Is there really an advantage to staying local? Most
Posted By: MTSOs have 800 numbers. sm on 2006-08-20
In Reply to: Looking for company around Atlanta - GaPeach
It doesn't seem there's any more guarantee of stable work from local MTSOs than the national ones.
If you do want to stay local but work at home, also try Southern Transcription Services, located in Taylorsville, I think. They have a good reputation. Google them for their web site.
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The advantage is that as an SE the
takes 7.5% out of your check and pays the other 7.5% themselves. So if an SE and an IC make the same amount of money in a year, come tax time the IC is going to owe more than the SE to Uncle Sam. An SE can still take deductions on work-related expenses.
Take advantage of...
the pauses the dictator makes. As he/she is pausing, you are looking up at what you have transcribed so far, reviewing it.
Try proofing a line backwards, from right to left. Don't read every word but look it over from right to left. Things will STICK OUT at you because your eyes and mind are not used to seeing the written word in this way. Looking from left to right is natural and you miss things easily. Try it out.
The more you practice, the faster it will get.
Good luck!
I'm so tired of getting taken advantage of
I thought I had what was a great position, with a good company, I loved the work, but had an instance where I had to request work not be sent to me for ONE DAY, and now my job is posted on the internet. Work was still sent to me, and I did it - but you know, did you ever try to sit and type with a 104 fever and a terrible urinary tract infection? I was sitting at my desk with tears rolling down my face - my husband came and asked me if I was crazy. I just didn't want to lose my job. Now, they're looking for my replacement. Maybe I really need to get out of this business ... there is no human component anymore. No one genuinely cares. Maybe I should have gone to the ER and had them put in a catheter and I could have worn a leg bag.
Oh well, thanks for listening. Back to work ... what a sad state of affairs.
I'm so tired of getting taken advantage of -
No, I've been getting 1/2 the work I normally get, so that's not it. I just will NOT continue to keep them within TAT and cover their butts if they're looking for my replacement. I'm not an idiot.
Administrative Advantage
Any info anyone has on this company would be greatly appreciated. I'm just looking to do some part time work to make a little extra money. I'm looking for the good, the bad, and the ugly. Couldn't find much in the archives.
TIA!!
The advantage to the MTSO is
having good coverage on multiple accounts. The advantage to the MT is having work to choose from on four different accounts. You see people on the boards complaining about their single account being slow - this is one way to address THAT problem.
I do about 7 accounts. It's to your advantage to do more than 2 or 3 (sm)
Trust me, it's a very short learning curve since they all use ExText as far as I know.
They ABSOLUTELY use it to their advantage! - sm
Back in the day, when all or most MT's worked on-site, MT was a whole 'nother job, and people who did it were treated like respectable human beings. But once the majority of MTs ended up at home, and INVISIBLE to both the employer and their fellow employees, it was far to easy to start taking advantage. Nowadays the majority of MTs most likely have never worked on-site like some of the more long-term MTs have in the past, and they don't even know what it was like not to be treated like an invisible piece of machinery. It is most DEFINITELY time for MTs to start to become involved in their own futures, if they are ever to even HAVE one in this field. We have to start squawking - LOUDLY. Our voices have to be heard not by the MTSOs, who will do NOTHING for us, but by hospitals, doctors, nurses, and unions, labor attorneys, legislators, and the average American citizen. The more people know about the degrading practices of the MT industry, and the larger the number of people that know it becomes, the better our chances become of bettering each of our personal situations.
Working at home is a blessing in many ways, but it has also been a curse in that it has kept us isolated from the doctors & medical institutions, our employers, and our fellow MTs. That isolation made it easy for the concept of sending American dictation offshore to gain a foothold in the US. We need to continue to network with other MTs including those still working on-site as well as at home, compare notes, companies, salaries, business & employment practices, ideas, etc. The internet is a powerful tool that may have robbed many of us of a decent wage. But if we turn the tables and use that tool in OUR favor, then things can change.
You can say that again. Never for the MT. I get sick of being taken advantage of for their benefit.
Has anyone worked for Administrative Advantage
Administrative Advantage? Anyone know about this company?
I got a job offer. Please tell all good and bad.
That is what I would do. What is the advantage of Vista? There are so many problems with it.
There are wonderful instructions on the internet for repartitioning. I even did it before all the instructions were on the internet. Good luck!
You should have taken advantage of bonus all weekend - most did.
nm
IC or employee - sick of being taken advantage of?
AFter reading some posts regarding being taken advantage of and being treated like an IC by companies when its convenient for them and being an employee when its convenient for them, I must wholeheartedly agree. Therefore I decided to do some research and came up with rules as given by the US department of Labor regarding the definition of an IC. You will be surprised by what you read below. This is just an excerpt of a longer report. Perhaps next time a client tries to boss you around, you might want to show them this:
US Department of Labor Handbook
Part 1: Independent Contractor or Employee
Probably the main reason you became an independent contractor (aka consultant, freelance and IC) or want to, is to be your own boss. Unfortunately, some U.S. companies don't fully understand the difference between independent contractors and employees. Even among companies that do understand the difference, there are those that attempt to exploit the relationship, because it's clearly to their advantage to do so. The cheaters (and naive) misclassify workers as independent contractors, but still attempt to control them as employees. In doing so, they reap the benefits of both worlds, while depriving independent contractors of the very reason they became independent contractors in the first place: to be their own bosses.
- Companies are not your employers per se, but your clients. As such, they are not entitled to direct you in your work.
- Of course, your clients have a right to say what they expect for the rates they're paying you, but only as it relates to the outcome of the project.
- It's your right to decide when, where and how to get the project done.
HERE IS THE BIGGIE
****In other words, by U.S. law, an employer cannot classify you as an independent contractor, then dictate when, where and how you work, as though you are an employee. It's all about degree of control and independence. ***
The Advantage Transcription Service
Has anyone done any work for this company out of Los Angeles? If so, were there any issues regarding line/character count. TIA
That's the type MTSOs take advantage of, and
just too minjute and worthless to be paid what I'm worth, stand up for myself, or take a con-artist to court. (Hubs probably beats her, too.)
It should be "when I see people being taken advantage of" --nm
xx
The MT industry is taking full advantage of the
stick it to your employees, than when they have little time and no money to go out and find something else. Make those poor suckas feel darned LUCKY to have their pathetic little peanut-paying MT jobs.
You just KNOW, though, that someday.... SOMEday.... not tomorrow, or the next day, but EVENTUALLY ----- somebody is going to do a total boot-plant on their sorry a$$es.
That day will be a cause for celebration across the land.
There's a lot more staying than going,
and plenty that have come back after finding the grass is not greener on the other side of the fence after all. They are good to me! and i make more $ than ever elsewhere.
Why are you staying?
You obviously hate it. You are spewing venom everywhere. So why are you still there?
I'm Staying at TT. (sm)
I went into this job KNOWING I was not getting paid for headers and footers. I don't know any company that does pay for them, so it's no big deal to me.
I am also disappointed in the insurance hikes and am waiting to hear something, BUT the costs are still LOWER than the insurance I have now and with very low deductibles. I would only be saving $100 a month by going with TT's insurance as it stands now, but a $500 deductible is way better than $2000 we have now.
BTW, I also must foot the bill for this insurance. I am not sole provider for my family but pretty close to it, at least for 6 months out of the year. I don't think the grass is greener anywhere else and I'm staying.
Too many MTs look for the perfect job. There is no such animal. So, all you guys that are leaving just because of the above 2 reasons, go right ahead. It just means more work and $$ for me, and I appreciate it.
Yup, I am staying put
at TT!
I'm staying...sm
I've decided to stick it out. I know they said we would keep our same accounts, but I also know that those words are just that, words, and aren't guaranteed. I will stay for now, but am keeping my options open just in case they decide to switch me to a crappy account where I cannot understand a single doc. I just got used to these docs and would like to stay with them (and, they aren't the greatest, but at least I'm used to how they dictate and can understand them now).
Why I am staying with MDI
I have one of those high-ESL dial-up accounts, too. When I first started, I did not think I would ever round the learning curve, but I did and now can easily do more than 1200 lines per day. Be patient with yourself. Bayscribe is a wonderful platform that is elegant in its simplicity and is easy to use. The liaisons are really wonderful people and the QA are intelligent and kind people. Tech support is great, though I seldom need them. I have been in this business for many years (was an MTSO for a while and handled huge hospitals for the State of California before the state went belly-up) and I can honestly say I have never worked for a company that has the integrity and goodness MDI does. Hang in there! I am betting it will get better for you. Again, be patient with yourself. MDI is extremely picky about whom they hire and if you have made it onto the team, you doubtless have the right stuff.
Comparing figs & plums. Advantage/disadvants to
x
I would recommend staying away from
That is all they do, lie and run out of work! Have you tried Keystrokes? I think they might be hiring. I do not know much about them but it might be something to consider.
" plan on staying right where I am and see it through the end"
Well, you do have staying power. 
Staying at home
Hi: Our children are grown and gone and I still choose to stay at home. I like the flexibility that I have working as an IC. I like making as much or as little as I would like to. I like being off when my husband is so that we can spend time together, go see our children, travel. I even take my laptop with me when going to see kids so that I can work if I am scheduled. I could not do that working in an office environment. I agree with the other poster. You take the good with the bad. You pick your battles. Also, after working at home for so long, I'm not sure I'm a candidate for working in an office environment! That would mean wearing a bra every day! Hope you find the answers you are looking for.
Well we aren't staying
a very large portion of the MQ staff is leaving, the majority of which as I can guestimate have been with MQ for many, many years, made them what they are. I myself have 12 years in with MQ and am done in 3 weeks. Don't get snotty with us...
The reason for staying
The reason I continued to work for D&L was not because I was making it rich, they never paid any of us well after years of working for them, most of us were still at starting wages of .06 cents a line. I worked for them because along with about 12+ girls we were trained and brought into them through an individual, knowing nothing else. When asked for references, D&L refused to give them, we were stuck and unable to move on because of no records of our work history. I did not work for the Big Account that they lost and nor did most of the girls that I know, but they are still not getting paid and desperate to move on. Most of us live out in the country area and do not have access to big city accounts. We just have had a difficult time moving on. That is why we put up with the constant cons of where our checks were. D&L is in big trouble and for anyone that is out there still working for them, keep all of your work records and when applying for jobs, just tell them the truth. Hopefully, some of these companies will give us a chance. If you have a lot of work to do for D&L and they still have not paid you, GET OUT NOW. File your complaint with State Labor board, filing with check fraud will only work if you have a bad check. They have been making up all insufficient funds checks because they know that is a criminal offence. They keep changing banks, and that is concerning. Good LUCK to all of you, this has really been a tough few weeks for all of us.
I NEVER said I was staying or would never leave -
but my wanting to pursue other companies has nothing to do with the holiday pay policy (since I'm PT, I don't even qualify). I'm just saying, if you want to log on, get your work done, and get a steady paycheck, OSi can be that place for you - it has been for me for the past 2 years.
"chuckle" raise in 3 days, not to their bottom line advantage is it.
Hey gooble up this one if you like. Not me!!! I could understand if hourly, but we are not. WE are the one who lose already, learning there program, acct spec, formats, the various QA preferences, learn/get an ear for each dictator. We LOSE BIG TIME because it takes time for all that above stuff, we cannot just sit down and zoom off. Hey but grab IT see how the attitude is toward MT with 6 cents offer, it says something ya know.
Vonage residential - staying away from anything
x
right; and I did not quit my old job, ended up staying with my old job.
nm
And how would you like staying at the office 10, 12, 14 or more hours trying to get in 8!!
I for one have probably vented enough about this subject, which is the very reason I got laid off from my previous job (because I was challenging this treatment). I do not think it is legal, but when I asked to have a third party brought in on the matter I was laid off. It is awful to make an MT feel like THEY are not doing their job if they are not meeting minimum requirements when it is the company who is causing it in the first place due to mismanagement. And FYI to you management people out there, we do have a separate life besides sitting in front of the computer for hours on end. Just because we are at home does not mean we are necessarily available after our **shift.** How would you like to have to go back to your office night after night after your workday?
Saw on paper that pay was only 6 - 8.5 cpl. Is that what you guys will be starting at, or staying
m
The Ops could be staying in-house with the rest of the work being done by MW. nm
s
Last week we were staying caught up with TAT so I guess
you could consider it a slow week, this week we are out of TAT again, so things are back to normal.
Seems like the good ones are staying a long time
I know many who have been there 2, 3, and some 4 years. Volumes are up right now, and we've had several new accounts go live in the last couple of months as well.
Yes. I think a lot of my problem is staying focused. It's hard.(sm)
Starting tomorrow morning, I am going to really try to keep my behind in my chair and stay off these boards. I could improve my counts a lot too, I'm sure.
Not staying back in the dark ages
VR is definitely the thing of the future and I am already there, which most of the others on here, like it or not, will be before long. I can just see it now, the ones going kicking and screaming, or like the 1 about a month ago, jumped ship because of VR, got another job and OMG, the new job immediately went to VR. I am keeping up with the latest technology, I will welcome others as they have to switch.
Same theme, staying at home with the kids
This is just the most idiotic thing to write. I joined up with this profession before mothers only went into it so they could wear PJs and stay at home with Jr. That is a sorry reason to go into this job in the first place. I don’t find my job grueling, never have. Apparently you must be in the wrong place because your spouting off is wrongly placed. Discrimination against women and children. Please spare me from this. I am going to throw up in a minute.
LOL!! DVD player for staying more than one week!!!GOOD Grief!!!
Must be really awful!!!
This is the thing that concerns me about this field. Pay is staying the same not increasing!
Every OTHER medical field, nursing, therapists, techs, etc. are all experiencing the yearly salaries going up. Transcription compensation is not increasing.
While they may increase the RATES the ability to make the more money is not there because of VR, taking away the header allowances, more difficult accounts, more ESLs, stricter QA, etc., etc. slow platforms that require information inserted that you don't get paid for and anything else that lowers your salary. If hospitals are looking to slash their transcription budget, they are going to pass that onto the service and the service will pass that onto to the employee.
I know transcriptionists that were making 45-50K in 1987 working 40 hours and now they are making 35K and often times working more than 40 hours to make that lower amount. Or I hear people say I can make the same money but I must work much harder and longer hours. I think wow...you have to work harder and longer to make what you made in the 1980s.
Other occupations have gotten consistent raises without the need for more hours and I don't think employees would put with up it. Imagine a well qualified R.N. being offered a 1987 salary? The hospital would have a hard time hiring nurses. But the transcription service environment is so competative if they can offer the work cheaper and cheaper while guaranting accuracy they will get that contract. So in order to stay in business they have to find a way to pay the Transcriptionist the least amount of money to see their profits which they need to stay in business.
Of course if transcription is all you know and you don't to work in an office or get a job at Starbucks you keep going and accept the pay because we really have no control. You have to work with what they offer you.
9 months and it is not worth staying a year to get the BIG .002 cent raise.
Working for OSi will burn you out quick!
I DID give my notice, but got talked into staying "until the new accounts came on." nm
nm
Did you ever consider staying with them part time? I dont know if I should leave altogether or not.
And other days I just want to throw in the towel totally. Ugggg.. this MT business!
Go Local
I would not consider editing unless the pay reflected my experience as an MT. Editors spend a lot of time cleaning up the garbage.
I think you have to go local for that.
I don't know of any that pay hourly for MT work. Many do for QA work, but not for MT.
I know around here many of the local hospitals do that, but it's usually MTs that have been with their hospital for a certain period of time. They don't hire from outside to work at home.
Also look at local
While most local comapanies have an onsite group they will sometimes hire people who have worked out of their homes for years. If you are moving from Transcend submit your resume to local recruiters and find out if there is a temp agency in your area that does transcription based companies. A local physician group still uses me per diem and while they have onsite if I need to they also support offsite - it saves them some money because they don't have to support your equipment!
Just be aware, VR is the wave of the future. My guess is that in 10-20 years everything will be run through VR and nothing will be transcribed from scratch...of course if we all stand together and demand more money than they are currently offering the market will eventually succumb :)
I know...it's sad..I used to love it at MQ when we had a local
office but everything has changed so and I just HAVE to make more money! Good luck to all MQers looking elsewhere!
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