I've beat my head against the wall trying to make a decent
Posted By: line count & because of (sm) on 2006-12-25
In Reply to:
the ESLs, I can't get much past 1200 lines daily anymore. Anyone else in the same boat?
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I don't know about you, but I've got kids to feed, clothe, and house. I need to make a decent
living. I'm not going to be cheated. It sounds as though you've decided to let yourself be used and abused aby the MTSOs all with a big smile on your face. Whatever! It's MTs like you, not I, that have caused the pay rates to decline. MTs like you who will accept whatever abuse they companies hand out, accept being cheated, and accept losing jobs to India.
You'll be back on here next week or next month posting under a different name, crying about your paycheck and looking for sympathy.
So you DO have a moose-head hanging from the wall of your trailer?
walked right into that one, Ellie Mae!
One year and you make decent money? What is decent money to you?
k
How long to make decent $$$??
This may seem like a stupid question to all of you "veterans" out there, but how long until a "newbie" can expect to make a decent wage in this business? I have only been employed for about 5 mos, so I am trying to cut myself some slack, but minimum wage is hard to swallow. I do reports from a pool of doctors so I can't seem to utilize the full benefits of expanders, and on my best day, I can type about 110-125 lph. Again, I know I just started, but I can't keep making this kind of wage forever. Are there tricks I am missing? Any insight would really be appreciated!! Thanks in advance!!
I am, but not because of pay. I make decent money, more than I would
make in most fields today that don't require a degree or experience. I'm just burned out with the monotony of it. Type, type, type and then type some more because the account is behind and others aren't pulling their weight, so type, type, type, go to bed without spending time with family, exhausted, kitchen not cleaned up, and get up the next day and do the same thing all over again. You have no control over your paycheck because you are paid by production. If you have one of those days where you get the worst dictators or the sound quality is really bad you don't make your lines. If you don't feel well you don't make your lines.
I've done this nearly 20 years, about 19 more than I ever thought I would, but I'm tired, I don't enjoy my job, and I want to do something different. My problem is that I need to be home 5 more years and I don't know what I can do and make the money I need to make.
I make decent money at my
I just feel like a cog in a machine, unappreciated, unnoticed. I work for a hospital. I have also felt this way working for large services. I would like to feel that my time and services are valuable and appreciated, but I just don't seem to feel that way.
That's the only way to make a decent wage --
I've given up on a decent line count. SM
I'm just waiting to be let go and hope I can get unemployment. I don't know how people get a decent line count on DQS.
How long does it take to make decent line count?
I am considering joining an outsourcing company. Can you tell me how long it took you, as an experienced transcriptionist, to get up to snuff that you were making a decent wage? And what is your average rate per hour when paid by the line of 65 cpl?
Other than it really is broken a lot, you cannot make a decent line count on it.
It is a horrible disorganized program that is not user friendly like some of the other ones i have had. Sound quality has to be the worst of any company there is. Tech support is nonexistant for at least 6 hours to 6 days. Pay is horrible, especially if you get stuck on editing an account (about 4 cpl) Happy bankrupcy
RE: Other than it really is broken a lot, you cannot make a decent line count on it.
Your opinion is not shared by many who work at Transcend. I personally get all the lines I need using BeyondTXT and I think it is a great platform for transcribing or editing, and I do both, and believe me I have never gotten close to starving. Editing compensation is 60% of transcribing line rate by the way and my compensation is not 4 cpl as you so erroneously posted.
I have a flexible schedule, I make decent money, better
than I could make working in an office, even though I haven't had a raise in 5 years and not likely to get one anytime soon. I homeschool my children, we don't have a 9 to 5 lifestyle, DH doesn't have a 9 to 5 job and it allows him a 3 day weekend so we like to travel. I am able to work anywhere I can get internet access so we can pickup and go at a moments notice w/o me having to worry about work.
I hate office politics. I don't have to spend $$ on clothes as I work in jeans or sweats, or can stay in my jammies all day. We only have 1 car and that works for us now, but wouldn't if I worked outside the home.
Life is just less stressful not having to get my kids up at 6:00 a.m. to get ready so they can catch the bus by 7:00. My DC would be getting home at 4:00 or later if they were in school and by the time they did homework and we had dinner it would be time to prepare for bed and we wouldn't have much family time. By homeschooling my DC have been able to explore their passions, have really developed a love of learning and we have developed a wonderful family bond. We spend hours every week talking about world events, relationships, etc. My DC are my #1 reason for working at home. When they have left the nest I may consider working outside the home, or at least exploring other work-at-home options.
Decent money won't be there until you've had years of practice. Maybe do
s
I *only* make $40K a year for full time work. Now I find that isn't decent is or fair?
nm
You've hit the nail on the head. (sm)
Our fund of knowledge has to be pretty comparable to what a skilled nurse has to know. The main difference is that it's applied differently: The nurse's is hands-on and face-to-face with patients, ours is in documentation. The other function we have is as an error-catcher. Just think how many dosing, gender, left-vs-right side, etc. dictating errors you catch before they go in the patient's permanent medical record. Not only is our work a valuable tool for the doctors who read those records, it also can become a court record as well. Look what court reporters get paid. They have to learn a specialized skill, just like we do. Their hearing, English skills, and typing speed have to be top-notch, just like ours do. Yes, they do have to show up in court every day, but that right there is a large part of their job security. They don't have to work 7 days a week, or 10-hour days. A court day usually isn't very long at all, and the lunch break is usually 1-1/2 hours. If our job were directly compared to both nursing and court-reporting, the pay should be almost exactly the same.
Is that beat red as in your husband beat or
is that beet red as in the vegetables you eat? Noticed you said he was going to kill you. Hehe
All I want for Christmas is a decent job, a decent job, a decent job.
One that's not 95% ESLs, steady workload, steady accounts, good communication, office staff who aren't rude buckpassers, decent line rate, no offshoring, direct deposit, flexible schedule, not having to do 50+ 30-second reports per day, and a platform conducive to speed. I know it's not possible, but a girl can dream, can't she? This is, after all, my Christmas wish list. I never get what I want for Christmas. Why is that too much to ask for? It doesn't even matter anyways. After Christmas, I QUIT MT!!!! Burger King is just down the street, and they give food discounts.
Another veg head here, but I cook meat for my men. Just make sure my eats don't have meat broth o
s
Ooops, sorry. My last post said "head head." I meant "her head." Sorry.
I've been at this for 2 years and make between
I think that $12/hr is low.
I've been doing it for years now....with own accounts, can make more $$ than that. nm
x
Do it! Make the change! I've mentored a few AHP newbies &
s
When all else fails, and you've gotta make those lines,
Let's face it. We ALL do it.
is this the writing on the wall for us? is there nothing we can do??
are we being sold-out by our own profession?
I saw the writing on the wall with them
More than 2 years ago I decided to quit lining their pockets with my hard-earned money to support their "garden party" mentality and grossly overpriced coferences that are too expensive for the average MT to attend (come on, do we really need an annual meeting in Hawaii???). I dropped my membership after more than 10 years of seeing no action, hearing of secret meetings, never ending in-fighting, and just a general attitude of them thinking it was up to the average working MT to support their grand "hobby" of being a board member while they sat around accomplishing nothing year after year.
s-wall of bladder
In a laser lithotripsy report I'm hearing, "gravel from prior S-wall in the bladder" and "pieces down there from prior S-wall". I know there is no S-wall, so what could it be? Thanks!
Hitting the wall
Hi fellow MTs:
Just wanting opinions. I find some days, my fingers/brain are really "on" with transcribing, but then I have other days, where reaching my line count is a struggle. Obviously, I'd prefer to all "on" days and I'm wondering if any of you have suggestions on being "on" more than off.
Thanks in advance and happy typing!
Hitting the wall
Thanks to my fellow MT's for these suggestions. I'll have to try the classical music.
Have a great day!
Could this be the writing on the wall for the US MTs...
Whoever is responsible for this current economy in my opinion has just done us in...
This is from an Indian company (if you go to their site check out their job openings, all in India)
See below:
With the economy in the US showing ‘no’ signs of recovery and with the ‘fourth’ largest bank going bust, companies which earlier had said an emphatic ‘no’ to outsourcing, will have to rethink.
High Capital Costs
The burgeoning ‘operational’ costs a company based in the US incurs for basic back office functions such as payroll processing, accounting, distribution and other important functions adds to the high capital cost of a product or service rendered by companies there.
A new ‘strategy’
A new mind-set is the need of the hour; entrepreneurs need to harness new technologies, outsource assembly lines across the globe to offset the high labor costs at home, this trend adopted by some of the companies a couple of years ago has turned the corners for them, ever since they started moving some of their tasks to overseas companies based in India, operational cost were reduced by one third.
Internet the ‘messiah’
The vast avenues of communication made possible by Internet has made it possible for enormous levels of information that is exchanged, unlike the pre-Internet days where communication was possible only through a telephone, a fax or a personal face-to-face meeting, now entire board room meetings can be held on the Internet regardless of the physical presence of members.
Cost ‘benefits’ of outsourcing
When a company based in the US ships a $14 to $15 an hour transcription job assignment to India where a transcriber is paid just $1 an hour, consider the cost benefits the company will receive, in comparison to the in-house service maintained by the company.
How will ‘US’ benefit from outsourcing
US companies will be able to enjoy reduced costs, and the large profits that will result can be re-invested in new ventures or expanding the existing ones, thus the outsourced new contractors can in fact create new markets for American products, and displaced US workers will have the opportunity to find newer jobs in vibrant new enterprises. The US companies will have the advantage of developing newer products with better features and thus antiquated products or services can be handled by the ‘contracted’ offshore companies.
Advantage of a different time zone of an ‘offshore’ company :
The operations of a US based company will never come to a stand-still, even after the staff has left for the day, the off-shore company based in India will take over and complete your unfinished task, thus projects get a round-the-clock attention, giving the companies an effective lead in completing projects with a quick turn-around-time. Client is therefore assured of an ‘on time’ delivery of his project, and in the bargain the company will have the benefit of maintaining the customer retention ratio.
Why choose ‘transcriptionstar.com’ as your vendor
As a transcription company we have the process expertise and an effective track record of experience and knowledge, we also are very flexible in adapting to newer technologies and since our operations are India based, where employ wages are one fifth of the their counterpart’s in US, an effective price advantage can raise profit margins of US companies to new heights.
Avert ‘Costs’ from sneaking up and corrode ‘Savings’:
medicaltranscriptionsservice.com can effectively ensure that companies outsourcing transcription requirements to us can save 40% to 50% on costs, whether it is for applications for Business Transcriptions, Media Transcriptions, Legal Transcriptions or Medical Transcriptions, we are the ‘source’ that you can ‘outsource’ and avert costs from sneaking up and corrode savings.
Advantage outsourcing from India:
With a vast reservoir of English speaking university graduates and a vibrant democracy, India can virtually ‘clone’ the operations of US companies at one fifth of the cost, and still maintain the standards of quality required by clients in the US, remember it is time to act now than wait, ‘outsourcing’ is the solution.
“A Stitch in Time saves nine”
Writing on the Wall
I went to their website. I could not find any link for job openings nor could I find any of this text on their website. Where did it come from, am I missing something?
I've worked for other nationals. I make more money at Amphion.
The difference in dictation quality, work availability, system stability, and easy platform more than makes up for the lower line rate. They don't micromanage or bully either.
It sounds as if the writing is on the wall where you are now so...
It might be a good time to move to a national. Many of them do offer benefits, and if you are fast and accurate, you can make okay money. It might be just what you need if you are as stressed at work as it sounds like you are. I do like having my own private bathroom, being able to work in shorts and T-shirts, and take breaks when I need to. My final decision to work from home came when my last boss started monitoring the time we spent in the bathroom!
I think the writing was pretty much on the wall on
The docs who don't know anything about what we do, or it's value, and only see now many cpl they pay, should probably be dropped as soon as you can find a better account to replace them, not waiting 'til they drop you.
I've always believed very strongly that the complaining customer that always wants a deal, but doesn't EARN that deal, is not worth having. I'm sure he was alot more trouble to type for than what he was worth. 10 cents per 65-character line is the very least any of us should accept. If a doc ever tries to gyp me down to a 9 cpl, I'll tell him that's too bad, and to give me a call when he comes up with that extra penny.
I have to vent! ASR is driving me up the wall!
When I was started on ASR, I was told it was strictly "voluntary" and that if I did it, I would get a "mixture" of ASR reports and straight MT. Well, not the case. Now everyone has to learn ASR and every report I get is ASR-- even the most horrible of horrible dictators. I keep fixing the same mistakes over and over and ASR has "learned" nothing from the corrections. I still think it is all a ploy to put ALL the dictators on it, no matter how bad they are, just so we will make the same per line as the Indians. My last shift, I had exactly ONE very short report that was not on ASR and all the rest were. Just as soon as I can find another job, I am out of MT altogether. They have totally ruined what used to be a good profession with all their "progress". Well, they can have it! 
Two of the best companies I've worked for didn't make me test. Makes you wonder if...sm
these MTSOs that mandate so many "tests" aren't just trying to see how many actual reports they can get transcribed for free. I could understand maybe a written test and one very in-depth transcription test, but 6 is utterly ridiculous. I would have definitely passed on that too and then told the MTSO exactly why.
I've been told, "Work harder and faster, and you'll make more." Not kidding. nm
x
Liver protruding through the abdominal wall
My father just had an MRI and it shows that his liver is protruding though the abdominal wall. He has a hugh "bump" on his right side, sort of like a hernia. The doctor is baffled by this and says that she has never seen anything like it before. Has anyone ever heard of this happening?
Yes - it was explained to me that this happens when the egg implants in the uterine wall. The blood
Had this with all of my pregnancies.
Wall painting faux finish techniques sm
Has anyone ever done their walls in a faux finish technique? I have a rather large room inhabited by my husband and the 2 dogs in the evening while I work, a big screen t.v., a beige fireplace, beige and hunter green wood look vinyl tile on the floor and hunter green furniture. One wall is paneled in a pecan paneling as it couldn't be done any other way. This room was an add on to the house. Right now the walls are a gray color but am looking to paint it something different, something that might not show the splotches caused by the dogs shaking their wet fur on occasion and fingerprints around the switches. I found the softly aged walls technique on the HGTV web site were you use 2 colors and a divided roller and divided pan. I kind of like the look and it looks fairly easy for me to do. Anyone have any ideas?
i still use my fan even during fall/winter and turn it towards the wall but drowns out noises. nm
;
OMG, you got me beat...nm
got me beat too!
18.68 minutes of dictation and 72 lines this morning. Slow, slow, SLOW!
got you beat!!!
I worked on a 65-minute dictation on Monday followed by a 15-minute dictation. They ate up most of my day!!! Workers' comp. Ugh!!!
I got you beat
Not counting medical insurance and my taxes, close to $7000 a month.
And I don't live in California.
and the beat goes on nm
x
I would not beat yourself up on it - sm
I have done the same thing/similar on a few reports. I took over an account from one lady and for probably a month half the letters would still have her initials on them depending on which computer I was on....I forgot to fix the template on my laptop. I sent a report through with the wrong Dr. name just the other day; but luckily I was able to go the the FPT, delete it and fix it and re-upload. I also left out the word "to" in a letter, so I went back and fixed all the ones that they had not retrieved as yet (about 15 of them). I have also sent through a letter once with the salutation wrong...whoops, I figure they caught that one though when they went to pring it out. I did fix the copy we kept in our records though. But when I spot a mistake after the fact I always let my supervisor know. It has never gone against me and they appreciate the heads up so they can fix the problem, and believe me you will never make the same mistake twice (or at least not as bad the second time).
OK, you got me beat.....LOL
I live in Michigan....only 10 here today..>BUT< Windchill is -15. Stay warm now. I sure am trying. LOL.
Don't beat yourself up! sm
When you start a new job, you are fighting everything...formats, platform, new voices, account rules AND you are trying to get up to speed as soon as you can. THIS is the time when we all make the silly and thoughtless mistakes that we have carefully learned to avoid, or so we thought. This is why QA exists.
It takes time to get every little thing under control, no matter how much experience you have and how careful you are. Your brain can only handle so many problems at once. Pick one to tackle for a few days at a time until it locks into your brain and move to the next one. Change your Expander for these spelled out things (see below) and do the best you can. It WILL get better. You are only human.
Since I have accounts that are b.i.d. etc. and ones that are not, I have left the bid=b.i.d. and gone to bidx=twice a day. It was surprisingly easy to get the hang of that, believe it or not. I think it was because I didn't have to hear "B-I-D" and think...oh right twice a day.
common sense dictates you read the writing on the wall. technology has made you obsolete.
and the government has seen to it that american workers are no longer necessary and allows business to outsource many middle income jobs.
I think I have you beat! I have a 65 Mustang
coupe in my garage, all original. My husband bought it 2 years ago for 1200.00, cleaned it up, put the original color on it. Runs like a top, still the original tires. Had it appraised for $15,000.00. Can't beat that. It sits next to his 79 corvette. Mine's purtier, though.
Wow! You got me beat. I do remember. . .
The financial office I worked in that went "computerized" and there was like one mainframe and you had to save your stuff on this HUGE floppy that was about the size of an LP and carefully walk to the mainframe at the other end of the building so that static from the carpet wouldn't "shock" the info off the floppy.
Only one printer too and that was in the basement. You had to stand in line. And we thought we were so state of the art. But actually. . . .we were!
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