My employers forbids us to have VoIP because...
Posted By: SM on 2006-06-07
In Reply to: Vonage & Faxing? - anon
it fouls up lots of things. Also, I have a friend with Vonage and we are constantly cut off, or it sounds like she is talking from the bottom of a fish tank. She hates it.
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VOIP - If I am not mistaken VOIP requires a high speed connection.
:(
VOIP
I think I'm going to try Vonage/VOIP, too, as I'm paranoid about getting back charged by a regular company. I already have used Qwest ULD before and got a letter after a few months threatening to terminate (there was no 5000 minute limit when I originally signed on), but fortunately I just cancelled it and there were no back charges. I don't see any minute limit with Vonage, but I have noticed that both the residential and small business plans have the same limitations which say things like continuous call forwarding (not sure that that is). I know a lot of transcriptionists use it and seem to not have problems, so I'm going to give it a try. I don't really know what else to do unless pay by the minute, but it'd cost me a fortune, even with a low rate plan.
VOIP
I have been using Vonage and yes it is true that if your internet goes out you have no phone service but you can set it up quite easily to automatically forward any calls to a cell phone or any number you want if your internet or electricity goes out. My internet rarely goes out and I have had no problems with my Vonage service. It did require some tweaking at first but I love it and I am saving so much money over Bellsouth that I had previously.
VOIP and 911
If you are switching to VOIP for telephone service, whether it is Vonage or another company, please make sure your 911 dispatch center can find you should you need them. The location of a land line phone and more and more cell phones (eventually all because they will all have GPS) will come up on computer-aided dispatch systems. This is not always the case with VOIP. When you choose your provider, give 911 a call in the late evening/early morning when they are not so busy, tell them you have a new phone system and inquire if a location comes up for you on their computer. Actually, anyone who moves or otherwise changes their phone number can (and probably should) do this. The middle of an emergency is not the time to find that 911 thinks you are somewhere you aren't.
VoIP
I use Vonage and I have that same problem. Sometimes it depends on the time of day. Let me know if it gets any better and with what company. I was told that AT&T does not like to help with that.
I have VOIP s/m
And yes, if the power goes out, so does your phone. Power does not go out that often. I do have a cell that is a prepay phone for when I'm on the road, etc., so in case of power outage, I can use that as well if I need to. Just think about it, if the power is out, your not working anyways...
Now I do have a generator as well, so if and when the power does go out, I can get that set up and use that as well.
Voice quality is just like the regular landline for me although I know some people that have had problems with different services. It is normally because of a setting that you need to adjust on your end.
AT&T VOIP has been great! (nm)
nm
Lanier and VOIP
I use digital phone with Time Warner for my Lanier account. I also kept my unlimited LD with Verizon as a back up, but use the digital phone service for my Lanier because I'm afraid that Verizon will catch up with me. Therefore, I have TWO lines, one land one (Verizon), and one VOIP (Time Warner). Both are unlimited LD, but if the cable goes out, I still have my land line. Hope this helps.
VOIP and internet - sm
Yes, the Lanier is plugged into the phone line just like your C-phone. The phone line is connected to the cable modem, so the phone line and your internet connection come through the same modem (I think...not sure of the technicalities). The VOIP is half the price of my land line with Verizon, and VOIP is truly unlimited, while Verizon watches the minutes.
I would go AT&T or Vonage VoIP instead
of hassling with unlimited long distance since ULD becomes an issue for MTs.
VoIP problems
I have had three different VoIP companies over the years, all at the request of my employer. I never lasted more than a week with any one of them and now I absolutely refuse to do that again. Had the same issues you have with the foot pedal and I was not using a C-phone nor a wave pedal. The audio quality would be choppy, there would be gaps where multiple words were missing, etc.
Out of those three different companies, not one could fix the problem, though they all acknowledged that the choppiness could be an issue "for some people". Lucky me!
Hope you fare better!
There is no way I would use any VOIP company
for dictation. I used Skype, and I used Packet 8 for home service. I have known people who have used Vonage. They are entirely too unpredictable and the sound most times is horrid. It might be okay for home use if you didn't call much, but there is no way I would use VOIP for something as important as dictation.
employers
I was just looking at the available jobs, and I noticed all of them require at least 2-5yrs experience. I also noticed that some of the employers can't even spell, yet experience is required. This seems kind of silly to me.
Anyone using VoIP (internet phone) with a
DVI or C-phone to transcribe, and does it work well? If so, what company do you use? Are those companies cracking down on transcription like the regular LD carriers?
VoIP plans are the only ones without restrictions
x
Anyone use VoIP phone system
and are you having problems with connectivity? We switched to internet-based phone service a few weeks ago and recently I started having problems with downloading the voice. I get the report but without any voice. If you have had this problem, how did you remedy it? I'm about at my wit's end. Thanks!
VOIP and internet connection - sm
I have VOIP with my cable provider, Roadrunner, and I can use my Lanier at the same time as I am on the Internet, no problems. In my area, this is much cheaper than unlimited long distance phone service with my land line provider (which I kept, by the way, as you have NO phone if your cable goes out). I have not had any problems at all. Hope this helps.
VOIP as second phone line
Is it possible to use VOIP as an extra phone line instead of investing in a second land phone line? I'm going to be working at my mom's a couple days a week. She has one phone line and DSL. At my house I only have dial-up. I have an account that requires two phone lines with no DSL, one for dictaphone, one for Meditech. I really hate to ask her to pay for another land phone line and was wondering if I could use VOIP. Thanks for any input.
my concern with VOIP with a C-phone is
how is the voice quality? I would be interested in something like Vonage as I can take that with me and travel.
voip.com has true unlimited
I called this morning and questioned her extensively on whether it was truly unlimited, and she assured me it was. www.voip.com - not to be confused with the generic voip service like Vonage. She did say that satellite internet users would probably not be happy with the connection, but I have DSL and it works perfectly. One warning - it disconnects at exactly 5 hours, so you have to remember to hang up and re-dial in prior to that.
Just tell prospective employers you...sm
Stop behaving like factory workers on piece-work, demand a fair "hourly wage" for what you do. Find out what is paid in your area, 13.00 to 17.00 dollars is what I often hear as a range for MT pay. Decide what you want, be willing to give an honest days work for an honest days dollar" and then only work for an hourly rate. You will say, but no one pays that, and I will say that is only because no one demands it. We are not migrant workers being paid for how many bushels of apples we pick, why should our take-home pay depend on whether or not the doc is ESL, or is just having a bad day? I don't know about the rest of you, but I need to know how much I will earn to determine how much I can spend. When we start acting like professionals, I think we will be treated like one.
My 2 cents is that I wish all employers - sm
of MTs, whether MTSO or inhouse, would realize that their MTs are an ASSET, not just another 'unnecessary' expense that somehow needs to be eliminated. And then treat them as such! A very intelligent & highly respected MD I once transcribed for told me he couldn't understand the whole downward spiral of the MT profession, pay, etc., because we were the MD's 'first line of defense' against malpractice. He said his job was to practice medicine, and our job was to help him document it accurately.
The wages most places offer are an insult right up front. And then all the sleight-of-hand when it comes to cheating MTs with 'doctored' line counts, late paychecks, etc., adds injury to insult for the MT.
I think part of the problem lies in the fact that because most MTs are home-based nowadays, it's just too easy for them to become faceless, nameless, non-persons to the employer, and it's just too easy for them to cheat someone they don't have to look in the eye every day at work.
I don't see why employers are so afraid to ask for ... sm
at least the minimum lines each day. I used to work at a hospital where the required minimum was I believe 40 minutes, which ain't a lot of work. Most times (and this was when we were in house) the girls would chat and chat and chat and go for lunch and chat and chat, etc., and never work. And they got by with it because they were too scared to demand that these people stick to the guidelines by which they were hired. One day I went in to work OT on a Saturday and worked 4 or 5 hours, and I don't remember what my line count was, but one person typed 12 lines. And she was supposed to be the regular Saturday morning person. Some saturdays I would go in to work and there would be NOBODY there. NOBODY typing in a hospital transcription dept. just because it was Saturday. They got by with it for years, continued to get by with it, and we lost our jobs to MQ because nobody worked and nobody made them work. Me, I worked. I worked a lot. I had (still have) goals, meet them, exceed them routinely because I happen to like paying the bills and having money left over. Like I always say, people whine on here about no work but when there's a lot of OT to be worked they are nowhere to be found.
I think most employers have just left
this board
Question for Vonage/VoIP users
If you are using Vonage for MT, do you use the residential or small business plan, and how many minutes a month do you use?
Thanks!
VoIP in lieu of landline phones?
I read a little article in one of those free local trade publications which discussed ways of saving money on everyday household costs. VoIP was listed as a way to save a ton of money by using your Net connection for your phone service.
The article didn't explain how it all works. Is anyone doing this? Do you hook up your phone to your cable connection or are you using some speaker system/software on your PC to make calls? I just don't get it. All I know is that they said you can call anywhere in the world and it doesn't matter, it's a fixed inexpensive monthly cost. I also don't know if you trade your landline telephone number for something through thte VoIP service.
So, I'm intrigued but totally in the dark about this concept. TIA!
I had VoIP back in Nov with my cable provider and then went with another IP and just used..sm
my landline because they did not offer VoIP. Now my IP offers it and it works great other than the pedal. Thanks for your help!
VoIP and foot pedal issues
For anyone using VoIP, do you find that your foot pedal does not always respond? IOW, you lift your foot from the foot pedal and the dictation continues along? Or, you have to press the foot pedal twice to get the system to respond. Sometimes, I'll press the rewind pedal for a second and I'm thrown back to the beginning of the report. --- My C-phone and foot pedal are both new, so it's not with my equipment. And AT&T says they don't support my equipment (although they were helpful once before).
Any suggestions to resolve the problem?
Well, it costs sometimes. I have had to change employers before because
they were not going to negotiate with me. HOwever, there are plenty of places to work and I have luckily landed in 2 good ones.
I feel very fortunate today with my employment. I know full well it may change tomorrow but I am prepared - emotionally and financially - and will not let that disrupt my life. Too many options out there, folks.
What is FTP site and do employers provide this?
I heard that they have this site and will give you a username and password. Or is this something I have to put together myself. If so, anyone have any information on how to set this up? Thank you.
Most employers are fine as long as you tell ...sm
them when you're interviewing the dates you'll be unavailable. When it usually becomes a problem is when someone says something like 2 days before Christmas "oh by the way I need the next week off...." and they wonder why you tell them no!
Illegal immigrants do it as well as their employers and....sm
they're oftentimes working "x" hours a week or even full-time. It's a big problem here in Georgia because it's not fair that these people not only get the jobs that they're being paid cash for but then they show up in the ERs when sick and are given Medicaid to pay the bill, even though they're not US citizens. Their kids are given free education and right now the illegal immigrant groups are mad because the state of Georgia is planning to start making them pay out of the country tuition to the universities if they aren't documented legal residents - which I think they should be forced to do. Heck, if I were to get on a plane to say France I couldn't walk off the plane and demand that I be allowed into college at the local tuition rates just because I'm there - whether or not I were there legally.
There's some legislation going forward in January here to put a stop to some of this but of course the illegal immigrant groups are fighting it.
I don't mind paying someone cash if they're doing something rarely for me (i.e. once or twice a year).
For those of you who use say teenage babysitters do you really report every dime you give them to the IRS? What about when you go to a restaurant and tip the wait staff in cash? Do you make sure the manager knows you gave them a cash tip so it's reported? Ever have a neighborhood kid rake leaves for you? Do you pay Little Johnny and then demand his SS# to report you gave him $20 to the IRS?
Still INFJ. We had to take these at a few of my previous employers.
I actually got denied promotion for being an INFJ. Go figure. Then another supervisor told me I was the exact type of employee they were trying to avoid because INFJs are two-faced backstabbers. I've never been like that. If I have a problem with someone, I'll measure the severity of the situation then tell them to their face. Nothing two-faced there. I don't think those personality tests are an accurate projection of a person's future actions or successes. They shouldn't be used in employment or managerial decisions.
Do employers not realize that a little explanatation
low work volume would go a long way? Nothing special, just to notify us. Just like they expect to be notified if our schedule changes, it would be nice if they let us know about volume and if they were trying to do something to get us more work, etc. Rather, they let us sit here and wonder what the problem is!!! 
Pity my employers? Furthermore, grow up!
x
Maybe I'm from old times, but I doubt employers could get away with that...
if the EMPLOYEE has proof they are really an employee and not an IC, especially when it came to tax time. They'd need their W2. That's why I ASKED. I'd flip if an EMPLOYER did that to me. There were no need to get snippy about it. I was stating a fact.
Part of the reason employers are getting away with - sm
turning MT into cheap sweatshop labor is because most people don't even know this problem even exists. It is the healthcare industry's "dirty little secret". If this skeleton in the closet of doctors & hospitals throughout the country were to be made PUBLIC (i.e., 60 Minutes,) maybe it would give us a foot in the door to getting things turned around, before we all have to move to India in order to survive in this business.
How valuable is the RMT credential to employers?
x
Did you notice they DON'T recommend that employers
Well then, gee -- I guess that just leaves the MTs! (Why am I not surprised?)
most employers use the Book of Style sm
for standards and I would get one and read up on it to know the latest info...what did you fail on your testing? Speed? accuracy? You can certainly brush up on these things with practice tapes/dictation. Have you thought of typing independently for clinics in your area? Don't forget about psychiatric clinics, physical therapy clinics and other, less obvious places where documentation is necessary. Go personally to a doctor's office, speak only to the office manager there and tell them you are looking for work, perhaps at first only as a helper/coverage for their current Transcriptionist (I cover many doctor's offices for vacations). It will get your foot in the door at least. I have had two doctors ask me to be their full time transcriptionist after their own had left because I was their vacation coverage and they knew I could handle the job. Keep your head up! Perhaps working at a local hospital is the way to go. Good luck to you!
I get extra incentive from my 2 employers too.
nm
Lingo that is who we use...VOiP, $22.95/month, six months already, no probs.
You might want to investigate further the post someone made about 2007 and VOiP. Seems the government is all hot and bothered because they need to tap phones and cannot do so with VOiP. They probably will end up taxing and surcharging eventually, as well, but for a while it can save you a lot of money...
Has anyone used Sun Rocket VOIP? If so, how is the voice quality and service? nm
I've heard C-phone with VOIP works well (sm)
and a lot cheaper, too. Forget the costly unlimited long distance and business plans! It may be a good idea to have another phone-line as a backup for your C-phone in case DSL/cable goes down.
cable phone and VoIP are the only TRUE unlimited
I can't find a single phone company that has TRUE unlimited. I've used VOiP in the past through Vonage with no problems. I got rid of it only because I didn't need ULD anymore, and they when I started needing ULD again I decided to switch to cable phone and internet. I bundle my cable, internet, and phone all together at a pretty reasonable price. Cable phone works great and no problems with heavy daily use.
Until employers start thinking of us humans again
sunk.
And the American Way seems to be "bottomline" all the way.
I wish Bill Gates had his computer stuck up where the sun doesn't shine and
the person who invented the "hold button" could be on the next space shuttle.
Those 2 objects set us back a million years in treating each other decent.
I know what you mean about even hospitals getting cut-throat about "produce,
produce". Seems like nobody cares if the product is a stinker or any good - just so
a warm body is in the chair and some black ink is on the paper so as to
collect money.
Having MQ experience on resume is appealing to employers.
I think the new employer realizes you have just come up from the bowels of the transcription field and will work hard and be dedicated if you actually survived for a few years with MQ.
That was my perception anyway. Whenever I would state MQ was a past employer, they seemed pleased and anxious to talk more.
I suspect employers are being forced to care. SM
Since it's a new platform, it's a new problem that probably a lot of companies are just waking up to. My sympathies for people who find themselves effectively "forced" to use it as it apparently is now.
With serious compatibility issues with common brands of the Expanders that have become vital to so many of us, at this point I would not apply to a company using it, and I suspect few other good experienced transcriptionists reading about it would either. This seems such a grave flaw that it will have to be repaired, or this platform will end up a dead end used by only a few institutions.
How about contacting the company that developed the platform directly for answers and fixes? Also the developer of your own expander, who must be well aware of the issues Chartscript raises for them. The ShortHand tech guy (not my own MTSO techs!) fixed me up promptly when I was put on eScription and developed glitches. Best wishes with this.
No way. Univ. of Phoenix is considered a joke by employers!
http://uopsucks.com/negletters.html
The best way to obtain an on-line degree is to attend an accredited university that was already well-known for its academic program way before the internet was invented.
Check out University of Massachusetts, Temple University in Philadelphia, University of Minnesota.
The fly-by-nights like U. of Phoenix are the equivalent to the crap that used to advertise "degrees" on the back of matchbook covers and have no credibility in educational and career circles.
Seriously, stick with an accredited, well-known school, not some bogus piece of crap like that.
You get what you pay for.
Yes - I agree - my 2 employers didn't even acknowledge MT week - so this was very nice
DH & I started new jobs & his mom died. Employers couldn't care less. nm
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