Paying a scopist or proofer for their terrible job

[KENYNIA DARDEN]

Hi - I just recently gave my work to a scopist/proofer. This person told me that she worked in court and that she could do a great job with my transcript. I told her that I would not be able to go line by line through almost 450 pages, so I would really need to depend on her. She assured me that she could do the work. I turned the transcript into the agency, and they sent it back with spelling errors, leaving words out of the sentence -- just things that the scopist should have caught. I emailed her the corrections that the agency sent to me. And her comment was, "I only had 27 mistakes." Should I pay her for this job or NOT!???

[Cathryn Bauer]

You do need to look at the transcript before you turn it in. It's a given.

I think you are going to get different answers with regard to paying her. I say pay her off and get let her fade out of your life leaving you with no karma with her -- or, more important IMO, any reason to deal with her again.

[KENYNIA DARDEN]

I usually do look at ALL my work, but I was so pressed for time on the turnaround, but it ended up biting me in the butt anyway. Well, that's just the type of person that I am. I will pay, but man, wasi ever so not happy. And I haven't used a scopist in years. A friend of mine used the same person a couple of monthis ago, and she told my friend that she too had the experience, but my friend's job ended up being a hold notes, so that was the end of that one. I know next time :)

[Mary Jo Cochran]

Tell her you only have $27.00.

[Judy]

Before we skewer the scopist for 27 mistakes in 450 pages, what types of mistakes were they?

And, yes, pay her for the job. Believe you me, it's easier to pay them and forget about them than it is to get your name off of some malicious website.

[KENYNIA DARDEN]

okay. No, I did 300 pages. She only scoped 100 something.

[anita t. shemin]

Over the years, I have found that there are times when quality simply takes a backseat to time constraints and I think that to expect near perfection when a 400 page regular delivery job turns into a next morning delivery is simply not realistic. There have been times that after I have submitted the daily or immediate job I remember that perhaps something was incorrect and perhaps with more time I would have hopefully caught. There are too many unknown varialbes regarding your scopist, is this the first job she did for you, did you vet her background, etc. She performed a service, perhaps got her/himself in over her head, but nonetheless should be paid for less than perfect services rendered. After all, to err is our human condition. BTW, perhaps your agency should also have a broader understanding of the enormous amount of work it takes to do these jobs and set realistic expectations.

[Quyen]

Take into consideration how long she had to turn the 450 pages around. Was it an expedite? Was it regular turnaround?

I've found stuff from simply scanning the job that the proofer I use on rare occasions has missed. I point them out to her and ask her to be more careful in the future. Yes, it pains me to find stuff that she missed, but when I use her, it's always because I'm pressed-n-stressed! So, although it may not be perfection, I have to live with it given the circumstances, and I appreciate the extra help, nonetheless.

All things considered, 27 mistakes is not "that many" for 450 pages. Spelling errors, if they are proper nouns and such, is not such a big deal if they were not available to her. Spelling errors otherwise should have/could have been caught by running a final spell check before turning the job in -- which I unfailingly and religiously do.

But definitely pay her. Then it's up to you if you decide to ever use her again. :)

[KENYNIA DARDEN]

thank you all for your comments. The total job was 450. She only did 100 something. I'm not mad, because everything is a learning experience. I'll just go back to the old-fashioned way...Do it yourself!!!

[Quyen]

Understood. I live by, "If you want something done right, do it yourself!" :)

[Mary Jo Cochran]

Anita had a very good answer.