Oh, and yes, outsourcing will collapse in times to come when the financial divide reduces among nations, especially once major unions like the EU are formed. Moreover, research indicates that it's more of a hassle to manage and offers only marginal cost reduction.
DM
November 11, 2008 09:02 PM
Outsourcing is what caused the demise of the United States economy, in my opinion. The rest of the world depends on the U.S. economy; listen to the news. Multilingual for the U.S.? Realize we are from different backgrounds, but in the U.S. English is the official, unofficial language. In the U.S., learn the language. Reap the benefits but can't speak the language? Automate Spanish and French for our bordering countries but beyond that? I have had very bad experience dealing with customer service reps from another country. You can't even understand each other some of the time. Ask them where they are from and they mispronounce the name of the city and state. Ask them their name. Fake one given. Very misleading. Our country in the last few years has gone downhill economically--lost jobs, lost homes, medicines unavailable for those who need it, because they cannot afford it, etc. Keep people in jobs in the U.S., and the U.S. will do better economically, hence the world would do better economically. Worldwide recession did not start until after U.S. failed--the trickle effect. 24/7 coverage? Pay people enough, and they will work. Heck, at this point, pay them anything and they will work the off shifts. Some people want the graveyard shifts. Americans working in America who aren't bilingual in certain areas (Texas, for example) can't even get a job at Wal-Mart. Think about it. Outsourcing was our demise.
julia
November 11, 2008 09:06 PM
I agree that stopping the outsourcing would be better for the economy since Japan blamed its problems on outsourcing and temp agencies 2008.
Gail
November 11, 2008 09:59 PM
In our big publishing company, help desk and infrastructure support have been consolidated and outsourced several years ago, with disastrous results. Since then, we have had to deal with extended production-critical outages, with CSRs who don't understand simple technical words that everyone in U.S. knows, and with CSRs whose heavy English accent is no good for any kind of customer support.
Observer
November 11, 2008 10:45 PM
It is of course expected that someone from Nuance Communications, which makes IVR software, would be in favor of automated response systems, which drive their revenue. And of course Nick Sharma would prefer outsourcing to India. What are needed are neutral viewpoints. If customers could get a choice of country (Press 1 for U.S., Press 2 for India), when they call their support line, this would make clear what customers prefer.
My issue with outsourcing has nothing to do with the call center agents themselves. My issue is with the executives who implement this solution without thinking it all the way through. They are puppet masters, walking off with all the money on the backs of their employees. Their only concern is the bottom line, the shareholders, and their yearly bonuses. Customer satisfaction seems to have taken a back seat to greed long ago, and outsourcing is merely one facet of this big picture. Don't blame the tech in India who's busting his ass for next to no money to feed his family, just like us "high-and-mighty" Americans do. Blame the executive who hasn't spent enough time and money on training these people, sending them to English class to speak and write clearly, and not paying them enough to get the high quality people that they need to man the call center.
Complete Discussion Below: marks the location of current message within thread
The messages you are viewing
are archived/old. To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select
the boards given in left menu
Other related messages found in our database I totally agree with you. Had a long debate on this this morning.
being forced to carry the financial "responsibility" for those who can be responsible for themselves! Not to even account for the lives of the rescuers that they put at risk. Get the HECK out of Dodge!
Hot debate....I have been using disc for everything....
for over 10 months now and my main account does nothing but spine injections.....either a HUGE lack of communication (MQ?) or disc is just fine by them...not a word from QA or my accounts!! In fact, if you do a Google search for 'spinal disk' you come up with sites with both 'spinal disc' and 'spinal disk', every other one. Better ask you accounts.
obviously you have never participated in a debate.
you have to make an argument for your side. you can't just call people names and win anything but the argument in your own mind.
obvious you have no education beyond 10th grade.
Ah a good debate going like that.
Lemme finish up work and check your link and I as well can find the ones that support my side. No wonder I never make any money at this job, this is way too much fun. Medical transcription is not for those of us that are ADD...LOL
Now that I'm on the other side of the QA debate
I can totally understand why so many people gripe about QA on these boards.
When I was doing QA, I tried really hard to be fair, and to not nitpick every little thing.
Now that I'm back to just doing MT, I am really starting to dislike some QA people. So I just wanted to say I'm sorry for all the stuff I said before, sticking up for QA in general because I see now that there are a lot of horrid QA people.
This whole debate is kind of interesting
I can see the point of both sides but I think that you have to go with what you feel is the right thing to do and what you do really shouldn't have any bearing on what other people, the doctors or whoever are doing. Your decision should be based on what you know to be right and you'll come out way ahead in the long run by building a reputation of fairness and honesty and integrity. Congratulations on even wondering about it anyway and not just saying YEEHAW off to the bank I go!!
So annoying to get a good debate going, and then it's gone.
x
Wow! Big debate, reading the replies to this. I believe most....
This was a very interesting query with very interesting responses. I believe most who replied with their numbers. They look in the ball park to me, and the ones who posted sarcastic remarks either don't know what their IQ's are or theirs are low?
Having a high IQ definitely DOES NOT mean that you are superior or well adjusted or happy. Probably the opposite. Personally, I view myself as a (somewhat) total misfit. I say somewhat because I fool a lot of people (including my loved ones) into thinking I am totally normal, when, in fact, I have lots of hang-ups. Then again, maybe other people have similar or worse hang-ups and are not aware of them or have such a high ego they don't care! In other words, people with high IQs can be oversensitive and look for perfection while others with more normal IQs really don't care what everyone else thinks.
Some asked where we came up with our IQ score. I am in my 50s and, back then, the schools tested IQ scores. They would keep the score secret, but my teacher leaked my score out to my parents, he was so excited. It was 137 then. And, with the internet, you can now take a standard IQ test online. My score was still 137 at age 46, but was lower a couple of years ago.
My firstborn, also, has a high IQ at 139, but my two other children with more normal IQs as well as my husband have higher self-esteem. Also, I am an ABSOLUTE TOTAL IDIOT MECHANICALLY. WE ARE TALKING TOTAL NO LOGIC HERE. CAN NOT TURN ON THE TV(digital with black box), OR OPEN ANYTHING WITHOUT THINKING *LEFTY, LOOSY, RIGHTY TIGHTY.* And I only learned that recently. What a blessing.
Seriously, even Einstein couldn't remember the way to get home and forget to..like..put on his socks or bring his lunch. Help! No, I am not comparing myself or other posters to Einstein! Just stating that a high IQ does not, in any fashion, spell success or personal happiness. But, yes, it figures to me that MTs, in general, might have higher IQs and want to hide out at home typing technical reports.
Bologna. There wasn't a debate
until you started one. I questioned putting in a note that a patient smelled like manure. I have nothing against manure or farming or anything of the like, but I had a *gut reaction* it shouldn't be in here because it had NOTHING to do with the medical note. I asked, and the doc said leave it in. Point is...I don't question manure but I questioned whether it belonged in the note.
Digging a little deeper into the CMT debate -
- I think 'CMT preferred' is ALSO another way of saying, 'MT's over 45 need not apply'. Sounds like age-discrimination to me, since most MTs who don't feel the need for a CMT were transcribing as a profession when the CMTs were still wearing Pampers.
I don't understand this whole QA debate in the first place...
or why so many people dislike QA....I do both MT and QA...I just don't get it...
if you can't debate, destroy! bush cronies do the same! GEEZZZZ!!!! What a heated debate about homeschooling!...
Man, this is surely a hot topic! Everyone certainly has their own opinion. In the end, you just have to do for your child what you feel is right. Each child is so different, and you are the only one who REALLY knows YOUR child. Some children flourish in the public school system. Some do not for whatever reason. My first two childen went to public school.
My third (ADHD) WANTED to go to public school, but just couldn't handle it, no matter how much medication and how much counseling, and ended up being homeschooled through the internet for 6,7,8, and begged to try the 2,000 kid high school, so she did. Total disaster. Constant phone calls from the school (same as in grade school) and a 1.6 GPA. She then went back to homeschool through the local alternative school, got a 4.0 GPA. Begged to try the high school again for Junior year. Even worst disaster. 0.6 GPA. She flunked everything she couldn't bring HOME to do. Flunked floral design, basketball, swimming, ceramics, band. Passed all the academics, English, history, science. She is now back to homeschooling through the alternative school, but is allowed to go to the high school dances and walk down the isle for graduation, so she is not too unhappy with that. Good luck to you, whatever you choose.
Why do you take everything so personally? It was a debate about line counts. Now, if I were to say
you were rude, crude, and obnoxious, I could see where you might feel defensive and take it personally. I think the harshest thing I've said to you so far is that you were "stretching the truth" and that you were "misleading people" when you failed to divulge that you work 12 hour days and count gross lines.
Quit being such a cry baby.
Just skip over it.. A little lively debate spices things up.
c
Uh yeah, in a debate there's usually defense and an offense. Hence someone is always "on the
defensive." I simply posted my opinion about non-compete clauses and my experience with an untrustworthy service and how I handled it and then I'm called unethical and unprofessional. That kind of puts me on the defensive, dontcha think? Kind of begs me to defend my actions... I second that.. That's what makes America so great... vibrant, spirited, even heated debate.
xx
I hate Instant Text. It is expensive, long long learning
curve, and too much distraction for me.
How long should I wait after applying for a position before I follow-up. It has been as long as two
without hearing from some. Just wondering if I should send an e-mail to follow-up to see if they received my resume or not. I don't want to offend anyone but feel two weeks should be long enough for someone to at least acknowledge my resume and that I have applied for a position. Right now I would accept anything even a note saying no thanks. Any advice would be appreciated. I haven't had to apply for a job for the past 10 years so I am a bit rusty at this. Thanks again for any advice.
Congrats! How long have you been a MLS and how long did you study for the test! Please see message. I have three daughters with long, long hair.
I also have long hair down to my waist and my three girls have hair that long too. My daughter brought them home from school last year. I was devestated and grossed out!!!! I have never had to deal with lice. Anyway, we did the treatments and two of my girls broke out in a severe rash with the OTC stuff. Their little heads were so sore!! I thought I was being meticulous with eggs, only to find them hatching again down the road. A nurse at the pediatricians office suggested I try oil to suffocate them since my girls were allergic to the lice solution. I bought a huge bottle of veggie oil and dumped it on all three heads, plus my own. I then wrapped the heads in platic wrap and then a towel. I left this on for 30 minutes. It takes a while to wash out the oil, but we never, ever had the lice or eggs again!!! If you try this, make sure you put on an old shirt and put a towel around your shoulders. Obviously we were desperate, but we all have such long hair and very thick hair so I was willing to try anything. And I figured there was no chemicals involved so that was pretty safe. And it sure did help my littles ones since their scalps were pretty raw from the solution. Hope this helps and Good luck!
It's been a long, long time since I've used a C-phone, sm
but I do think jobs can be paused.
I had a problem with this for a long, long time sm
I have always worked days, like from 6-3. Over the last few years, it didn't matter how much sleep I got, I became real groggy between 7 and 11. Really shoots the day. Talked to my doctor and he said my blood pressure pills were the culprit but he refused to change me to another brand or dosage since I have multiple aneurysms (2 in the brain). My BP has been stable for a long time and he wants to "keep it on the low side". I tried taking them before I went to bed instead of early in the morning, but then I had headaches all day. So, I am changing to a night shift for a few months so I can sleep when those pills kick in and so far it is working pretty good. I stay mostly awake during my shift and die when I hit the bed from 6 am to 10 am, then I lay down again later in the afternoon for 2-3 hours. I still get 6-7 hours of sleep, it's just split up during the day, plus I am mostly awake now when I sit down to type. I don't have to deal with the heat in my office, either. It tends to warm up real fast in here with the south sun on the house and 2 pc's running all day, even with the air conditioner on.
Way back when, a long, long time
ago and in a galaxy far, far away, I had my own accounts also and some years cleared $75,000. Yes it can be done, but you need to have your own accounts. Also lots of delivery, and other duties involved. I work for a large national now and make much less, but I got tired of accountants, having to deal with hardware problems, deadlines, driving deliveries, printing, printers, etc. So I decided to simplify my taxes and stay home and just type. Don't have to worry about computers either, because the company will just send me a new one.
Long, long files. Seemed like they'd never end! I'd never go back to VA again. nm
s
I've been doing this a long, long time...
I used to make $70,000 and up a year and did so for most of the late 80s and 90s (one girl used to make six figures a year working 7 days a week!) Because we were making more money than the supervisors and Medical Records Directors in hospitals, they began to switch to transcription services which were sprouting up all over the place. Plus AAMT came into existence and even though in the beginning it claimed it was to fight for transcriptionists (although assured us it was NOT a union), they eventually morphed into an organization that was more management friendly. They developed the "guidelines" and the 65-char line. That was the beginning of the end for those high-end wages. Then all those mickey mouse transcription schools popped up, and now outsourcing overseas. YES, we're complaining.
Been in this biz a long, long time, 30+ years and....sm
I love/loved MTing. However, things have changed so much during these years. The job definitely gets easier; don't have to look up much, can decipher ESLs much easier, in other words, you get pretty comfortable with things and you have confidence in yourself. The more experience you have the easier the job, but....
I actually made more money 10 years ago!! We didn't have speech recognition and you actually got paid for headers/footers, demographics, carbon copies, etc., you got paid for what you did fairly; today, I am not so sure.
You will feel burned out at times, but that passes and you find you like your job again.
Good luck to you!!
A long, long time ago, I was going thru
a really bad time emotionally and physically. I was suffering, and my transcribing suffered. I assure you - if you are to the point of not paying your rent, literally, and needing food stamps, there is something else going on in your life than current transcription rates. We are all in this industry and many are thriving, most getting along comfortably. If you are literally to the point of food stamps, you honestly would be a fool to continue. I blamed it on my job, on my line rate, on everything but the honest truth that I was ill and was NOT working as I should or could. It is a really sad thing that you keep spreading this propaganda that MTs in our culture are doomed and now destined for food stamps. Food stamps are not something to toss around lightly, as you would know if you ever had to use them. Please let's not be quite so dramatic. Again, if you are really in those dire straits, you really need to face that MTing is not the fit for you, personally, and do something about it rather than blame our industry. You dwell on the past, but we can't do that. While you may have made other wages 20 years ago, may I remind you that we were pounding away on IBM Selectrics using layers of paper and bottles of white out, going crazy trying to rewind tapes over and over to get that dang word, with no idea what an Expander was. Technology is fantastic. Things have changed, but things are still great in this industry, and in this world. Those who change and can adapt will be fine, but you need to recognize that most of us are not ready for food stamps.
Sure did...you been around for a long, long year A gross line IS a gross line regardless if it's 90 characters long or 1 character long... SM
I'm very sorry that your lines are 90 characters line and you get paid by gross lines. You are cheating yourself - that's not my fault. You cannot change the definition of a gross line. So I gues I'm not understanding what you are trying to say. Now if you are trying to say that your line equals 90 characters and that's how you figure your lines, than you are not using gross lines. You have defined a line to be 90 characters, whereas most MTSOs define a line as 65 characters. If that is the case, then I must say again, you are cheating yourself.
So which is it, do you get paid by gross lines or by a 90 character line?
how long ago was that
I started working at a hospital, right out of high school, in 1969 and they sent me to college at night and paid for it. From the first day in 1969, I was dealing with ESL's. There were always doctors with accents. When I was a child I had a Jewish doctor who could hardly speak English. That was back in the 1950's-1960's. Your argument does not sound like outsourcing, it sounds like bigotry to me..shame on you.
Wow, how long have you been at it? I have 292, but ran out. nm how long ago........
were you hired? I know now they won't look anyone that isn't experienced in the areas that they are requesting. It is MedQuist that hired you?
How long
have you worked for them. What specific pluses do they have?
how long
over a year. managers who are a help and a platform that is really easy to use.
yes, as long as
you have not signed anything with either company that states you won't work for anyone else while working for them. Always read legally binding documents carefully and thoroughly.
don't know how long ago that was,
appropriate anymore. I was taught "when in doubt, leave it out," especially if the comma is meant to add emphasis.
I have seen too many instances where too many commas have ruined a document.
I'll start: Almost 27 years doing acute care reports, but I have about a year of experience doing radiology (hospital).
Care to share?
how long?? try 20+
I started doing transcription in 1983. Certified for 12 years. Still going strong. Hands perfect. Love this job.
How long
I have been official MT for 13 years, unofficially for about 7 years before that.
how long have you all been a MT?
Since 1962 - forever and ever amen
long day
I work 6a-2p and then 4p-12a.
Can I ask you how long you have been using
x
Long, long, long
Cannot type at all if they are short. Almost 3/4 to 1 inch over finger. Get them done every two to three weeks. My one pleasure. But if I get them cut down to just over my fingers I cannot type at all. And I used to be a nail biter also.
Long.
.
must be long
I've worn nails long for so long that I really, truly can't type if I break them or my nail artist files them too short.... I just bumble all over the keyboard
Probably anything as long as you have
a degree. My husband's degree is for teaching but he is a drug rep. Good luck.
marks the location of current message within thread
