How long do you think is reasonable for a scopist to return a transcript to you?

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

I've been looking for a new scopist this past week to help with my pages and one in particular says she wants seven days to get the transcript back to me.  I'm like, "What???"  I have to have my job in in eight business days and she wants seven of them.

What do you think is reasonable?  I was thinking something like four, five at the absolute latest.

[Janet]

 

I'm an independent reporter.  I work for a number of different companies.  They all require an eight-day turnaround for regular delivery.  I don't think that's unreasonable.   I work with scopists to get each job in on time. 

 

 

[Amanda Leigh]

Kelli, I know you do big-money work.  Seems to me the price would be far less of an issue with you than getting the very best in the business and the quickest turnaround you deem necessary, price be damned (within reason, of course).  You could put together a crack team, have a well-tuned machine, if you don't get hung up on the details that really don't apply if you are willing to pay top dollar for top talent--you dictate your needs and expectations and you contact and negotiate with the cream of the crop.

 

[Mary Ann Scanlan]

My scopist has a 5-day turnaround and she always gets it to me quicker than that.  Seven days is unreasonable.  Keep looking!

 

[Karen Perlman]

I think between 4-5 CALENDAR days but with updates on progress in between, so that you know your work is being done and being done timely

 

[Jessie Edwards]

Hi Kelli,

I'm a little late in my response, but thought I'd chime in anyway.  I'm a Case scopist, and, like Cindy Clark, I also advertise four to five days.  That's a "I promise to have it to you in that timeframe unless you let me know otherwise." 

And I have to agree with Kyung, weekends are pretty much required.  I know all my reporters work weekends proofing or doing some of their own scoping.  I can't keep up most times if I don't work weekends.  And I've even heard stories of scopists that don't respond to e-mails after 5 p.m. their time.  I answer e-mails if I'm awake no matter what time, and even scope an expedite that I get late on no or short notice.   If my reporter is expected to get the work done and she's relying on my services, I'm willing to do what I can.  I like to keep my reporters around, and that's the best way to do it.  Seven days for everything or it's expedite isn't condusive to the business in my mind. 

These are my opinions and experience within the industry, so hopefully  no one takes offense.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Thanks, Jessie, I appreciate it.  My best scopist that I've used for 10 years dumped me three weeks ago because she says I complain about her mistakes too much.  I'm devastated to have to be out looking for someone new, but that's how it goes.  I am an excellent writer, and she told me I was the best writer she had seen when we started working together many moons ago. However, I do a ton of technical work, tons of it.  Once I have a dictionary built up, piece of cake. 

I feel like a fish out of water looking for a new scopist again.  My old one did start making a lot of mistakes over the last two years; problems in the home.  I'd bring them to her attention.  I guess she didn't like that.

[Amanda Leigh]

Jim's site has many scopists that post--and you can tell by their posts, IMO, if they are professionals.

[dms]

Not to be pedantic, but the CRF is no longer "Jim's site." It is under new -- and better, IMHO -- management. Certain of the old management, including Jim, are no longer even members of the CRF.

[Amanda Leigh]

Not even members?  Really.  I knew Jim was no longer managing site, but I assumed he just turned that over to other(s) and was still involved.  I just revisited the thread (which has grown substantially since I originally read it) where Dawn Moreno was talking about a new day at CRF.  Thanks for the clarification, though.

[Jessie Edwards]

Well, that's too bad that she couldn't take the criticism.  You were giving her the opportunity to turn her work around and get you a better product.  But she didn't take it that way and has now lost work, and you lost your best scopist.  That's too bad for both of you.  Good luck in your search for a scopist, Kelli.  :o)  I hope something works out, and soon.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

I actually found one that is pretty good, just have to work out preferences.  I've also been training a new scopist for the last year and a half.  I've gotten her to a point where she's pretty good too.  I really need three scopists, though, so looking for one more decent one.  The search goes on.....