I understand this frustration
Posted By: quitefrankly on 2008-07-15
In Reply to: Frustration working at Transcend. - SO
I am frustrated just at doing 95% VR and not making any money. I don't have any quality issues and no one has ever said anything to me about quality, so I don't know about that. When I started, I had editing and transcription about 60/40 and it seems like its now 95/5. Some of the doctors shouldn't be on VR, but my emails fall on deaf ears, so not only do I lose half my pay, but I have to pretty much retype the whole 20 minute report. Its pretty frustrating. I have even asked for accounts where I could type again.. but again, deaf ears. To me, VR is trained monkey work and I am not a trained monkey. I take great pride in my knowledge and my abilities. Every report I open (and I am not exaggerating) would be easier and faster to type from scratch and would be better quality than VR presents to me preediting. I think its sad that people post thinking what the VR produced is comical.. to me its frustrating and highly irritating. It might truly be one thing if it was one or two corrections and we could whiz through the reports, but its not and the sound quality is just not up to par on most reports. The people are great. I love the staff that takes care of me, but after that I have really lost a lot of feeling about them. I do know one thing, VR is not for me.. and especially not at that pay. its just downright insulting honestly that we get paid so cheaply to really do so much work on each report.. its like they rob out of my pocket and its disgusting. If VR is the future of this business, I won't be involved because my knowledge and my abilities are worth more than pennies each pay period. I have really yet to top my transcription pay from my old company on a paycheck. Its sad too because they are making us not want to be there and they are going to lose some of us. I found a straight transcription company and I am going to work for them. I have to recover from this VR blight and find the love of the job again. Its really quite a shame!
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I understand your frustration
I would gladly take two PT jobs if I can't find FT...at least it would be better than the per diem stuff.
Anyway, you have to think of it at the business perspective, they have to setup accounts, provide some technical support, adjust time schedules, and many provide benefits even to part timers. All of that costs a lot of money and if you are only working part time you are not making as much money for them as the full time people. Full time people require less overhead than part time so they make more money for the company...it's all about the bottom line.
I started a gaming business in town, sold it a few years ago, and I can tell you I cringed every time someone came in that wanted to work part time. The costs were enormous and the payback was almost nothing...it actually cost me money to hire someone part time rather than gaining money. Of course that was very small scale, the larger companies don't lose as much hiring part timers, but the principle is the same.
Good luck finding PT work, believe me, I know the struggle!! :)
I understand the frustration! sm
The rest of my family works far less hours and makes more money than I do. The icing on the cake is they ask me how to spell words and edit things when they have to type up something. I do not have time to do anything like they do nor do I have the money. I end up feeling like the poor loser of the family, especially since I could probably do better at Walmart, working less and making more money.
I understand your frustration. But sm
if experienced MTs are starting out 8-9 cpl, you don't expect newbies to start out for anymore do you? This is the problem. When you first start out working on production and making a living is nearly impossible if you haven't worked in an office. I have tried to explain this but everyone wants to argue the point and tell me why they should have so much more money, benefits, etc. etc. This is the way it is. I don't know what the answer is since folks are saying there aren't that many in-house jobs.
Schools are lying to the newbies and giving them unreasonable expectations. But, when I post about that, I get torn down there too and told I don't know what I am talking about.
Again, the best situation is for a newbie to work in an office! You may have to search for a long time to find the job but I certainly would NOT do my first job at home working on production!
I understand your frustration. But sm
if experienced MTs are starting out 8-9 cpl, you don't expect newbies to start out for anymore do you? This is the problem. When you first start out working on production and making a living is nearly impossible if you haven't worked in an office. I have tried to explain this but everyone wants to argue the point and tell me why they should have so much more money, benefits, etc. etc. This is the way it is. I don't know what the answer is since folks are saying there aren't that many in-house jobs.
Schools are lying to the newbies and giving them unreasonable expectations. But, when I post about that, I get torn down there too and told I don't know what I am talking about.
Again, the best situation is for a newbie to work in an office! You may have to search for a long time to find the job but I certainly would NOT do my first job at home working on production amount!
I understand your frustration and appreciate your posts
because as always there are 2 (or more) sides here. the fact of the matter in my opinion it does take a lot more effort and time to make the same amount of money in VR and will never make up for all we have lost as a whole...
great for some MTs (and I agree with you, the minority) have embraced VR and are doing great, but I still believe the majority is struggling and frustrated, and then are expected to live up to the statistics of those who have mastered it.
it is nice to finally have someone who has mastered VR post some legitimate tips because mostly people like to keep things to themselves (I can understand that too I guess). I rarely get responses to questions about how I can produce more, or when I ask for tips and tricks on VR - it is mums the word, haha. it is a secret usually.
I do agree also with your post though as far as there are definitely MTs who get preferential treatment in regards to work flow etc and I will never believe different. there is no accountability whatsoever and people with the control can assign themselves or anyone they please whatever work they want.
I know your frustration!
Is this company out of Pittsburgh, PA?
Frustration
I am just frustrated and needed to vent, and I am sure somewhere someone else has gone through this as well...
Here goes..
My company has been low or out of work several times this pay period. We first get email after email asking us to please flex our hours and then we get an email asking us to not take work quickly so that we can share among the team the work that is there.
I am okay with flexing once or twice during a pay period, but this has been several times now and I frankly set my schedule because I can't work other times... because I have things I am doing then. It makes me kind of annoyed that they assume that no one has anything else to do and can just change time around willy nilly more than a couple times in a pay period. I asked for a third account and got the run around, but obviously they have too many MTs on the account most of the time or something.
The second thing irritates me because although I understand the team mentality I am not getting team pay and I feel like if there's very little work than I want what I can get my hands on to have the money for my family. I feel like why should I worry about other people not working as much as I would not want them to be worrying about me. Its not our responsibility as MTs to provide each other work as the expense of our own families. Now if we were being paid as a team, then I would only take a couple jobs and leave the rest for the other team members. I also get irritated at this because there are a bunch of people who never show up until the end of the pay period and no one seems to do anything about them.
Am I upset over nothing or would you guys be upset too? In the past couple months I have seen my account go from 70/30 VR to 90/10 VR too, so I am losing money on those reports I used to type. I asked for an account where I could type and was met with no information whatsoever. The only thing they wanted to do was change my queuing for other worktypes, except I work 4 hours part time and by the time I get through the editing stuff, the typing stuff is either gone already (I don't know how those people get their queues where they can get the typing reports) or I have to leave because its the end of my shift and I have other things I need to do.
Anyways, just wanted to let that out as I am really frustrated.
Frustration with VR
It's like Dr. Phil says, people treat us the way we allow them to treat us.
I was in the same boat, refused to do it any longer.
Okay, just a little frustration showing ...
Don't let it get to you, if you can help it. Life goes on. Good luck.
QA question due to frustration
I was just informed by my QA person that she feels all my reports for the past pay period should not be marked and averaged in, but only the reports with the hardest ESLs. Therefore, I will never make a good score. She said by only counting the ESLs that would give her a better ideal of where I am at. I think this is unfair and all reports should be graded and averaged together during a pay period to give me an accurate score. There is no need to talk to anyone further according to her because in order for me to get to the next level, I must pass her daily grind to make me a better MT because she did not have this opportunity when she started out. I am very appreciative of the job I have and will shut up and follow her advice, but I still think all reports should be counted.
I feel your frustration
Our situations sound eerily similar, I'm lucky to meet quota each paycheck and most of the time do not. I was finally emailed today by FN telling me once again to be patient because it is a slow time and they cannot control how much the doctors dictate. They have huge numbers when sending out census on the accounts but NJA when you login. It's very confusing as to where these jobs are or who is getting them because I surely am not. I'm sorry to hear you're in a similar situation, as I know how frustrating it is.
I feel your frustration. I have had the same experience. nm
NM
I certainly feel your pain/frustration
i do work for Keystrokes after many nationals. It sounds like you had a clinic account and with 20 years experience that would be horrible, I have 17 and no clinic experience and I certainly don't want to do clinic work or look up doctors, so I am on your side.
I think Keystrokes really leans to the experienced MT who does not require much guidance, but believe you me I would not be on an account where you had to find doctor's addresses. After working for them I quit for pie in the sky - emailed Lee to take me back. You probably should have been on an acute care account - you can always go back, I did - I am finally making some money after 5 years of almost desperation.
I feel your frustration, that has been me, but I think for me with 17 years acute care experience, and being on EX-Text, I am making money for the first time. I worked on Meditech years ago and made money but that was gross line with the system being in the hospital, I don't know now.
Try again unless you are happy where you are. Lee took me back with open arms.
I was told (and all my experince was in hospitals for the first 7 year) that it takes at least 5 years before your nose is out of the books constantly. Sounds like you were on the wrong account.
Hang in there, it is horrible starting new with any company and then find out you don't fit or you were steered wrong.
Frustration working at Transcend.
Anybody out there still employed with Transcend, who is frustrated right now???? Well, I am for sure. Seems no matter how hard you try or how much effort you put into correcting the errors in report, they still complain about quality. Maybe it is this way everywhere, I don't know. I am just really frustrated, especially because their pay is pretty bad. Only 4 cpl for editing jobs. I spent all day doing editing jobs and I figure I made about $40 that day. Wow, then I can plan on making about #200 a week or so. I have tried so hard to stay the course and keep hoping things will get better, but so far they are not.
Anybody out there want to add a comment.
Frustration working at Transcend
It is a shame to see such a great place to work become so bad. It was fantastic 3 years ago but since VR has taken over the employees are dropping like flies. They are going to be left with very few employees - is anyone left there? Would the last person out please shut the door!
Frustration working at Transcend, same here
I am in the same boat as you. I have been working for them for almost 2 years and was promise a pie in the sky salary when I started. I haven't even been offered a raise yet. I get very discouraged because I work as hard as I can and even work extra on my days off. I wish they had a mentoring program to help others learn how to make the $900 per pay period that they require for you to be a full-time employee. From what I have read in the labor laws production workers are suppose to get paid the difference to make up for what they are not making, as far as minimum wage goes.
MedQuist newby frustration
I have been with Medquist for appx 4 mos now and can't get to the line count they want me to have, which only is $6.55 an hour. I cannot live on this hourly wage. I came from a larger hospital in my area and did very well with line count with using text inserts for our benefit and made double this and more. I believe I am utilizing everything that I have here to be faster but don't know why it isn't happening. I am very frustrated when I look at other companies and feel that it will be the same thing if I took a new job. I enjoy working at home and have been here for almost 4 years. Am I just wasting my time in this field? I feel inadequate and feel as I have wasted time and money to go to school for this. Can someone give me some advice?
"who do know the difference between venting a frustration and turning into an ugly mob of pitchfo
Shades of Young Frankenstein, ''A riot is an ugly ting ... and it's zhust about time we had one!''
What I don't understand is this-
But I still don't understand
They never have anything positive to say, except about themselves. I guess we don't need to ask anymore questions after we come to that conclusion.
So, let me understand (sm)
That this is your first career/job out of high school and you are getting 8.5 cpl for clinics and they are mentoring you? Did you hire in at that? How long have you been there to be offered QA with such little background in MT? (no offense) I have 10 years experience and they are talking 8 cpl to me. Hmmm.....
I think we can all understand
The typo police don't have to come out every time. Get a life. We all work with words all day long and when you get on here, you might be a little tired. Give 'em a break.
I don't understand it, either. sm
It'd be great if MTs came here and supported each other. This is NOT a great field to be in, IMO. We should be banding together as sisters (and brothers) in the same boat.
I wish the monitors would institute a zero-tolerance policy toward people who deliberately harass someone here like this person or people were doing to Metrochick.
Don't understand
I couldn't afford to stay in business if I paid people for NOT working. I can understand if the computer is down or if there is a problem, but just because there is no work, a company would go broke. Can I bill the doctors if they do not dictate a day? How can I pay you if I cannot bill a customer for work? This work has always been up and down -- feast or famine my father used to say. But through the years -- now over 20 -- I have learned to save for the lean times. Like I said if the problem was on my end due to machinery malfunction but if docs don't send in the dication how can I pay you for something I cannot bill out to them?
I Understand more now
I understand more now of what you are saying. I agree with you more than when I first read your post. It is so hard to juggle in this job market. There are so many pieces that fit into the cpl you charge the client, the transcriptionist, supplies, QA time, software, etc. that is it very hard for an owner to make much and when an account is down for the day to pay those people that should be on it while it generates no income is double hard. It is really hard to strike that balance of being staffed correctly for both the busy and slow times of the year. A lot of it is out of my control. You are probably with a larger company that can afford to pay you for 8 hours of work and generating income from only one. They count that into their overhead. I have only 5 accounts of 2-3 docs, have 2 part-times and am the QA, owner, Transcriptionist also. But on those accounts that my gals type, I make only 25 to 30% max on what they type which a lot of times generates out to only $7 to $9 an hour for doing pick-up, pick-up, delivery, printing, etc. That is why in 2006 I am going to probably cut back to doing only what will keep me with a decent income to pay my bills and I do not have to worry about having enough work for the gals, doing the running, etc. My guilt is high when the docs are on vacation or it is a slow time and the gals have no work but I cannot cut myself short either. Enough rambling on, - I do understand more and I think that if your company is not paying you for the time, they know they have overstaffed themselves to cover those times when the need is heavy and thus I would probably look for another company that staffs more evenly. Sorry I rambled on so much.
The way I understand it . . .
they are instituting what they're calling a pilot program to sort of test the waters of offshoring work by starting to send a small percentage of work overseas in order to be competetive with their contract fees. No, I don't think they're doing it yet, but it is obviously going to happen at least to a small extent in the near future. We have to accept this as the trend of the future because it's happening everywhere, like it or not.
What does this mean for MTs? I don't understand.
?
Understand. Thank you!
x
I understand!
That is why I love it when they post unqualified applicants need not apply!
I can understand...
I worked for an Iranian doc in office and there was a woman there that'd worked for him for about 13 years. He would call her at 3 am because he thought of something he wanted to tell her (she was also an MT). He did this all the time. As far as I know she's still there because he pays so well.
I understand all that.
The point is that besides the tons of different work types there are VERY different account specifics from hospitals all over the country. I am well versed in different work types; that was not the issue. The issue was all the different account specifics that changed on a weekly basis to boot. It became where we had no primary account. How is that productive for them or for me?
I understand that...
That is my exact point that the PTO accrues so slowly that how do they expect you to use this for your maternity leave!! Actually right now I earn less than 4 hours every two weeks and I can't accrue any because I have to use it for holidays and when there is no work unless I want to work all through the night after I have just sat all day waiting for work!! Do this make more sense... I was just told I wanted to be a maternity rider when that is not the case. All I came on here to do was to try to find a better job with more PTO then maybe when I do have a baby I can take two weeks off with it at least...at this rate I will have to come right back to work like two days after I pop a kid out! I never wanted to get into a XXXX match with anyone over maternity leave, but that is what it has turned out to be!!!
I know, don't understand it either!
there really is no proofing while you type. Proofing is going back and proofreading a document after it's done. Doesn't everyone technically read the words as they type??? And with all that going on at once, you miss things. On the other hand, I do not blame MTs who do not proofread the documents at the end, definitely less production and hence less money. I'm going to tell you a secret...lol..I just started skimping a bit on that myself. If I have a small mistake, oh well. I need to make a living here! :)
No, you don't understand.
My account with them DID pay for headers and footers and I always randomly check my line count against the ESCRIPTION (not Editscript) metrics of the company. This week it is off consistently and in talking with the company was told the client does not want to pay for headers any longer ???? so without letting us know, we are suddenly not paid for completing demographics. I simply wanted to make sure others were aware of this as this evidently can happen anywhere at anytime and no one at the company may feel compelled to share this info with the MTs.
I understand what you are trying to say, or what
is bothering you. I have been in this industry my entire adult life - a LONG time - and I agree that most companies have changed in that they just don't share info that is really pertinent - like not getting paid for headers anymore. Its sneaky to me, or underhanded, and just breeds contempt or suspicion in the MTs. Or, the company can have an uppity attitude, like why on earth is it the MTs business what they are getting paid for or not? Which also makes me feel bitter. I remember the old days of honest communication - the news might not have been good, but I handled it well. They treated me with respect, and I felt like a professional. Gone are those days, and it is a shame.
This is what I don't understand........
Wouldn't it have been more beneficial to everyone involved to sell the company rather than just let it die a painful death?
I don't understand...
why they yell at the MTs when it is not their fault? The MTs get blamed for everything!!!!!!!!! Grrrrr
I don't understand
how you can say they ALWAYS pay on time when just this past Friday they were late with direct deposit
I don't understand something sm
How do you have any contact with anyone in upper management? I work there; I never even hear from upper management. I talk to my manager and that's it. What morale problems are your referring to, because I couldn't be happier here?
I really don't understand all of what you just said
but I do know that not everyone has had a bad experience with OSi. I never run out of work, have great coordinators, am always paid on time, am making more than I did when I first started, and have expanded my abilities greatly. All of the things that are important to me in a company, I have at OSi, and I've had them for the past 3 years. I understand some people didn't have a good experience there, and that this is their place to hang out and vent. I just think it's too bad when OSi has been a good fit for many people, and then there are these people who hang out at this board who have made it their life's mission to carp on OSi. It doesn't really affect me at all...it's just very, very tiring.
Don't really understand what she is doing.
I tested for her last year and was hired for this account. Immediately she wanted me on a psych account that I was not interested in. She then tried to give me ANOTHER account. I explained that I would be more than happy to take on the other account AFTER I was established on the one I was hired for. She came back and told me they shifted things around internally and had it covered now. Not sure what kind of game that was but I know it is one I want no parts of. Hope this helps.
What I don't understand is (sm)
If a company does not pay for headers and footers, fine. I get that. But what advantage is it for them to disable the feature so that we can't see the counts of individual reports? I have worked at places not on Ex-Text where some reports just mysteriously never made it to the hospital. No one was cheating, it was just a software glitch. Had to send again and it counted. So what would prevent that from happening with this? I agree, we should be able to verify that every single report is counting, if for no other reason than this one.
I just can't understand why you are saying you need
You can go to whatever school you like and still be considered a newbie in a lot of company's eyes. It all depends on what you want to do as far as your career. Whatever floats your boat. 
What I really don't understand...
is that the account I'm supposed to do has a ton of work, and they are giving incentives.
Seems to me they are really, really disorganized.
Sorry you are facing this. My other job has run out of work this weekend too. All the companies want full-time, but when you do that, you end up short on pay. I'm on my own. Can't afford that.
Lord, I just depressed myself....didn't mean to do that to you too....
As I understand it, it's
because they can only make money if they can get work, and a lot of American companies won't subcontract work to them. Therefore the Indians have to come here to set up their own shop to be able to say they are an American company and be able to get their own work. So then they are based here but can still send all or most of their work back home. Now you would think at least America is getting some tax money for the business, but no. They are probably here on one of those special visas and they get huge tax breaks. Uncle Sam is paying them to come here and do this to us.
Grrr.
i don't understand that...
WHY doesn't control I work? I've used ExText before with different companies, each time using control I to monitor my production accurately. The last report takes a minute or two to be counted, but, sheesh, that's nothing. I KNOW there's nothing fishy going on, btw. I just would like to know WHY control I doesn't work at TT. Is it just program goblins? Now, THAT I understand. LOL! But, as expensive as Dictaphone is, I would think they'd make it right, no matter how they have to do it. I'm just not getting that part of it.
I understand
I feel for all of you, as I said. A paycheck is a paycheck for me. The company was the best company that I have ever worked for, and I am truly sorry things turned out the way they did for so many. I will just look at the cup half full on the positive side and hope that maybe they can be again. I wish you both well and I hope you find another greener pasture. They are out there. Take care.
I Understand
So, you're actually working 7.5 hours during your 8-hour shift, but your company is basing your benefit rate on how much you did during the 8 hours instead of during the actual 7.5 hours worked. Right?
i understand
I'm glad they are going to fix the problem. I wasn't suggesting that running out of work was your fault by any means, I was just wondering if you had crosstrained. I completely understand that others shouldn't take work because they run out, it is par for the course. I am trying to get as much in as I can right now because I'm sure with the holidays things will slow down, (it happened on columbus day, no more work left) and I don't feel right taking from others unless it is simply to help out if it is backlogged. I hope you aren't offended, I wasn't trying to start an argument :)
I understand that, but....
isn't it management's job to manage their MTs? I am not talking about little questions about account specifics or things like that. That is what we have the IM group for. I research before I IM a fellow MT and I IM them before I bother a supervisor. I have emailed about things that could affect patient safety without receiving an answer and there is no provision in the system to make sure that QA is going to pick up on the same problem that I do by listening to the whole report. Also, when you answer an email or IM, how long does it take to type, Thank you for bringing this to my attention or Have a good day? Most of the time I prefer to be left alone, and I understand the volume they deal with, but it is the little things that make us feel valued and not isolated.
From what I understand not enough MTs
are interested in getting insurance through KS, which limits their options for a more affordable plan.
I'm new enough that I don't have insurance so can't speak for the details. Fortunately we are able to get a decent insurance through my husband's work, but I personally wouldn't want to be tied into insurance through a transcription company and would rather have my own policy so that I can take any job I want without having to consider their insurance coverage.
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