Keystrokes makes you count out for normals.

• Need company with Lots of OPs - Beachbum
  • I do mostly ops at Transtech - TT pays for normals NM
  • You might find a job but you wont get paid for "normals", that is how it works now. nm - Mt20
    • Can you clarify - Beachbum
      • Yes, their normals, not yours. Not all places are like this apparently. nm - Mt20
      • hello.... - MT
    • Disagree with this. Every company I've worked for paid for normals. - nm
      • Keystrokes makes you count out for normals. - sonicfingers
      • One job I worked for did not pay for normals at all. - mt2
        • Same here in Florida. nm - Mt20
        • I bet they billed the client for normals - Fingers
  • If you find that let me know. That would be my - dream job. Like in the old days. nm
  • Doesn't Keystrokes have strictly OP accounts? - NotaKSer
  • lotsa luck! If you find em let sm - MT30+
    • Thanks for you input - Beachbum
      • sorry that is happening. I hope it is sm - MT30+

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that you them.  They are usually a fill in the blank type thing with the doctors only giving the blanks, so there isn't much to mess up.   We do have a few normals that need to be modified and there are only a few MTs that get these dictators, because of the same issue your MTSO, that changes are not made, etc.   I am allowed to create my own normals and do.   If I have a doctor that needs to have the same normal, but occasionally does change things, I only have my normal including what is ALWAYS the same and then I have macros for statements that are frequently dictated that I can use to piece together the rest of the document.

I can't imagine my company forbiding us to use normals.  My company wants the MTs to be productive, because if they are producing they are making money and if they are making good money they are happy and the MTSO will have good retention of MTs, which they have had.  It also benefits the MTSO to have high producing MTs, so that they can have fewer MTs and less costs/hassle.

it was the responsibility of the MT to listen to the dictation and make sure that the normal reflected exactly what the physician dictated.  And any QA issues specifically attributed to an MT's personal normal resulted in a three-phase disciplinary action, i.e. written up for the first offense, written up and forced to come in-house to work for a determined period of time for the second, and finally termination for the third.  Also any incentive money the MT may have earned for the day of the infraction was forfeited.  It seems extreme, but we had such a problem with QA issues and many complaints from physicians especially with radiology normals that we really had no choice.  We needed to make it clear how vital quality was over quantity.

Now that I work as an IC MT, I create and use my own normals, but I listen to every single dictation and if there is even one tiny, seemingly insignificant change such as the physician says the instead of a, I change it in the report.

I think a company forbidding their MTs from using personal normals will end up costing themselves money in the end.  The solution is to institute very strict policies regarding the use of personal normals and enforce them.  Let the client know that these policies are now being enforced and if they see any mistakes whatsoever, to please let the MTSO know.  It's hard being an MTSO, I'm sure.  Assuring the client that their concerns are your concerns and making the MT's feel respected and appreciated for their hard work is like walking a tightrope sometimes.  The sad fact is that you can't make everyone happy all of the time and in the business world, you have to schmooze the one who writes your paycheck - that goes for MTSO's and MT's alike.

Line counts shouldn't be that important to them. 

I also have 20 years in this business, which helps.  I am not a fast typist really and I can't type at all without the expander, not anymore.  I have a photographic memory for terms and how they are spelled...see it once, know it forever. 

There are exceptional MTs and there are very good MTs, there are good ones and ones who can just about pass muster.  Don't beat yourself up trying to be exceptional.  I think exceptional MTs are born, but very good ones can be built from scratch.  There are MANY MANY facets to success as an MT.  You have to have quite an ear for voices and even the very best of us can't do every accent.  You have to either be a great typist and/or Expander user, and you have to know it well (I have used my same one most of my career).  You have to know your terminology inside and out.  You need to know how to properly organize your normals so that they are consistent and easy to use.  You have to have an excellent platform to work on, preferrably a Word client.  You also have to have a company who stands behind you and makes sure you have enough work with QA people who can and will take the time to teach you what you don't know.  My favorite QA gal is a font of knowledge, a BOS2 expert and she even corrects my emails for grammar.  I have learned a lot from her.  It helps to have someone on an IM who can answer questions on the fly for you.  I have had those in the past and now I am one of those who does the answering. 

Most importantly, do your very best at whatever mode of work you are doing.  Show up every day, give it your all.  Don't worry about what the rest of us are doing, be the best you, you can be.  Things fall into place when you do that, I know because this is how I had to approach the early stages of my career.  Persistance pays off.

signed off the report I was typing.  Those lines didn't add immediately, but sometimes they do that.  What concerns me is that when I signed that job off and the next one came up, not only were the other lines not added in but they were LESS than they were before I signed off previous job.

I thought I noticed this happening the other day, but figured I just wasn't paying attention.  Today I definitely noticed it.  For some reason it changed it's mind and took 8 lines off my line count.  What the heck? 

Am not really ecstatic with the way things are going anyway  and then this confuses me. 

Please, someone have a realistic explanation so I don't feel paranoid and cheated here. 

small companies but another service owner told me that she heard that Keystrokes sold to Transcend.  Is this true? 

I posted this down below but meant to post it as a new thread.  Before I apply with them, I would like to know as I left Transcend a few months ago and do NOT want to get back into that mess.

MT and I've seen CMTs who did really lowsy work.  I have never considered getting my CMT.   I have always been told that I do top quality work and at companies that do pay a differential for having your CMT, I am paid the same rate.   Some people need letters after their name for whatever reason.

I don't understand why people take the time to respond to questions but they really aren't telling you anything. If you have something to say...say it.  But please only say what you know.  I'm not interested in what one 'thinks'.  If you 'know' it...let me hear it.

Thanks.

I worked for a company for around 2-1/2 years, basically 7 days a week to help out.  Never got one single incentive for it, nor did I expect it because in my eyes at the time, this was as good as it got.  I also never asked for a day off while I worked there.  I was paid lower than what I've been paid at other companies, in fact, 2-3 cents lower.  I was offered more for other places, but I let personal feelings and guilt if I left them get in the way of business. I liked the personal feel of the company, as there were only about 30 transcriptionists and you had a chance to get to know your doctors--probably about 50 of them.  My skills were good because I was always told that. 

I had to leave due to reasons that I didn't have any control over and got literally a 1 sentence reply 3 days later.  Said basically ok, no thank you, no good luck, no nothing.  I still worked my 2 weeks afterwards.  My reason wasn't a run of the mill lame excuse either.  This was my first thanks.  I felt like dirt after sending it and was sick about it for about a week before I did.  I  certainly didn't want them to say oh, please stay because I couldn't have even if I wanted to. I just expected a more grown up response from someone who could definitely write professionally. 

Things have since cleared up and I have been back in the job market for about 2 months, so I sent my resume to them and re-applied.  I figured, I liked working there, they liked me--had a great platform, why not?  Well, this was over a month ago and never received an I'm sorry Sharon, we don't need anyone at this time.  I figured, you can give an old employee that much acknowledgement, especially when it comes from a familiar e-mail and you KNOW they've read it as soon as they received e-mail notification because they, from personal experience, always got back to your e-mails within seconds. 

I don't expect anyone to kiss my butt, but a little bit of graditude from a place where you aren't just a number, where you are like family, I guess I expected a little more.  Am I wrong?

I have gotten more heartfelt e-mails from companies I have been with less time than that. 

Moral of my story:  They don't care about you, so if you don't have to, I wouldn't worry about sacrficing your family, life, and health to care about them. 

I have found a better place who won't use me for my time or under pay me or EXPECT that I be at my computer all day every day to help them. 

Thanks for listening,
Sharon