How to Find Good Transcription Services

Whether documenting conference calls, earnings calls, seminars, training, or medical information, many businesses are in need of good transcription services. Many companies cannot afford to set up a transcription department, so they look for outside sources to provide transcription services. There are many good transcription service providers available, as well as not so good providers. When trying to find good transcription services, keep the following in mind.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Don't be afraid to go with a transcription company that uses independent contractors for the majority of their work. This has become the norm in the industry. Independent contractors generally work from their home offices. That doesn't mean they're not good at what they do. Independent contractors are usually put through rigorous transcription tests and training before they are actually put on the job.

2. One thing to ask a transcription service provider in regard to independent contractors is whether their contractors are native English speakers or if they farm out their work to foreign countries. As long as they hire people whose first language is English, you should have no issues getting quality transcription services.

3. Cheap doesn't translate into quality. Transcription is much more than typing. Good transcriptionists take pride in their work, have a firm grasp on spelling and grammar, and won't work for pennies. When it comes to good transcription services, you truly do get what you pay for.

4. Figure out what your turn around time needs are and then find out what the transcription service provider's guaranteed turn around time is. Most companies have different rates for different turn around times. There will be a standard rate as well as a rush rate if you need something back with in a shorter time frame.

5. Ask what their format of transcription is. Some companies will provide verbatim transcriptions. Those documents will include every uh, um, and false start spoken. Other companies will clean up the transcripts a bit and take out the nonsense.

6. Make sure that you will be able to easily contact someone at the transcription service provider to communicate your needs. If trying to get a response in a short period of time becomes a headache, it's time to find a new transcription service provider.

7. If you need medical transcription services you'll want to find out what kind of formal training the contractors have gone through. Medical transcription companies should require their transcriptionists to have completed a medical transcription training program.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're looking for good transcription services in a language other than English, the same applies. Look for transcription service providers who employ or contract workers whose native language is the same as the audio you need transcribed.