion that other humans are here for you to correct and put down and make judgments about - in your case misjudgments. The life little L big L
or hope little H big H or any number of variations is a simple basic literary device introduced to most college freshmen in writing 101 class, maybe you were absent that day..
I too find it hard to believe there is an MT with 100% consistently for 5 years, but still I can at least envision how that could be - same account easy account good dictators thorough familiarity with the account…and maybe even a QA staff that had a good sense of priority as to what was important and not - after 11 years it could definitely be possible - but there was no such possibility in your mind - just slam and hammer and get out the trusty old red pencil…why didn't you ask her a few questions before you hammered her? I am not making a judgment but something tells me you might not be a very nice person…I have edited and managed in this profession and know how to get outstanding performances from MTs and others that they never thought they could achieve, maybe she was lucky enough to get one of those editors, ever think about that?
But as for my post, you don't know me or my QA scores or years of experience or education or anything and based on a 20 word post you judged me to be not too bright…or - judged me to be another one - a perfect MT I think you termed it. I don't in any way consider myself a perfect MT, have gotten quite a few 100% QAs, and probably will again, and have gotten lots that weren't 100% - but there was nothing in my post about any of that…you just made your holier than thou judgments about me because I factually pointed out how you had red penned someone's post rather than engage them…Maybe if you were a little more refined, educated sophisticated you would have picked up the nuance of my post, understood the subtlety I had put there - and considered it - instead of taking your red pen to it…
Again I urge you..
GET A LIFE!!!
PS You made a few grammatical errors in your post…better get out the red pen.
dear hubby
.
Dear Curious....
Fellow MT:) As outlined in my original post, they are switching their pay structure which will pay the Transcriptionist for a visual black character ONLY. On the old pay structure, yes a keystroke was a keystroke was a keystroke, etc. You were paid fairly and generously for all Keystrokes required to complete a report. With the new system in place, U can depress the space bar, return/enter keys all U want....however, do they produce a visual character on the document you are typing? No, they do not, so will U be paid for that keystroke? No, U will not! I am honest in what I am saying and if having an agenda means that I have opted to open Pandora's box (which has needed to be done for sooooo long now) and talk about a subject that has been taboo and fraught with MTs' fears of retaliation or repercussions so that all of us hardworking MTs can begin to read authentic info and finally get clues to enable us to piece together chunks of puzzle pieces which will allow us to visualize and realize the big picture then so be it, yes I am guilty of an agenda of truths! I am so saddened by the current state of despair of the MT profession and no longer can remain silent. We are being ripped off, ripped apart, stripped of our self esteem, and unfairly taken advantage of. Silence of voice is just as costly as an unpaid keystroke. I refuse to remain silent any longer.....MT$ Across the Board, VBC a cheater's hoard!
Dear TransTech
Yes we love TT and that is why we have the private board. We don't have a company board and wanted to communicate with each other without everything being on a public board. Please understand. By the way, you have a lot of huge fans and our board has been wonderful and complimentary about TT so far. We do not mention confidential information about accounts or other things just in case someone slipped in early on when enrollment was open. We even welcome management to join. Thank you.
Dear Frustrated
I am so sad for you and the other MTs at MDI experiencing this problem. I was offered a position with MDI last month and after reading this board, I emailed back my liason and declined the position. I am sure glad I did, but I am still looking for adequate employment right now. I have employment, but the environment is not great and I am still wishing to find a better environment. I understand why you posted here and I applaud you for speaking out so other MTs may be warned. I was warned againg MDI from this board, and I appreciate the warning. I just want to say keep your chin up and move on. God will bless you and your blessing could be just around the corner.
Dear Anon
Are the company initials AA? I'm still suffering there.
Oh dear! I hope it's nothing serious. Thank you very much. nm
nm
Then, my dear, you should have started with
the original poster if you wanted some misery. I am one happy person- I have the right to reply to an untruth- just like the others.
Dear Webbed,
It said that you e-mail is not valid.
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