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Interesting posts. It is good to hear both sides

Posted By: Charlene on 2007-11-19
In Reply to: MTing - anon

I can understand the employees who want everything and give very little back.  Very frustrating.


But then you have the situation described for the employee where there is no job satisfaction, no family/personal life allowed or frowned upon by management and no chance for promotion.   And then being compared to an Indian who has a completely different social environment. 


I know mothers who are IC and while they do take time off during the day for their kids (how dare they make dinner for those kids and hubby) but then they work long into the night after kids and hubby have gone to bed.  There are no weekends with their family either.  And the work reward is the pay will be lowered because the client wants to pay a lower rate.  It is not exactly incentive to work hard without any breaks and ignore the family in favor of what the company needs.


I remember years ago working for a start up company and the manager did not want the single girls to date at night and instead work late.  She thought they should be devoting their time to their career in transcription.  Well a Transcriptionist could do that but whether she worked harder or not the pay would be the same and she would always be a transcriptionist.  The manager on the other hand if the company did well would receive promotions and raises I am sure.  So that is the difference....management perks vs worker bee perks.  It was easy for her to give up a social and personal life because the rewards but the transcriptionist typing straight for hours and hours would see the same pay day in day out, no advancement or recognition for working harder other than not having a manager angry. 


However after reading that post I will be aware  and really give it my all. I do understand the need for a better work ethic.   I see what the management wants and needs.  Especially when managers are spending Thanksgiving with their families and the transcriptionist is working for 7 cpl with no break.  It is the American way of doing business.




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There are 2 sides to every story. If you were a good employee, sm

if you called the office and told them that you had a medical emergency, there is no way on this green earth that they would lock you out of your account for that reason.  Absurd.  I've had to leave work due to illness.  That's part of life.  TransHealth is extremely accommodating. 


There is more to the OP's story than meets the eye. 


Hmm, interesting posts for this one.
I work for MedScribe as an IC nad have been there a year and a half. I have been very pleased wtih them. They always have plenty of work and the staff has been wonderful. Btw, I am not a recruiter.
So interesting that you didn't address the offshoring posts. NM

I hear you, but so many posts on here are valid.
I, for one, am the one stunned about the MDI-MD news. I have learned to take lots of reviews of companies on here with a grain of salt. You can tell the whiners and complainers.  Personally, right now I'm glad that they are so prevalent, and they can just keep on whining and complaining, because I'm among the high # of professional MTs in the job-searching market right now, and they just improve my chances of landing a great job.  However, there are just too many companies right now overhiring and overstaffing accounts.  Seriously, if, and I repeat IF, the claims of MDI-MD not having enough work to even train their new hires at a max of 5 jobs a day, that is disgusting.  I have had bait and swtiches pulled on me by several companies, all of them the bigger nationals, and it should be a crime. It is a crime to the victim.  So, yes, lots of griping and whining. I agree. Losing PTO and having to work nights and weekends means nothing to me, as I always have.  Most feel entitled and that they don't have to, and you know what? Most get away with it. I still don't get away with it 30 years into this business! But that's my gig and my problem.  So, I agree with you, and I disagree with you at the same time. There is lots to complain about in this industry, and its a shame.  Just hire me and give me the job you promised, just as I always deliver the goods I promised. 
Interesting. She's actually been pretty good to me
I'd follow her somewhere new if I had the offer.
They are good production and interesting, but hard to learn. nm
nm
Interesting and long, good money makers! nm
x
I would give them a try, you hear good and bad, but mostly good. nm
x
Why does someone only want to hear the good
about a company.  Isn't enough that they offshore and lied about it, of in the event of some other companies that checks are late or bounced.   Any of the above is enough to make me not want to work for a company.   In most cases there are multiple complaints against xx company, so it isn't just a personality clash, an MT who produced a bad product and got fired, etc.  If they aren't going to listen to the experience of others, why even ask.  
That's good to hear! I wonder why
there are a lot of people who say they run out of work there though? That would be my only concern. Otherwise, sounds like a good company. Another question - do they do voice recognition and do you HAVE to do it? Where I work now everything is going to VR and I HATE it - income has dropped drastically.
Good to hear it

I'm glad to here that.  I am starting on 07/10/2006.  Everyone has been super nice and very accomodating. 


I will -- That is definitely GOOD to hear!
I have been SOO nervous about making the change, but the job I have now is the absolute dregs of the dregs. 
Wow, that's good to hear
Really, my primary complaint there was the lead. The doctors were good dictators, very easy to work for.  I think KS probably offers benefits that are comparable to any other major MTSO. The pay could be better but hey, that's the complaint every MT has. 
That's good to hear and maybe

it can come back.  Posters like the rectum person need to be banned.


But the way things are going in transcription now, people need a place to vent.  There are some negative people who are negative by nature, but when everything is going to crap it's hard to be positive, and we need to be honest with each other.


If there actually was a place to send all of our legitimate complaints -- and there are many -- and someone would take us seriously and help -- maybe the situation could eventually be turned around.


And, one more thing, really bad things are actually happening to many transcriptionists today - they are NOT just WHINING.  We need a voice.


So, if you have a job that you are happy with, keep it as long as you can.  But, really, try to have some empathy for your peers who are facing REAL hardships.


Great to hear! Good for you!
:)
Good for you! I am glad to hear that you
are a good recruiter, having no idea who you are, was only relaying MY experiences.  Sorry for those, such as you, who do your job well.  I have lost thousands of dollars depending on what was told to me by recruiters, and that is a fact.  If I would not have listened to the out and out lies, simple questions like, Will such and such an abbreviation Expander work with your system? and was told yes, when they had no clue if it would or not after I was hired and quit my other job.  As I said, good for you for being on the up and up and doing your job well.  And I agree, if I could quit MT today, I would run away as fast as I could!!!  Not only is your job thankless, but apparently OURS are TOO!!! Or at least I am given that impression but more than just ONE company!!!!!!
I feel the same way and it's good to hear
To the original poster...It is frustrating at times, I must admit. But life is full of ups and downs. I like to compare it to a NASDAQ company - you know, when they post the company's 1st quarter earnings, etc. Even multi-billion dollar companies have ups and downs, so they take advantage of the ups and tighten their belts during the down times. That's the nature of working in this profession.
Glad to hear something good about them,
xx
Oh no! That is not good to hear. I searched
the archives and there were a lot of good things about them. I was considering switching from another well thought of company which is wanting us to work every weekend, just so I would not have to work every weekend. Sounds like this may be a move from the frying pan to the fire! Please, if anyone has any info good or bad post before I or anyone else makes a mistake... Thanks!
Good news to hear! At least some companies are
trying!  Best of luck to you in 2006!
You hear bad and good - it is what you make of it - if it fits your needs, try it out!
s
I hear you. I pay NO attention to how good someone thinks they are.
With all that wonderful experience, if you cannot pull the testing, you have just proven you don't know your own skill level.

So sorry to hear about your situation. Good Luck! nm
x
This is good to hear. I am hoping that I can hang in
until the work picks up... I really don't want to find another situation, although have to admit I have my resume out already just in case... I wish today there were so much work I would work my fingers to the bone, and put some in savings. Been at this a long time and know that I should be doing that. Unfortunately, it has been a rocky 6 months working for another MTSO and promises not kept. So this is a long string of bad events for this MT. Perhaps will take on another IC and wait it out, just want to work, you know, an honest day's work for an honest day's pay sort of thing. :)
Hey, nice to hear from you again. I would say Encompass is a very good sm

place to work.  I wasn't working there full-time, but from what I saw, they have a nice benefit package, and the staff is very helpful and professional.  The only kinda scary part is that they require 99.5% accuracy (or maybe 99, cannot remember).  Fortunately, on my first QA thing before being released from QA, I did manage to achieve that (a little more actually), so I was relieved.  I guess I just do not have enough confidence in myself.  Unfortunately, they lost the account I was hired for, but they were looking for another one.  In the meantime, though, my personal life kind of took a different turn, and I ended up moving from Kansas to Colorado, so I decided one job was enough for now.


As for eTransPlus, they are also very friendly, although much more disorganized than some companies.  I was put off for a week and a half past the date I was hired to start, then when I did start, there were tech problems, then I did 4 jobs or so and ran out of work ... that kind of thing.  Again, when I decided to move, I just decided it was not worth the extra aggravation.  Still, I would recommend either company.


There are still some good companies out there, although I hesitate to comment since my experience is not recent.  I used to work for MDI-MD, and they paid VERY well at the time because you had to supply your own LD, and that was before the days of unlimited LD.  I had 5 accounts, so managed to keep myself busy, but now I read posts about people running out of work, so I do not really know.


I have heard good things about Axolotl, and I applied, but the only opening is 3rd shift with 80% ESLs, so I decided not to do it.  Their benefits are great, though - no deductible for BC/BS!  And there is a $500 sign-on bonus too.  Oh well ...


I talked to Acusis, and if you can overlook their heavy overseas connection, they have a nice benefit package as well.  The pay is so-so.  I guess no one ever pays me what I know I am worth. 


If you run into a company you are interested in, feel free to ask me.  I have been an MT for about 100 years now, so I might have worked for them! 


Good luck -- hope you find something wonderful. 


 


 


 


 


Wow .. it's great to hear from you! Thanks for the good wishes. sm

The thing with eTransPlus was not a good fit for me either.  I think it is probably a good company, it just didn't work for me as my start date kept getting pushed back, I was running out of work, there were program glitches, etc.  Sometimes some things are just not meant to be.  I hope you get on with Keystrokes again.  I know it sounds kind of gushy, but I have found them to be truly wonderful people.  I don't need someone to constantly sing my praises or anything -- decent pay and plenty of work is enough -- but it is kind of nice to hear thank you every now and then, and know that if you have a problem arise, someone will listen and try to help you. 


Again, thanks for posting -- great to hear from you!  Good luck! 


glad to hear there is still a good company out there...
xx
"thank you" good to hear, YEP "smile"
,,
I'm so sorry to hear this. It doesn't sound good. I hope you
nm
Would like to hear from recent WEBMEDX employees. Good/bad/ugly? (nm)
 
Sorry to hear that. I talked with Ann a few times, and it sounded like a good company. nm

Sorry to hear that because that was a good account with great normals. Hope
you find a new home where you will be appreciated and with good line counts!
That's because all the posts, good or bad, get
deleted because it turns into such a mud slinging competition. They are like all the others, good fit for some and not for others. Good luck!
MT Recrutiers- ever hear of this transcription comany? Any info good or bad, new company? nm
nm
Really? Because I see it on both sides

I see your point about some naysayers, but assuming the ones that are unhappy are job-hoppers and unhappy people isn't the nicest comment I've ever heard either.


I think this is really sad for several reasons. We're all at risk for our skill being replaced by VR and outsourcing, we ought to be supporting each other in ways we can make effective change by preventing that from happening as best we can and getting together and finding constructive solutions about proving that our value is just as important as expensive machinery or labor from foreign countries.


Many people are just realizing this,scared about the future, and trying to shop to find the best deal possible that's still out there, not realizing that they're all about the same at present, it's the state of affairs in the MT world.


If you want to stay with it and keep trying to find a way to beat VR and make a living still, that's cool, but it's okay to realize that some things are more tolerable on the job than others, and to each their own about what should be acceptable business practice. :)


Looking at both sides ..
I recruit and I see both sides of this story on a daily basis.  We provide equipment and we pay very well and are employee status.  I have people lie to me, hold equipment when they decide they are not interested in the job because they actually have to work, and have every excuse why then cannot work.  On the other hand, I have dedicated, extraordinary people who go the extra mile, can actually figure out their own computer and how to turn it on and maintain their QA and really make my life a pleasure.  I know that you cannot have it all .. but I will say this, if you are an MT who works for a company that can't get it together you might want to write to me and investigate working with our group.  We are growing and have no intention of offshoring no matter what, have benefits available that are excellent and for employee reasonably price (family is terrible nearly everywhere though this actually covers you).  I transcribe right along with people if need be and we genuinely care about the people who work with us.  We are on dial up right now but will be going to our web-based system in September.  We have more work than you can imagine and if you are willing to dial up with the rest of us for a fe months, then life will be good .. very good .. come the Fall.  You must be willing to commit to your schedule and do your work .. sounds easier than it usually turns out to be I am sorry to say.  Have a good holiday weekend. 
Why is it that when anyone has anything good to say about a company, there are always the posts sm

turn the whole thread ugly.  Then the posts are all removed, and the company looks bad because the good was removed with the bad.  Yes, Keystrokes pays to have an ad on this forum but it is just an advertisement like the ones we have on other medical sites, in magazines, at trade shows and in other publications. 


I am going to set the record straight for those who are intersted.  If you are not, ignore the post. 


Keystrokes has grown from 5 to over 200 transcriptionists, from $50,000 in revenue to over $5 million dollars in revenue in 8 years, with the majority of the increase in the past 3 years.  This is public knowledge, available on the website, Inc Magazine site, Aspatore books, etc. so there is no reason to delete this. 


We have 100% account retention.  We recently declined meeting the price of an offshore company when a few of our radiology accounts went to voice recognition in the same health system.  We chose not to do voice recognition with them by not meeting an outragiously low price.  We do not outsource and stand firm on that regardless of what other do.


Keystrokes has been changing over the past three years, not disputed, but the changes benefit the MTs more than anyone.  Our rates are higher than many (not all) companies, our schedules have some flexibility, our managers are all MTs. 


We have caught a lot of grief on this board for various reasons, and a lot of it seems to be from the same few people.  Or from those who talk nonsense.  I truly hope that people reading these negative posts see sour grapes when they read them and understand.  Yes, there are some bitter people out there but they are ones that either did not make it through the initial period, have poor quality, have zero reliability, have made gross patient care errors or have breached HIPAA regulations.  Yes, there has been a turnover, but we have a great team in place and those who work at Keystrokes like/love working there.


We have heard that only a very small percentage of transcriptionists actually visit the MT websites for anything other than the job openings.  A big reason is the pettiness and ugliness that the posts seem to bring out.  Another is time.  A lot of MTs work on computers all day long and want to spend off work time off their computer. 


If you have questions about Keystrokes, go to the company for answers. 


I defend the company that I work for but have made a promise to myself to stop visiting here and two other sites because they really just take up time that should be spent on other things.  I hate that the bashers will still be bashers and that no one can defend a company (any company) without being attacked.  So the bashers are the only ones that post.  I wish you all the best and rest assured, Keystrokes will continue to grow as a national presence, and will continue to attract customers and MTs and will continue to make both very happy.


From the archived posts not much good
to say about them.  Hard to get lines, it takes a rocket scientist to figure out your line rate, there is lots of work because they have a high turnover, management issues, they are currently training women in other countries to do MT work, don't know if they are currently offshoring.  Evidently this is a sore subject and previous posts with this information has been deleted. 
There are many good posts in archives
They seem to have a good platform and plenty of work.  I just applied myself after looking in the archives and reading the most recent posts.
Don't know how you found good posts about NJ
x
There are two sides to every story. The MTs sm
that commented worked/works there. You do not. So I wouldn't put to much weight to what you say.
There are two sides to every story...
I have worked for Breitner for four years and have always been paid on time.  I have never had a payroll issue with this company.  Just so everyone knows...if this occurred, it does not occur across the board.  Let's be fair.
Not taking sides
Actually I am in the same boat as everyone else. You have to work harder to make more money because this industry does not give raises. Our economy is hurting; however, I would NOT want live in India or any other country that is being sent work because their economy is obviously worse.

Also OFFSHORING is when transcription is sent to other countries. Outsourcing is what hospitals to when they send their transcription to companies rather than being done in house.

Lots of industries are offshoring. I just sit here in my peaceful living room and decide how much money I want to earn today and determine how hard I want to work. Some days I don't want to do it at all. Other days I am grateful I don't have to go wait tables or tend bar for a second job. As much as people complain about this industry, I can't think of anything else I would want to do to make extra money.
not taking sides but...
I completely understand what you mean about the pay...it is quite a long time to wait for a full paycheck.

But...you really should have read your contract BEFORE signing it so you only have yourself to blame for that aspect.
Two sides to the coin
I have worked for Phoenix for two years on both their Emdat platform and a Lanier account. I am delighted with both though I will admit the Emdat was awkward to set up with expanders/autocorrect.

Nevertheless, the folks are a joy to work for, keep in touch enough to feel in the loop, and answer e-mails promptly. Pay is fair, work is steady. Couldn't ask for more.
I agree with the posts below, I think it is a good company. SM
You do receive good training on the computer. The whole week of training is on the computer. You will start IMMEDIATELY on production with your account. That is my only complaint.
always so vague. What is it about this company that causes so many posts, good and bad? nm
nm
and posts like these are why good threads are removed. Why does everything have to sm
turn so nasty all the time? Grow up. Some of us want real answers.
I have talked to 3 companies that I really like and seem to have a lot of good posts here. sm

Once I sorted through the nasty and bitter posters and then the cheerleaders, for lack of a better word, a few companies seem to be truly good companies to work for.  All I am looking for are a few specifics that will tilt the balance for me.  I do want to say that all 3 know that I am talking to the other 2 and I was surprised at the reactions.  ALL 3 of them only had nice things to say about the other 2.  They did not bash those companies or try to sell me on theirs, just gave me facts. I was impressed by that.  There were 4 that I originally had narrowed it down to, but one of them went on and on about how the others were horrible and I would be better going to them.


Here's what I need to know about MDI Maryland, Keystrokes and TT.  I just want the facts, not the bitterness.  I would really like answers from MTs who have been at one or more of them for more than 6 months.  I think that 6 months is a good evaluation period.


Do they pay on time?
Is the pay correct?  If not, do they fix it right away?
Do they run out of work on a regular basis, not just during slow periods?
Can you reach a manager when you need one?
Does IS return your calls?
Do they give feedback if you ask for it?
Do they send work offshore that you know of (worked for a company that said no but really did)?
Do you get a good feeling from them/gut instinct?
Would you refer your friends or family to them if qualified?


Thank you in advance.  I am trying to decide by Monday and these are things that current and past employees can answer.  Please do not give me vague answers like don't go there or they're great.  I really am having a hard time choosing.



Read the archives. Many posts, none good. nm
 
I don't think that's true or fair. Most of the posts about KS are good. sm
I work there, have worked there a while and am very happy and know many, many others who have been there a while and are very happy too. They have improved rather than fallen apart as many companies seem to do. I would recommend them to anyone who is looking for a fair, caring, well-paying, high line count, good benefits providing company. I am in acute care but know many others in radiology and ortho and clinic. Yes, we compare notes with each other (many came from Edix and MRC) and everyone is happy. They keep getting new accounts and the new accounts are getting bigger and bigger.

I agree that OT pay (or lack of) was a problem but when they said no more OT work, many complained to the point that they said to work the production you want.

It is disheartening to sit back and read posts that are so negative when I know the opposite to be true. It can chase people away from working for a wonderful company. I think we see more posts because there are more employees and because they are always hiring due to new accounts. I also know that every manager, including the owner, that I have ever talked to, really cares and really wants to continue to make Keystrokes better and better. I think they are doing a great job.

As for running out of work, I know that there are ups and downs in transcription and they try to be fair during those times, spreading the work around. I also know that sometimes when a new account starts, the volume will be go up and down because they are working on the perfect staffing mix.

If you are having a problem, not getting enough work, etc. you really should talk to them. They will bend over backwards to make it work for you.