Question about how to deal with constant interruptions, distractions, & guests dropping in...sm
Posted By: NO MO-JO MT on 2006-09-20
In Reply to:
When I brought my newborn home 10 years ago I had just started my first at-home MT job. I felt like the most blessed person in the world!  Keeping that precious new baby home with me was all the incentive I needed to work 7 to 8 full hours while she slept. The fact that I lived off the beaten path was also a great help.
Well, here I sit 10 years later at 5:19 a.m., (I haven't been to bed yet BTW) just starting my fourth report that should have been transcribed yesterday, trying to get as much done before 7:00 a.m. before my manager gets in and realizes yesterday's work was just finished moments ago. I pull more all nighters now than I did at 21. This tired body can't handle it anymore. I actually have been getting pitting edema. I sit a lot, just can't produce much.
Soon, my once precious newborn, now 5th grader will be getting up to go to school in an hour, so I'm really hustling. I have a doctor's appointment at 11:00 a.m. 30 miles away (Adderall refill, can't be missed) so when I get home I will have today's work to start on, so sleep or even a cat nap is out of the question. 
So what's the problem? My clueless non-working SAHM/sisters ask ironically during my peak work hours. GRRRRR.  I've reached the end of my rope.
Non MTs just don't get it. You all know what I'm talking about:
1. The constant phone calls. 
2. The cousin that's leaving for Iraq in 2 weeks (you may never see again) who stops in for 3 hours to visit. Sorry, but knowing that could be our last visit will not allow me to ask him to go. 
3. Cash Advance places calling looking for your deadbeat aunt who listed you as a sister that hasn't paid them back yet, wanting you to contact her. 
4. Mom calling to ask if you can take Dad to the doctor because she has to work. 
5. Here's the best yet...My sister actually called me from her job to tell me her horse got out and needed me to go put it back up. This is even when I worked for a hospital and clocked in over the phone. HELLO!!!! You too can clock out and take care of your personal crap. Despite where it is, I TOO have a JOB!! 
I've tried screening my calls, but can't help but stop and look at my caller ID to make sure it's not the school. It doesn't matter though because if I do overcome the urge to pick up the phone I can't hear the dictation until the answering machine shuts up. Well since my rhythm is broken anyway, why not toss in a load of laundry? I even tried putting a nicely worded sign on my door stating that I am working, just to have family members come on in because, I couldn't have possibly been referring to them. Then, when I finally get in that groove I've been after all day, it's 3:35 and here comes the schoolbus and it's time to put on the Mommie hat. 
How do you all deal with all this and stay focused without overdosing on Adderall (I do have ADHD on a good day) and Klonopin (just in the last year) because of the panic attacks? I am struggling to work a PT job for goodness sake!
Today I finally did it. I have rented my own personal office space!! I'm so excited. I have felt just like a prisoner in my own home... never leaving the house. I have actually hopped in the car just to go get gas, for a moment away. I volunteer to mow the lawn now. I just want to enjoy my home again.
So my question is...How many other at-home MTs here regardless of status have had to resort to renting a small office somewhere just so you can work? Did your productivity improve? Did home feel like home again...your haven? I would love to hear all of your experiences good and bad, and will gladly share mine in a week or two.
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Interruptions working at home
You have to be very stern with everyone, especially family.
I told mine long ago, This is my room. I work in here. When the door is shut I am invisible to you because why? I AM WORKING. hehehee.
I don't answer the phone. Let them leave a message. If it is too tempting to stop and answer it, unplug it.
Put a note on your door for ding dongers - Day Sleeper. No Solicitors. That keeps them away.
The problem is MTs because we work at home have this wonderful life of freedom. Sure. It means that we can pick up everyone else's slack, or have them angry at us because we don't do it. Or we end up doing for everyone and working while those 8 to 5 folks are sleeping to make up for what we could not get done during the day. Or for those who call and ask you to pick up their kid from school, or take grandma to the doctor/pharmacy - call them once at work and ask them to do the same for you. They think it's ridiculous. That's when you can point out to them how untrue that is.
My favorite expression when I am interrupted is, OH SURE! I CAN DO IT, I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING!
It makes them feel bad and away they go with their interruptions.
Lasty, if you have a headset on when folks try to talk to you, pretend you can't hear them. :) I heard one of my nephews tell the other one who was trying to interrupt me, Don't bother, she can't hear you she has that head thingy on. hahaha.
Maybe if this deal loses clients, I can work out an at-home deal with one of my current accounts.
Or else get a McJob at McDonald's flipping McBurgers....
dropping 's
I totally agree. How STUPID does it make us look to type Alzheimer Disease? You are right, doctors do not KNOW the guidelines and just think we are ignorant. I for one am SICK TO DEATH OF AAMT STUPID guidelines that do not make ANY sense at all. Got a 56 PAGE! yes, 56 PAGE guideline email from my co. yesterday and I just cried. Some of the most ridiculous stuff in it I have EVER seen in my life! Since WHEN does medical grammar DIFFER from the English grammar rules. My pet peeve is the comma after the year. It is time the clients we work for to take a stand against these obvious money-making upgrades by AAMT.
To: Is dropping..
I am a native German speaker, bilingual in English. 25 years ago I came to this great country.
I studied six years Latin in highschool, besides French. My mother is Italian.
To:.....is dropping
Don't you have nothing to say to me? How could you have been soooo wrong in your analyses?
The world does not only consist of The United States of America and India, it contains areas where you have never been and have no idea..........
I tried it, but it kept dropping my calls. nm
nm
dropping line counts too
Seems like ever since that conference call reassuring us everything was wonderful ... that everything is NOT.
MTSO's dropping like flies
at a Raid convention. They have painted themselves into a corner with their clients by promising probably 13 cpl for standard and maybe 7 or 8 cpl for VR and now they can't produce. I know of one MTSO who thought she really had a great deal going. She partnered up with a larger MTSO who was going to pay her 10 cpl for standard typing (which there was very little of) and 4.5 for editing VR (Editscript). She had 5 MTs to whom she was going to pay 8 and 3 cpl ready to give it a try. It wasn't 2 days before all 5 of her MTs figured out that there was not really any standard typing to speak of and who went screaming into the night, never to return. I've said it before, THEY AREN'T PAYING ENOUGH! It needs to be same for VR as it is for standard typing. Then they might come back. Until then, they are pounding sand.
I wouldn't see any harm in dropping her a line.
x
TTS spies on you with constant IM's.
NM
What's with the constant "chickenneck"
references? Is she trying to say we are all old and wrinkly? Just wondering.
The only constant in life
I am not unsympathetic, just uncomprehending.
This MT has almost four months to prepare for the change. Even if she currently has no savings whatsoever, surely in that period of time anyone can manage to put aside a few days' pay for an event she knows is coming up.
What if that MT voluntarily switched jobs and therefore paydays changed because of her decision? What if this merger resulted in a layoff, as it did for me a couple of years ago? At least she has some warning to make ready, which is something not everyone gets before an ''emergency.'' You cannot go through life expecting nobody ever to rock your boat and nothing bad ever to happen. I would be working three jobs to put some money in the bank for the inevitable catastrophe that we never know the nature or the timing of, only that something is bound to go wrong.
Constant late payer..nm
x
This constant rebooting is taking up a lot of time.
nm
You should check your facts. They have had constant growth, being on the sm
INC 500 list a few times and articles in a few magazines. I have been with Keystrokes for 5 years. When I started, they had 40 or so MTs. Now there are over 300. They were run out of the owner's house. Then they rented an office that was very small for 2 years. Then they bought an office that was bigger and finally, this year, they built one that is huge. That is called growth. Are you going to see changes with growth like that? Yes. Are the choices all going to be perfect? No. Are the changes all going to be good? No. But I will say that if they make a mistake in a change, they are not afraid to change it back.
I think their biggest challenge is and always has been getting a good HR staff. It is time that they stop promoting MTs and look outside Keystrokes for an HR pro. The last person who did the hiring was a very nice person, but seemed very disorganized and a bit overwhelmed. I know she was an MT because I worked in house with her at a hospital for a while. I heard that they let her go last week and have been trying to fit her job in with others while hiring to replace her. I also heard that they are going to take their time and find a person who is used to hiring.
Is Keystrokes perfect? No, but they are one of the best out there right now and their growth will continue. They are sticking with the U.S. only policy and always will, according to the owners, but finding U.S. MTs is a challenge faced by many companies. Are there other companies out there better than Keystrokes? Not sure, but I make great money and have a lot of work, too much work, as they have a lot of new accounts and keep pulling people on the new accounts, asking us to work more.
I would rather be with a growing company that keeps the work here than one that is downsizing due to lack of work, such as many that we see and hear about here.
There are no problems at Keystrokes other than being very busy and trying to fill positions with the right people, which takes more than a 40-second phone call.
I don't get the constant chat about "overhired at Webmedx" - sm
My accounts are constantly running overtime. My STM is asking for OT on at least 3 accounts today and has been for the past month. If you are running out of work, ASK SOMEONE for more!
These constant rah rah replies without details hurt TT's
nm
Constant Transtech emails saying they know work is low, but flex . . . .
This is NOT rumor. Does no good to talk to the company. They themselves are putting out the NO WORK emails to us. They are aware of it. Why talk to them them?
Okay, here's the deal...
I am a Transcender myself. I have just put in my notice, but in hindsight, wondered if I was being fair. I was becoming disillusioned about certain things and could not decide if it was just my perception and if I was the only one who noticed or if I was doing something wrong that I wasn't getting the same benefits as some others and wanted to know what others thought.
I think what I've come up with here is that it is a combination of both - that at times, I put all I had into it and didn't get much in return and at times, I could've put in more. Live and learn, I guess.
I was up the next day. It's not that big of a deal.
I don't know where you were going with this post, "In the know," as it's hard to tell if you're commiserating, bashing V, or accusing her of something. Sounds like maybe this is something between the two of you given the tone, but I'm going to post this anyway.
Dunno why. Hope you're both on good terms!
Here is the deal
The work load is down tremendously which in turn is causing the transcriptionists to have lower than normal line counts. I do wish you luck making the 2000 lines per day, but honestly I don't know if that will happen. Be cautious if they "promise" that work will never run out. I think we all have been told that at one time or another. Other than the lack of work right now, Medquist is a really nice company to work for. I just hope the work load situation is temporary!
Oh big deal!
Hey, we got CHAPSTICK for Christmas! ROFL - seriously, congrats on sticking it out - U deserve the best, as do we all in this profession!
What is the big deal
They are asking you to pull a small 30 minutes a weekend, is that so bad? I too am enjoying the slower time after so much work - most companies require everyone to work an 8 hour shift Saturday or Sunday, as does QT for the newer hires, you should be happy it is only 30 minutes you are asked to do!!
Here's the deal.
The first time I ever emailed them for more work, no one got back to me for 12 hours, by which time the point was moot. On subsequent occasions when I have been out of work or low and they are broadcasting for help on other accounts, I help out but then end up getting stuck on that account and NEVER any of the good dictators -- all the crap. So, anyway, now I just flex and hope to hit a run of the dictators I can understand every now and then.
big deal,.....
so, you are one person who LOVED them. I did not have any problem getting their quota, but I did not like the management's snobby and uppity-type treatment day in, and day out. Tech people were good, but the rest absolutely SUCKED.
MQ, now there is something to write home about. I never worked for them, but my friend does, and does not like them, but she stays with them because she is in her 60s.
one raw deal i see here is this
anyone in the world can post and name a company, say anything they want. person could be a teenager just out carrying on, a disgruntled mt, an employee of a competitor ... ANY PERSON say ANYTHING and NAME a company but companies sure don't hvae the right to name problem employees do they?
i think fair is fair: if companies can be named, so should people but no more anonymous situations. gotta name yourself. lol
that would cut a lot of this garbage out.
My deal
With Focus, it seemed to me that they let the subcontracted companies take precedence over actual Focus employees. They get the work - like today as an example - I have no work to type, because it was given to the subcontractors. That is my reason for seeking a second company to supplement my income. On Focus pay right now with no work and the subcontracted companies TAKING WORK OUT OF MY QUEUE WHEN IT IS DOWNLOADED FOR ME TO TYPE...you get the picture.
I believe it is a done deal. (nm)
.
what's the deal
They acted like they needed help but won't contact anybody
that's the deal..
Yep, it looks like the only choice is to suck it up or switch jobs. Truth it, there are so many awful surprises at new jobs these days that I'd rather just suck it up than switch jobs. But, I did want to make an earnest effort to find out the truth if it is out there for the finding. I'm weird that way; I like to actually KNOW when I'm being lied to..and worse. It's totally up to me as to whether I let them do it to me. right?
Get this deal......sm
I was just recently hired by a company, sent in all my new-hire paper work, given a start date and then never heard from them again. It just so happened that I ran my free credit report and noticed the company had checked my credit. My credit is shot to say the least mostly due to this job and its fluctuations in pay. I pay the bills when I can pretty much, but I always pay them. I was shocked at my score, but I still can't believe they didn't have the courtesy to let me know that they decided against giving me the job because of my bad credit. Just never heard from them again. Very disappointing, and given the fact that they have all my stuff, SS#, license, W4, signatures, etc., this somehow doesn't even sound legal to me. But even if it is legal, shouldn't you contact me and let me know you are not giving me the job and have destroyed my paperwork or something!! Does this sound like a recruiter doing her job properly?
What is the big deal?
xx
I would go for it...Having no PTO is really not that big of a deal (sm)
although it is nice to have. Still, you can take time off w/o pay and make it up if you want. As someone else who is in their 50s I can tell you having the benefits and 401-K is much more important and I think is sounds like a good situation. Good luck!
I don't see the big deal in the msg - sm
It's giving you the basics so you can decide whether to move forward with the hiring process. Imagine all the time that would be wasted if a company tests 10 different people while 10 more are waiting and then those first 10 people get to the interview and decide they don't meet the requirements, can't meet the requirements, etc. What's the big deal? And that email message most likely came with a privacy disclaimer. Before you say it, no I don't work for this company.
Here is the deal (sm)
First of all, it would bother me to no end that they have MTs that have different rules just because they have been there longer (every weekend work versus 1 day a month??). Secondly, do you not think they can block you in Bayscribe and route the work to those MTs that have been there longer to keep them? Therefore, it sounds like you guys are all overflow MTs that they let in the system when work is high and don't care if you don't get work when it is low. I worked there before...I know for a fact they HOUND you to work extra and work extra (everything is a friggin crisis) but when there is no work you will never hear from them. Hmmm, why? They don't care its that plain and simple. I do think also there is something to this pushing the prn at 7.5 cpl thing. That's ridiculous. So, you keep your commitment and they don't have to keep a commitment to you? They want to say you didn't keep your commitment so they can push you to quit or take prn. I know...it happened to me. My best advice...stop idealizing a company that doesn't exist anymore. They used to be good...very good. That has changed and it is not good anymore and hasn't been for quite a while. It is hard to accept when you like your accounts and the system and maybe even the people (some would be hard to believe though ;) but accept what is reality and move on. Don't let them degrade your skills by using you this way. BTW, most of the positive posts I see on here I suspect are written by somebody in the company, a specific somebody actually given the way they write, to defend their reputation and to placate you guys. I know its hard and I'm not trying to be harsh but its the truth and I believe everything you are saying because I know first hand also. So, if you know the truth and its staring you in the face, don't let your wishes of how it could be or used to be mess you up so you can't pay your bills. That was the hard thing I had to accept myself. GOod luck everybody! Believe in yourself and know there is better out there.
What's the deal
I agree. What's the deal with them anyway? Do you think they just don't think or they just don't care?
I keep wanting to ask someone in authority at my company if they have EVER brought these things to the physicians' attention.
All those things are such ridiculous time wasters and risk for errors. I just don't get it.
It would be like if their patients kept getting up and running around, talking over the doctor, making phone calls, etc. while the doctor was trying to examine them or do surgery.
I am quite sure we have the only profession where we are supposed to work around and in spite of this type of thing. It's CRAZY!!
I think someone should say to someone ... are you KIDDING me?!!?
Do you think we could send anonymous letters (or make up a name for our group of MTs) to medical facilities and physicians and get any result? Like, start the letter, Have you ever thought about what it must be like to ... I really think we should try to do something.
Honestly, what year is it?!?
The deal is..
I feel for you, also; however, are coders paid on production? BIG difference,and I think most would agree that is where our main frustration lies. Time is money for us .. literally.
Happy Holidays to all! :)
What is the deal?
I have been recently looking for something part time to supplement what I am currently doing. It has been about 2 years since I have searched for a job, but in the past, I have always been responded to fairly quickly once I applied. I have 10 years experience with multiple specialties. I do not really want to work for any of the BIG companies anymore as I have done that in the past and hated it, and I'm only looking for IC work. I have never had this problem before so I'm assuming it has something to do with the economy. Has anyone else been experiencing this as well? 
99% of the company is not on SR -- what;s the deal??
Most of the company is not on speech rec and probably never will be. From my standpoint, SR is better than shipping it to India.
I like that Transcend is very open with all its MLSs.
I think sarcasm is the only way to deal
not Happy OSi'er....but another OSi'er who is happy
BIG HAIRY DEAL!!!!!
I know I am, but what are you? Pleeeeze!!!!! Are we adults here or are middle schoolers doing MT now?!
Not a good deal there! sm
You will be doing all different dictators and jumping back and forth from account to account with different formats. You have to format headers/footers and they are all different for each dictator. I tried it for 2 days and the owner sent me a picture of himself. How weird is that?!!! Kinda out there.........
?? Why the name calling? Deal with it..
x
Disappointed, but don't know what the deal is
I had an interview set up today by Amphion at 9:00 a.m. - no call. Very strange - she called me Monday morning and asked for my schedule this week to set up an interview - I told her anytime, any day except Friday - she said Wednesday at 9:00 EST. OK, now it's 9:56 and still no call. I'm so disappointed - she said my testing was awesome, etc. - maybe I'll give them a call later and see what happened? Don't know.
This is how I deal with low work
sometimes at MQ. I got a second job PT that is okay with my working extra unscheduled hours. If MQ runs out, I will work for the other company. I work on hospital work and to me, acute care is acute care. All my accounts are ESLs anyways, so it doesn't much matter to me. I just made sure my second job matched the cpl that MQ pays me. Also, I have almost 10 backup accounts at MQ, so very, very rarely totally run out of work.
no big deal, I guess...
Just some name-calling that seemed a little childish in the MT/MTSO debate down below. Thought that was a no-no, but it's obvious some people will never think the forum policies apply to them anyway, so why bother? These are usually the same people whining about getting no respect. Wonder why.
Well, little sistah, here's the deal.
I am paid for a 40-hour week. I spend 12 hours a day, and am on and off every weekend watching the recruiting software. I handle all applicants within hours of their application 24/7. So don't lump ME into your dreamland. However, when I check the boards and I see three do-do birds from Aslamabad, Illinois and five peep-heads with 2 years of experience typing IN SCHOOL, I do not feel that I am obligated to give them my time. Would you? Tell my FAMILY that I do NOTHING, you....you.....DOO-DOO BRAIN! Oh, and as a side note, when my recruiting director makes 30-day follow calls to my hires to check on the outcome, they LOVE me. Deal with that, dreary one.
CorTmedical....What is the DEAL?
Do they even have MTs working for them anymore? They do not pay their employees and they do not care. They need to just shut down their business! Anybody out there know what I can do about it? I am going report them to the Better Business Bureau.
I had to deal with her between coordinators...
Actually, I found her to be very rude and unprofessional...that is when she bothered to respond at all.
Asking about jobs: Here's the deal ... SM
We do not allow job wanted posts. If you wish to ask about a specific company, please do so on the Company board. However, posts asking other to just recommend companies are not allowed. We simply do not have the bandwidth.
If you have questions or issues about this, please email me - do not complain on the board about it.
Goldbird
The deal is this - offshoot of OSI
They are recruiting through MBB and MBS Transcription because they are having trouble replacing the people who are quitting. It is definitely a branch of OSi and they are using old applications and any other means possible to cull email addresses of MT's. They can't post ads here right now because their business practices have been exposed especially since their new partner has Indian interests. If you get an email from MBB or MBS delete it unless you want OSI contacting you to work for OSI.
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