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They also use tactics based on "sale points" which tease the customer

Posted By: another point on 2006-01-04
In Reply to: Drastic under bidding for products. Single handedly took out Rubbermaid - From what I recall

to the specific area (such as a microwave for $25.00) and then consider that if the customer took 10 additional steps, he would see the microwave he realloy would prefer (say a GE for $69.00) and since the customer is so thrilled with the dirt cheap price of the initial microwave, he purchases the GE microwave which is ACTUALLY PRICED HIGHER THAN OTHER STORES!!!!

Dastardly!


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I didn't hear the whole story, just the tease part, but there
are 18 elementary school students pregnant in one school.  Let me repeat ELEMENTARY.   I didn't even know what *ex was when I was in elementary school,  much less having it. 
some of my tactics

Mine is also disabled, but mostly lazy/bored.  One thing I've tried is I got him cordless headphones and insisted he wear them when watching TV while I'm working - or else I'll work on speaker and turn it up LOUD so I can hear to work and we can both be miserable.  When he pushes me to the limit with his random interruptions - I'll take the headphones off and put it on speaker to remind him I'm actually working.  I also do this when I have particularly horrid ESL dictations - this causes him to have more respect for how hard I have to work.  When all else fails, I punch out and inform him I am definitely losing money for each moment I have to spend talking to him, and that he can expect a few less groceries this week since his drama can't wait until I'm not working.


RANT - Its disgusting that grown men have to be told over and over that you are WORKING and you need to make MONEY instead of play pattycake with them all day while you both go bankrupt.  If a man wants to indulge in traditional role reversal they need to take on the traditional role of the non-bread-winner and make the effort to make the breadwinner's life EASIER and more PRODUCTIVE (such as making MY dinner).  This concept is such a challenge to them and it should not be.  Mine whines that he is my "slave" since he makes me a meal once a day and lays on his butt the rest of the time.  My days off are spent cleaning up his messes and doing mutual chores such as laundry.  He often threatens to leave because I'm so "demanding" and I tell him to go right ahead, there surely must be zillions of people dying to take him in and provide him a car, so he can lay on his butt, make messes, consume mass amount of food and contribute nothing to their household but grief.


scare tactics?
Oh my gosh, scare tactic?  Not at all.  I just figure if MQ reads this board and they see there is gonna be a work-out/walk-out in October, they might think they need to do something too.  I have had experiences with hospitals that I worked for trying to unionize and also have seen retaliation from the CEOs office.
Sounds like union tactics, dues and all.
.
Line-based vs. hour-based requirement
Hospitals do have an hourly requirement, and generally incentive after a certain line level. MQ only has a line based requirement, which is 12,000 per pay period. The hourly requirement is strange, unless they now plan to convert to an hourly pay plan?
There are good points and there are bad and ugly points. Unfortunately, the bad and ugly get
deleted.  Just the other day there was info and it seems to be more positive.  Like any MT job, some love it, some hate it.  But, having been employed there, the bad parts are/were true.   The changes sound great but not great enough to make me change my mind about working for them.  I do say she pays well for the area.  She is one of the rare business owners who actually started out as an MT..I think that makes a big difference in pay.
Vonage customer
No problems here. I wanted to go through Time Warner, as we already have cable and internet through them, and they display the number on your TV (very cool), but Vonage was still cheaper.
customer service

We tried for five solid weeks to get signed up with Vonage.  Wasted well over six full hours over the telephone (we just have a plain old residential house, some question of a second line coming out of the house, but no other complications) with 99% ESL's who could not communicate properly with us.  The savings were the carrot in front of our face, which is why we were so patient with having them try to get us set up, but because of one fiasco after another with JUST TRYING TO GET US SET UP, we decided it was not worth it.  We will wait until it has been perfected.  Also the 9-1-1 was a very important factor, as was Privacy Manager for us.    Weigh your options.  Best of luck to you.


For customer service.....
Someone filled me in that if (when) you get somebody from overseas, all you have to do is ask them to transfer the call to somebody in the states.  That way you don't have to try to decipher what they are trying to say, and you get someone from the U.S.  I tried this, and it worked well with no problems. 
Those Customer Service Centers
You have to do what I do. Sometimes if I call and I can't understand a word the service rep is saying to me (after telling me his name is Paul), I ask them to send me back to an office in the United States. They generally don't know what to say at that point because they have no scripted answer to that type of question. It gets your point across without having to resort to nastiness (not implying that you were in any way), which I used to resort to and you have stumped them to the point where they generally will return you to the main office which is in the U.S.

Take care and good luck with the doctor.
Up-date from CC offshore customer rep.

Okay, I found a phone number on my statement for thier "Premier" card so I called that number.  I asked where the rep was located and she told me Buffulo, NY and her name was Vivian.  I got the answer to my question and then told her I had initially called and got hold of a center in the Phillipines but I refused to talk to them.  I asked how I could go about lodging a complaint about the company offshoring.  She said she could forward the complaint for me but it probably wouldn't do any good.  I told her it would do some good if more people did as I was doing and also lodged complaints about offshoring.  I explained that in my profession offshoring a a huge problem and that it was only a matter of time before SHE lost her job to offshoring also.  I told her to include in my complaint that her bosses worked for  me and if I, and others like me, refused to use their services, her boss and the company's management would be looking for new jobs.  Vivian told me they have call centers all over the world and I just lucked out using the :"Premier"  phone number because I do not have a "Premier" card.  She said in the future if I want to get a rep in the US, I will probably have to hang-up and call back, several times maybe, until I got hold of a US rep.  (Yeah, right, I am calling the Premier number first thing).  But, at least I know what it might take to get a US rep.



I realise even the offshore people are just looking to make a living but what about all the US citizens trying to make a living, only to see their jobs go offshore? And I agree that it is "managament" that is responsible for this, but until we stand up for ourselve, no one else will.  Management works for us!!  Just like the managment of the MTSOs and even the Nationals have no job without us.  It it too easy to say, "Well, just this one time, I will use the foreign call center,  One time won't make a difference."  But it is that one time, added to your one time and added to her one time, added to my one time and on and on, that WILL make a difference.  It is too easy to sit back and wait for someone else to solve the problem.  That attitude will get us nowhere but out of work or working for slave wages




I realise even the offshore people are just looking to make a living but what about


Love it, I am a loyal customer
I have had it for over four years with no trouble. They have a 24 hour call-in center. You can also adjust your bandwidth settings on your Vonage account page, which was probably what was giving you internet problems. I have never experienced this. It was probably your equipment or your settings that you should have adjusted.

The only downside is when your cable or DSL is out, so is your phone. This only happens every now and then. Like once every few months. I kept a land line phone for backup in the past for an extra $20 a month, but I no longer needed it so I disconnected it.

You get all features, voicemail, 3-way calling, call-waiting with caller ID. I can't even think of them there are so many. In my opinion, Vonage is the way to go. I guess everyone has their own opinion of the company though.
That's fine, will give them another of their customer
service numbers when they figure this out. At least it has been a quiet day today!

They start calling at 7 a.m. and don't stop calling until sometimes after 11 p.m.

The bill is not late. As a matter of fact, I checked our account status and the payment was there as of noon today. It's actually due on October 23.

It is simply harrassment. They want us to pay check by phone and we refuse. No way in H@!! am I going to give them our banking information.
BOS is just a style guide... do what the customer wants! sm
If my client does not have a preference I go by BOS.  If they do state a preference I do what they want.  If I feel the *BOS* way is better for proper interpretation of the report, I will advise that, but otherwise what they say is golden. 
I May Get a Radiology Customer and Need Advice

 


Can anyone advise me on radiology transcription. I've never done it. (I have a small MT service and would try to find someone to do this work)... I'm looking for advice on:


-- Pricing, I understand you usually charge by the page and not the line.


-- Is it advisable to pursue this, since I have never done it. I hear Radiology is "a different animal" - Good/Bad idea as owner of a small service to pursue this? 


Thank you,


Dave


they will not provide you with customer support.
I had problems tyring to defend that I should have customer support if I did such a thing. They will help you load XP but they will not give you any customer support afterwards, I never loaded with XP but after telling them the sales person gave me the wrong info (I wanted to make sure I could still use this computer if a company was still with windows XP and the sales person said no problem)  This was last summer.  After fighting tooth and nail they credited my account.  Tell them you want it for a business so that way you get someone who knows what they are talking about, hopefully. 
Have to talk to Customer Service. There are only one or two
models available with XP. I got one about a year ago. Saw a post recently that someone had just got one with XP through them, an Inspiron I think, and that they had a few left at that time.
I am a Comcast customer (HSI/cable TV) and wonder if I

should go with Comcast for long distance calling.   Or, is there a better plan?  Vonage perhaps?  I have AT&T right now, maybe they have a package that includes free long distance calling. 


Signed, Just got a new Job


Dedication to customer service? Are they SERIOUS?
x
Here is customer service email

Shame on them for not letting you know would cost $10!!!!!


click the link and send Paypal an email with your question


Maybe call customer support? HA! sm
But if your warranty has run out, they'll charge $20 or more, and as often as not they probably don't know what they're talking about. At least that's been my experience.

Have you installed ANY new software into your laptap lately, such as a new virus protector. They can do really treacherous things to your computer software. If you have, maybe try uninstallling it and see if that helps.

Once I put in a new antivirus and it locked up by browser--years ago, but that's what came to mind.
Just talked to offshore customer service
I just got off the phone to my CC company. The sales rep that answered had no accent but on a hunch I asked where she was located and after much hesitation, she replied she was in the Phillipines.  I told her I wanted to speak to a rep. in the US.  She put me on hold and a few seconds later returned, asking me why.  I told her I was totally against offshoring.  Once again I was put on hold and after a long wait, her supervisor got on the line.  This was a male with no accent so to be sure I asked him where he was located and again, the answer was the Phillipines.  I told him I wanted to speak to a US rep.  He asked why and I told him I was against offshoring.  He said it was not possible to tranfer me to a US rep.  I explained that I had made this same requist before and had been transferred but he said it was not possible this time.  I told him I will email the company and try to get a US phone number that way.  I will let you all know what happens.  I am so angry I could spit.
irrelevant what MTSO charges the customer...
as long as you feel the price they pay you is sufficient for you. nuff said.
working as a customer service rep from home....sm

taking phone calls like orders for things, etc.,  showed very pregnant woman with little kids with phone headset working on computer . Raved about flexibility, own hours, fit her schedule, blah, blah....   Had to be able to work alone, etc., all the work ethics we have to have, and good typist.  Full time, they said pays VERY well, with emphasis on the "very."  I think this woman was making 12-15 an hour, can't remember exactly.  Said there were about 10,000 women doing it and it is the up and coming thing.  Check out the GMA website... I think it was "Women at Work"...... something like that. 


purchasing computers with customer service in US?
okay.here it goes.  I thought it might be worth asking if anyone know of any companies that sell computers where you don't have to go through customer service outside of the US?   TIA. 
Call Nicole at customer service...
This is THE best company I have ever dealt with. I downloaded the trial and in a day or two received a very nice personable email from Nicole wanting to know how I liked the Gearplayer. Then my trial ran out before I really got to try it because we had to go out of town so they let me try it an additional 5 days. On my fifth day I had just started working and was so behind because I took my mom for a test. It was last Thursday actually. I placed my order over the phone and was going to have to wait until Monday for the software to come in. Nicole gave me a third extension so I would not lose money and the software arrived the very next day!

I do want to add that when trying the 3rd trial I had the same problem you are having and I called their tech depatment. Mike had me back on within minutes without putting me on hold even one time!

The customer care is unmatched and the product itself has the best sound quality and the settings are so easy to use. I can't recommend them enough. Good luck!
Their customer service is pretty good when you have
s
That's because Dell's customer service is outsourced to India. sm

The guy probably answered yes, yes, yes to all your quesions and didn't understand a single word.


very unhappy verizon customer, i switched about 6 months ago
nm
I wish customer service departments would stop hiring
these people who have this terrible nasal twang of those wannabe CSI Miami blonde bimbos (the so-callled  bullet expert).  You cannot understand a word they say, everything is nasal and words run together.  If doctors ever pick up this habit we are sunk.
Does anyone have a contact # for Medword? They have awful customer service!

After contacting HomeEx I ordered the Absolute Experience tapes through them. I wrote under additional instruction to tell the delivery person "Do Not Knock!"


Today the postman bangs on my door and needs a signature confirmation. If he had those instructions he would have delivered it to the apartment office. If I had been working, I could have lost my job for the backroud noise!


I ordered a 3 CD set and in the enevelope there is only 1 CD and transcripts that do not match it.


The outside cover says Package 1 of 2. Why wouldn't they send 3 CDs and the transcripts in the same package? From the ad it is a "set" of 3 CDs. I go to the website to contact them and I need an invoice # to email them about a shipment! There is no original invoice or copy or anything in my package!  I called the # on my package but it's HomeEx not Medword.


Does anyone have a contact #?


GearPlayer customer service stinks - if you need to reload onto another computer (i.e. you get a new
You have to call them to get a new install code,but first they have to fax you a request sheet to be completed and faxed back,then they have to okay the reinstall and give you a new code. They are NOT available after hours or on weekends, so if you have an emergency such a computer crash,you are out of luck.
Check your boxes and stuff for some sort of customer service...
I think you got a bad one. Return.
Two points

According to the BOS:


1.  You are supposed to substitute mL for cc.

2.  When quanity and unit of measure immediately follow a heading such as estimated blood loss, use numerals.


two points
what is a sentence ends and the next sentence starts with...
80% how do you do that?
Just a few points

Okay...here goes...


So, currently I work in-house at my local hospital.  (Probably shouldn't mention this cuz it's rude, but just trying to give accurate information)..I make 16.47 an hour, plus benefits.  I love my job and it is supporting me and my husband (who is in college at the time...graduating in JUNE!!!)...So, it's worth it.  However, I have to deal with a LOT of crap from the other MTs in-house.  Lots of bitterness, competitiveness, bi*chiness, etc.  I am dealing with it because I know I am not going to do this forever.  Which brings me to my next point:


Don't stay in this job for a long time!!!  You won't go anywhere with it, if anything you will probably get laid off due to outsourcing.  I, myself, am starting school for medical coding.  I will be done with school ($2000) in June and then get started in my new career.  If have been a medical Transcriptionist for 6 years and have done everything from psychiatric to internal medicine to sleep studies as an IC (and it's not worth being and IC in my opinion because of all the taxes you have to pay...big bucks) and my best job yet has been working in-house at my current job.  However, like I said, MTing is not going to get you anywhere fast.  If you want a job that takes you to the next level, go into coding.  There are a lot more career opportunities out there and you can eventually work from home being a coder as well. 


If I had to do it over I would have gone straight into coding (except for the fact that I got a lot of medical experience working as an MT).  Good luck to all of you who decide to stick with MTing, but I don't think it will reward you in the future.  I believe it is a dying profession and we all need to move on while the opportunity is here. 


I pray for all of us to be able to support ourselves and our family!  I know it's tough out there and we all are struggling to make end's meat.  Just keep on keepin on and we'll all make it through some how. 


 


Points well taken, thank you.
Your points are well taken. I was being a bit vague in what I was actually thinking - there are times on this board that things turn really nasty and hateful, and some of the MTs who are on this board appear to turn on each other, squabble about meaningless points. I really didn't want to encourage a hate-fest against anything, that's all. I think that is indeed unproductive.

BUT, you are right... we can't just be all happy we want fair pay and expect things to change or that we will be heard. We do have to have a stance and a mission and goals. After posting, I did a search here on AHDI and found that I'm hardly the only MT who feels this way, and saw some really great posts back in Sept 2008.

And, I do agree, there are times when it pays to be against smoething (and risk appearing "negative").

So, where do we go from here? Most of these threads seem to die out... and maybe this one will too. I'm hoping it won't, but I really don't have a clue where to go from.

My thought is to brainstorm and continue this dialogue - but I'm not sure MT Stars is the correct venue?

What does anyone think about an email list - that would mean using our real names and emails - to interact off of this forum. I may be way off here - if so, please, opinions welcome! I am not sure going on and on about it here is the momentum that is needed... nor am I sure talking about it on an email list is either, but it's the only idea I have. I don't have the knowledge or time to create a website forum for a group to form via that method.

Maybe this will all sputter out after we all vent again here, I dunno, but I really hope not. Someone mentioned to me today it may well be too late, that trying to organize could push VR and offshoring even faster... I don't want to believe that.

I have a ton of ideas and thoughts and have seen so many good points and posts about how AHDI has hurt U.S. MTs.

We need to band together.

So. From here I make the suggestion that anyone interested in participating in an email list (where we can send a group email by hitting reply all and sharing our thoughts and hope and ideas for a mission and how to get something organized) write to me via email.

I'm not interested in being a leader of this per se, but I am willing and motivated to try as best I can to get some sort of ball rolling.

Let's do this?! I hope the MTs who were posting about this way before I did, back in 2008, will reply too.

Tech Support, your thoughts are exactly what I am envisioning us doing on an email list. Let me know what you think of this and if you want to participate. Thank you for responding so thoughtfully.

Any other ideas, please!



Points well taken, thank you.
Your points are well taken. I was being a bit vague in what I was actually thinking - there are times on this board that things turn really nasty and hateful, and some of the MTs who are on this board appear to turn on each other, squabble about meaningless points. I really didn't want to encourage a hate-fest against anything, that's all. I think that is indeed unproductive.

BUT, you are right... we can't just be all happy we want fair pay and expect things to change or that we will be heard. We do have to have a stance and a mission and goals. After posting, I did a search here on AHDI and found that I'm hardly the only MT who feels this way, and saw some really great posts back in Sept 2008.

And, I do agree, there are times when it pays to be against smoething (and risk appearing "negative").

So, where do we go from here? Most of these threads seem to die out... and maybe this one will too. I'm hoping it won't, but I really don't have a clue where to go from.

My thought is to brainstorm and continue this dialogue - but I'm not sure MT Stars is the correct venue?

What does anyone think about an email list - that would mean using our real names and emails - to interact off of this forum. I may be way off here - if so, please, opinions welcome! I am not sure going on and on about it here is the momentum that is needed... nor am I sure talking about it on an email list is either, but it's the only idea I have. I don't have the knowledge or time to create a website forum for a group to form via that method.

Maybe this will all sputter out after we all vent again here, I dunno, but I really hope not. Someone mentioned to me today it may well be too late, that trying to organize could push VR and offshoring even faster... I don't want to believe that.

I have a ton of ideas and thoughts and have seen so many good points and posts about how AHDI has hurt U.S. MTs.

We need to band together.

So. From here I make the suggestion that anyone interested in participating in an email list (where we can send a group email by hitting reply all and sharing our thoughts and hope and ideas for a mission and how to get something organized) write to me via email.

I'm not interested in being a leader of this per se, but I am willing and motivated to try as best I can to get some sort of ball rolling.

Let's do this?! I hope the MTs who were posting about this way before I did, back in 2008, will reply too.

Tech Support, your thoughts are exactly what I am envisioning us doing on an email list. Let me know what you think of this and if you want to participate. Thank you for responding so thoughtfully.

Any other ideas, please!



I agree with you on several points

That is, if you have a reputable daycare that is organized with caring people educated in childhood development. My neice was recently changed from a nursery (2 yrs old) because she was found lying on the floor in a corner at the nursery by her mother who came to pick her up at 5:15 p.m.. She had a 103 degree fever, and no one had bothered to call my sister about it. Anyone knowing that child would know she would have to be sick to be lying around when other kids are present. The new nursery is the different in night and day. She gets a report every day from what the child eats to even how many times a day she poops. It's wonderful and the child's attitude when she gets home... a world of difference. My sister thought she had a caring daycare, until she moved. Now she knows what one is really like. To all who have to put children in daycare, KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOURS!


Also, you second point, the shyness... I was also raised at home by my mother and never put in daycare and I was "painfully" shy when I got to school. I had a hard time throughout my school years because of it. Now as an adult, I don't think there is anything holding me back, but I had to work hard to get out of the shyness. I think because I was at home, I didn't know other kids but they knew each other and I never seemed to fit in.


 


 


great points...sm
You've really given me a lot to think about this early Thursday mornin'...thanks! You're right, though. A lot of the issues you bring up, I have NEVER thought of.  Wow, pretty eye opening post! It's about time something worth reading was posted...
Here's some points to ponder....sm

1.  You can go ahead and cash the checks you received and it 's guaranteed money.


2.  You can wait and join the class action suit if you haven't and not cash the check; however, remember that in class action lawsuits the only true winners are the lawyers.  They end up getting most of the money in the end and generally the plaintiffs end up with a very small amount.  It irks me to see things like class action suits that results in the attorneys receiving millions of dollars in legal fees and the plaintiffs end up with less than  $100 because the legal fees ate the money available up.   Look at people who sue insurance companies over automobile accidents for example.  Say an attorney gets them $500,000 - well the attorney gets $250,000 for legal fees and the injured party receives $250,000 - and in situations where they receive large monies it's generally because the person is going to have permanent health problems related to the accident that future insurance companies will exclude paying for.   $250,000 isn't a lot of money if you have an injury that will cause chronic problems throughout your life.


3.  Remember that if you do join the suit that this will probably be tied up in court for years so don't expect a quick settlement if they do decide to settle.  Agreeing to settle a case outside of court doesn't mean the defendant is guilty - sometimes it's cheaper to settle out than to continue racking up costs associated with the lawsuit.  


As a note I don't work for MQ - I've just been out there in the legal world to see very commonly that what people think will happen isn't what happens in the long run.  The best you'll get is checks for any amount you weren't paid properly and possibly some interest, but don't expect to get a truckload of cash because they messed up your paychecks.  Instead if you wait on the lawsuit then you may end up having to share the back wages with the attorneys. 


You made several of my points..
With hard work and encouragement, the helping hand from the government helped produce productive citizens.  You had the advantage at least of an intact family.  Think of a poor baby born to an uneduated teenager mother with no father.  Without a lot of hard work and self determination, no amount of money from the govt. is going to end that vicious cycle.
what is their points review
doesn't sound like its in our favor, is it part of the new mt/me rewards plan??
I agree with some of your points. sm
I didn't post my original post to argue. I simply offered a different opinion and what I thought were some good suggestions. I didn't realize everyone here had to have the same cookie-cutter opinion or they would be broad-sided. I agree that everyone needs some alone time. Never said they didn't. I just don't think a vacation is the way to accomplish that. And I never said I take my kids with me everywhere I go, and for you to make these assumptions is pretty rude. What I said was that I don't take a VACATION without my kids -- I think it's wrong. My opinion, and I'm entitled to it. And I have a very healthy relationship with my kids. I never said they were angels -- that's your assumption (again). But I did say that my kids are treated with respect, they treat me with respect, and we enjoy each other's company. Sorry if you don't understand that. I'll try to keep my opinions to myself from now on in case they conflict with the prevailing cookie-cutter opinion.
A lot of good points, especially one (sm)
I also like to stop and do other things.  Constantly popping laundry in and out of the washer/dryer, running back and forth cooking in the kitchen, etc.  So I agree that by the line is probably the best. 
Excellent points! (sm)
I like the idea of the letter serving double duty both as information about and an example of your transcription.

[I also like how you broke your post up into small paragraphs -- so much easier to read online where solid, dense paragraphs appear so inpenetrable.]

Cold-calling and mail solicitations rarely yield immediate results, but within 3 to 6 months inquiries should start trickling in from the managers who were impressed by the presentation and filed the letter for future need.
a couple of other points
This is not only about our jobs - this is about our medical records - the quality of what is done overseas is not the same as what is done here.  Errors made in medical records should be taken seriously.  Secondly, our privacy is protected we are held accountable for that in the US - do you think for one minute we could prosecute someone in India who does not follow the rules?
And very good points. nm
x
Excellent points. Very well said.

There were 2 points to the post.

Both points were addressed and specific solutions to both problems were given. Obviously, there are those readers, such as yourself, who only want to focus on one of the problems. I don't feel a need to lecture anyone on financial planning. I am simply offering a solution to helping this person overcome her problem for the future. Please trying offering a suggestion yourself instead of pointing a finger at those who do.


Good points. nm
x