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I have to second that statement. Wish TT would not overhire during the summer months, as we get so

Posted By: Transtech MT out/low on work on 2009-04-09
In Reply to: Agreed, they do overhire. - nm

low on work now -- it is frightening to think about the summer months and then the holidays that follow.  Ouch !


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But overhire/lack of work for the past few months . . . nm
m
They will overhire and in 4 months you will have no work and will be broke - happened to me..nm
nm
Probably because they love to overhire! We will all be struggling for work in a few months..nm
nm
omg-heat of summer

I meant heat of summer!! not head--sorry


Last summer? see inside
They do not keep anything that long due to privacy. Their recruiter was let go a few months back, so it definitely is no longer there. I would send it directly to them at KeystrokesHR@aol.com and let them know that you had sent it before. I know that the process is smooth now, based on talking to a few new MTs, so if you are interested, that is the way to go!
thank you - I'm hoping by summer to

nix the Q alltogether, unless by some miracle things get better. I think my biggest peave with the Q is that stupid time clock. I never wanted FT or benefits, so I don't see why PT with no benefits has to punch a clock. Give me IC any day!


The new company I'm going to only requires me to meet my daily quota on the days I say I'm going to work. If I need off, I just let them know I won't be working that day. No more holidays, no more cesspool and no more TIME CLOCK!


I hope things go well for you at KS. I've heard a lot of wonderful things about them on this board, especially if you want FT and benefits. Good Luck!


There is no summer slump at MDI. Its a
permanent slump situation, as its been going on for a long, long time. Something is way not right about this company, and I'm not sure what's going on, but its not good. Look below, and you'll see more eager new hires ready for training, every single day. I was bored the other day and browsing other MT sites, and I was shocked to see a thread and battle, just like here every day, of MDI-MD MTs with no work, MTs who can't get the 5 training jobs a day, yada, yada, and I saw the EXACT same letter from the recruiter and also from the tech person, whom many claim does not set them up at the agreed upon time, etc, and does not help with tech issues. The shock to me was that all were dated from Spring of 2007. That's how long this exact scenario has been happening, and it was creepy to read what looked like sincere posts here, as they were copied verbatim from a year earlier, and probably more before that had I wasted my time looking. There is something WEIRD and wrong about this company, and why anyone would waste 1 minute of their time with them is beyond me. And it was so hurtful and hateful a few months ago when those who posted that they had no work and something wasn't right were bashed and flamed for it being their fault somehow. Inferior MTs or whatever. There is a boatload of BS going on at MDI-MD, and I have personally experienced that boat, and its not gonna float for anyone. I truly believe they have their original staffers who get work, but forget the rest, and they are always, always hiring more and more, and with no work. If I were with them now, I would be MAJOR pissed and demand work. But there isn't any? I would also be demanding to know why they keep hiring. They have no answers, and they have no work either.
I was mid summer this year.
I used IType.
TTS - When I applied last summer
nothing more than an insulting subcontractor rate for 30 years' experience. Are you making at least more than 6.25 cpl?
Here's a review from last summer.
http://forum.mtstars.com/company/v/1/74751.html
Anyone else running out of work this summer?SM
I have been with this company for quite some time, and this is the first time I have run out of work.  It has been slow since June, but pretty much the whole month of July has been hunting for work and getting lucky if there's any there.  We've been told it's just an unusually slow summer.  Anyone else with this problem? 
I was with MQ for 11 years and left last summer.
The changes after 1/1/06 were not to my taste. And from what I can see over on the MQ forum, it hasn't gotten better. I started with TT last October and have really liked it. I've only run out of work a few times, and have had work in my backup. The office staff is wonderful. It was a very good move for me.
They added several new accounts this summer
so I don't know which one you are talking about, but I have been out of work for 2 days too and despite asking for a back-up account I have yet to get one.   I do know that another account is coming on-line next month, though they have hired people for it and those people are probably working on the other accounts in the meantime, taking work from the estabilshed MTs. 
How do you know new accounts are coming on in the summer?

I have not received any email saying such to us MT's.  I hope so, because work is really low during the week, a little more on the weekend usually.  More and more of our work is going to voice recognition, leaving low volume of transcribing left to do.


This is an excerpt from a press release by Transtech management that I saw on the internet.  Maybe those 20 MT's love the system, but the other 280 must not.  I know I hate Dictaphone ExSpeech editing platform (and hate the pay that goes alogn with editing on that platform).


We started using the Enterprise Express Speech System in late October of 2007 and have already seen a 500 percent increase in speech-recognized drafted
reports. While just 20 members of our team of 300 transcriptionists
are using the system now, we plan to expand its use significantly. In
only 60 days we've seen dramatic productivity climbs and our team
loves the system.


Info about Wordz from this summer.
Wordz was not the job for me, but I have nothing bad at all to say about them. Here is some recent info from this summer, hope it helps:

Pay on time by DD.

I worked on 2 platforms. (Winscribe and Transnet) Both use your version of Word and your Expander of choice or autocorrect. The platforms were just for management of voice files and attaching/uploading documents, no demographics were filled in.

All demographics were manual, and you download pt lists (some in notepad where you can copy and paste names and some fax copies where you have to retype everything).

Provider/address lists were provided for letters.

Job lists come out 4x per day. On at least one platform you have to check the job list for your work and manually enter the dictator# into the transnet platform to download jobs (you are not routed jobs automatically on the Transnet platform).

Pd training. You get about 4+ hours of phone training your first day, 3 modules. The longest module of training is administrative, paperwork, file management that you are expected to do and the other modules are on the transcribing and audio platforms. The administrative/paperwork/file management is the longest for a good reason, you spend plenty of time wrangling voice files, job lists, and pt lists every day.

QA was outstanding and very helpful. Quick relevant feedback and even a good job here and there.

There are set hours - sort of! They do ask that you set range of hours they can count on you to be there every day (maybe 8:00 to 3:00 for example) in case they need to reach you for stats or whatever, but you do not have to necessarily be working all that time, and you are not monitored. You are just expected to complete your account assignments within TAT.

Pay is low (it was 7.5 cents), but they justify that by the fact that they match transcriptionists to doctors....no pools. (That did not turn out to be the case for me, I was up to 20 dictators with more to be added on, although I know many are assigned to a small # of stable dictators...just get as much specific info during your interviews about exactly what accounts you would be on and how many providers so you can make an informed decision.)

Good luck!

Grandchildren keep me young. I have had 2 FT this summer (sm)
and occasional trips to town for teenaged grandson who has stayed at home this summer. Sometimes it is hectic and I feel stressed getting my hours/lines in, but then I take my mother to the Senior Center and watch all those people with so little to occupy their time and I feel really lucky.

During school year the 2 youngest still catch the bus here and come here after school. I am able to adjust my schedule so I can attend school functions/lunches during the day if their mom can't.

There may be a lot of problems with MT work anymore, but these are the reasons I and many other stay with it.


Well, I left MQ after 8 years last summer to go to Keystrokes (sm)

so I would have to say Keystrokes.  I have plenty of work and love my account and Keystrokes gave me primarily what I asked for as far as what specialty I wanted to type. I work in Meditech but there are other platforms there, it just depends on your account. MedQuist was a great place to work for about the first 7 years.  In January 2006 they introduced what they called the Rewards Plan and after that my work dried up in a hurry and I lost a LOT of money by staying there. But there are still people at MQ who have plenty of work and like it there, the way I felt about it in the old days. Both places have positive qualities but I am happier now at Keystrokes. It also depends on what you are looking for as far as how large of a company you want to work for...MQ is a big national, KS is much smaller and more personalized.  Good Luck!



It was slow on one of my accounts this summer but picked up. sm
If I were you, I would go to Karyn or Becky, not Martha. Both of them will help you. I think Martha is too busy with new hires but the other two are great with back-up accounts or at least getting the names in front of Martha. Just a friendly tip, not meant to offend or cause flames.
Talked to them last summer. Very nice people.
CPL depends on shift worked and how well you do on the test.
They have overhired for the summer. We will ALL be running out of work!

They thought they had a new account and it was not a go, so overhire again.  They are just running this ship TOO TIGHT


 


 


knew something was up after the paycheck fiasco this summer . . . sm
this DOES not surprise me, and I am sure there is more coming in the future.
I have not run out of work, except for about 2 or 3 hours late in the summer. sm
While I am NOT management, I do know both sides of this story...that of the MTs and of management. The side I pick? MY SIDE! The side with work in the queue, the side that I get paid for. So, even though I know both perspectives, I am not picking sides or defending management.

I will only observe that those who come here to bash a very nice company could be producing their lines. Given that I have consistently gotten over my minimums each and every day for the year I have been with TT says to me (remember I am on my side) that the work exists. If I can have it, so can you. Of course, every hour you are here spreading your ill-considered opinions could be, should be spent doing your job.

I am here, it is my day OFF!
Well, mine have even less today than yesterday. I don't know what is going on. I know summer te
to wax and wane, but I've only seen wane this summer, no wax.  Usually it's up and down, not steadily down, in my experience.  I'm becoming very concerned about being able to make ends meet.
TransTech and low/no work for months and months _ don't think there are continous holidays LOL

This HORRIBLE low/no work situation has been going on at TT for almost a year now.  You can't convince me it is due to Memorial Day.  Are holidays now assigned in this world to being daily. 


That is an excuse these companies use in these no work situations, but it is due to their OVERHIRING.  Holidays just come on a daily basis, but LOW WORK/NO WORK is happening and has happened going on a year now at TransTech.  Always asking to flex into the middle of the night, EVERY weekend, etc. 


The TT mgmt checks are NEVER affected, tho, so they can continue to HIRE EVERY MT who gives them a call, and create a NO WORK situation for all of us.  The newbie MT's are cheering at first, but then realize that it hit them in the paycheck, too, and very soon it did!!!!!!!


It was during the summer, I think. Maybe you can access old stories from your local newspaper on
s
good point!!!! summer off plus 5 weeks during the year
if i had my life to live over.... a teacher has the best life
What season is THAT? Late spring/early summer? .. sm
or the figment of some MTSO's imagination or latest line of BS?? 
Couple of posts here on page 11 near the top and then back during the summer, you should find a
s
My company has been low on work for months and months..sm
Tired of getting the same ol' message that things will pick up.  I remember the days of bonuses, making money and being able to pay my bills!  I am also wondering what is going with these companies not having work.  Is everybody sending work overseas?
They overhire -sm
Can't give you enough work if they overhire. Grave and early day shift are out of work when they sign on, or shortly after. They want all the accounts cleaned out by evening, and then there is nothing left for anyone else.
Well I never know when they overhire...
I have never run out of work unless it is around the major holidays when people would rather spend their money anywhere but the doctors/hospitals (don't blame them)!

Actually looking forward to them hiring some help...the accounts are so busy and we keep getting new ones...one can only type so fast for so long...lol!
Used to be, not any more. Overhire is the name of
the game, so you are lucky if you can get your line counts. Just like any other big company, you are just another set of hands and another number. Their platform is terrible.
They do overhire.
?
They definitely overhire
Not only do they over hire, they are turning to all ASR soon, which is a cut in pay. Working on secondary and third accounts most days due to the over hiring situation. Will not give me a fourth account. Have 25+ years experience and transcribe it all, so inexperience not the issue. This is a dying business.
I think they overhire so they can have
up to the minute turnaround time. They don't care if we MTs have enough work. They only care that they look good with there lickity split turnaround time and screw the rest of us workers. For instance, there is no need to get in a panic if there are 200 jobs in the backlog that ARE NOT out of TAT. That just means there will be plenty of work for the next shift of workers and they won't be sitting at their desks fighting over the 1 job that comes into their work pools. It doesn't mean that it is time to hire 15 new employees, and it doesn't mean it is time to send out a distress signal for OT or the world is going to end. If these companies could understand that, I think we would all be a little happier.
I wish they would not overhire!
I have been at work for two hours and have already run out five times and currently have none.
Regarding SS statement.....sm
This happened to me but I was actually working in the hospital. On a SS statement, they had me down for 0 dollars for a year...and this was 15 years ago. Since the hospital had merged and those records are nowhere to be found, I simply took my W2 down to the local SS Administrative offices and told them...they wanted to contact this employer but I told them good look, they no longer exist..and that if the fed gov took my W2, they certainly should...so they did and corrected it. Take your W2 down there pronto and get it straightened out for yourself.

As far as your 401K, you should have been receiving quarterly statements from the company responsible for handling your 401K. Medware has a private company handling this...so do you have your statements? You should contact that company and ask them what's going on.
statement
Also, regarding this statement I will not work for a competitor for the next 12 months--basically stating that I will not begin to work for any company in the MT business and that I will not try to start my own business. Most companies need to give you an area (ex so many miles) that you would not work in. So try and get a definition of that statement as well.
I do not get your last statement..

what do you mean do not over committ, be conservative, but they appreciate when you go over your lines?  Thanks! 


Yes, I think in your last statement
Do not sign a contract that has you comply to a certain amount of lines because that is employee status.  I'm very flattered that you took the time to answer and copy and past, etc., but I am just stating my opinion and how IC should work if you are truly an IC.  A company cannot dictate hours, number of lines, minutes, set schedules, or anything of the such.  The only agreement signed is usually the fact that you will be contracting for that particular company and not try to take their accounts and also go along with the privacy act for patients.  I have never seen a contract for an IC that states you MUST do a certain amount of lines in a certain timeframe.  If there is a contract that states these terms, then you are considered an employee according to IRS guidelines because that is considered control. 
What I was saying was her statement of a 30-day (sm)
waiting period for payment with Proveros was incorrect. So I stated the real truth, which, however one views it, could be good, bad or indifferent.
Your statement is probably the most
idiotic one that I have heard in a long, long time. There is no one that could just spell check and make corrections there. I can tell you probably hate the idea of going on VR although seem to be headed that way because your post is so off the wall. Your behind would be out the door in no time if trying to send in work like you state. I am laughing at you and anyone else should who reads your ridiculous posting.
Did they overhire or something earlier. nm
:
Overhire. I see 4 or 5 new names on
my accounts every week, and we never needed any help.
They way overhire and it can be very hard

to get lines because there isn't work.  Some accounts have tons of work, but they won't let them be used as backup accounts.  They do pay on time and if there is a holiday on payday they pay before.   FT is considered 35 hours.  You have a 12-hour window to do the work.   They do expect you to work your schedule to cover TAT, although due to overhiring there frequently may not be work on your shift to get your hours in and they do expect you to make them up - but because they overhire it may not be possible to do. 


I think you could do worse, though they have lots of room for improvement.  There are some dips for STMS, which is your main contact, which may make your experience good/bad. 


Can you say overhire...I knew you could.

Don't bother unless you like A LOT of flexibility in your day.  Have a backup job so when there is no work I can work elsewhere. There is more work at night so if you like working evenings and nights this could work out for you.


I worked for WMX. They overhire, especially when

a new account is coming on-line.  I ran out of work sometimes just 2 hours into my shift.  I tried working my days off and other shifts to make up lines, but everyone else was doing the same and I still couldn't get my lines.  I didn't have a good SCM and trying to get additional work took going to top management.   There are some accounts that have a ton of work and on OT frequently, but they wanted people working on them as primary accounts and not backups. 


If you need a FT paycheck I would not rely on WMX for it or at least would not quit your other job for several months to give the account time to balance out, for MTs to quit who hated it as much as I did, for MTs to quit who can't get their lines like I did, and for the account numbers to be consistent. 


So, what's your opinion? Did they overhire? NM
nm
I've said it over and over again that they overhire and

rarely got 35 hours, usually under 20, even with 3 accounts.  I was crucified every time I said anything, but this is not uncommon.  When I left there were at least 5 months that left around the same time, for the same reason.  I was depleting my savings because I wasn't making any money. 


There are always some accounts that have a ton of work and have frequent OT, but they also tend to be horrible accounts. 


With the holidays coming up there are going to have fewer people having elective surgery so the census will be done.  MTs will be trying to get every line they can for Christmas money, so I can't forsee tha the work load is going to increase. 


ya know - GREATFUL! they obviously do not overhire.
x
One word - OVERHIRE.
nm