Question for the MTSOs who are around tonight

Thank you!  I have been in business 12 years and, if you can believe it, I have never implemented any guidelines for acceptable error rates from my transcriptionists.  I have 19 transcriptionists and am finding that I need to do something to make them realize that they can no longer be lazy and just figure, oh, Dell will fix it.  We have reached a volume of work where I cannot fix lazy transcription problems any longer.  I am unsure how to go about this?  What are various ways to figure out the allowable error rate?

Thank you for all the help you can provide!  D.

I currently do offer a three tiered pay scale where the transcriptionists work their way up -- but I nevertheless find so many things they simply are not looking up or aren't sure of themselves and so will put question marks.

Do you know how the nationals figure the 98% accuracy? That's my real problem, I don't know how to go about figuring the 98% accuracy. 

Good luck on getting that big account!!  We have a large one starting on 02/01 and I'm nervous that with the sudden increase in volume I won't have the time to QA the way I have to now.  In my area it is hard finding really top notch transcriptionists -- the couple I am having trouble with have been with me awhile and I've tried and tried to train them but they lack self confidence and don't THINK about what they are typing -- hard to teach that THINKING skill!!!

I am just curious.  I am sure it is very hard for MTSOs to find dependable, well-trained, honest people that work their required schedules as it is hard for dependable, honest, hardworking MTs to find companies that pay well, when they are supposed to, and have decent accounts and availability of work. 

My question is where are you?  I have close to 15+ years experience in multiple phases.  I have been burned by 2 telecommuting companies already.  I have been employed with this last company for over a year.  I thought they were great but over the past 5 months or so things have began to have turned sour.  Plus absolutely no benefits are offered.  I can handle not having any benefits as long as everything else is good. 

I have been skeptical to change jobs but things have just gotten to where I am completely dissatisfied. 

If any MTSOs are hiring, I would be happy to take any test, send resume, etc.  I just don't want to be burned anymore.  I love this profession but times have changed.  But like I said, it is hard for the MTSO as well as the MTs.

Most all of them are probably offshoring work secretly or not.  They overall don't respect their MTs.  They offer baloney rates.  They lie through their teeth.  They offer steak and deliver animal chow.  They punish all MTs supposedly because of the faults of a few MTs.  They keep tabs with countless instant messages and phone calls to keep their ignorant little children in check.  They are constantly running ads because they can't keep good MTs. 

How can any industry survive with this treatment?  I think almost every one of them is offshoring whether they admit it or not.  What other explanation could there be?  It can't be simply because the MTs put up with it.  There HAS to be something else behind it.  MTs as an industry don't put up with any more crap than any other type of employees.  BUT the MT industry has a way of offshoring work with nobody the wiser, unlike other industries and I think that is what is behind the whole sham. 

The way I see it (and probably others) is the reason many companies are struggling or not making it is because they did it to themselves.  Coming from a hospital setting, it's like comparing USA to Aruba, and I'm not talking scenery, here!

The way I see it (and probably others) is the reason many companies are struggling or not making it is because they did it to themselves.  Coming from a hospital setting, it's like comparing USA to Aruba, and I'm not talking scenery, here!

Despite working for an MTSO, it seems to me that I am receiving my work directly from the hospital already.  It's just that the MTSO QA and Admin people have access to the same platform and jobs as well.  In order for a job to go to our QA department, we have to pend it to them.  Otherwise, it goes directly to the facility.  I am an IC.  As I see it, the only thing that the MTSO has provided after my hiring has been the computation and delivery of my paycheck and QA when required.

If I were an IC working directly for a facility, I would be happy to cover stats for an additional fee.  Plus, I would charge an additional fee for the more difficult dictators, for rude behavior such as eating when dictating, for heavy lookups that could have been prevented if the dictator had provided sufficient information, and for those times when I have to spend several minutes listening to non-dictation, such as when the dictator is just having a conversation with a colleague or other person on the tape, apparently not able to push a pause button.   Contrary to these extra charges, I would look forward to being able to communicate directly with the facility to possibly effect changes/improvements.  As it is, I work for an MTSO whose owners are apparently afraid, too lazy, or noncaring to confront the facility in order to correct some problems that continue forever, never to change, that affect only the MTs and QAs.

Even with all this, I would bet that the facility could save money.  After all, it seems that right now there are a lot of people at the MTSOs that do not produce work, but still are receiving paychecks.

Is their an MTSO around that doesn't nitpick your work and make you feel like you're not worth a hoot.  Maybe the problem is that by the time I work my FT job and type 1500 lines then have to go home and do it some more I am just tired.  Also, I have a huge packet called style guideI should look over but  I just have not had the time.  Sometimes I wonder if it would be better to leave it than get fired. They sent an E-mail saying that if I did not raise my score from 96 to 98 my job could be in jeopardy.  I am not sure I will ever get it right.  They have changed words in my documents and told me it should be this way but I go and relisten and I still hear what I had originally put.  Even got DH to listen and he said he heard  I heard. I wonder if they are that hard on their foreign employees.

I really started this MTSO to test the waters.  I just got so tired of driving back and fourth I was hoping this would work out.  I am just not feeling confident in my self to do this job anymore but I have to pay the bills somehow.  I cannot get by on my good looks. So, I printed this style guide, going to poke holes in it, put it in a binder and will look at it while the kids are getting their hair cuts. I will carry that thing with me everywhere I go along with my corrections and study it when I can.  If they can me before I get a chance to bring my score up, I will burn it.

...of waiting until clients pay them until they pay their ICs is a poor business practice - lousy and tacky, too.  Running a business involves having back-up  and/or personal funds on hand for when clients don't pay on time or don't pay at all.  And there are ways to get clients to pay on time; I've successfully used them and still keep clients and get client referrals

The only reason they use subs is that the client needs more work done than they can physically do themselves.  Most small MTSOs did not start out wanting to be an MTSO at all, but just having their own accounts.  Then there is too much work and they have to use subs.  And most of the line count is forwarded on to the subcontractor, not kept as profit for the MTSO.

I am just such a small MTSO and I make more money when I don't have subs because I can spend my time typing instead of listening to blanks, setting up templates, explaining format, etc., doing payroll, etc.