Speaking well and spreading some love for NCHSoftware.com (@nchsoftware)- they truly do have something for everyone!

They say if someone has a problem with you, they will repeat it over and over again, but if they like you, they usually will make referrals when asked, but never just converse about a company as they do with a complaint.  I am hoping to change that with a wonderful company that I have had the opportunity to deal with for over 9 years.

NCHsoftware.com which offers sound recording, playback, conversion, and editing programs.  Along with the programs, they have an awesome team of tech staff to help when that rare (believe me rare) glitch occurs with the programs.  They don’t stop thee, they have many programs for other disciplines, but since transcription is what I do, I will speak only to that – for now.

As many transcriptionists starting out in this business soon learn, there is a direct and constant need for quality programs such as the express scribe player that NCH offers.  The wonderful thing about Express Scribe, is that there is a free program that serves our purposes almost 100 percent.  And being able to say “yes, I can handle the audio medium” allows the transcriptionist to take on projects without having to lay out even more money and learn new programs just to handle a file or two – and NCH has a converter too.  Now they don’t convert everything, but a vast majority of the mediums can be converted using Switch – again a free program can be used with a premium upgrade if needed.

I think the fact that as the transcriptionist field is growing in demand, the idea that there is a company that caters to us, with affordable and quality products is outstanding.

As a transcription company owner, I am often asked, “can you do this” or “can you do that” with audio files.  I rarely have to say no because I have some wonderful software from NCHsoftware.com that allows me to record, playback, convert and even enhance audio files so that I can do my job in a much more efficient and effective manner, even with the difficult audio.  And when I can do my job that easily, I don’t have to forward a cost on to my clients, nor do I have to worry about meeting their deadline due to the difficulty of the audio.

I refer all of my independent contractors, who are fresh out of school for this wonderful profession to NCH to get setup without having to put out even more money, over and above the thousands they just spent on education and training.  In this economy, every dollar counts.

Whether you are a student, business owner, journalist, musician, transcriptionist, or anyone who uses or works with audio files at all, check out NCHsoftware.com – I bet they have something there for you as well.  Audio, telephony, and business software – http://www.nchsoftware.com/software/index.html

I follow them on Twitter @nchsoftware.

http://www.clktranscription.com

As busy as we get, don’t forget to take time to enjoy your friends.

With the holidays approaching, I find myself finally taking time to check in with friends and acquaintances that I have neglected over the past few months.  I can come up with many excuses for the neglect – too busy with work, too many personal matters, and yes, too lazy.  Sure I think about these people often, and may send a cute e-mail or check up with them on Facebook or Twitter or other social media outlets, but never really take the time to stop and see how they are doing through actual conversation, even if electronic.

For some, so much time has gone by that there is an awkwardness to the thought of popping into their holiday as if we never had time apart, but I know I am not alone in thinking this is the time to do it.  I know this because I get those same holiday greetings.

Now, I am not knocking the use of social media or the web in any sense to keep track and keep up of the people in my life when time and situations make it difficult to meet up and catch up on all around us.  Sometimes just peeking into the world of our friends is all we can do.  I have reconnected with many of my childhood friends and even long-lost family members via social media, but that once a week (or couple of months) check of their status does not replace the contact one should make personally with those they care about.

After a particularly strange and challenging year,I have finally gotten off my rump to begin the holiday greetings and have found even more so how important staying in touch is when we think we have no time to do so.

After about four months of just checking statuses and profile pictures, I went to say hello and happy holidays to someone who I had done business with in the past and had maintained, or I thought maintained, a friendly relationship with over the past 5 years.  I was saddened to see that this very personable, caring and friendly person had passed away four months ago.  I was shocked.  I went back through my last e-mails to her and found that yes, it had been that long since I “spoke” with her, congratulating her on the new baby and impending wedding.  Now she was gone, and I didn’t even know it until four months had gone by.

The holidays usually bring out the best in people and the desire to check in on our friendships and acquaintances and even business professionals we deal with.  This year I am reminded that if we don’t make everyday a holiday, we may just miss out on some really important things that are going on with the very important people in our lives.

So I will enjoy the holidays in the traditions that I have come to follow, but I will work to make every day a holiday and make a better effort to stay in touch with those who are important to me.  That will be the gift I give myself this year.

Lastly, it has been tradition for me to have bells on Christmas for those who I have known that have become angels in my life, and according to Clarence, ringing the bells will give an angel their wings.  So this year, unfortunately, I have a few angels I have to be sure to give their wings.

You will be missed:  Saydie, Florence, and Barbara.  Friend, coworker, confidant.  The bells are ringing for each of you.

A few of my favorite little things. Keep your diamonds and gems. I don’t want them.

I woke up this morning to my son making breakfast, making coffee, and baking brownies.  I thought I was in the wrong house.  Now don’t get me wrong, my sons, both of them are incredible, and they have their moments where they really make me glow, but to wake up earlier than me and start breakfast for me and make coffee for me, on top of cleaning dishes – that was amazing.   I figure my boys are not typically mushy anymore now that they are grown, so it was his way of saying he is thankful for me.

 

If there is any other reason, I do not want to know it.  I am happy thinking the way my brain processed it.

 

I grew up in a difficult household, with a difficult family, so the grand gestures of affection and all that go with it have become to mean nothing to me over the years.  They were always done for a reason, a cost – usually emotional prices that I paid to be able to get a glimmer of hope for something little for myself too.

 

Over time I came to realize the little things mean so much more.  They are usually not thought out, spontaneous, and are like drunken conversations – what is really meant and true to the heart.  Do you know what I mean?

 

The breakfast in bed just because, the pouring of a cup of coffee because I am too busy, the call just to say “Hi” and did I make it home safe, the walking of the dog so I can sleep in.  Those kinds of things. The real love, attention and affection and respect that just happens in your day to day life for no reason except that you are.

 

With every friendship and relationship – personal and professional, the little things are more and more important and what those little things are differ from person to person, moment to moment.   Just a reminder that we are significant to each other and we are thought of.  The little things.   We love each other.   We like each other.  We enjoy each other.  We respect each other.

 

My girlfriends certainly can’t bring me coffee in bed, but they do call to say hi, and send a joke through e-mail at just the right moment.  They know when to chat me up because I am feeling especially blue.  And I do the same.

 

My clients can’t have casual conversations over coffee with me, but they can respect my team’s hard work to continue to send us work and make referrals, and we can offer them our best always.

 

My team can’t work for free, but they can give me and our clients the best they have, and I can thank them for their best and appreciate them all.

 

My lover can’t always be the one I can bitch to, but he can always take a moment to say ‘hey I missed you’ or ‘I was thinking of you yesterday’.  He may want to move mountains for me, but knows that sometimes the best thing would be to teach me to move them myself when things need to be done.  He can make me laugh, and I can show him I care by being there for him as well, with a smile in my eyes if not on my face.

 

My parents couldn’t give me the world as most parents want to, but they did teach me that I can have it if I work hard enough for it.  Even if that lesson comes from reverse psychology and seeing what I didn’t want to be.  My world is mine, and I can show them I appreciate it by living my life and being a strong independent woman, a good mother, a hard worker, and a good friend.  I can understand and appreciate how the tribulations of my childhood, made me who I am today.

 

My siblings can’t be there everyday, close and loving, nor can I, but when the tough times come, we band together – no matter what.  We can take a moment every once in a while to catch up and show that in spite of it all, we are family.

 

They say diamonds and gems are a girl’s best friend.  Not this girl’s.  A few of my favorite things do not cost a thing –  attention, affection, respect, and appreciation at the most spontaneous time imaginable. Those things make my world a much nicer place to be – even if it is just the way my naive brain processes it at that very moment.

 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  I am thankful for my past, my present, and the future – full of the little things that will make my life that much more interesting.

 

 

 

 

http:www.clktranscription.com

Voice Recognition – Not For Me. I never speak in fluid sentences all the time without changing thoughts or ideas.

How often do you stutter, forget the question, start to say something and then find a better way to say it?

 

Using voice recognition may seem easy for many, but if you want clean, clear reports there is nothing that can replace a human ear listening to your words and knowing what you mean/meant to say.

 

Voice recognition may seem easy for many, but you have to train the software to your voice.  Are you saying PRN or pee are in?  Is your audio always clear enough to know the difference?

 

Do you ever speak slowly and clearly all the time for a person to understand all the time?  Imagine a program listening.

 

How many times have you heard ‘can you repeat that’?  How many times have you said ‘okay, okay, right, right, right” during an interview and if transcribed every time would make you appear as a valley girl?

 

Do you want your ers, uhms, and the multiple yeah, yeah, yeahs transcribed in your report?

 

Do you want to have to reread the report multiple times when finished so you can be sure to catch those potentially unprofessional comments from being left in your report?

 

When someone asks me how I feel about voice recognition I tell them this – I speak fast.  I change my thoughts mid sentence, I may even forget where I was for a moment.  I make strange noises when I get lost in thought.  I don’t say every word perfectly.

 

Your time and money is too precious to have a program type your words, just to spend more time correcting and perfecting them.

 

Let CLK Transcription show you how a human ear can be used to listen to your audio and human hands to type your report, cleaning it up where you decide it should be. Your time can be spent on that next interview while the transcription is done in a professional manner, fast and accurately.

 

So when thinking about voice recognition – why not try using a human to recognize your voice to give you the best quality transcripts possible for a cost you can afford?

 

We may not be professional bloggers, authors, journalists, or webinar hosts – but our clients are!  Find out why they say we rock!

 

http://www.clktranscription.com

CLK Transcription, Inc. is a USA-Based and Operated Transcription Company with expertise in all specialties of the medical profession.

Oncology          Orthopedics     Hematology     Pediatrics          Rheumatology     Infectious disease  Psychiatry          Physiatry     Radiology     Pathology          Dermatology     Cardiology     Pulmonary          Plastic Surgery     Ophthalmology     Chiropractic, Clinical and Acute Care, and more.

We assist professionals with their professional needs transcribing audio from:

v  CONFERENCES / SEMINARS v  TELEPHONE CONFERENCES v  BROCHURES v  STATIONARY DEVELOPMENT v    MEETING MINUTES     INTERVIEWS v   VOICE MAIL v ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE DEVELOPMENT, and more.

 

Welcome to the Wonderful World of CLK Transcription! Where your project is just as important to us, as it is to you!

CLK Transcription can transcribe your RadioBlog, Seminar, Webinar, Podcast, Interview, IEP, Conference, or Roundtable discussion on any topic – family, health, diet, financial, entertainment, educational, all medical specialties, even religious sermons, AND MORE – and we can start immediately.

We also offer transcription and delivery of voice mail, conversion of PDF to WORD doc / WORD doc to PDF, Spreadsheet / label development of your contact / project lists, electronic signature development,mailing list / label development.  In other words, if it can be spoken and / or typed – we can do that!

Also, we offer FTP hosting services for those who wish to have the security of a FTP program but do not want to purchase a complete hosting package.  We host it for you and you get all the security and abilities of you very own password protected FTP.

Contact CarolLee Kidd for details.  http://www.clktranscription.com

Organize Your Audios and Save Time and Money

When sending files to a transcriptionist, name the audio files so you know what is on them, and the transcriptionist can confirm the information supplied.  Many times clients will send a file named by the equipment they use (ex ws00001) with no information as to what is on them, or tell us “this is an interview with Joe Schmo”, when in fact, upon listening to it, we find that the interview is in fact with Jane Doe.  When this occurs, we here at CLK Transcription will verify that this it is the audio the client meant to send us.  It may add some time to the TAT, but in the end could potentially save you time and money.

 

Doing so will alleviate the cost of transcribing an audio that you either didn’t want to have transcribe or was already transcribed.  And saves you time by not having to wait for the wrong file to be transcribed in order to get the correct file completed.  When files are received and seen as named by the equipment, CLK will add the interviewee’s name to the completed report’s filename when possible for tracking purposes.

 

Oftentimes, clients send multiple files and we work them consecutively, so if a duplicate is sent even a day or so later, unless the same transcriptionist handles the file, we would not know it was a duplicate.  (We have even had files sent as duplicates months apart, and if and when we catch it, we inform the client.  Some companies may just pull the old report and send it along and then bill for something that was paid for months ago.)

 

Also, there are some instances when an interviewee is in fact interviewed several times, so we would not stop transcribing just because the name is the same.  It may not be the same interview.  This is particularly difficult with physicians.  When they send a potentially duplicate file, we have to transcribe it because unless confirmed as an exact duplicate, the difference of one word or phrase (medication, history or treatment for example) makes the entire report ‘new”.

 

The addition of a name for your audio is also important for organizing your files for future reference.  Here at CLK Transcription, we name your report the same as the audio file, and include the length of the audio in that name.  This is great because you can now match the audio to the report and even know if the entire audio was received or was there an error in the download.  Also, the addition of the length of audio allows CLK’s clients to track their expenses when paying by audio minute.

 

Many of my clients will use the name of their audio when discussing the topic elsewhere (e-mail, etc), allowing all information regarding that interview to be sorted and saved together, even setting up folders in your Word history to keep all documents for the same topic / interview together for easy reference later.

 

So, the next time you save an audio, consider giving it a name.  It could very well save you time and money.

 

Here at CLK Transcription, we know that saving YOU time and money allows us to do the same.

 

Check us out for more information.  We would love to add you to our team of clients.  http://www.clktranscription.com.  Mention/retweet this blog and save $5.00 off your next invoice of $50.00 or more.

Do you get your voice mail transcribed free? Do you get what you pay for?

Many people come to me and say “why offer voice mail transcription?  Many people get it free through their telephone service provider.”

Here is my answer:

Those providers use either speech recognition software or an offshore, ESL, transcription company.  Either way, their messages are full of errors, mis-communcating what the message really conveyed, sometimes causing your clients unwanted stress!

There are hundreds of websites devoted to posting the errors people receive through these providers.  (Checkout http://technologizer.com/2010/08/22/worst-google-voice-transcription-errors/)

So, if the only reason you continue to use those services by those providers is so you can see what comes across next, do not use CLK Transcription.

At CLK Transcription, a human listens to the voice mail, a human types the voice mail and a human returns the transcript in an easy to read email.  You get the first 5 free every month through December 2010.  Our rates are nominal and you get quality service, fast.  So for a cost you can afford, you get better quality service.  You get more than you pay for.

When you pay nothing for everything, how do you expect anyone to take pride in the work you request?  Those providers simply cattle prod your work through because it is the phone service they care about.  Offering you the transcripts is what got you to them, and for most companies, getting you is all they care about.

CLK Transcription cares about every facet of a project and every client we receive.  There are no contracts, just a confidentiality agreement.  Whether it is a small project or a large project, a one time assist or a long time client, we take pride in the work we do.  Over 90 percent of our clients are referrals.  We do our best to keep them happy and when we don’t, we learn, understand, and make whatever changes are necessary to the service we provide.  Transcription is what we do. It’s not just what we do, it’s who we are!

So, if you get your voice mail for free, are you getting what you pay for?

http://www.clktranscription.com Find out how we can assist you with your transcription needs.

Your regular project is just as important to us as it is to you! Don’t have your TAT pushed aside because someone else has a “priority”!

Here at CLK Transcription, we try to treat every client as our only client when it comes to meeting their turn around demands.  Many of our clients know each other and have referred each other to us, and we know keeping one happy, means keeps them all happy.

People have often said, “when someone likes you they will repeat it, but if they do not like you they will repeat it over and over again.”

We want to change all that.  We want to have CLK repeated over and over again because we assisted in your transcription needs and never missed a beat with another project on our plate.  We love hearing “you rock” when we give our clients with the quality they demand at a cost they can afford, all in a timely manner that lets them get their job done in a smooth manner.

The independent contractors I work with are just as important as the clients I have.  Without them doing their absolute best and being happy with me assigning them work, I could not offer the services I offer to the clients we handle audio for.

In working for other companies, I had heard many times “that project can wait” or “just load up that IC, she’s a workhorse” and I cringe when I think about a client’s TAT being brushed aside, or a IC being so overworked that she wears herself out.

In doing the best job possible, we all have our limits.  Clients cannot be overburdened with stress wondering if their work will be completed on time and the transcriptionist cannot be so overworked that she rushes or even worse, drops the ball all together and misses deadlines herself.

Many times we receive STAT or priority files from a client.  We handle them as we would any other, but we have some wonderful transcriptionists that are available just for those types of files, so that whether we received one or 20 files in a day, your priority is handled without pushing someone else aside, and without stressing the transcriptionist with an unreal deadline herself.  Every client’s files remain active.

Handling the work this way allows every file we receive today to be returned today or within 24 hours, meeting your TAT and allowing the transcriptionists time for their own personal responsibilities as well.

Yes, there are times when the larger projects come, multi-hour, multi-speaker interviews, conferences, and seminars that take us a bit longer, but even in those cases you can usually start seeing a return of part of the project within 24 hours and a completion within 3 days, depending on the size.

Unfortunately, we have had to turn away projects from some of our most prized clients because of their TAT and our workload when they contact us with a multi-hour project due in a few days, but even those clients come back.  Why?  Because I won’t add to their stress by saying I can handle it and then blow their TAT when I know I can’t.

Thankfully, those exceptions are few and far between.  My clients with those larger projects allow me time to plan and get ready for them by giving me a heads up to expect those files.  Most times a day’s notice is all it takes.

So when other companies say they can handle your large project, ask them not only if they have the transcriptionists on duty to handle it, but how much work gets pushed aside that belongs to your friends and colleagues in order to handle yours?  Because the next time they have a larger project, it could be you that’s pushed aside.

We love transcription. It’s not just what we do – it’s who we are!

CLK Transcription, Inc comes highly recommended by some of the most amazing journalists, ghost writers, authors, blog radio and webinar hosts, and corporate companies in the world.  Let us show you why.  Allow us to help you with your transcription needs and make you a part of our family too!

Check us out on:

Twitter = @CLK_Shortcake
Facebook = http://www.facebook.com/people/CarolLee-Streeter-Kidd/1234760098

and

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tobyhanna-PA/CLK-Transcription-Inc/100158850050342
LinkedIn = http://www.linkedin.com/in/clktranscription

Proofreading 101

As a transcriptionist it is important to proof every word, punctuation mark and meaning intended in the words.

It is not just okay to type what you hear and press send to the client.  A proper spell check and grammar check must be run. A thorough proofreading is an absolute must.

You must then re-read the document to ensure those words that would never be found in a spell check if improperly used are caught.

Example:

The glasses are in the cup board. – OR – The glasses are in the cupboard.

It is because of that hat I have a headache.  – OR – It is because of that, that I have a headache.

You have to re-read the report to ensure that the sentences are punctuated properly.

Example:

Did you know that I was going to drive my car then I snapped.  My fingers in the car door.  – OR – Did you know I was going to drive my car, and then I snapped my fingers in the car door.

Also, you have to make sure that the sentence is structured properly.

Example:

All right well.  I will keep it quick. –  OR – All right.  Well, I will keep it quick.

That’s right you were talking about the Plavix.  Being a good drug for coagulation, Atenolol works for blood pressure too? – OR – That’s right.  You were talking about Plavix being a good drug for coagulation.  Atenolol works for blood pressure too?

You have to be sure the words you use are the words actually spoken.

Example:

The patient has hypotension.  – OR – The patient has hypertension.

There are a lot of cleaning sulfates bad for the environment.  – OR – There are a lot of cleaning solvents bad for the environment.

Some tips and tricks:

Type what you hear.

Once complete, re-read the finished product while listening to the audio again.

Re-read the document without listening to the audio.

Do the transcribed words make sense?  Does it read as smoothly as possible?

Some people find that reading the document backward will allow them to catch some errors.

Keep in mind, not everyone speaks with proper English, and unless your client wants you to clean it up, it should be transcribed as spoken.  In these cases, the only real proof will be re-listening while reading along.

The one thing to remember is to never, NEVER, never transcribe something you are unsure of.  Research is part of a transcriptionist’s responsibilities.  If in doubt, leave it out.  Let the client know where the inaudibles are.  They will appreciate the blanks more than a misused word or phrase.  Remember one misused word or phrase completely erases all credibility and faith in your returned product.

Errors happen.  No one is perfect.  When you make a mistake, learn from it.  Make notes.  Know what each of your client’s preferences are.  Most importantly, respect your client enough to admit to your error and work to be mistake-free in your proofing and grammar the next time.  When you have an unhappy client, sometimes it is important that you offer a monetary “apology” in order to have a “next time” to prove your value.

Remember, when someone likes your work they will repeat it.  When someone dislikes your work, they will repeat it, and repeat it, and repeat it.

My favorite line to my transcriptionists is “Breathe. I don’t mind blanks.  I will fill in blanks as possible.  But be sure what you type is what was said and how it was said.  Proof, proof, proof.  Doing a thorough proof is the only way to get your ear.”  I am proud to say that CLK transcriptionists always give their best, and that is all I ask.

Speed is not as important as accuracy when transcribing.  I don’t care how fast you type if what you type is incorrect.  I can bet that your clients won’t care either.
WWW.CLKtranscription.com – Let us assist you with your transcription needs. We accept all forms of downloadable audio, tapes, CDs, DVDs, hardcopy conversion, and voice mail.  We also offer development of electronic signatures, PDF conversions, and audio conversion for easy playback.  We are proud to note many journalists, authors, ghost writers, doctors, universities, and corporations as clients.  We would love to add you to our “family”.

Three ways to save at CLK Transcription during the months of September/October:

Mention this blog when submitting audios to us for transcription and save $5.00 off your next invoice of $50.00 or more.

Refer a friend who generates an invoice of $50.00 or more and receive another $5.00 off your next invoice of $50.00 or more.

Retweet this blog, and receive yet another $5.00 off your next invoice of $50.00 or more.

That’s a potential savings of $15.00 off your next invoice of $50.00 or more.

We can begin any project immediately and look forward to hearing from you!

Carollee@clktranscription.com

Twitter = @CLK_Shortcake
Facebook = CarolLee Streeter Kidd
LinkedIn = http://www.linkedin.com/in/clktranscription

Some helpful programs for the transcription of audio files

As a transcriptionist I have the opportunity to see many different file types cross my desk.  I have also had the ability to really research the programs, free or not, that work best for me in converting the audio and playing the audio files.

First and foremost, ExpressScribe by www.NCH.com.au is a wonderful free player that works wonderfully with or without foot pedals.  You can adjust the audio and playback to make the job of transcribing the audio so much easier.

The upside to this audio player software program by NCH is that they also have a converter, Switch, one version is free and an upgrade for a nominal fee.  The free version is usually enough for the individual transcriptionist who may have file types that they would prefer to convert to mp3 or wav files.

Another great program for conversion of audio is X2X Audio converter which is also free – http://www.x2xsoft.com/productlist/audio.html.  This does additional file types and I have found it to actually be a bit faster in the conversion process.

In addition, when tapes are received and you would like to convert them to MP3 files, I absolutely love the polderbit sound recorder and editor, which is not free, but for anyone who works with tapes or even records to MP3/wav it is well worth the nominal fee for the program.  http://www.polderbits.com/recorder_uk.htm.  You will of course still need a tape player/record player/cd player and a male to male audio extension cord to go from the player to the sound card of your computer, but for me, this program is priceless.  It is not free, but allows the ability to clean up the audio while being recorded, which is an invaluable tool when handling tapes.

DVD’s are an animal all their own.  In order to extrapolate the audio from these creatures I use the iSofter program.  It is easy to use, is a bit slow, and there are some quirks to it sometimes, but the tech support is always right on.  Again, this program is not free, but well worth the cost.  http://dvdtoall.isofter.com/index.htm

Some other programs I use on a not so frequent basis, but are useful just the same

http://www.avs4you.com – AIFF files to mp3

www.PCDictate.com – to convert the newer DS2 files to mp3.

Now I agree, many of these do much of the same conversions, but each have a little special difference as well.  As someone who receives multiple files in multiple formats, I found having several makes my day go a bit easier.  When one doesn’t handle what I need, I have a backup.

Having the ability to handle all forms of audio, allows my clients to just worry about developing the audio, and not what format works for transcription.   That, in turn, allows me to assist them in saving time and money when I handle their audio for transcription and develop the quality reports they demand.

There are admittedly hundreds of programs to choose from, however for me, these are the ones I have trusted over the years.

So, if you find yourself in need of a player or converter, check them out.  You may find you like them too.

www.clktranscription.com