ENOUGH WITH THIS ECONOMY CRAP --- sm
Posted By: MT on 2009-07-29
In Reply to: You got a reasonable amount sm - Former MTSO
True, the economy has taken a whipping for the last 3 quarters or so -- recession as of last fall, less than a year, so how do you blame the continuing DECREASE in MT salary since the last 10-20 years? Or maybe figure we dumb MTs can't add or put 1+1 together. You middlemen/suits/MTSOs have been making a FORTUNE off of the back and sweat of hard-working, underpaid MTs or years and years (otherwise, you'd be in a different line of work, wouldn't you?) and you darned well know it. So stop blaming the current economy! What was your excuse 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 years ago?
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if someone puts up with crap for 5 years... they deserve the crap!! good grief... grow a set and get
xx
I got a pay cut for the economy
Now I make less than 3 cpl. Really! Don't think I'm not looking for something else. I might even give the company the same retro-notice they gave me when I leave, which was an email saying effective two-weeks ago, your pay is now lower than snake dung in a wagon trail. And they sent me such a nice Christmas card too!
Sure, I would work for two companies. Clearly, it doesn't pay to be dedicated. Whose to say they even need to know about each other anyway?
I believe it is the economy ..
Many MTs got fed up and left the field but now as the outside jobs dry up, they seem to be coming up. It is definitely a good market for the MT companies and a horrible market for the MT. Competition is horrendous!
I have had the same experience but now work for a great person. Would like more work but it's not essential. Working for a super ethical, honest and fun person is wonderful and, sadly for me, a rarity.
economy
It's not just the MT industry. People around the country are getting laid off right and left and many others are being forced to take a decrease in pay and/or benefits. Even nurses are being laid off in my state (with a nurse hiring freeze). Over a year ago, one of my sons was laid off and the other had to take a 35% pay cut several months ago. A good MT friend of mine also had to take a pay cut and is averaging $4 less per hour than before. My friend's husband also lost his job to to downsizing and the economy. I'm make a little less myself than I used to, but I still have my benefits and have a job with a company I really like. I thank God for that because I'm on my own, 1 paycheck, and have no one else to rely on.
Right-on. Normally, in an economy such as ours, you'd
a saving grace. Something that people who were rural, or in small towns where the mine or the mill or the GM plant closed down, could do that was good American work, that not only benefitted American citizens who were patients of American doctors and hospitals, but also that paid money into the tax system. And if the hard-working American workers earned a living wage, they might be able to buy houses, or GM cars, or support all the other businesses that have died. But when the work goes offshore, and little to no American taxes get paid, and the system further hemorrhages money to pay for buying to support those of us who are now displaced, whether it be out of a job, or out of a home, things just spiral out of control. Look at GM. They just plain got too big, as did many of the banks, stock brokerages, and other big business. Bigger is not always better, and what better example of that than the MT business.
The economy
Evidently the economy is starting to show its ugly head for us now. We really were the lucky ones in the beginning, but as more people got laid off and lost their health insurance, I feel that we are now seeing the effects. Hospital censuses are down, MTSOs are losing volumes, etc.
I totally understand the frustration and desperation that is on this board, but I think that the issues are a lot broader than a bunch of suits sitting around with cigars laughing at MTs or MTSOs coming together to fix prices or to push all of the work offshore.
I honestly feel that this is a result of the recession and everyone is feeling it... not just MTs.
That's my 2 cents worth.
They have not helped the economy of the masses
in India who need help. They have helped to deepen the rift between the classes, - the rich get rich, etc. The poor in India cannot even consider moving to get work now because the cost of housing in cities has escalated since we have created jobs for those who really did not need jobs. And those who need health care are really suffering and why? Because the trained doctors and nurses are the ones who have become the transcriptionists, since the transcriptionists make more than a doctor does in India. Check your facts on India. This one-sided trade agreement with India is not helping anyone but the big companies in America who can get work done cheaply. The companies HAVE increased their rates for the hospitals, have decreased our salaries by this farce they call voice recognition and reduced their costs even further by offshoring the work.
A call from the CEO? I do not even know his/her name, nor the names of any of the corporate officers. That is how much they care about me. Yeah, I got a mouse pad, a 1x12 inch glue down calendar, and a pen. I got more than that from the Golden Arches when they gave me a chicken sandwich when they opened up a new line 2 months ago. At least everyone in my family got a free sandwich.
Blame the economy not libbers. sm
Actually I could have written your post, except for the women libbers part and the SAHM. I've been doing this for 32 years. My ID says it all. The economy makes it almost a necessity to have a 2-paycheck income if you have kids. I'm single with no kids and trying to make a living with MT with no second income. Its tough.
Women wouldn't have the opportunities they do now if it wasn't for the libbers and the suffragettes. Its great now we have more choices than ever. Do you realize it hasn't even been 100 years since women had the right to vote? And we came close to having a woman president! I think about all the sacrifices the women before us went through to get us where we are today. One reason I make sure I vote is to honor their sacrifices.
Yeah. Why is it everyone forgets economy was
nm
In this economy, lots of places (not just MT)
The ground-level people usually are not cut during a sale, but if mid and/or upper management start making an mass exodus, that could be a sign.
For the most part, you won't know until it is a done deal.
I thas nothing to do with the economy...it started before that (sm)
It has to do with the fact that they are over-staffed and in order to get your lines met, you have to rush through every friggin report in order to get to the next one in hopes that you can make your line count.
JMO.
Frontline Episode on the Economy
I watched this on PBS last night and found it very interesting. There was a lot of commentary on behind-the-scenes kinds of things that gave far more insight to the situation and how it was handled than came across in the news at the time.
The difference is - when economy improves
And what has been the excuse for the steady decline prior to the economy being the new, improved wage cutting excuse?
Chiquita, I see you like to play devil's advocate and defend the indefensible. I think the sky is blue...ready to argue that also?
MT companies competing in global economy. Best
xx
Economy affecting work load
Is anyone else out there who may be struggling for lines thinking like me; that it may be people are just not going to doctors or electing for treatment they can possibly put off because they cannot afford it? My accounts have been pretty slow over the past 6 weeks or so, and when I hear that some people, especially the elderly who lost or suffered a huge reduction in their retirement when the stockmarket went down the tubes, are forgoing medical care in order to buy food or heat their homes, it makes me wonder how huge an impact this could eventually have on our jobs as MTs.
economy trickle-down effect hit me hard
company i was working for filed BK and no one new. Two unpaid invoices later, out $5K for October. I new there would be an October surprise.....I just thought it would be in the presidential race.
Apparently they're 'equilibrating for a global economy'. n/m
x
Global economy's grip on the short hairs
This is what happens in a global economy. I don't know for sure, but I would hazard a guess that the companies with the ads paying the miniscule amounts are not behemoth MTSOs. Sadly, they feel the need to try to undercut the MTSOs that do have the advantage of sending their work across the Pacific where 5 cents a line would be considered golden. Much like the Union Label we're told to look for on clothes, maybe the real American little companies would be better served to charge a little extra for the service, and pay the Transcriptionist a living wage, because I'll bet there are still some individuals/clinics/etc. that would pay for the security and skill that an American MT provides.
I've decided that MTSOs are sticking it to all of us and blaming the economy -
Here's my thinking -- they all have boats, or houses, or a lifestyle they love so they think HEY... LET'S SCREW THE LITTLE GUY... cut benefits, cut pay, cut jobs, just cut cut cut cut... so that MY life is sweet. In the process people lose healthcare, income, homes, cars, MARRIAGES....
so thank you, MTSO owner, for shoving it right up our southpole... we love you for always looking out for us... NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, and MTSO -- the only reason we don't move on is because there's nowhere to move TO. Everyone has followed your lead and decided shafting the worker bee is a great idea. Well .. it's not. And someday you'll get it back 10 fold.
I'm thinking economy and people just aren't having elective surgeries or (sm)
going to docs and really think twice before heading to the ER. I put off my son's braces for a while and just made the appt this week after going for his consult a year and a half ago!! I know how you feel though; it's hard not to be paranoid these days!
Crap!
Most hospitals don't know anything about the option of using overseas MTs. The MTSOs who offshore try to sell the hospitals on it by glorifying the savings. The MTSO benefits because they earn a higher profit margin.
You say that most MTSOs only send out work that their US MTs cannot do?????? Do you hear yourself? If an MTSO has an excess of work that their current staff is unable to complete in a timely manner, all they have to do is hire more US MTs. There is no excuse of offshoring. MTSO offshore because they choose to...bottom line. This gives them more money to line their pockets with.
I have worked as an Editor for a company who offshores. The quality of the work was laughable. I absolutely could not believe my eyes. The work that the overseas MTs produced is not wort the half a penny per line that the MTSOs pay them.
Crap. Yes with an E :) nm
,
They are Crap
They dont have any management skills, they are loosing every one these days. SO CRAPY ..
I don't think of them as crap
I think of them as human beings who provide bread and butter for me and for my family.
You know what - they do look like crap
The few I've seen that have been computer generated look utterly different than the way we typed 'em. Actually its pretty infuriating that all the things that QA picked at us about have just been thrown out the window along with our jobs. Obviously the facility never gave a hoot about consistent report format, BOS rules, etc. Its demoralizing that we worked so hard to make those reports perfect and now the facility gladly accepts messy garbage from a computer in order not to pay us, and the heck with patient care and accuracy. The computer won't save their butts when they say the wrong thing in a report - the error will just stand as dictated. I hope they enjoy presenting those documents in court for all the lawsuits they'll get down the road - and I'm sure it'll cost them more in court costs than it did to pay us.
Why is it that they'd rather pay ANYBODY - IT people, lawyers, wronged patients, etc. than to pay an MT?
Vianeta = Crap
nm
I don't buy the $33+ an hour crap.
x
A lot of the crap schools do
take that as truth. I know I certainly did not. There are schools that cannot get you a foot in the door, let alone promise that you can make those amounts.
Then there are schools like Career Step who have information about grads who did/do make that amount...but they don't promise it and have never promised that their grads would make that wage.
It is very possible, but for a lot of us, it's not. We cannot really blame that on the schools. We need to blame ourselves and the companies for the the 5-7 cents a line that we settle for because, like all families, we need to feed our children and pay our bills.
I see it with colleges. You can make this much in this field, you can make that much in that field. It all depends on where you work, how productive you are, what state you are in, tons of factors. Same is true with MT, too many factors.
Nothing is ever promised, especially in this line of work.
I am just happy to have a job that I love, that I am able to have the opportunity to stay at home with my young daughter, have deductions come tax season.
Hey, I made more waitressing than I did doing transcription my first year, but does that mean I want to go back to waitressing? Not a chance. I could have made more at McDonalds, in fact, but do I want to deal with that crap? Not really.
I am thrilled about being an MT and would not trade it for the world and certainly didn't buy into the get rich scheme that a lot of those schools throw our way.
It's a shame that schools have to use that as a way to get people to attend, but it works..and let me tell you, I have plenty of people that have never ever done transcription that tell me what a cake job my job is, you've all heard it before.. I CAN DO THAT, ALL YOU DO IS TYPE
...and THOSE are the people that get backed into the corner by these schools thinkin that this is going to be something that they just type and can throw out lines like crazy and make that $40,000 a year....because we all know, MT is EASY... psshhh. Those schools should have to provide proof and stats.
A crap shoot
Trust nothing from Spheris. You could luck out and get a decent manager and account, but it's a crap shoot. I don't have enough time, energy, or room to describe that circus. I can't believe most of them can sleep at night. Certainly you could find a few nice people and accounts to make your life tolerable, but suffice it to say, the culture is atrocious. I don't believe I ever received a straight answer from anyone in that place about anything of an important nature, and usually, the inquiries are just blatantly ignored. They could give a rip about the quality that goes to the client which made me crazy. Everyone is managed en masse. The platform I worked on was friendly. I can say that.
Sorry, but would not put up with that crap for any amount of $$$
nm
I believe that everyone else is dumping the crap on you
That should not be allowed but I think MTs are skipping jobs. The same thing happened to me lately. I don't think it's TT management. It's just lazy MTs who don't want the bother, so they cancel the job and keep trying until they get a better one, or sign out, blaming internet problems. Maybe today will be better.
The same crap is happening to me - sm
You wouldn't be working a company based out of Chicago, would you be?
Exactly!!! the archives are crap for sure...nm
xx
Im with you. I came to TT from the MQ crap and would love...
to make it work, but I dont think it is going to happen. I have questioned a few things and feel from reading elsewhere that I have been blatantly lied to. Last week was my most frustrating. I did make line count, but 2 accts, a mix of VR and traditional, and no kids or family, so I sit and wait all day every day pretty much. My pay check makes me cry. I am taking a second job today, AAMOF. It wont pay all my bills, but Im going to try anyway.
I have not been at TT long enough to be a fave of anyone, let alone mentioning initials. How would anyone know if they have faves or if there is just way less work or the work is being done way faster?
What crap. I get so tired of someone
who says you must not be very good, are slacking, etc. when someone complains about their company. I worked for KS and there were whole weeks where there was no work on one of my accounts. They account was an overflow account only, which I wasn't told about when I was hired, and if things were slow then we didn't get any work.
Just because you are overwhelmed with work on your account, doesn't mean another account isn't slow. We have been on daily OT for months with my current company, but this week we are running out of work, most likely due to the holiday. But prior to the OT there were accounts with very little work, with other accounts having more work than there were MTs trained for the account. Just because someone doesn't have work doesn't mean they are a bad MT and I think even saying it when you don't know the facts reflects very badly on you.
Crap. I saw M-F and was going to apply. nm
/
It's true that the new MTs get stuck w/ crap
I found that to be true and got nowhere when I asked to be moved. The person who started this thread is making the right decision by leaving and so am I.
Well, crap. I was just recently hired
by DSG and have heard only good things from folks nice enough to answer my posts on here.
I'm quitting my full-time job (with a steady paycheck) to work from home with DSG. Gosh, I hope and pray that I make enough money!!! I committed to 1000 lpd and will be IC status Monday when I start.
HELP!! Now I'm scared!! Good luck to you, though.
This sounds like the crap they used to pull
They would constantly run out of work - making it impossible to make quota, then would mail out nasty little letters about not making quota and threatening to reduce me to part-time and take away my benefits - when it was THEIR fault in the first place for not having enough work. Finally they lost all of my accounts, a chain of hospitals in Tennessee, so I quit. That has been a few years ago. It used to be horrible working there, and this sounds like the stuff they put me through.
What crap! I get my lines in and they ask me to work
extra all the time. There is no way to indicate OT, just total lines, at least on my accounts. Everything I say can be documented. You need to get your facts straight before you start throwing that BS around.
I get the same crap here all the time & Sick of it! nm
x
It's basically a crap shoot, IMO
It sounds like you have a good impression of both companies, but the one seems to be more organized than the other. Go with your gut. I find that's a tactic that usually works well for me.
Good luck. Hope whichever one you choose you end up liking it there.
Crap, what a slap in the face. nm
nm
yes, and the ones i have area piece of crap..sm
i spend MOST of my time resetting the receiver thingy...same goes for my cordless keyboard....uggg, that is frustrating. I think I am going back to corded.
Oh, please, just stop with that crap right now and tell the truth.
YOU are the one who cannot do! Straight transcription, that is. If you type like 5 lines per hour, I can see how VR would benefit you. Otherwise, it is a waste of time and money--to the MT. Admit it, you type very slow with no macros or templates, don't you?
Crap! You should pay more attention to your commas!...sm
She was just venting.
And, how do you know that there are not employers with a mental problem out there?
No way to prove this.
BTW, nobody is interested in your life story!
I agree - bull crap.
Know what I have taken to do, I email saying May I ask before proceeding to resume, testing etc,
What is the lowest to the highest line rate offered for the position, are spaces paid and is the position for VR. I feel this saves valuable time on both sides don't you? Thanks etc.
They do respond most of them.
Yep and only management posts CRAP
about VR being great for the MT! You'll make a million lines per hours! You'll be wealthy beyond Donald Trump! You'll feel like you won the lottery!
OK, now go back to counting your money. Only a few of the more naive and ignorant believe your claims, so you can save your breath--or your typing fingers. Hey, I know, why don't you, Management, try living on the money that VR brings in? Then come back and post here. Until then, like I said, go back to counting your money.
I see a load of crap when it is posted
This IS an unineducated statement.
Really. Uneducated like you not reading IRS regs?
Stuff like paying (giving them) them an interest free loan (business loan) to pay for their capital improvements-
I didn't improve their capita. They had it down pat before I came along.
they want you to use their PC and want a way to pay for it interest free.
Old news. BTDT the last 15-plus years. p.s. their PC is actually as server. Look it up.
This is bull. Plain bull.
Old news, accoriding to you. Facts please.
Hey you want to pay for some things that will only work on their PC, go ahead. Hey jump at the chance.
No jumping involved. Same ole', same ole', been going on since you were born. I just learned how to make it work for me, how 'bout you?
Holy crap - one heck of a cut . sm
One of the reasons I first went with WMX was the 35 hour work week for FT with bennies. They stopped that.
The health insurance was decent, but if you chose to use it and had the option of another policy available you had to pay a penalty/fine or whatever they call it.
The ASR rate was better than other companies - now they fixed that.
I guess they will do away with our 12 hour windows next. Though I understand now everyone even has those.
I was disgruntled when I worked for MQ, but they did cut our wages in a more gradual manner.
This is a HUGE percentage and right here going into the holiday season. --
We are all going to have to hit it harder to make any money at all. You think work is short now --- just wait.
Crap!! I forgot to punch in !!!! nm
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