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Luck is a factor

Posted By: LK on 2007-11-04
In Reply to: My experience exact opposite- Me willing work 6 days, regular sched, 100% QA last review- Company: N - ls

but are MT companies all so bad? If you have been at 10 companies in 10 years, and all were bad, that is very bad luck and I feel for you. I've been with only 1 company for the 2-1/2 years I've been doing MT and have had no problems with them. Good account, good supervisors, good pay, occasionally run low on work, but rarely. I get very nervous reading that so many companies out there are horrible. Actually a lot of people think my company is horrible from the posts I read here, but it hasn't been for me. I'm going to be nervous if I have to look for a new job.


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the key factor would
be do they consistently have an abundance of work?
There must be a personal talent factor to it. SM
So many say they lose money, I'm another who definitely makes more editing, i.e., significantly more than double the line count, but then I'm not a fast typist, so shifting a lot of the emphasis from fingers to reading and editing decisions works for me. Now, if only I had fast fingers, too...
definitely a deciding factor there. I am already stressed
with my current situation and huge cut and turned down a few other offers b/c high ESL would be MORE stressful, so good to know. thanks so much for the heads up...are you a TT?
It's that 'ol GREED factor, again! - no/msg.
x
you didn't factor in what you would have spent

working in an office - clothes, shoes, gas, vehicle wear-and-tear, driving in bad weather, lunches, travel time (what's your time worth to you), make-up (I only wear make-up when I'm going out), laundry (I wear my sweats twice before washing), office donations/kids selling stuff, manicures/pedicures, pantyhose (I count that separate from clothes cuz it's a PITA to wear).


Then there's all the stuff you miss out on cuz you're working - kids' school programs, ball games, dance recitals, on and on. 


I'd love to make more than 9 cpl, but the truth is a lot of us don't even make that.  You have to weigh the good with the bad.  I'd rather make a little less than have all the stuff above to deal with.  I never got in this biz to become a millionaire.  I got it in to be home and I wouldn't give that up for a few extra bucks!!!!


Some things to consider that factor into line rates. sm
There are two sides to this. The larger companies like MQ, Spheris, Transcend, Keystrokes, et AL have a lot more accounts and more volume so they make their money on volume and can pay more. They also have more overhead than smaller MTSOs and need payroll people, recruiters, benefits people, etc.

But here is what no one considers: If I pay someone 0.09 per line, I have to pay taxes and unemployment on them. My portion is 15% between SS and unemployment. Benefits such as PTO and the portion I pay for insurance and 401K (there is a fee to the employer to have someone run it at the company that you have your 401K with), etc cost me approximately 22% more. So actually, 9cpl + 37% = 12.3cpl. Add the cost of doing payroll, bank fees, liability insurance, etc. and there is not a whole lot left over. Most hospitals will not pay more than 13cpl, some 14cpl. My break-even is 13.2 cpl. This is normal; I talk to many MTSOs at MTIA meetings and on my own. The big ones above are the only ones that make a lot of money, but their companies produce a lot of lines every month.

Do I make good money? Yes, but I put in a lot of time getting accounts and keeping them happy, doing the juggling act to keep my employees busy on good accounts. Payroll takes time, recruiting takes time, sales take time PLUS a lot of accounts take a lot of day-to-day work.

I am not complaining about being an MTSO, I just want you to know that there are two sides to everything and the industry changes prevent us from paying more than 7 to 9 cpl. Factor in offshore driving our costs down and those companies that undercut everyone, and small MTSOs may go the way of 8-Track Tapes.

I see the industry going to just 10 companies or so and hopefully they can stay in business too with speech recognition, offshore and everything else that comes along.
Sure, factor it in, but no one knows what the future holds and MTSO has no control over those
:+
Agree. It' hard to use that as a rule-out factor nowadays.

Where you live doesn't factor in when you work with nationals.
When you work on-line, companies will pay the same regardless of whether you live in NYC or in some small town. I live in a small town and I am nearing $40,000 as an IC for 2 national companies. My pay is not based on where I live or my cost of living, rather on my production. I am paid 8 cpl, but because I use an Expander and can transcribe 250 lph, I make a decent wage.

This is only my third year as an MT and I have been with one of my companies for a year and a half and the other one for 8 months, so it doesn't take years and years. I did have to change jobs a few times though until I found the right companies and the right accounts that I could make money on. Some of the accounts I worked in the beginning had so many ESLs and the platforms were so slow that I knew I could never make any money there.
What you need personally to cover your bills should be the deciding factor. And what you MIGHT earn
m
The insurance cost is double for Transcend but insurance probably doesn't factor in for her.
I have heard more good things about Axolotl than Transcend, although it seems Axolotl may be less flexible with your schedule and someone told me that QA was pretty strict, which should not matter either if you have worked for a hospital and know what your QA score is.
Not unethical, when you factor in the unethical companies
She's just another MT trying to make a living like the rest of us. The old way of taking it 1 job at a time while you dump 4 fly-by-nights in order to find one that is honest and actually PAYS its MTs, can lead to lots of between-job time with no pay at all. MT has become a cutthroat business, and in order to stay in it, one has to sometimes turn the tables on these unscrupulous MTSOs. If EVERYONE did, you better believe they'd clean up their act pronto.
Sorry about your luck!
I am not frustrated, nor fat. I am 5'6, 125 pounds. LOLOL. I will never fall off of my soapbox as I have crazy glue stuck to my feet everytime I get up there!!! Take me or leave me, I will keep coming here. Ok PATTI????
I wish you luck, but I had a very
bad experience with them. You know, I would say exactly what my experience was as I have so many times in the past, but it seems that every time I post specifics, I get jumped on, so suffice it to say, I would stay away.
All of them. You'd probably have more luck actually
getting your money by contacting the Labor Board, but I would definitely file complaints with the other two, so that a complaint if on file and maybe they'll think again about their business practices. 
Not much luck either
We tried it for over a year and just had an awful time.  The biggest problem was nobody could hear us.  We could hear everybody else fine.  We also had a LOT of times when it was just dead period.  Then it started to interfere with the router so it was either one or the other, wireless router or vonage router.   We also found when we had to call 911 that it absolutely kills the line.  We had to call them and it took an hour for the line to be reset.  Their modem died right at 60 days and we had to buy another one.
Thanks and best of luck to you too :-) sm
I had that philosphy all through my 30-year career until bonus structure changed and I had no choice but to be stable income-wise and have control of what I brought in.

I agree with everything you said and sounds like you've found yourself a good niche :-)

Wish me luck....

I'm starting a new account tonight as an IC and just got the necessary equipment.  I've got the manual at my side and QA on standby, but I've never used this platform.


Cross your fingers for this fellow MT, please!!!  



 


I wish you luck. Do you have another MT job yet?
What other companies are or were you considering to move to from Transcend. Just wondering because I am a long-time MT and don't want to leave my job because of the economy yet, not making enough to pay the bills either.
Sorry....been looking myself and no luck.
Everyone wants full time and mostly nights to boot.
I wish you the best of luck
but are you sure that these companies are in hiring mode right now?
TY! I sometimes think I need all the luck I can get!
x
Any luck??
I was just hired by Keystrokes and I am looking too for a C-Phone. I was told by the recruiter that I have to purchase one....so I have been checking out E-Bay, Craig's List and everywhere else I can think. I just cannot afford the 400.00 for a new one!!! BUT, I guess if push comes to shove, I will have to pay that much. :(
Luck? Perhaps.
Whatever it is, I'll take it. And if things turn sour, I will do everything I have to to sweeten it back up again. But I'm not going to go looking for trouble where, right now, there is none.

And right now I am cursing the air blue (okay, not really, but I'm THINKING bad words!) because I just drew a 10-minute dictation from the WORST dictator to EVER cross my path in 37 years....

I think I need more coffee.
Have had good luck with them since Feb.
I was told about a horror story that went on between them and one MT when I was brought on. Nothing even close has happend to me or another MT that I talk to from Medscript. Perhaps it was a two way horror story for the owner and the MT? I will post an email address if anyone has specific questions I can try to help. 
Good luck to you
I worked for MQ for years, and if you want ANYTHING you have to continuously harass "the higher ups." Remember, it is your money, and it is owed to you, don't let up on them or you will get NOTHING! Management sucks at MQ.
Sorry, I do not. Good luck!
x
GOOD LUCK!
Insurance costs are just outrageous nowadays--I can hardly afford it, and the costs seem to increase with every new enrollment period.
Good luck
No problemo! Best of luck to you!
Good luck!!!! They don't even pay
let alone spaces!!! They blowing smoke up, well, you know where!!!!
Good luck.
Ditto. I will keep my fingers crossed for you.
Could be! Let us know how it goes and good luck!
.
Good luck to you then...

I just saw above where you had worked for DSG. That was another I had considered in the past but saw quite a bit of negative at one time. May I ask why you left DSG?


Thanks!


Good luck to you as well. sm
Bascially DSG wasn't willing to pay me what they thought I was worth, which sounds stupid, but it's true. Everything else except for the pay was perfect. I loved working there, and I recommend them. They have had some growing pains in the past, but things have leveled out quite a bit. I wish you the best.
my pleasure.....best of luck (nm)
/
Good Luck...let us know what happens with Lou..nm
:)
Good luck
I was offered the same deal but there was no work when I started.  Nada, nothing. I had 9 jobs for an entire week and was told I couldn't get a backup because I wasn't off of 100% QA, and couldn't come off 100% QA because there was no work!!!  When I left, they did NOT pay the training bonus as promised and I reported them to the Attorney General.
Don't know anything about them but good luck!!
:)
Best of luck to you, congrats.
x
Soon to be Ex-MQ'er with luck!
nm
That's up to you. Good luck! :) nm
.
yep, me too.....good luck to you! :)

Good luck to you too!!

tt


Your welcome and good luck.....nm
/
Good luck! sm
Bet it is the same company I worked for. If it is, you will never get it. Was told my check was in the mail 10 months ago, and never received it. I had my own equipment so there was nothing to return.
Good luck on this one
nm
I did not have good luck!
Jim, the hiring manager, was supposed to send me all of the new hire papers, etc. No word from him. I e-mailed him constantly and called him constantly to find out where the papers were and when I was going to start. He totally ignored me. I call that very unprofessional. That should tell you something about the company. There seems to be a big turnover because they are always constantly hiring.
Well good luck with that one. I will not
:(
Best of luck to you in your new venture.
.
KS's GOOD LUCK!!
I went into that totally blind and naive.....never again...lets face it...if your willing to put forth all your effort looking up things that the company should have referenced you with before they threw you into a contract....that tends to leave a bitter taste in your mouth!
Good luck!
nm