Monday, June 29, 2009

An Audio Transcription Service Will Save You Time and Money

What is the number one thing businesses are short on? Time. And what do they need to save? Money. So why not use an audio transcription service that will allow you to do both? There are no exceptions when you need your work done to the expectations of yourself or the company for which you work.

What Will You Do?

You work for a large company and your boss has given you the notes for a meeting he is has the following day. He needs the notes transcribed and the information in his hands by 10:00 a.m. the following morning. He is meeting with some very important clients and the business that most likely will be generated with the proposals he has entrusted to you are extremely important.

You are pleased that he trusts you to get the work done and you really like your job so you do not want to let him down. What is the solution? It is already 2:00 p.m. and you are trying to find a dictation service and have the work finished so he will have it the first thing in the morning.

You have a friend that works in another department within the same company so you give her a call to ask for advice. She gives you the perfect solution, because she has used this audio transcription service before. She recommends WeScribeIt.com. Typists that are experienced and are on call for your needs are available. A goal of having the work completed within 6 to 10 hours is within the time limit you have and if you are really worried about getting it done on time, use the express service. This is a dictation service that will strive to have your work transcribed within 4 hours.

For a very reasonable price the work can be completed and in your hands before the time limit. The audio transcription service is available 24 hours a day. So there is no need to worry that just because your work was not submitted before noon or by a certain time, it will be late. The projects transcribed at WeScribeIt.com vary as there are people who are experienced in all aspects of transcribing.

Another great feature of this service is the documents are stored for a year so if you accidentally lose something all you have to do is let them know. A replacement copy can be sent right away and everything is once again taken care of when it comes to the transcribed material you need. Send the audio in by computer, recorder or telephone. Fax it in or use the toll free number. There are many formats accepted and if you have one that is not listed, contact WeScribeIt.com and they will do their best to accommodate the format.

It is a simple process and the talented employees taking care of your dictation service request are screened before being hired so the work you receive is the best you can possibly get. If there is a certain template your boss prefers, upload it through the system, have the work completed using the template and you have the situation under control.

Do you need to send particular instructions with your request? If so, this can be done and the typist can read this information before starting on your project. What happened to the employee that needed her boss' meeting notes transcribed before his 10 a.m. meeting? Well, she used WeScribeIt.com on the advice of her friend, her boss had his transcribed information in plenty of time for the meeting and the company got the contract.

How To Get the Most Out of Your Dictation Service

Utilizing a dictation service is a fantastic way to outsource some of your work, keep up with reports and correspondence, improve your communications with clients, and help you become more productive. But you do need to remember that the person doing your transcription can’t read your mind! Here are some tips to help your dictation service provide you with transcription services that will save you time and money!

1. Eliminate background noise when dictating. While it may be convenient for you to dictate while driving with your window open, road noise, and the sound of the wind blowing into the microphone can obliterate your voice and make it difficult to hear what you are saying. The same thing applies with dictating on the subway, in a crowded restaurant, or at an airport. Anywhere there is an abundance of background noise means the person doing the transcription can’t hear you clearly. Consider where you will be dictating and try to do it in a quiet area with little or no background noise—in a closed office is ideal.
2. Spell out all names and any unfamiliar terms. If you know what and whom you are talking about, it’s easy to assume the dictation service will know, too. Unfortunately, that’s not the case—and in a world where even the most common names now have multiple spellings, it’s best to always spell out all names—and to use the “A as in apple” technique to articulate the letters you are spelling since it is very easy to confuse letters that sound alike, such as “b, c, d, e, g, p, v, and z” or “j and k” or “f and s.” Likewise with any unfamiliar terms or terms specific to your industry.
3. Dictate like you are talking to a real person—you are. When you dictate, talk as you would talk to a secretary or other person you know. You can use a generic term, such as “operator” when you address the person, but this helps the person doing your transcription at the dictation service to differentiate between when you are giving an instruction (such as how you want a particular document set up) and when you want something typed or transcribed verbatim.
4. Provide any special formatting instructions. Tell the person doing the transcription how you want something set up—preferably at the beginning before you begin the dictation or else at the point where formatting should change while you are dictating. For example, you could say, “Operator, I want this heading in all capital letters, underlined, and centered. Then go back to the left margin in regular type and type the paragraph that follows.”
5. Speak clearly, directly into the microphone, and enunciate your words. Many people dictate while they are shuffling through papers or working on a project. That’s okay, but it’s important to be sure you are speaking clearly—and directly into the microphone—when you’re doing that. You don’t want to have your head turned away because your voice will not carry well and the transcriptionist won’t be able to hear what you said. Likewise, enunciate your words carefully. Try not to mumble.
6. Slow down! The more some people dictate, the faster they talk. And other people, well, they just tend to be fast talkers. The trouble with this isn’t that the person doing the transcription at the dictation service can’t keep up—the problem is that the words tend to slur together, making them indecipherable. Slow down, speak deliberately, and you’ll get much better accuracy from your chosen dictation service.

Finding and using a dependable dictation service can be a lifesaver when you’re overworked and under time constraints. It can help you get back on track before or after a vacation or during a peak work period—or it can just be a great way to stay abreast of your business all the time. Remember, you get back what you put in. Provide great dictation and your dictation service will deliver professional transcription.