Meet a CLK Transcriptionist, Sarah A. Airforce wife and mom, with a sense of humor!

I like long walks on the beach, love to surf, I am a cancer…

just kidding…lol

I am 27 years old. I am a native Southern California girl who grew up in the small town of San Juan Capistrano. I currently live in New Mexico with my husband Daniel and out two daughters Jade (8) and Faith (1 1/2). We are stationed at an Air Force Base out here near the mountains of Alamogordo. Jade goes to school in California but I make frequent visits throughout the school year to see her and then she is back out here with us for the summer.

I LOVE transcription work, especially that pertaining to the medical field. I am certified as a Medical Transcription but do enjoy all aspects of the transcription job. I am currently in school to become a Medical Biller and Coder.

We have one pet. His name is Bo. He is a rescue Border Collie we found left for dead on the side of the road out here. He is paralyzed from the waist down and had to lose one of his hind legs. He is an amazing dog and full of inspiration for our family that no matter how bad it gets we can always pull through. He is in a wheelchair most of the time but is able to walk (quite miraculously) just using his front two legs and his back leg as balance (like a kangaroo).

I love to surf, skateboard, play with the kiddos, work, and do anything outdoors with the family. I also love to paint and do scrap-booking.

 

http://www.clktranscription.com

 

For those interested in becoming an independent contractor for CLK, please send why you chose this profession to transcription@clktranscription.com. (I do not do resumes)

You would not take a job to build a shed and not find out where the shed should go, would you?

In most cases, when hiring someone to handle a task, I go over the task, what I am looking to have as an end result, and I will let them do what they do to get to get the job done. I mean they are the professionals, right?

But there is always specific items the “employer” needs when hiring a contractor. I like to call these needs ‘requests’. Not too difficult a word, right?

You wouldn’t hire a contractor to build a shed and not tell them where you wanted the shed, would you? Or a painter to paint your house and not give them the colors you want for each room.

This is particularly true when hiring a contractor to perform work for a service-provider business.

I mean really, how often do you start a job, any job, and have all the answers no matter how much experience you have with other companies? If every company did everything in the same manner, there would be no competition or variety of services offered.

Most cases, when considering a contractor for my business assignments, I explain why I need things done a certain way and give my requests in detail, but hey, if I am asking for it and paying for it, then I really have no need to justify why I want what I pay for done the way I want it done, do I?  After all, I could be giving these step-by-step instructions because I already know what works, and what is the best way to get to the end result that I am paying to get, and because that just happens to be what works for my business.

Am I wrong to expect a job done the way I want it done? I don’t think so. After all, I am a client using the services of contractors.

Again, in those cases where I may have a method to my madness, I give very detailed requests, step-by-step instructions if you will, on how I want something done and many times I do this to save time for me and for the contractor. I mean no one really wants to have to redo anything because a contractor didn’t pay attention to the requests of the client, do they? I know I put my clients needs and request on the front burner, so I expect the same when I am a client to others.

It may not make sense to them, but it is what the client is paying for, right?

What I find interesting is that sometimes those requests are not heeded in any sense of the word and the client will hear from the contractor, “I thought I could do this,” or “I thought doing it this way was better,” or “I thought you might like this.”

Really? So now you feel you know better than the paying client on what they want and why they want it? It isn’t as if you didn’t have time to discuss your thoughts when you accepted the assignment. It is simply what the client wants.

As I look around the internet and read forums and threads of other contractors complaining about the steps they have to take to complete a job they are paid to do, it amazes me. Complaints about steps they have to take for a task, not being able to find or use shortcuts, or just complaints about the client themselves.

If you are that unhappy, why do you do what it is you are doing? Either you love what you do, love the money you make, or simply love the idea you have a job to do at all, or then again, you have three choices:

  1. Do the job, grudgingly (or with a smile),
  2. Do the job, and ask for more money, or
  3. Quit, and find another job.

Even more interesting is that these same people who moan and groan about the job they are paid to perform, feel that the people who pay for their services should have the trust in them and their work. How? If you do not take pride in the work that you do, how are we ever going to have faith in the work?

If I am to have trust in work being performed, I ought to be able to trust my requests are being considered.

It is kind of like looking for a truck and the car salesman keeps showing you sedans. Do you trust them to make you happy?

Always read the email. You could be missing something important.

I get upwards of 50 emails a day from independent contractors looking to “break into” the transcription world, or from seasoned transcriptionists looking for extra work.

I welcome them all. I am always looking for new talent to assist with the projects I have to handle. I also enjoy watching newbies to CLK learn and grow into their skill through hands-on experience and reviewing information provided with any necessary edits on their work. Over the years, I can almost always tell if they are someone who will love the work as much as I do.

I can tell because they are the ones who have read the email…I can’t be the only business that has these issues, but I can only speak for myself, so here it goes…

For every 10 that make contact with me asking for information…yes, they make contact with me…five actually read the email replies I send to them, but only one will follow directions.

Yes, in all fairness, I admit my emails are long and very detailed, but only because it saves us both time. I want them to know what they are getting themselves into being a vendor for CLK before I take time out of my schedule to set them up and begin working with them.

IF they read it and reply that they understand what I am looking for as their client, that they understand they are an IC and what that means, and that they understand the tools necessary to provide me quality service, I then spend time setting them up, preparing for the time I will spend working with them on the first assignment, and then setting up the proofing team to work with them.

How do I know they do not read the replies? Simple.

I send two emails. One with all the information about my company and what I expect from my ICs. I ask them simply to “reply to me that you understand and have done your due diligence into what it means to be an independent contractor with CLK, and that you can begin setup within three days from the date you reply to this email.”

I also ask for professional courtesy of a declination reply if they have decided, after their due diligence, that this is not for them – but that is a whole other blog post…

Again, 10 will reply that they are “ready to go” sometimes the same day, sometimes a week later. When I receive the reply to that first email, I send a second email with the setup information needed to begin accepting assignments and again ask them to make sure they can, at the very least, complete setup and get me the documentation I need within three days…

Now here is how I know who reads my emails.

Out of every ten ICs sent that second email, five may actually be ready for setup within three days. another 5 never come on for setup but will come back to me weeks later and wonder why I don’t have a spot for them.

Out of the five who complete setup within the three days, two will never come on for an assignment and I will have wasted at least a day on my side of the setup process. Three will come on for an assignment; one of which will never communicate with me and never return the assignment, one will complete the first assignment and then need to take a week or two away for personal reasons, and one ends up a star.

Now anyone who does transcription understands it is a time sensitive and detail oriented job. If you can’t follow the directions for the setup you asked for, how am I to have faith you will follow any other instructions for my assignments?

And if you can’t offer me the timeliness of setup so you can actually accept assignments, how am I to trust you will meet my much faster turn around times for the assignments you requested?

And as an independent contractor, if you can’t offer your client quality and availability, why would I assign any projects to you?

I write this now because it is a new year. I am hoping that I won’t be called names (yes, very unprofessional names from those wishing to be called professionals) because I could not wait for someone to want an assignment. I needed to move on to someone who will take an assignment. CLK is growing and I want the ICs working with me to grow as well.

CLK has a base of 143 ICs available at different times, different days throughout the year. Through great communication, we work together so that everyone is happy. Of course I always look for great talent. ICs do not need to have a  regular schedule, and sometimes it seems like I never have enough ICs available, even when all are on. But it takes communication and great scheduling on everyone’s part.

And yes, I am a client. The CLK team consists of independent contractors and employees who have a marvelous work ethic for their own “business” and they take pride in the work they do for CLK. Together, we do remarkable things for CLK clients.

And those who make it as an IC at CLK,  who showed their client, me, that they truly wanted to be part of the team, did so simply by having read the emails with the information they asked to receive.

If you are interested in accepting assignments as an IC for CLK Transcription, tell me a little about yourself in an email to transcription@clktranscription.com. I will get that first email out to you when time permits. (I do not do resumes. I am not hiring you as an employee. You are truly an IC with CLK.)

If you are in need of outstanding transcription services, we are always accepting new clients and projects. Our standard TAT is within 24 to 36 hours in most cases.  We offer discounts to UPOD, ASJA, AHJC, NASW, FLX, APH, SEJ, SPJ journalists. For more information, email carollee@clktranscription.com.

Want to save up to $50 on Transcription Services in addition to paying lower per minute rates? Who doesn’t? #in

CLK Transcription is proud to be able to maintain rates that are lower than the national average, yet provide the quality and speed with every project file we transcribe. We know how important all of those things are to our clients.

It is a commitment CLK made many years ago.

CLK Transcription works hard to help their clients with budgetary and time restrictions in their work, and with an average of 115 new referrals every year for three (3) years in a row, and over 800 project files every month, we appreciate every ‘word of mouth’ referral we receive.

We love what we do and we always have room for more!

We offer discounts throughout the year to assist our clients in the ‘saving money’ part of their project needs, and offer timely return of quality reports to assist with meeting or beating their deadlines, allowing them the time to handle other aspects of the project, or their life.

The Referral Reward opportunity is just one of those offers.

Refer a friend so they, too, can save time and money and increase their productivity, or just have time for friends and family, and you can receive up to $50 off our invoice generated in February 2014.

Connect with CLK Transcription on Twitter (CLK_Shortcake), LinkedIn (CarolLee Streeter Kidd), or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CLKTrans) and make two (2) new referrals to CLK Transcription during January 2014, and you could receive $25 off your invoice for each referral you make.

YEAH! If you are reading this, we must be connected, so you are halfway there.

New referrals’ projects must be a minimum of 90 minutes of audio transcription during January 2014 and invoices must be paid promptly.The Referral Reward will be reflected on your invoice generated in February 2014.

Referrals you make with smaller projects could be eligible for up to $5 Referral Reward (per referral) if new referral invoices are paid promptly.

Be sure your referrals mention you when they contact us.

The Referral Reward Offer is valid through January 2014. Those with outstanding balances over 30 days as of February 1, 2014, are not eligible. Referral Reward must be used during February 2014 and cannot be carried over or ‘gifted’.

Referrals using any of our non-transcription services will be evaluated for Reward on a case-by-case basis. Contact CarolLee@clktranscription.com for more details.