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that's determined by your bills!!...

Posted By: pdqtrans on 2007-07-13
In Reply to: Paid by line question - Kim

There is an easier calculation but I think most companies require 1200 lines a day nowadays. Some 800 to maintain fulltime. One way to figure it is that you take the amount of lines x cpl and divide by 8. If you typed your other stuff in word, check the line count to see what you have done on a good day when paid by the hour. Hopefully you are getting paid characters and spaces as opposed to just characters.

If you figure you can put out only 800, which is still a good bit, 800 x 0.08 cpl divided by 8 would be $8/hour. 1200 lines would be 12 an hour. So, if you are currently making 10 an hour, you would have to put out 1000 lines a day for $10 an hour.

It can be done.


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It is very frustrating when your pay is determined

by your output and you can't produce with the dictators.  It does get easier and I can do them fairly well know, but I do some really, really bad ones - heavy accents, mumblers, can't pronounce words, etc. and even though I can get through them without any blanks it is VERY frustrating, especially when you have several of them at a time. 


Some of the dictators I have now I can fly through, but the first time I had them I was ready to quit because I left lots of blanks and I just don't leave blanks.  I can't believe I ever thought they were hard because they are so easy now.  You have to train your ears.  Give yourself a couple of weeks and if it doesn't get better ask for another account or start looking.  Every company is going to have some bad dictators, ESL or otherwise, but doing 10% and doing 90% is a big difference.


Good luck - hope it gets better.


Well, after all this, I've determined something must be
wrong with the file itself that it won't play.  You see, I currently work in Emdat Inscribe and I get sound just fine with that and I've taken three other MT tests recently via the net and the sound has worked fine, too.  I do not use a foot pedal and am quite comfortable using hot keys.  Oh, well, I've spent too much time on this to no avail.  Thanks everyone for your help.   You're the best.
letter explaining that since they have determined
we are 20% more productive with ASR we deserve a 20% pay cut. Do you suppose they are giving the client a 20% break? Yes, it IS the entire company, anyone that does Automated Speech Recognition.
OP notes are a challenge - just depends if you are determined enough

to learn how to do them.  After doing DS, HP, CR and Clinic Notes, I was asked by former National to try to do about 20 OP reports. I was terrified !!  Thought I had a good grasp of anatomy, physiolgy, etc, but I'll swear I ended up looking up every instrument, suture, needle, forceps, retractor, etc., & hate to guess how many hours I spent doing those 20 reports (that was before internet resources & my salary was dependent on how much work I did !!).  Going from Clinic Notes, etc., to OP reports is not an easy transition - there is a vast difference. I did struggle in the beginning & know it took me a good 6 months before I became comfortable transcribing them. For me, it has ended up being for my benefit. That National, from that time on, only assigned me OP reports. Having since left original National & having searched for a job with different companies stating that I specialized in OP reports, I received unexpected offers at a higher than average cpl pay !


Don't be disillusioned thinking that you can apply for a job doing OP reports after doing Clinic Notes if you have no experience doing such.  If you don't have an opportunity to try to learn them in your present job & you're interested in learning such, you might consider getting the SUM practice tapes that have original OP dictation.  Just depends on how much you want to learn their terminology & how much effort you're willing to put forth :o) :o).   


 


 


 


Able to view line count, see how it is being determined.--sm
also completely word based, with all the Word functions being operable, such as compatible margins, abilithank you to use tab functions, etc. Able to view previous reports. Not SLOW, which to me, is huge. that is all I can think of, for now. I am sure there is more.
You can do it but you have to be determined, have a solid office background helps, obviously an - sm
interest in the field helps too.  You don't get a lot of sleep when you are trying to work with kids at home.  I started this 3 years ago when my kids were 2 and 3, I basically only worked when they napped and at night after they went to bed.  I only worked part-time too, but for the 1st 10 months I had 3 PT jobs, so I was basically FT and obviously very tired.  But I was trying to get as much experience and exposure as possible. It has paid off for me.  I generally work 2 jobs at once as I don't like having all my eggs in one basket (I need a min. monthly income of $1K) though right now I am only doing one PT, about 3000-4000 lines every 2 weeks.  I am back to working nights and early morning now though at the current time. But a strong office background helps a lot, discipline, and determination.  My strong office and lab background helped a lot for me to make the transition to working at home and also I was used to working unsupervised.  You tend to get thrown to the wolves doing this so you better be able to land on your feet quick.  CareerStep is supposed to be a very good school though, I know a few people who did it and were hired straight away, granted that was 3 years ago and the work is a lot harder now at least with the nationals.  I prefer the small MTSO, generally a better grade of work and people. Good Luck.
The program is being determined by the file extension you're receiving. sm

If you're receiving a voice file that's opening automatically in MediaPlayer (which is what I think you're trying to say), then you will need to change the program that is automatically associated with that file type so that it will open the program you want to use.


The easiest way to do this is to open Explorer, locate the voice file, right mouse click on it and choose Properties. On the General tab in the first "block" where is says Opens With, click the Change button and then choose the program you want to use from the list that appears. This will change the program that opens ALL files with that extension.


To change


if you determined you do have a sound card, uninstall express scribe and reinstall. sm
i have had some computer issues recently and it seemed there were some quirks with downloading it. i had to reinstall to get mine functioning although i wasn't getting the exact same response as you, but issues. i would also update your drivers if you do have a sound card before buying another one. right click my computer icon, hit properties, hardware tab, device manager, look under sound, video, and game controllers and you will see a sound card there if you have one. also notice if there are any yellow triangles or anything as those signal a conflict. email me if you need to.
I pay all of our bills but I never would
He makes money and I make money and we should each be able to spend some of that on ourselves if we desire. The only time we really consult the other on any purchase is if that purchase is over a certain amount. I do not ASK him if I can buy anything for my business. If I need it and we can afford it, I buy it. If it is a major purchase that might involve a credit line, I would definitely discuss it with him but not ask his permission. It should be shared. When you get married, you are sharing, not one person owns you/controls you or vice versa. I would be willing to bet that at some point during his little outings, he has chipped in for beer. I doubt one person would be willing to supply all the beer for all the guys every single get-together. My DH used to play softball and there were lots of times they'd hang out and have a few beers after and all the guys chipped in for their share of the beer. If he's telling you the beer is always provided for free, I would have a real hard time buying that. Sounds like you are an understanding wife and you deserve time out to go to lunch or do whatever (and some of that time should be without your kids to give you some alone time, too). If he can't see that, he needs a reality check! Leave him at home with the kids for a weekend and see how fast he wants to run out that door once you get home! lol
Can you really pay your bills with only 29K though???
nm
If you have bills to pay you take whatever

you can get.    You can refuse a job, but the work will just go to India or some other country and the company can get rid of all but a few MTs who will edit the work. 


I have been in this business at least 20 years.  I make better than most people these days, but I have not had a raise in 5 years.  I have been offered at least 8 positions the past 6 months and not one of them offers what I make now.   I test very well, usually getting at least 98 on the highest level of testing,  I can do any ESL given to me, I do all Op notes, so I would be an asset to any company, but none will offer me what I am making now, much less offer me more. 


 


Pay bills or make a
list of things I need or want.
Do you have bills that NEED to be paid?
If there is no other job but those with companies that send work offshore, are you going to refuse to work for them?  How do you feel about stores that sell merchandise that was once manufactured in US and now outsourced to another country?   How about the very merchandise itself.  Do you check to see if Liz Claiborne or Nike or other favorite brands are outsourced and decide against buying them, hoping that somehow you are going to force these goods to be manufactured in US and are you willing to pay higher prices to justify American workers wages?
What bills could we possibly have?
That was exactly what one doctor said to me when he called wanting my services and I told him what my charge was. He was in a town 15-20 minutes away and since tapes were the "in" thing", I charged for picking up and delivery, minimal charge.

Well, he thought that was ridiculous and told me I didn't have any "expenses" associated with this job, so what was I charging him for other than doing the reports. BTW, he got my name and number from his partner in the office who thought my charges were more than reasonable and willing to pay for it to get what he called "great" service.

Of course, we have no expenses, we live free, not having to eat, buy gas, pay all the same bills they do. You know, the necessities of life!!!!!!

Go figure!!!
we did just the opposite, but now bills alone about 2,500.....
We had a place similar to yours on a slough with lots of wildlife...loved the wildlife. Used to sit out on the deck and watch the great blue heron, raccoons, muskrats, ducks, etc. But never got it paid off as we kept building on as kids came along (3). We were there 30 years and finally sold to move out of the flood zone and into a new, easy-maintainance one story with smaller yard up near the hospital. The other place was so hard to paint and maintain that I knew we had to move before we couldn't take care of it anymore. Problem is our mortgage alone is 900$ month! Not as steep as others on this posting, but lots for us as the MT thing is not bringing in the money I expected! The house is worth lots more than we paid for it, and I keep saying we should sell it and rent until the big housing "adjustment" that I keep predicting, but family won't budge!
Keep the bills out of sight--sm
For me they are the biggest distraction. I can ignore the phone, tune out the noise but those stinking bills in my line of sight are the worst. I either have to go online and pay them or call so and so and tell them why I am late. I don't pull them out until after I am done or before I start. Otherwise, they stay in the drawer. Now, I keep the paid receipts on top of the desk to remind me why I work like a mule!
High bills
In Georgia, it's not unheard of for the power bill to exceed $300 during summer. In fact, it's expected. I can't believe the posters with two-digit bills. My water bill is $65! Everything around here has gone up in the last year. My doing MT was supposed to be for extras and fun money, but it's not turning out to be so.
I have plenty of bills to pay...
Hubby had open heart surgery and was off work during the busiest season last year. I now handle ALL the bills except his truck insurance and truck payment to the tune of at least $5000 a month and that doesn't include the $75,000 hospital bill that the insurance doesn't pay. I couldn't do that if I didn't stick to my guns. Sure, we're not in the best of shape right now, but we are scraping by with a little ingenuity and things will get better for us...but I surely will not work for peanuts,never have, and never will...and neither should you.

You have to prove you're worth it that extra $.01 or so,(ahem), but in reality, we really need to stick together. Fighting amongst ourselves doesn't solve the problem.
What? Not only easy, but I did it Still pay bills.


But I do make what I need to pay my bills
so I am satisfied and like I said, just work part time, not full, work the time I want.
for tracking congressional bills
http://thomas.loc.gov/


Kansas utility bills
Hi, I live on the Kansas/Oklahoma border have a 3000 sq ft home (2 levels) and 2 boys who don't know how to close doors. Anyway, our last electric bill was $260.00. This was keeping thermostat at 80 upstairs with ceiling fans going in every room. If it gets too warm, you just go downstairs where you have to wrap up in a blanket as there is a good 10 degrees difference in temp. I have to admit, I thought mine was high but am now thinking we don't have it too bad. Good luck to all and hopefully, we will still be able to pay these next year at this time and the rates won't have put us all in the poor house.
arkansas utility bills
Wow.  I live in a 6 room house and my last bill was 328.00.  We have very high rates here.
Used to, but compared electric bills
I used to never turn my computer off. Then my grandchildren visited me for 3 wks. Because I did not want them playing on my computer (they had their own laptop), I kept mine off when I was not working. When the electric bill came it, it was almost $60 less, so from that point on, I began turning it off between the hours of 5 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. plus my days off (and I get more done around the house as well) -- continued with the same savings. Figured I can buy a new tower for $720 a year in savings.
I keep the unpaid bills on my desk
and put the college tuition bill right on top. Money motivates.
Single person and bills
How does any single preson today make ends meet as an MT?  I work a 2nd job and still way behind in bills.  Job-hunting for a full time position other than MT is fruitless, as employers take on look at all of your years in transcription and ask you how you think can do anything else.  It seems like a curse.  The dreaded "transcription" word is getting me nowhere fast when it comes to breaking in to other clerical work.  Had I know this would be the case, I would have left the MT field years ago.  I can do SO much more than transcription if given the chance.  Maybe I should lie on my resume and not mention all the years of transcription. 
Nice doesn't pay the bills. They still only pay .06 line.
You need to be a speed demon to make any money there and top pay is still only .08 per line at 225 lines per hour. No thanks. I prefer to work a 40 hour work week, not an 80 hour work week.
Curious, how much of household bills is BF carrying?

is withdrawn?


If you are carrying the lion's share of the bills, then you surely will be better off when you have cut the ties and are in your own place.


If he is carrying a good bit of the bills, and you are then responsible for them when he moves - whoa - think about this.  Will any childsupport you manage to get suffice for what you are taking on that he is paying now?


 


I worked as one, too. It paid my bills. Barely.
I hated that job because I could so totally empathize with the people I was collecting from. Plus, we had to be real hardnoses. The thing is that our "numbers" were tied to our bonuses. The more you collected, the more money you made. I lasted 9 months and received two raises and promotions to keep me there before finally finding another job. By that time, I had developed sleeping problems and an ulcer and started smoking again.
There were a few bills that Arnold would not sign - not passed
x
Oh dear, maybe you could pay some bills or surf the net while she's impressing herself

Insurance companies already know. Doctor bills them you know.
I'm not running for political office. Who would be interested in my medical records and what could they do with them if they did have them?
Not everyone bills based ona 65-character line
An MT billing gross lines would stand to lose a great deal with a smaller font.

See, not so confusing.
DH pays the big bills and know he won't have more taken out on him, we don't share checking ac
I have mine and he has his but like I said before, he pays for my car, his and the house note. Just moved here in 2004 and not planning a move, ever hopefully! But, as in my previous post, I have as regular employee been told to take off everything that pertains to my working at home (before becoming IC), room, DSL line, phone (have to have to use the DSL), computer, printing materials, all so I keep all receipts in all years plus we have 3 tax bills for 3 different properties for this past year (just sold a home where I used to live) but all that is kept. What I am saying is I have been told for years as an employee working from my home ok to exempt these. I do not like TAX TIME!!
Sounds great. You gonna pay the bills for
nm
A husband to take care of the bills and the health
nm
You need to talk to the people who pay the bills where you work. nm
x
But if that account is paying your bills, you must negotiate and be flexible. IMO
I know you can only lower a little bit, but to let them know that you are flexible and care about keeping their account may just encourage them to stay with you.  I can't afford to let an account go without just a little negotiation.
Does paying your bills rely on offshore? No. Easy
asdf
Yep if I needed a job, beats not eating/paying bills - nm
xx
Correction note to husband. Meant BILLS NOT AUCTIONS LOL
Freudian slip. Have to read whole post to get joke. LOL.
How are you planning to deal with the oncoming high winter heating bills?
I'll be bumping the thermostat back another degree or 2, down to whatever leveI I can  not be cold at.  Otherwise there will be less "fun" money spent if it has to go to the oil companies!
Fear of change is worse than fear of not being able to pay your bills? nm
:)