Many companies decide to hire transcription services to help them make detailed and accurate records. If you are thinking about hiring such a service for your company, you should know that there are some things you should always know beforehand. Let’s take a look at some of the do’s and don’ts you should be aware of when hiring a legal transcription service.
Do Discuss Pricings
You need to make sure that you discuss prices with the legal transcription service before you give them the first load of work. Different volumes should always be costed differently. Though it is easy to try to tie them down with a retainer fee, you will need to cost things on an individual basis. Be wary of any firm who offers a flat rate as you might not be getting back the most high-quality of pieces.
Don’t Expect Same Day Turnaround Every Time
While most transcription services can offer a same day turnaround, you should not be asking for it as standard. It can take a surprising amount of time to transcribe even just an hour of material and you need to give them enough time to manage any length of audio you give them. While you can ask for the occasional fast turnaround, it should not be the norm.
Do Be Happy to Give Guidance on Unique Legal Terms
Using a company which specialises in legal transcription is great as they can often have a knowledge of legal jargon which other transcription agencies do not. You might be tempted to opt for a service which does not specialise in legal transcription as their rates are better.
However, the piece you get back might be sub-par. Even with the expertise of a legal transcription service, there might be a few terms here and there which they are unfamiliar with. Always make it clear that you are happy to help out with any strange jargon they might not understand, as it will only benefit both parties for both this project and any in the future.
Don’t Give Extra Ad-Hoc without Discussion
One thing you should never do when hiring any transcription service is fire over extra ad-hoc items without discussing a deadline or a price. To you, it might not look like much work. However, your transcriptionist now has another piece of work to ease into the rest of their schedule. Everything will flow a bit easier if you reach out to the transcription service beforehand to find out how long these extra pieces will take; especially if you need them quickly.
Building a relationship with a legal transcription service is going to take some time. Both parties need to have honest discussions about what is achievable for them. This is the foundation of any good working agreement. By knowing what you should do and not do when trying to hire this service, you are more likely to build a realistic working relationship. Ask as many questions as you can when making your enquiries so you are not left frustrated with the service you have chosen.
