Yes, I am behind on my bills but that doesn’t mean you can be an ass!

I got a call from a bill collector today.  Yes I deserved the call.  After 10 years with this company, I am behind for the first time ever.  When I saw the number, I was ready to put my embarrassment aside and take whatever “discipline” I had coming.  Like so many others, I too have had difficult times managing to stay on the edge of the hole without falling in, because once in, digging my way out is much harder.  Full disclosure here – how much I owe this company – $500.00 total, but it is not more important to me than my mortgage, my utilities, and my worker’s paychecks, which I struggle to make at times due to…well see below.

What I was not expecting was the tactless and extremely rude remark from someone who doesn’t live in our country, to me, someone who has been on top of the game for some time, and has recently fallen behind like so many other Americans in this wonderful economy of ours.  An economy I have called – the check is in the mail economy before in this blog.  http://wp.me/pLEiA-39

The conversation started out with:

“Hello Carol.”

I kept my cool, even though I think it is unprofessional to call me by my first name as if we are friends, and even worse, calling me by my mother’s name.  I did not even correct him, I let it go.

It continued nicely for a bit, even with this man noting that this is the first time I have been in arrears ever with this company and that he understands I may have just had a difficult time lately.

He then noted he understood I owned my own company, and wondered why I could not pay this particular bill and wondered if I treated all my bills in the same manner.

I started to get heated, but still kept my cool.  I was after all late and did owe money.  I explained that being my own boss and company owner does not mean I am rich, and that unfortunately many of my clients pay me 30 plus days, but I have to pay my workers every two weeks.  I understand I am behind, but am working to bring myself back current ASAP.

Then he did it.  He took all the time in the world to do it and took me to the place I did not want to go.  He brought out the truck driver in me.

He says, and I quote, “Don’t you own your home and have a mortgage?  Why don’t you take out a home equity loan and pay your bill with us?  You could sell some of those clothes you buy, or maybe even stop going to restaurants so much.  Maybe you should consider having your family pitch in to help you or go on welfare to assist you with your other bills”

If I were a splurging type individual, maybe that would have shamed me.  But it made me mad.

My reply was to the point, and I will get as close to a quote as possible, removing the words that only truckers should hear.

“I do not go out to eat – in fact the last time I went out to eat was over three years ago and dinner was bought for me.  I do not buy clothes often, and my last purchase was over a year ago for sneakers, which by the way replaced a pair bought 7 years ago.  The money on this credit card was used for my business when a computer blew up, and not on luxuries.  I do not need welfare; I earn my money and work hard for it.  I do not ask anyone for money, much less my family who are worse off then I am at times.  And as far as my home goes, I do have a mortgage that I fight to pay every month, like most other Americans, and because I am behind in some bills, who in their right mind would loan me money.  Why would I ask if I already know what I have is not enough to pay what I owe already?

Speaking to me this way will not get you payments.  Speaking to me this way will not make you a bigger person to me.  Speaking to me this way just makes me more angry that a US company would use off shore idiots to do a job that an American can do, probably better, and work toward fixing our economy instead of paying our dollars to some __________ person who has nothing better to do than to belittle and anger the very same people who ensure he gets a paycheck.”

I then told him to have a nice day and hung up.

Do I feel bad – absolutely not.  Do I know I still have to pay this bill – absolutely, yes.  Will it be the first one on my list when the checks come rolling in – NO.

They can come take my TV set for all I care.  Better yet – take my phone.  I won’t be answering it for him anymore.

When is the right time to check and respond to e-mail?

Having a hectic morning, hectic afternoon, hectic day all around is something we all have – if not every day, at least more often than we would like.  Just getting into work for some is the hard part and then sorting through the priorities of the day’s load, and getting the momentum to get into them and complete them can be daunting.  Add arranging our time to allow for those items that always pop up and interrupts our day – and well, you have all the makings for a monster work environment.

Another thing most, if not all of us have is the dreaded e-mail in box.  Knowing it is probably overloaded makes some wait for the day to get rolling to tackle it.  Some do it first thing in the morning, and some wait for the end of the day.  Some check it and respond right away, while others will check their e-mail and hold off on a response until another time – some not at all.  Many never ever think about organizing their e-mail the same the organize other files either electronically stored or around their office.

When is the right time to check your e-mail and respond?

In the past I have worked for companies that told us when we should check it and when we should respond and what we should do with the remnants – do we save them, do we sort them, once responded to, do we delete them?

I personally know people who have every last e-mail ever received sitting in their e-mail inbox, every sent held in their sent file and never have they thought of deleting their deleted folder.

Here is my personal theory (routine) on the matter.

First thing in the morning, the very first task I have is to read all my e-mails.  I respond to each one that have an easy response, delete junk mail (more on this later) and those that need more thought are held.

Any e-mail responded to is deleted.  If I need to worry about what I said, or the other party said, I will move it from the sent folder to a folder named for that person or organization.  If it is an e-mail with information about my company I place it in a folder named for my company.  For example – Staples coupons or discounts, accountant e-mails, supply order receipts, etc.

Those items that needed more attention, now get my attention,.  I research and respond, and again, moving the sent file from the sent folder (which has the original e-mail attached) to the proper folder if necessary and the original e-mail is deleted.

Any e-mail sent that is not moved to a folder is deleted.  Then here we go, what many people dread – I empty the deleted items folder.  I have had this system for so long that I have become accustomed to moving and sorting, and by the time I have responded and moved, there is nothing in my in box, nothing in my sent folder, and only those items I absolutely don’t need are left in the deleted items folder – so it is safe to say YES, DELETE ALL ITEMS.

Throughout the day, as an e-mail arrives, I open and respond immediately – as immediately as I can but within the hour at the very latest.  Handling those e-mails the same way.  It is nice to know at the end of the day, before I shut down my computer for the evening, that all my e-mail is read, responded to, sorted and yes, the inbox, sent and deleted items folder is empty.  Of course, once every few months I sort through the individual folders I have set up for each of my clients and other items and delete the items no longer needed – old receipts, questions posed and now obsolete, etc.

Someone once told me I should never answer an e-mail immediately because it makes me look needy.  Like I have nothing else to do.  Well here is my answer to that – Are you nuts?

My clients have deadlines.  I have deadlines.  If I waste time not checking my e-mails I may have already blown the deadline for myself and my clients.  Being able to meet the deadlines of my clients is a big part of CLK Transcription’s performance model.

E-mails that come from solicitors with offers, if I don’t check my e-mail before I order, I may miss the offer forever.

In this day and age, e-mail is like instant communication for me.  It is the same as answering my phone.  I have e-mail on my Blackberry for those times I may need to be away from my computer more than a moment or two.

Does it interfere with my work.  Hardly.  Does it cramp my personal time?  Hardly.  It is routine and a routine that works for me.  I have never had anyone say – why didn’t you return my e-mail?  I also have never had anyone tell me – you blew my TAT.

So, when it is a good time to check and respond to e-mails?  I think it depends on your routine, your workflow, and your responsibilities.  But one thing is for sure – organizing is important, and responding is a must.

Otherwise, you never know what you are missing, or what you may have missed.

How Can CLK Transcription Change Your Life?

When someone asks me what I do, I tell them simply that I change people’s lives by giving them time.

Time to do whatever they want to do – finish a chore, read a book, continue with other aspects of their work, spend time with family, etc.

My clients send me audio of whatever it is they have;  be it a conference, seminar, webinar, interview, thesis, even thoughts for chapters for their new book in progress.  I transcribe the audio into a word document – thus giving them time to continue with other areas of their life or career.

I also do voice mail.  Many clients go on vacation, even handle daily chores, not tied to the phone anymore.  I receive the audio voice mail and transcribe it directly into an e-mail and send it to them where ever they are on their Smartphone as a message and they can handle it from there.

So yes, I change people’s lives by giving them time to enjoy whatever it is they want to enjoy.

How can I change your life?

http://www.clktranscription.com

When a good client goes bad

We all have them.  Wonderful clients.  Clients who articulate what they want, what they expect, and keep us busy even through the lean times.  But what do you do when a good client goes bad?

I am not talking about those wonderful clients that seldom send work (hey they send work) or those leave us to our own imagination and expertise to solidify a projects completeness (It feels good to be trusted in what we do.)

I am talking about the client that sends work, communicates, and then out of the blue – all communication ends.

You begin to wonder did you do something wrong?  Did you make an unforgivable error?  If so, certainly you will make it up to them by way of discount or partial refund.  You ask the client for feedback – nothing.

Weeks go by.  The work comes in and you do it, figuring the economy is hurting everyone, you will give them time and in the meantime, you are generating an income for yourself – even if it means a late payment.  It is still an expected payment.

Eventually, the projects end.  Still no communication.  Even more important than communication is payment for the projects you worked so hard on never comes.

What do you do?

Here is what I did.  I sent an e-mail requesting payment with a read receipt.  I also sent this request certified return receipt.  I tacked on late fees.  I explained that “no payment” will cause me to go a step further and have my attorney make contact and pursue any legal means necessary to get payment.  And I followed through.  i got my payment, late fees and yes, even partial attorney fees.

He went elsewhere.  He went offshore.  He saved a few bucks.  He got less communication this time when he wanted it.  He got less quality and ended up paying more for an in-house person to QA all work returned from the other company, and ended up spending more money and time when all he had to do was pay his bill.

Here is the kicker.  Communication with me miraculously began again.  Projects began to roll in again.  Payment was received.  And now, the client pays in advance of receiving his completed project.  I don’t hold grudges, but I don’t forget either.

I do not mind being a bit lenient with my wonderful clients.  I have a due date.  I give additional time before late fees are added and if communication is there, I even waive the fees because we are all living in the same economy.  we all have our moments.  But when a good client goes bad, they can pull me down too.   I learned my lesson and learned it well.

So now I tackle another good client gone bad using the same methods as before.  This time not waiting as long before I move forward with the actions.  He has gone elsewhere.  Am I offended.  No way!  I know I will get payment and I know he will be back.  They always come back.

And I still give my all to every project they send.  That’s how I do business at CLK Transcription.com

10 Interview tips others don’t tell you…

I have read so many blogs etc on great interview tips etc.  Here are some that I would love to have shared with potential candidates from my past:

1.  Be sure to clean your eye glasses.  Having smudges or even mascara rubbed on them is distracting when I am talking to you.  You may not see them, but I do.

2.  Be sure to brush your teeth – again very distracting.

3.  Take it easy on the cologne.  I may have asthma, or at least may have by the time you leave.

4.  I do not want to see you butt or breasts, so keep them covered please.

5.  Don’t call me honey – yes you women too.  I am not hun, honey, or sweetheart.

6.  Don’t lie on your resume and then forget what you had on it.  And keep in mind, I do verify references.

7.  When I ask what your best qualities are – don’t tell me getting along with others and then tell me you left old job due to personality conflicts.  You see my point here don’t you?

8.  When explaining your past responsibilities, don’t lay in with how the old supervisor was a bitch – that just means you will be calling me names too one day.

9.  Don’t introduce yourself as Jane /John Doe and then say but all my ID says Julie/Josh Adams.  I will have some questions…

10. Don’t show up a half hour early with your lunch to the interview and ask if you can use the waiting room as your cafeteria.  Leave your food and drink in the car.  It probably won’t be long before you will be joining it anyway.

And if/when hired, keep in mind:

1.  If the back of your SS card says do not laminate, and you laminate it – I cannot accept it as ID.  Don’t yell at me, you laminated it.

2.  The law tells me I have to ask for your documentation – if you don’t have it, please get it before your first day of work.  You should be old enough to have your VALID driver’s license, SS card and or passport available.  You needed it at your last job, so please bring it to this one too.  Not my law.  Again, don’t yell at me.

3.  Don’t show up late for your first day – first week – first month.

4.  Don’t come to work and then take 20 minutes in the bathroom to fix yourself up.  Come in 10 minutes early and be working when your start time arrives.

5. Don’t ask me for an advance the first day on the job.  Prove your worth to me, and earn your paycheck.

Others may not concern themselves with these tidbits of information, but I do.

Thank you and happy job hunting!

http://www.clktranscription.com

Happy Anniversary CLK Transcription, Inc.

It was the month of April when I left my job after some personal and personality differences.  During subsequent conversations with the past employer, it was said that I left to start my own business.  That was not the truth, but it gave me a thought.

I was scared.  I knew that I had the experience to handle it.  I knew I had the contacts to work with.  I was scared but I knew I had potential and I knew what clients wanted – Quality transcriptions, quick.  They wanted to be able to send audios in many ways, many formats, and they did not want stress when doing so.  They wanted communication – open and honest communication about how the work they gave me was going because if I screwed it up – it screwed them up.  I knew what they wanted, knew I could offer it, but was scared out of my mind.  My family depended on me to perform and succeed.

When I realized how scared I was, I knew I was dedicated enough to any potential client’s needs that I was ready to put all my fears aside and go for it.

That May I obtained my first client on my own through mass mailing and face-to-face contact.  It was a major medical publisher and we worked with tapes, picking them up in a local pub’s parking lot.  More joined on using different forms of audio mediums and different forms of transfer allowing me to obtain the necessary programs to handle their work, and learn what others were asking for and accommodate them as well.

I became busy enough to bring on my first independent contractors.  After growing the business as a freelancer handling medical clients, seminars and conferences for large corporations with the assistance of other freelancers, I decided to take another step for myself and become an incorporated small business owner.  This was something that many potential clients had suggested I do, as they dealt with larger contracts and could only work with corporations.

In July 2007 I became CLK Transcription Incorporated.   I was so excited.  I knew because I was still so scared, I still had the fire to learn what my clients wanted and do everything I could to meet their demands.

Many of the corporate clients I had been transcribing conferences, seminars, and webinars for began referring me to the very journalists and authors they relied on to speak at their functions. The very same individuals they relied on for their articles or books.

I continued my marketing, meeting people face to face, online, through various other means that I researched or was suggested to me by the very clients I had been assisting, and I was able to grow and took on more very interesting and fabulous clients.

Now my client list includes non-professional individuals with IEP meetings, physicians of all disciplines, corporations, motivational speakers, personal trainers, journalists and authors.  We transcribe topics ranging from educational, business and finance, health, all medical disciplines, banking and brokerage, entertainment news – you name it, we have transcribed it. (And if we haven’t, we can do the research to provide you with the quality project you demand.)

I respect each of our clients and their work.  I transcribe their audios, proofread their work or personal documentation, convert PDF to Word documents and vice versa, convert their audio,  develop electronic signatures, develop spreadsheets, even transcribe their voice mail.  We never stop the search for new services to offer and new ways to offer them.

I am still scared, and again, that lets me know I am doing exactly what I should be doing.  And now I am able to bring on other US transcriptionists to assist me in getting the job done right – the first time.  I have been training individuals in this field and love it because the great work we do earns respect for the US transcriptionist.  Many of these transcriptionists have been able to grow their own business and I am so proud of them.

Seeing that May is CLK’s anniversary month for the first private client I wanted to take this time to say thank you.  Some clients I may hear from once a year.  Others on a daily basis.  Some refer others and some even blog about us.  I appreciate them all.  We all do here at CLK Transcription, Inc.   Transcription is not just what we do – it is who we are!

Most especially, I want to thank those journalists and authors who have become the backbone of CLK Transcription, Inc’s client base.   Thanks for your confidence in me – in all of us here at CLK Transcription, Inc.  Because of you, CLK Transcription continues to grow!

You are appreciated, not just for the work you do, but for who you are!  THANK YOU ALL!!

http://www.clktranscription.com