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Are You Looking for Time and Money? CLK Transcription May Have Found It For You!

When journalists, authors, doctors, etcetera, begin to think about having their audio/video transcribed, the first thought is probably cost. Many attempt to do the work themselves, or hire in-house staff to do the transcription.

When hiring an in-house staff, you have to consider hourly pay, benefits, and keeping that person busy with “busy work” when no transcription work is available for them to handle. They have to consider days off, sick time, vacation…not just the cost, but who handles the work when their “transcriptionist” is not around?

If you are handling the transcription task yourself, I have to ask you – how much is your time worth? How long does it take you to transcribe the audio? What does it breakdown to in terms of hourly wage? Are there other things you would rather be doing? Interviewing another person? Organizing the data for your article/book? Managing other tasks? Taking time out to do personal chores?

For those who hold weekly, monthly or annual meetings or conferences – having those events recorded and then transcribed allows you to share this information with more than those who have been able to attend the function personally. Sure you can share the video, but what happens when other’s busy schedule precludes them from sitting and watching a video?

Having the transcript allows them the freedom to move around and tackle their day, and you the knowledge that they have a true concept of what occurred and something they, and yourself, can refer back to when necessary. How many times have you wished you could replay a meeting for what was said?

For the educator, or those seeking higher levels of education – your class audio can be transcribed for sharing as well. Those interviews and other audio developed for your paper can be transcribed for reference.

CLK Transcription offers a discount for educators and students alike. We feel education is THE most important thing a person can have, and love the opportunity to help you reach your goals. We have been proud to handle transcripts for professors or students of UCLA, Bloomsburg University, Wilkes Barre University, King’s College, Illinois State University, Minnesota State University, Wisconsin State University, Harvard University, and others.

Having a transcription service handle your audio/video projects allows the freedom to do what it is you must do to meet your TAT. Freedom to continue your other work to bring the project together. Freedom to share information in a manner that fits everyone’s schedule. Freedom to develop the best end result you possibly can, without the stress, time or money you may have been spending in the past.

A transcription service can be the cost-effective and cost-efficient tool that you are looking for to allow you more time to get your project done, to share important information, or just to get your personal chores tended to.

When using CLK Transcription Service, you only pay for the audio/video assigned. No sick time, no vacation time, and certainly no overtime or benefits. We have individuals who have special skills to research terms and information, skilled in listening and hearing the most difficult audio and transforming it into a quality transcript.

CLK Transcription can handle multiple audio, in varying lengths, and can meet or surpass your expected TAT in most, if not all, cases. We have transcriptionists all across the United States and we never offshore, EVER. We also never use speech recognition. We feel the nuances of your audio deserve the extra care given by a human ear and human hands.

CLK Transcription has been recommended by the best journalists and by many of the Universities in the country, as well as large publishing companies and other professional corporations – from the medical research industry to the business and finance industry. We also have handled many motivational and teaching seminars by many of the world’s most well-known speakers and coaches.  We have handled files as large as multi-day conferences and seminars to the few minute audio of a journalist, on a wide variety of topics. Yes, we even do voice mail transcription giving you the freedom to step away and know your important calls will never be missed again.  We have clients all over the world, and have transcribed many, many ESL audio as well. We love what we do and take the time to do it right – for YOU!

Check out our recommendations today at http://www.linkedin.com/in/clktranscription and find out what CLK Transcription can do for you.  Let us transcribe your next audio/video and show you what you have been missing. It may just be the time and money you have been looking for!

I believe we can be, so much so that I stake my name on it.

We also love to retweet our favorite journalists and organizations tweets to share your wonderful ideas and projects with others.  Join us @CLK_Shortcake or on Facebook – look for CarolLee Streeter Kidd.  Join us!  We would love to have you as part of our team!

CarolLee Kidd

President/Owner

CLK Transcription, Inc.

http://www.clktranscription.com

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.

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

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

I Work From Home So I Make My Own Hours? Yeah Right!

When you work from home, everyone thinks you have time for everything besides work. You can chat, run an errand, babysit, volunteer to bake for a friend’s upcoming dinner – anything, because you work from home.

The phone will ring and you say “I have to get back to work” and the person on the other end laughs and keeps on talking.  They know there is no time clock for you.  They do not get the idea of deadlines.  After all, you do work from home.

The doorbell rings and even though you know better than to answer it, they see your car in the driveway and continue to ring the bell or worse, bang loudly on the door itself, so grudgingly you welcome them in for a quick chat.

Kids will come into the room with the most inane questions or comments.  It seems as if they never want to talk until you say “I have work to do.”  They are easy though, just mention chores and they find a way to leave you alone.

The pets will make a mess that can’t wait to be cleaned up, the kids are hungry, the laundry basket grows fuller, the kitchen sink is full, the floors need attention from the vacuum, and the dust just keeps piling up.

So why do we work from home?

Because we can make our own hours?  There is nothing to make – the clock gives us 24 hours in a day, and sometimes we use them all and then some not to mention 7 days a week.

Because we can be with the family more?  Yeah, when they constantly interrupt with questions, because they are nowhere to be found when the work is done and the chores are next on the list.  And scheduling a family hour is just as hard sometimes as scheduling a week of vacation.

Because we can concentrate better?  Have you read above?

Actually, in my world, I work from home (actually let’s get this straight, most of us have an office within our home – yes it makes a difference) because I can be home for my family and friends, for the chores that need to be done, and for my pets, as well as the work that must be done for my clients.

I work from home because I can work 24 hours in a day if I wish, or 17, or 8 or even 2 depending on the workload.   Being available longer hours increases my chances of being able to help others, and in the long run, we all win.  I work from home because I can take care of business, take care of my family and take care of myself much better even with the added stress, longer hours, and many interruptions.

Lastly, I work from home because I find that I can learn more, do more and love it more when I am in the office I designed, organized just how I like it, and able to have those distractions to remind me that there are reasons why I work at all.  And the best part is the dress code!!!

I love what I do but it is not just what I do, it is who I am.

I am proud to be a mom, friend, sister.  I am proud to say that I am a US Transcription Company owner, transcriptionist, educator, and mentor with a home-based office.  I love the work I do for the journalist, writer, doctor, and corporation – from their most difficult audio to their voice mails to their conversion of PDF to WORD documents.  Those that work in a conventional office or those that like me that find working at home a way of life.  Feel free to bang on my door anytime.  Coffee is always on.

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.

http://www.clktranscription.com