economy - CLK Transcription, Inc.

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Sometimes going cheap is good. But sometimes going cheap can cost you your career!

Sometimes going cheap is good. Getting cheaper soap at the grocery store is good. Getting cheap concert tickets is great. But sometimes going cheap can cost you your business, your career…your livelihood.

I admit I am in a profession in which the workload is easily sent off shore to complete. I also admit that it can be done cheaper. I also know that doing so puts our medical, personal, and professional information at risk.

You get what you pay for.

I have stated before and will state again, that when our personal information is sent off shore, you are opening up the residents of the USA to identity theft, but you are also leaving the door wide open for other errors that can and do occur. Things like hypoglycemic transcribed as hyperglycemic, known malignant transcribed as non-malignant, so many more…

Read more here http://wp.me/pLEiA-55 on how medical information is shared when transcribed over seas. Is this where you want your information? Even your insurance carrier may off shore their Workman’s Comp and Disability Claim Files. Could that be why you have been denied benefits? Was there an error in the medical report due to a language barrier?

Another example is legal transcription. Allow me to share the following story:

I had a lawyer relay this to me to show the importance of commas that he found only AFTER a will reading. One little comma can change a settlement of a case dramatically.

A man dies. He leaves his estate to his three kids, which for the purpose of this example we will call Jack, Jill, and Jane.

His estate is worth a million dollars and it is to be divided in equal shares to Jack, Jill and Jane.

Now would you appreciate that inheritance? Or if you were Jane and Jill, would you rather that pesky little comma so that it reads:

His estate is worth a million dollars and it is to be divided in equal shares to Jack, Jill, and Jane.

Without the comma Jack gets half, while Jill and Jane share the other half. With the comma, they all get equal thirds. Do you think someone who has English as a second language would understand the importance of that comma? Jill and Jane sure found out the importance of the comma.

Imagine your comma missing in your important document!

For the journalist, ghost writer, and author.

You work hard to do your interviews, composites, and drafts. Would you want your story transcribed by someone who then sells your hard work to a high bidder, with no possible recourse? Confidentiality statements mean nothing when there are no ramifications for a breach. When you search for the lowest possible bid, you get the lowest possible certainty that your hard work is safe. Pay pennies…lose big bucks.

And yet another example:

Ever have your voice mail transcribed by an off shore vendor? If you have, maybe it ended up on the blogs found when Googling “Funniest Voice Mail Transcription Errors.”

Now let’s get into another fact of life:

Big corporate companies off shore their work: Manufacturers, tech developers, etcetera. Sure it is cheaper, and maybe you even see okay quality with some products. But have you thought about how we must share our trade secrets with the companies that we now send our work to, who then are under no legal ramifications if they share that information? If they take it and run with it, now putting your business in jeopardy of losing it all? What are you going to do? Fire them, set up in another country, and pray it doesn’t happen again? What about the money these businesses lose? How do they recoup? By increasing their costs. By going bankrupt? By a US Government bailout?

Keep US information, jobs, and resources where it belongs. In the USA. Our citizens are trained, they take pride in their work, and they need work – which builds our economy.

I do not dislike the other parts of this great world we live in. I am just very proud to say that I am an American. I live and work in the USA. I am a proud US owned and operated businesswoman.

Have your audio/video transcribed by a human, in the US, by US citizens, and be proud to say it was Made in America! We honor your confidentiality at all times. Do your research. There are many great US transcriptionists and transcription companies right here in your own backyard. It may cost you a few cents more, but you will save on quality and so much more. But do your research. Many large transcription companies off shore their workloads yet lead you to believe they do it all right here in the USA!

http://www.clktranscription.com – we never off shore your work. We never use voice recognition. We always respect your time and your confidentiality, and we give you the quality you demand. Find out why we come highly recommended.

A Touching Transcriptionist’s Tale – Get Your Hankies Ready

I already know I have a fantastic team of transcriptionists here at CLK. I already know that each of them have a story. Here is another. When you think that working from home is a luxury, I hope this gives you just a little more insight. The only luxury is being able to be where our heart needs us most.

Why Transcription? ~by Nicole Gennrich

Let me first say I love the work that I do for CLK. Who knew you could never get bored doing your job. It’s the same physical movement but the subject is always different. I find it fascinating every day. But I can honestly say that’s not what first drew me to the possibility of transcription as a career.

I’m fairly young and spent a lot of time trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I had a daughter who I took to daycare every day so I could go to work. I knew I hated missing so much time with her but knew, just like every other parent, that the bills had to be paid as well. I was the marketing manager at a small water treatment company; liked my job but didn’t love it and didn’t really have any training to do anything else. One day my whole view of my job, daycare, and the world changed. My daughter’s daycare was closed that day so a “friend” of mine was watching her for me. I received a frantic call from him that she was having a seizure. I told him to call 911 and left work immediately. When I got to my house the ambulance was still there so I rode to the hospital with her. We had to stop a long the way because she was no longer breathing on her own and needed to be intubated. After she was examined by the doctors they pulled me in a separate room and informed me that she had been shaken very violently and would probably not wake up again. She was 18 months old. They took her by helicopter to the best children’s hospital we have. I knew if she could be saved they would save her. Three days later in her ICU room I said goodbye to my baby and held her as they unhooked her from life support. After spending a lot of time not being able to move I decided I had to figure something out. I returned to my job but had been demoted and replaced because of my extended absence. Understandable…life goes on for the rest of the world even when it has stopped for you.

Anyway, I had spent too much time and worked to hard to go back to where I started when I first joined the company. I also realized I loved and missed being a mother and knew I needed to find something to do so I could be there if I ever had another baby – trusting someone would not be an option anymore. That’s when I heard an ad on the radio for a seminar about medical transcription. I went to the seminar and found out about going to school at home and working at home. I started my medical transcription course with At-Home Professions and loved it. It took me awhile to finish but I got it done. In December 2007 I had a baby boy and knew I could be home with him. I had a hard time finding work as a newbie to the medical transcription world. But then I found the posting for transcription with CLK. I wasn’t sure about the general transcription part but thought I’d send my resume anyway. I can honestly say I love the general transcription more than medical now. Why I choose transcription – it’s fun, fascinating, and I know my son is safe when I go to work every day.

Why I became a transcriptionist…Leticia W.

I asked the CLK team to jot done a few reasons why they became a transcriptionist and what they love about it. Here is one story from one member of my team:

So, I thought, what do I want to be when I grow up? I wanted a job where I could learn new things every day. I wanted to have variety and some challenge in the work, throw in a little pressure or a deadline once in a while, and at the end of the day, be able to see my accomplishments for the day and know that I had done the very best job I could. Also, I needed the flexibility in a job to allow me to be able to handle responsibilities at home that I had, plus, I love to type.

After careful consideration of my options, and the skills I had acquired through the years, I decided to become a medical transcriptionist. So, I joined Career Step in December of 2007, took their medical transcription course, graduated the beginning of December 2008, with Honors, and started working with CLK at the end of December 2008.

Becoming a transcriptionist is one of the best decisions I could have ever made. It allows me all the things I love in a job and then some. I look forward every day to getting up and going to work. I found myself without a job in May of 2007 and I was completely lost. I was in my early 40s and just didn’t think I could start over looking for a job and working my way back up the corporate ladder, especially the way the economy was headed. It was time for a change.

Visit us at www.clktranscription.com where transcribing isn’t just what we do – it is who we are!

Working hard to meet the quality demands of our clients, and at the same time, the family and economic demands of the US transcriptionist.

Next time you visit your doctor, ask them an important question!

Where does your health care provider have their transcriptions done? You may think that is a silly question. One that is not important to you, but read on – you might just change your mind.

I believe the best people available to do a job should be those hired to do the job. That being said, I believe that if there is work in the US, and a need for workers in the US, then it should be US workers filling that spot. They are trained, they are dedicated, and they are familiar with the demand that is placed upon them.

I believe that to be true for all countries. If you have jobs, and you have citizens, then offer training to your citizens, offer the job to your citizens…don’t send work somewhere else just because it is cheaper – you end up getting what you paid for – substandard work. If your citizens need work and your economy needs help, why not spend time training and getting the work done within your borders by people who understand what it is you are looking for and who are dedicated to doing a fantastic job because they needed the job in the first place.

The US Transcriptionists are fighting for their jobs!

For example – the US Transcriptionist typically spends THOUSANDS of dollars for their training. They live day-to-day searching for work, and are told they must have 2 to 5 years experience. Yet gaining that experience is difficult because much of the work is sent over seas to be transcribed by others who do not have English as their first language and who are mills churning out low quality work in bulk, because they are “cheaper” than a US transcriptionist.

Where is the logic in that? You send your audio over seas, you get it back and spend your own time correcting the transcripts, and at the same time, risk your information being unsecure and shared with others. I would think your time is more valuable than that – having paid for a service only to have to edit because of language barriers. Have you read the article about the women over seas who threatened her US client that she would post his information on the web because he was a little late in paying her? Or what about the language barriers that cause major problems for doctors and their patients. http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/it-strategy/2004/08/26/when-indian-transcriptions-head-awry-39164629/

Many US transcription companies state they do not offshore their work, but I am here to tell you that many, many of the larger companies do. With a little investigation, just checking out their website, or even some of the transcriptionist forum sites, you will find that more and more of US work is being off shored, leaving these skilled US transcriptionists out of work. It can be as simple as the contact page or e-mail address they set up on their website, or affiliations they note. Many use off shore companies to subcontract their work to, but hide it from their clients.

Identify theft is a big problem!

In addition, identify theft is a scary situation. A prospect every US citizen should be worried about.

Did you know that some researchers feel that up to 78 percent of identify theft begins off shore? Criminals are finding more and more ways to get your information because more and more work is being sent offshore – http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/banking/financialprivacy/p90682.asp

Of course we have issues within our borders, but at least here, the laws are enforceable and we as citizens can demand protection from abuse and misuse of our information.

Why does it matter where your doctor has his transcripts completed? Here are some scary thoughts:

When you go to your doctor’s office, you are expected to give them all of your information, including family, medical and social history. Now maybe just having your social security number and insurance information is scary enough, but when you add-on the medications you use, the family history, your social history, it becomes easier for those with less than honest intentions to “become” you. In accessing credit card information, one of the questions a credit card company will ask you for security reasons is “what is your mother’s maiden name’. when filing an insurance claim, the criminal has all the past information to validate who “you” are.

Think about what your doctor knows about you. Think about all the information he obtains from you at every visit.

Lets not forget, that due to increasing malpractice suits and the ever rising cost of malpractice insurance, more and more doctors are dictating even more information to cover themselves and validate their care of your medical needs. The fact that they have to do this is another blog – but imagine, every phone call you make to them, every illness you discuss, every change in address, phone number, insurance, etc – being dictated and transcribed off shore, where there is no legal recourse if someone were to take it and use it with malicious intent. Even your child’s name and those of your extended family is oftentimes dictated by your doctor.

Do they know?

Some doctors, due to the ever-increasing costs to run their office have thought that off-shoring their transcripts can save them money. Some are not aware that the hospital or facility they are affiliated with, or even the transcription company they utilize, sends the work off shore. They just forward the audio and wait for it to be returned.

Those that off shore directly, typically have a person they pay to review and edit the transcripts – how is that saving money? Paying sick days, holidays, taxes etc for an employee to correct what they already paid for? Wouldn’t having it done right the first time by a person trained in the profession and who speaks your language be more cost-effective in the long run? Those that send their transcripts to a US company who sends it off shore just have not researched enough to know any better. They simply looked for the cheapest rate.

These US companies that off shore their work may be “saving” you money, but they do it for selfish reasons. They charge you one amount, send the work off shore and pay pennies to have that work transcribed, allowing them to pocket a big chunk of change themselves. In the long run, the only one who wins is them.

There are people all over the US looking for work. Looking to make money. Needing to make money. Why not allow them to do the job they spent time and money to be trained for? Think about how that helps that nation’s economy. Your information will be safe and if not, they are legal ramifications that can be sought out.

Again, I am not against people working and earning a living. I am for the people of a country that has work to offer being able to train and gain that position.

Transcription of medical and non-medical reports is a growing business with growing demand. It documents conversations, and is used as ‘proof” of events. It allows paperless tracking of events and discussions, and aids many individuals and companies every day. your information is important enough to document, isn’t it important enough to safeguard and have accurate as well?

How not to hire American!

A few years ago I came across a conference, held here in the US at a Hilton Hotel. It was all about how not to hire American – even if they could do the job – all in the name of saving a buck. These were US companies, US jobs, at a US hotel discussing this topic. SHAMEFUL if you ask me. Here is the link to that video, still seen on the web. http://www.jonesreport.com/articles/190607_avoid_hiring_american.html

Whatever happened to the days of being proud to display “Made in the USA”?

The next time you visit your doctor’s office or other health facility – ask them – who does your transcripts? Even EMR information is being of-shored, so demand to know where your information is going. Who has access to it? Can they assure you that their transcription company does not offshore. Does your insurance company offshore their medical reports?

The next time you have an audio to be transcribed – think American. The next time you deal with a US company, ask them – do you off shore any information at all? Safeguard your information. Be proud to say your transcripts were Made In The USA.

www.clktranscription.com We NEVER off shore our work, and we can show you how using a US transcriptionist can save you time and money. Contact us today for information on how we can assist you with your transcription needs. The US transcriptionists will appreciate it and work harder to meet your demands.

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.

Freelancers, Independent Contractors and Small Businesses – Oh My!

The work of a freelancer, independent contractor, and true small businesses have been in the news a lot lately. From taxes levied and proposed, to payment of bills and collections, to credit available, and everyone who is not a freelancer or independent contractor or a true small business has something to say on the issues. (I say true small businesses meaning those who have owners doing the grunt work right along side the worker bees, and not on vacation or off-site playing tennis. Owners who put their name, finances, heart and soul into the work as well as the business. In my mind, every freelancer and independent contractor is a small business too.) The independent contractor, freelancer and true small business are those who every big business has turned to at one time or another – more frequently the past few years – to get a job done and get it done right with quality – the first time.

Well, as a true small business, who began as an independent contractor and then freelancer, who works with freelancers and independent contractors on a daily basis, I felt the need to air my thoughts.

Taxes – for those who think taxing us more will help us grow – you are nuts. If you think it will help the economy – again, find the fruit bowl and jump in. You are taxing the small business, independent contractor, freelancer to death. We are working hard with big business and helping them grow – leave us alone so we can grow too. Leave us alone so we can keep the jobs here in the good ol USA!

Available credit – There is not enough available credit around when you take into consideration, many of us need the credit because our bigger clients are paying slower and slower and we have personal and professional bills to pay. If we give 30 days for a client to remit payment and they take 45, the mortgage, utilities, and the payment date for the independent contractors used on our jobs have been passed, and we dig into savings and personal accounts, and well there is never a full “catchup” once we get behind. Decent credit is not available to someone who is behind already. Decent credit is only available to those who, quite frankly, don’t need it and have a credit score over 680 IF you are lucky. Probably more like 700 or above. In this economy, find me a freelancer, independent contractor or true small business that has a credit score that high since 2007 and maintained it.

Which takes me to the payment of our invoices, turning us into collectors ourselves. As a small business who uses independent contractors, I pay my IC’s every two weeks. I bill my clients every two weeks and give them 20 days to remit. Tack on the 15 days before a late fee is tacked on, and it is 45 days for payment to come. Oftentimes, clients will take 60 days before payment is made and disregard the late fees altogether. The great clients (other freelancers, independent contractors and true small businesses) who we understand are in the same boat we are, we tend to forgive the late fee anyway.

Continue that through months and months of billing and payments, and the quarterly tax payments due the moment you seem to get caught up, and there you have it. The downward spiral of small business, freelancers, and independent contractors. The most important aspect of USA if you ask my opinion. I know you didn’t, but you got it anyway.

Now many will say, just don’t accept work. That is not good business when a small business, freelancer, or independent contractor is trying to grow. If we did not accept the jobs, even knowing that payment could/would be late, we would not have an eventual income. Worse yet, we show a disloyalty to other freelancers, small businesses, and independent contractors who relay on us to help them earn their income as well. Even worse – many of the larger companies will find someone over seas to off-shore to, costing the US economy in so many more ways.

The small business typically works with freelancers and independent contractors who in turn are working for other bigger businesses, who also take that 45 to 60 days or more to remit payment. If you want to tax someone, tax those bigger businesses who are costing us little guys our homes and our livelihoods.

No, not all clients are slow payers. Some of us are lucky to have those clients that work hard to make sure we are paid. We all understand the trickle-down economy and how patience is needed. We all know how hard it is when we are waiting for the “check is in the mail” economy (http://wp.me/pLEiA-39) to turn around. We value our clients, but more, we value our work. And we continue to do the quality work that our clients demand.

So, please, to all you high paid suits who feel the need to continue to financially harass the true small business, freelancers, and independent contractors – think about it. If you kill our business, who are you going to turn to the next time you want the job done right?

http://www.clktranscription.com

The Check is in the Mail Economy

I am tired of this “check is in the mail” economy struggle.

My clients have work. I have plenty of work. My IC’s have plenty of work, and we are diligent in our invoicing and billing. We work hard and generate the income. But when the check is in the mail economy rears its ugly head every month, it makes taking care of our own very difficult.

That money we had saved has been used to cover expenses. That 401K has become grocery money for many. The only market we check out is the grocery market.

All because of the check is in the mail economy.

If all of the checks in the mail were to show up tomorrow, we all may just be able to pay our mortgage, buy our groceries, take care of our utilities and other bills, and possibly put a little back into our 401K or other retirement plan.

Until then, when the phone rings and it is our credit card company or other bill calling us – we just tell them that we are working hard, we are cutting costs, we are eating macaroni and cheese five nights a week and the other two its eggs (they come in bulk you know – 12 in a carton) and that because of our wonderful economy we have a legitimate excuse – the check is in the mail and we are waiting for it too!!

www.clktranscription.com

Things I Love About Being a Transcriptionist

Just a few of the fun things that make others go “why?” and me go “why not?”

1. The audio sent at 9 a.m. and need back by 10 a.m. – of course it is a 50 minute file.

2. The audio sent that has only the interviewer (oops).

3. The audio recorded outside in a crowded restaurant and the recorder is placed on the table next to the clinking glasses. (not to mention the full mouths or the recorder taken to the bathroom by the doctor taking a moment to handle more than one business matter.)

4. The audio with so many false starts, you can’t figure out what is being said at all. You know, I mean, but, yes, just like that.

5. The speaker who says one thing so often you can auto-text it – pick one – Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right, right, right. You know. Okay, okay, okay. I mean. UHM,

6. The doctor that starts out with the right hand, goes on to the left hand, comes back to the right hand and then says “transcriptionist please fix” without noting which is correct.

7. The audio recorded on cell phone while driving through a tunnel so that every other word sounds like “OLIKEALHED”.

8. The audio with ESL (English Second Language), which is usually fine, except that this time they speak in half-broken English and half whatever language is native. Something like, “Hello. Yes ja razumijem što si rekao very clearly.”

9. The speaker who thinks we can SEE what they are pointing at. “This here is what we call this column here.”

10. The speaker who truly believes sounds can be transcribed understandably and uses them throughout their speech. Swoosh, Whoot, Whrrr whrrr.

Seriously…all very treasured moments in my line of business, especially when we can produce the best possible document in spite of it all.

We learn about things – random things through our work. Ask me about cloud computing, real estate, foods, benchmarks, loan rates, pension plans, student savings plans, the stock market, parenting, any medical illness, drugs, LGBT and the military, credit scores, the movies, empowerment, the economy, and yes – the best new sex secrets and gadgets too. (Actually you can ask, but unless its published, we take our confidentiality of all work we do very, very seriously, so we may not answer – but you can ask.)

From seminars, to one on one interviews, to multiple speaker interviews (where everyone speaks at once), to presentations, coaching calls (no not the sex topic) to website material for posting, celebrity interviews, round table discussions, educational reports, and even voice mails. If it is in any audio format or even written form – we can convert it into a document that will knock your socks off most times. (Sex topic especially).

My career choice is an ongoing education with many, many educators. They are not our words. They are not our stories – we just make it a bit easier for you to get yours out there.

Learning is part of my job. Transcribing is my career. Loving what I do makes being a transcriptionist so much fun and worthwhile.