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I asked when I was hired over a year ago if I could use my computer....sm

Posted By: Webbed on 2008-11-19
In Reply to: Webbers = - BBBD

And was told no; we have to use company-provided equipment. You pay for it gradually through withholding. Don't remember quite how much, maybe 150.


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Has anyone who rented a computer ever asked to keep it SM
in exchange for the deposit? Thanks for your reply.
When hired as QA was asked when (schedule) I
to stick to that.  Basically, have gotten on whenever I wanted and worked.  As long as TAT is met, theya dont seem to have a problem with flexibility.  And again, I was asked when I would be able to work, not told when to work.
Huh? I work M-F. Asked for it when I hired in 1 yr ago. nm
x
I asked about it when I was hired, which was 3 years ago,
and was told you have to get the laptop from them and I seem to think it was some outrageous amt like $1000, but unless things have changed, it can be done.
Was asked when hired, told them I wanted M-F...
and fortunately for me, they had M-F accounts that were a good fit for me. I've only been there 2 months but feel like I've landed in a good spot!
When I was hired, they asked me what work types I liked from sm
best to worst. I have progress notes last. I hate them but get a few every day-type them anyway. Wish I got more op notes but H&Ps and consults keep me real busy.
Not true. Hired to do ops, daily asked to "help out" on DS, HPs, etc.

Time change is earlier this year so computer
probably will not ask you to change now, may ask you  at the usual time. 
I applied last year, was hired, and then
the recruiter had a family emergency and I never heard from her again. I got tired of leaving messages for her. Looks like this is the norm for this company.
They hired me last year for ops on Meditech.
change me to anything else. I absolutely disliked the Meditech magic. They tried to accommodate me best as possible, but I had another job too, and I could not do both because the Meditech was so clunky and I had to wait for work a lot. I left. After that, I tried to get rehired by Keystrokes for something else, but was put on the No Rehire list. So, if you want another type of software, be careful about how you approach the switch if you want to stay. I did go to Transcend for my main job along with my IC job and all in all it is okay. My account is US MTs but it is almost 100% ESL and because I am experienced I seem to get the worst of the bunch. Some days it gets me sad, but when I go to the store and see how much food and clothing costs for the family, I don't have a choice but to count my blessings that I have the talent and the job to do it. I just have to learn patience b/c some days it just gets to me!
If you had asked this a year ago, I might have said that I was not happy and actually started sm
to look for another job. I have seen really big changes in a lot of areas since then, the biggest one being communication. I would not even consider leaving now. I have been with them for almost 3 years.
I have been 1 year and asked for raise, no luck
I have been on very difficult accounts heavy ESL acute care in 6 or 7 different hospitals and they won't give me a raise. And the proficiency reports they publish show those working on one account at one surgical center making 300+ lines an hour and us with the ESL at 6 or 7 hospitals struggling to get 150!! Just not fair!
I was offered a job with MDI a year ago before I was hired at Keystrokes - SM
They told me that I probably wouldn't want to leave my other job as I probably wouldn't have enough work, and that the account they would put me on was VERY heavy ESL and needed unlimited long distance. That was a big turn off for me! I then accepted a position with Keystrokes right after that, and a year later I'm still glad that I did!
I just got hired too!! I had sent 3 resumes over a 3 year period and
gave it a 4th shot last week. I guess this time I got their attention because I told them how long I had wanted to work there and that I had tried multiple times. Needless to say I am very excited. I sure hope it works out, that I like my account and platform, etc. The only down side is working every weekend. However, I have come to the conclusion after this interview that I don't care anymore. I just want to stay put and be happy. I have been frustrated since 2006 when the company I worked for could no longer keep me busy enough. I have been trying off and on ever since and have gotten to the point of wondering if it was ever going to be possible to find a good employee position. I know I could as an IC but just not an option right now. I would spend several days researching companies, sending resumes to ones that seemed good, and then be brain dead the rest of the evening. I would get called by companies only to find out their line rate was degrading, or had a horrible platform, horrible accounts. It was always a disappointment somehow. Then there was this one company who blew me away with how disorganized they were. I don't know why anyone would want to work for them. I won't say who I am talking about but it is one of the larger ones. I gave them a chance 3 times because they had ExText accounts but finally gave up with the lack or miscommunication; it was ridiculous. So then I would end up being back where I started, nothing!

I want to know if any MTs out there have gone or are going through the same thing. I just want to stay somewhere for good and never leave until I retire on the beach that is :D I am anxious to get started because I so much want this to be it!!

Would love to hear from any current MDI MTs if they are happy.
I have 12- hour window and was hired 1 year ago. nm
x
I have been there almost a year. You should call if you had a problem. I bet Karen hired you. sm
She's gone and I know she took all the files and did not return them but destroyed them, just being her pleasant self.
I wanted to use my own computer and get rid of the RENT on TT computer, but Vista is not compatible.
Good way to make them money.  Not have to upgrade software so that Vista is compatible with Vista.  Huh?
I think it depends on experience, account hired for, etc. I was hired at .08 per line sm
but after 90 days went to 0.085 and then 0.09 about 90 days after that. I am now at 0.0925 and have been there a year. I have to point out that the line rate might not be the highest but I can verify my counts, have plenty of work, get paid on time and have a great manager. To me, leaving a bad national and the headaches that went with it was well worth the cut in pay I took. Funny thing is that I took a pretty sizable pay cut but make more money ?!?!
When they called me and I asked them if they offshored, they asked me why that was my business!
xx
One more computer question. I got my computer today and
trying to set it up.  Man unpacking the box and setting everything up is a major undertaking; more so for me because I used a laptop before and my desk isn't tower friendly.   Anyway, no info came with the tower and I don't yet have the password to get in (paperwork says to call M-F).  Is the tower WiFi compatible?   My DSL is hooked to a different computer and I wanted to know if I can setup new computer as WiFi or if I need to move modem to new computer and set other computer up as WiFi. 
my first year I made 16k. Doubled that second year. Going on year 6 with (sm)

two local accounts I earned 23,000.00 and a national I earned 35,400... 58,400 this year.  Don't ask me how many hours, though, I really have no idea.  I'm pretty motivated.  (When people ask me how many hours I work a week I reply as many as it takes  I'd say 40-50/week.  I am also a fitness instructer and personal trainer, about 5 hours a week or so.  Decent money (sometimes under the table!) but mostly I just do it for fun and to be social and wear cute work-out clothes. 


that first year was a rough one... but I consider it part of my education. 


 


I'm pretty motivated. 


Sad but true. You're asked to work NOW, then asked to stop NOW, then go again and then stop
If you dont get off the minute the hospital asks, even if you have no idea that they have requested that your to be off, then the hospital MTs steal your work right out of your queue and I mean reports you have already done. I dont understand the concept of having a contract with a hospital and then having to fight for work with the hospital MTs. We should have guaranteed work during our shift and enough of the the hospital wants you to help right now and then a few hours later they want us to stop working as the work is too low. It is crazy and I couldnt work like that so I had to quit.
Last year, there was a letter sent that told us what we earned the previous year. sm
In the past, it has been all or nothing; if you did not hit the lines for full time for the year, you did not get PTO. I talked to my lead this morning about a last-minute vacation and she told me that the yearly packets are going out in a week or so and that the new policy will acrue PTO by the pay period or month. I like that a lot better, but she also made it sound like they are upping the amount of lines needed to acrue PTO. I normally get between 15 and 20,000 lines per pay period, so I am sure that will be fine but I am worried about the periods that have lower volumes, like most of January every year.
Webmedx lets you carry them from year to year sm
You can accrue up to 140 hours (I think) before you stop the accrual process. Don't have to use it all in one year.
I would stick it out, most places are slow now through the end of the year every year (nm)
x
I said "about to be" hired... not yet hired, and ........
considering it just like I would consider any job.... I didn't accept the job yet and wanted to check out the info out there.
Last year $36K part time, going to make more this year full time BUT sm

I AGREE it IS getting harder to make money.  I used to make $24 very part time 10 years ago and now...well it is Word and platforms versus WP5.1.  I got 7.5 cents a byte line then and I get 9.5 cents a character line now.  That IS a huge different in point of fact.


OH I WANT MY WORDPERFECT 5.1 BACK!!!!! Bwaaah!


No, I had to use their computer. Yes,
the accounts were full of ESLs.  I was off QA really quickly, though.  My team leader wasn't strict about the time schedules, but I always felt as if "big brother" was watching me.  If I had to pick the kids up early from school, I had to make up my time.  Understandable.  It's not a bad place to work.
If you are using your own computer,
you can have on it what you want and have attached to it what you please. Only if you are using their computers can they ask this.
buy computer
You have to have $300.00 deducted from your pay checks in increments and if you stay with them for 3 years they will refund the money; that is what I was told when I was thinking about working for them
Do you still have their computer?
It is my understanding that when computers are sent out, the understanding is that if MT leaves final paycheck is held until equipment is returned. Which does not seem unreasonable to me.
Do you have to have their computer? Can you use your own? nm
nm
use own computer, or theirs?
I was wondering if you get a company computer...I don't think Extext works on my computer, but If I had theirs, I could hook up my keyboard/monitor/mouse with a KVM switch to their towr
computer
thanks!  I get the drift!  I won't be downloading anything. 
What is the RAM. on your computer.
I was told when I first started that if I did not have 512 RAM on my computer it would cause the programs to lock up.  I tried updating my computer to 512 RAM so I bought memory card after memory card  but my computer is stubborn and won't go for it.  So I have been typing on Merit on 384 RAM and so far so good.  I was just thinking maybe that statement was for the Dictaphone. 
you have to use their computer - sm
A lot of companies want you to use their computers because you will be transcribing directly into the hospital system. There are other reasons that companies want you to use their equipment only, i.e. virus protections, spyware, etc. If you take the position with Diskriter, please note that you cannot do anything personal on their equipment. They do monitor it. This means no personal emails or looking at sites that are not work related. I'm not sure if they emphasize that any more, but they did when I worked for them. And yes, they definitely monitor it.
yes, you need your own computer.
I've only been there about 6 months.
No. Take a look at your computer and see sm
if maybe you have too much running in the background. That definitely slows everything down. I only have my virus scan running, nothing else, in my startup group. Works fine. It's not always the company server at fault.
Why would you need to buy a computer?
ouldnt you just upgrade if you needed to?
TT Computer

I can answer the question about the computer.  You can either use your own computer or rent one from them.  If you use their computer, the cost was around $9 a pay period (every 2 weeks).  It comes with everything you need. 


TT computer
You have to pay a rental fee, approx 9.00 a pay period.
No you don't have to use their computer
.
Using Mac computer
Does anyone out there know if new Mac computers will work on Word accounts?  I am told by the Apple store that they have Word you can install so will it work?  I'm getting tired of viruses and am told Macs do not get them.  Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Can you use your own computer? sm
They say they provide equipment at no charge, does this mean they provide a computer that you have to use? 
ANY new computer?
/
use your computer you have now
and once you start for them, you can buy a new one.
TT computer
It costs approx 9.80 or so a pay period to rent theirs
Computer
Gloria...you didn't step on my toes and I will be happy to answer your question. TT will lease you equipment for under $10 a pay period. It's okay equipment, too. Has all the programs they use downloaded in it. I rented mine for a while. Never had a problem. Got my own though and use mine now. TT is an excellent company to work for. These message boards are full of negativity and the negative comments are usually posted by those who are not good workers anyway. They complain about what they're being paid, cost of insurance, hard to meet line counts, QA, everything. I take into consideration EVERYTHING. I have worked for TT over a year now and it's simply the best company I've ever worked for. They are kind and treat you like a human being, they DO expect a quality product and you WILL go through QA in the beginning and periodically throughout the year. It's only reasonable to know that you will consistently be graded. I know personally a QA person and I know how rigid they are in demanding a perfect report. Luckily I never have more than 2 blanks in any of mine and even 1-2 blanks is rare for me. She has told me of people sending in reports with 5, 10, 12 blanks. To me if a person has to leave 5 blanks they are not a qualified Transcriptionist and I would never even consider keeping them on. When I look at the amount I am being paid per line (currently 8.5) I also take into consideration that they pay my internet when I consistently make my line count, I don't have to drive in rush hour traffic back and forth to go and come from my job, I save money in make-up, work clothing, I don't miss an average of 1.5 hours a day commuting to my job, I am not constantly hammered by the office to make MORE lines than what is asked of me to begin with and I receive little extras from TT throughout the year recognizing me as a human being (Christmas AmEx Gift Cheque for 25 bucks and MT Week 25 gift Cheque) not to mention being treated professionally. Yeah, the group insurance went up, but EVERYONES did. My husband had a BIGGER increase than I did and a few friends who work for other companies had a larger increase than ours did. It all turns out that I am making MORE money when I consider ALL things. I love working from home and I work well independently without someone peering over my shoulder every minute of the day. THAT in itself is worth countless $$$. TT is a good move...the best I've ever made and I would recommend them to anyone who is willing to work and not complain and moan all the time. Oh yeah, plus you don't have to deal with all the gossip that a hospital or in-house/office transcription position has. Women are constant bellyachers and most of them on this board that complain and spread negative thoughts about TT are simply the ones that would do it irregardless of the company they worked for. You work hard for TT and give them the lines they/you agree upon when you are hired and you will be richly rewarded, not only monetarily, but mentally as well. I love it and would not change for anything in the world right now. All the best and good luck!
MDI-MD, you use your own computer. nm
xx
Computer

Don't let the others get you down.  If you want to work for MDI, then do so. I have just cleared QA myself and started working on it at full throttle all week.  I must say that I have had work all day long Sun through Thursday.  I have been working mostly in the afternoons, evenings and into the night and when I finish my two weeks with my old company I will make it just nights again with some afternoon work.  They started me with just one account and when I could not finish the five jobs each day due to lack of work, 06/02/2008 through 06/06/2008, they immediately set me up with two other accounts to get work in.  They are serious about making sure you have enough work.  I have had work all week, 10 hours worth easy.  So, even if this is a sparse time in some accounts, it may be that others are needing help.  They will try to put you where you will fit the best, based on your experience and skills. 


As for the computer (I bought one for this job), I got one with XP in it.  Vista still has to many bugs in it and XP just seems really easy to use.  I bought a computer so that I could work for more than one company, if needed, on the same computer.  Can do that with a company provided computer.  If you want particulars, you can e-mail me.


 


Good luck in you search for a computer and/or job.


Anyone know if JLG provides computer? nm
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