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Question about SoftScript. Strict schedule, can you quit when you get your lines? (sm)

Posted By: sm on 2009-06-24
In Reply to:

I saw a posting before that said you were good to go as long as you signed in on time and did your lines.  Is this accurate? 


Also, I have seen they are offering 7 cents per line regardless of experience.  Is this still true? 




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Question about SoftScript. Strict schedule, can you quit when you get your lines? (sm)

I saw a posting before that said you were good to go as long as you signed in on time and did your lines.  Is this accurate? 


Also, I have seen they are offering 7 cents per line regardless of experience.  Is this still true? 


I have to work 8-hour strict schedule SM
Platform is either Chartmatrix or Enterprise, average pay, the company is just average all around.  It's not horrible but it also isn't great.  Up until 6 months ago I would have recommended to give them a try, but they have started this downhill slide, feels more like Spheris now.  I have felt this for the last 6 months.  When the job market opens up a bit more I'm going to look around.
While I think it would be difficult to work a very strict schedule at home - sm
I do believe that every MT should have a window in which they are expected to do their work. That benefits everyone involved, the MT, the company, as well as the hospital. I pretty much adhere to the same hours every day, unless something unexpected (emergency situation) comes up. I just think it is easier that way. However, in the summer time, I like to adjust my hours a bit to be able to work in the early a.m. while the kids are still sleeping. I work the same hours over the summer though. Working at home around your family is not easy, so there has to be a little flexibility on both sides. Going to an office to work without your everyday family and life interruptions, I believe, is quite different.
Does Webmedx has a strict schedule or a window to get work done?
I tried searching boards, but too many entries came up. Thanks
Amphion hires part-time - they're very strict schedule-wise though
Since part time is so hard to find these days your options are limited, so if you don't mind working for a company that is a stickler for strict schedule adherence, I say try Amphion.
They're very strict with their lines sm

You'll get harrassing certified letters and nasty e-mails.  You're required to meet your lines by the 3rd payperiod.  They get really nasty to you too...they were all sugar sweet and helpful until I stood up for myself, and then their true colors came through.


Unless you're a very fast transcriptionist, it's almost impossible to make your lines.  I'm just an average transcriptionist.  I have always been able to make my lines at other places of employment, but never at TH.  They run out of work A LOT (read--nearly every single day) and have a butt-load of foreign doctors.  A really bad combination if you want to make your lines.


Some people love them, but I'm not one 'em!  I'm glad they're ancient history with me.  I work for a much better company now.



Question about lines and schedule ...
If I get my lines done before the number of hours I am scheduled to work, do I have to finish my hours? Can I just stop working at that point?
MDI-MD has SE status, commited lines/day, and own schedule
x
MDI-MA does not require a set schedule- you do your required lines in 24 hours. nm
nm
That is *.11 for all lines typed* when working agreed-upon schedule.
Making less per line is not a raise.
I Quit because they upped the lines needed and (sm)

I used to get 1200 or more per day.  Then they fiddled with the line counter and after that, my lines dropped to 700-900 a day.  No matter what I did, I never got close to the 1200 a day. When I asked them how many hours I could work during the day, they told me I could NOT work more than 8 hours. So after after a while, I became very depressed, even a little paranoid, and just couldn't take the low pays any more and quit. I'm still trying to dig out of the hole money-wise that they helped dig. I should have quit earlier than I did, but tried to hang in there hoping things would get better. I did like it there.


BTW, I was on an account that at 90% ESL. The instant messaging and mandatory conference calls and/or voluntary conference calls drove me up the wall after a while.


I will agree, their holidays and benefits are pretty decent and some of the people were great to work with. Also, the nice thing about IM'g was that you knew you weren't alone and you could always get an answer to a question almost instantly  by IM'g somebody else.  They are also VERY supportive and understanding when it comes to family problems.


This is just me. You may love it there. You may have great everything. The only thing I can say is try it. There's always those 2 little words I quit.


 


Anyone know what full time is at Transtech? Lines or hours? Do they flex schedule? nm
x
That's why I quit MQ. I couldn't figure out how they were counting the lines. I took a big p
nm
They want you to keep your schedule for TAT purposes but will work with you to find a good schedule
I love working there.
I just quit Medquist, hired by Etrans and quit them after one afternoon during the last two weeks!sm
Medquist made me buy a new computer to go to the "Docuscribe" system that was so much better than cottage.  When I got there I took a real big pay cut to the tune of probably 30 to 40%.  I was getting paid gross lines doing Cedars-Sinai operative reports.  I asked for more per line and my supervisor just laughed and said you think were going to pay you $0.12 a line to just do operative reports!  I said I quit.  I should have said F you and your mamma too:(  I had been there all together 7 years through buyouts.  I am just sick of it all.  I'm going to go sew my daughter a cute little Halloween outfit right now. 
Strict TAT
I think there is work. From my experience, the MTSOs just want the work done within minutes, so they overstaff the accounts to make sure there is never a backlog. Good for them, bad for the MT.
Way too strict about scheduling
x
Very strict. If you have any question SM
as to whether you can make the minimum, don't even apply.  This also goes for when the work is low, they still expect minimum.
Thank you. I DO appreciate it. I do deal with strict QA now...sm
but at least they don't threaten to deduct your paycheck for it.

It sounds like their (Transolutions) QA is a lot tougher now...hmmmm....maybe it's not worth the extra benes...

Thanks again MTMT.
As far as I know, in the strict Muslim
countries, to which Saudi Arabia belongs, women are only allowed to work as nurses or teachers.

They want American MTs because they perceive them, rightfully, as the best, and they are ready to pay well for quality.

I see this as compliment. It is not that Muslim men and women regard every foreign women as immoral. They judge and differentiate according to the woman's behavior. If she is decent and virtuous, she is treated with respect.
I can imagine that there are restrictions regarding clothing, food and drinks, and lifestyle in general, but if we decide to live in another continent with a different religion and culture, we have to respect that.
Do you know how strict they are on their required experience? Thanks! nm
xx
When I worked for JLG, it was pretty strict sm
about work schedules. I did not realized they kept track of my time via the ICQ messenger, which I kept turning off because of persistent, numerous, disruptive, and annoying messages from people on the Net I didn't know. I didn't realize this and had to make up for time they claimed I didn't work but actually did. Maybe it's better now.
Are they extremely strict with schedules? nm
x
Ugh ...recruiter sent me the info .. seems very strict .. thanks nm
z
Better read the IRS specs first. There are strict....sm
instructions on whether to call a worker an IC or an employee. An employer can be in big trouble for mandating any specifications of a job if he/she is calling a worker an IC. They are starting to crack down on that, too, especially with companies who have several workers. It's about time, in my opinion, that places get in trouble! If you don't put up with it, it will stop happening.
WEBMEDX - how strict are they with their schedules and clocking in and out? TIA nm

Can someone elaborate on the strict conditions of the contract?
The IC contract under which I currently work is very flexible and I've never had a problem with the MTSO except work is a little slow right now so I've got to be VERY flexible to make my lines.

I was considering a few other places to fill in the gap and Fast Chart was one of them.

I'd love more details about how restrictive the contract is and more details about the pay cut you'd be expected to take. Is their salary lower than the other MTSOs?

Thanks for any extra enlightenment you can provide!
I think the only thing they are strict on is downloading things to the computer. sm
General surfing the web and stuff isn't a problem. I surf the web all the time for medical references, etc... and I haven't ever had a problem. I know that they are strict about not downloading anything to the computer because it may cause a conflict with the software they use.

Hope that helps.
Just curious...how strict is TT about having 5 years' experience before applying? NM
x
Keystroke radiology - flexible shift or strict?
I have tried searching the archives and found conflicting information.  A few posts say you must work an assigned shift but other posts say work when you want.  Which is it, or is it both depending on the account? 
Strict on the days. It depends on the account as to the flexibility. nm
nm
Do any companies allow you to edit the dictation somewhat or are you strict verbatim? First time do
,
I actually switched from a M-F schedule to a S-T schedule...sm
because of the financial situation.  I was offered a lot better money to work this schedule on a particularly picky account.  I can live with working on Sunday evenings because that is when my 2 teenage kids, also very active in sports, band, church, driving, dating, social life, etc., etc., are vegging on the couch, relaxing for the evening before it all starts again.  It was worth the sacrifice to me to be able to afford all the activities, and it really is not much different than working the M-F shift.  I do have Fridays off to kind of catch my breath while the kids are at school or go and take care of business.  I do not feel I have given up any of my life to work on Sundays.  Most companies will be flexible on the schedule for Sunday because of church, family dinner, whatever.  The way I look at it is later on, I may be able to switch to a M-F schedule if I am willing to give a little now.  Even if I don't, to me it was worth it for the extra money and mommy time I get on Fridays.  I am widowed so I do put a lot of time into my kids.  This is just what works for me.  On the other hand, it is ok to only want to work M-F, there is nothing wrong with that.  You have to do what is best for you. 
Good Company, but yes very strict supervisor or mine was anyway! As long as you meet the deadline
you are safe!  They were strict when I was with them though
1800 lines is easily achieved. I average 300-340 lines per hour. nm
x
10 lines per minute = 1500 lines for 150 minutes - average. nm
x
I average 1200-1400 lines per day with a national, and am only getting around 600-800 lines per day.
It's been this way since the day before Thanksgiving. I've been doing this for almost 30 years now, and more often than from Thanksgiving until the new year is the slowest time of the year. I have some months where I am swamped with up to 2000 lines per day. I stash that little extra money, and take advantage of a handful of extremely slow days this time of the year to actually cook dinner, decorate for Christmas, or do Christmas shopping. I actually anticipate this slow time every year and have grown to enjoy the breathing time. Any time I have attempted to pick up extra work with another company to supplement these slow times, the minute I get adjusted to the new accounts, etc. I have no time to finish all of my work because my full time job with national gets slammed again. Hang in there if you can, and hopefully your work will pick up significantly around New Years.
They work with you to make sure you get the lines required or the amount of lines you want...
I have never had a problem getting more work
Minimum lines for FT used to be 60,000 keystrokes a day, about 925 lines. Pay was good. Just not a
s
Yes it is possible to double your lines. I cant type 460 lines an hour but I can get those with VR
x
Regular lines, not weighted lines
was what I got paid for....
12K lines payperiod is 6K lines a week.
nm
0.8 x 1000 lines = $80.00 - 0.8 x 1500 lines = $120.

schedule
Do you give them a set schedule or a window of when you will work? What confuses me about the "set schedule" is that we are contracted to produce certain # lines, not hours. So if you are satisfied with your line count but are scheduled for 8 hours, do you still have to complete all 8?

Also, I haven't asked them yet, but are we allowed to work extra hours/days outside our schedules?

How are they with time off? How much notice would you give for a 1-week vacation?
Right now I have no set schedule, so I will
nm
I never ever have the same schedule sm
and it's worked fine for years now. I don't know what I can do - this flexibility is the only reason I have stuck with MQ this long.
schedule

I read through all the posts below yesterday, and a couple of them mention a grid with all days and hours listed and you have to mark what hours you will work (but that this has to be approved by supervisor).  It didn't sound like it had to be continuous hours and you could work several split shifts.


I agree about needing the flexibility.  It's the only reason I have stayed with MQ.  I  am a part time SE too and I have another full time job.  Half of the time I am available to work, there is no work to do,  so I have had to be flexible to even get in my quota.  I know if I give them a set schedule, there won't be work half the time, so what do you do then?   Another thing, my schedule changes from week to week, and from what I read below, it sounds like it is just one grid, so that would mean that your schedule would have to stay the same from week to week -- doesn't work for me either. 


It's too bad -- they are going to lose a lot of good MTs over this


 


 


  


 


No, not still with them. No set schedule.
You are an IC with them. You have 24 hours to complete your work and return via FTP site. At least that was my routine on my account. Don't know if every account is the same.

I no longer work for them as I went out and got my own accounts and the account I was on with them was lost to a larger national - go figure!

They are pretty decent company, but I don't know what kind of work load they have - you will have to talk with them.

Like I said, pay is always on time, correct and accurate, and you work as an IC, last I knew.

All you can do is give them a try.

As far as work load, 1200 lines a day +/-. Not enough for me!


Not too bad, if you like a schedule
I worked for them for about 2 years.  I had worked as an IC and thought I would try switching to employee status.  They were great in the fact that they sent all my equipment, training was even fun (great trainers), supervisor and tech support always responded quickly.  However, once you set a schedule you must adhere to it.  You are actually only allowed to deviate once a month, depends on your supervisor though.  For me, that was a problem.  After being an IC for many years it was hard to go back to a schedule.  I'm working as an IC again now and hope I never have to go back to being an employee.  I wish you luck!
They ask you the schedule you will be
working. It works out well for me because I work in the morning and again at night.
MDI-MD schedule
When I was hired, I was told I could make my own schedule as long as I worked two Saturdays a month. It works for me. They get the needed coverage and I get time with my family.