One More for Realtime

[Janet]

I had a realtime patent depo. today with three attorneys.  Two of them wanted realtime.  The third attorney said, "No, I don't need that."  I could tell he didn't think much of realtime, thought he had no use for it. 

When it came his time to ask questions, he moved to the seat with my netbook set up with the realtime.  Every once in a while, he'd look at the screen.  Before you know it, he was scrolling up and down, reading almost every answer.  Yes!   I love winning them over.  I think his answer will be different the next time a reporter asks if he wants realtime. 

[Mary Jo Cochran]

Sounds to me like he was getting free realtime.

 

[Janet]

The realtime was paid for, Mary Jo.  Jumping to conclusions again?

[Mary Jo Cochran]

What I am saying is he didn't pay for any realtime, yet he was over there looking at yours.  Unless he is a young attorney, he must have knowledge about realtime and its benefits.  I wouldn't be surprised if he does that all the time.  I'm not attempting to jump to conclusions, or make any enemies.  I just tend to see things differently.

I don't know how realtime billing works.  Is each attorney supposed to pay, or just the ones that ordered it?

 

[Lisa Moskowitz]

She said she had a netbook set up that he was using.   I assume that is what she meant was paid for.  

[Mary Jo Cochran]

Janet, I didn't mean to rain on your post, or anyone's.  I'm sorry.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Good for you, Janet.  I bet you win over lots of attorneys andt bring them over the the RT side of things.

I had one hookup today and the other attorney was curious about it.  He asked how much it cost to have realtime.  I didn't know what to tell him.  I know what I get paid but I know the office has a upcharge on that for sure.  I felt sort of stupid saying "I don't know." 

I don't know why the agencies have to be so secretive about such a thing.  I always feel like I should know the answer to every facet of my job.  On the most simple question, I couldn't answer.

[Quyen]

CR firms don't want to tell us what they bill the clients for services because they don't want us to know their profit margin. That way, when they decide to raise rates on the clients, the reporter doesn't know . . . and, therefore, the reporter does not get a raise in rates.

Clients ask me all the time the rate for certain things. I just tell them honestly that I just know what I get paid, but I don't know what the client gets charged. I tell them to contact the office to discuss rates.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

That would not surprise me a bit.  That's probably true.  Still, I don't think it's right.  I should be able to quote what RT costs to any attorney that asks.  That seems like a no-brainer.

[Quyen]

You would think, but CR firms don't see it that way. Some CR firms won't even give you a reporter rate sheet anymore, 'cause they're afraid you'd "share" it with a competitor. Well, I don't see what difference it makes if they put it on paper or if you do, but whatever.

[Quyen]

Speaking of RT, have any of you ever been on a RT job where you just can't get a rhythm??? The taking atty is at a perfect pace. The witness is a false-starting, fast-talking, stuttering, blubbering bozo. :(

For RT, I always set up an extra laptop for "the other guy" (or gal) just in case, and he happened to ask for it as soon as he got into the room, "Do you have RT?"

(Glancing at the extra laptop): "That's yours if you want it."

"Great."

So . . . now that he does want it/use it, how do you guys document/prove that he actually used the RT? I know there have been multiple occasions discussed on the Nation about attys denying that they used the RT.  In this case, I guess I got lucky . . . of sorts. The RT feed stopped, lol, in the middle of the depo, and "the other guy" said, on the record, that his RT stopped.  So it's "documented" that he got RT. We went off the record, and I fixed it. I just set up a new laptop and forgot to change the power management settings. :) Is it tacky to ask them to sign a RT order form? I usually don't have any problem with asking attys to sign transcript order forms, but some days, on those "off" days . . . it just depends on my mood, I guess.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

You know what I do?  I take a picture of him with my netbook right in front of him with my iPhone.  No one even notices me doing it, it's so fast.  If he disputes the bill, I'll send him/her a picture of him/her with my netbook in front of them along with the invoice. 

Let them try to dispute that.  I take a picture now on every RT job I do.  Every one.  I've had half a dozen attorneys deny they got RT from me.  I think a picture speaks a thousand words!!  Let them even try to deny it now.  I've even had attorneys dispute that it is their signature on the order form they've signed.  They really cannot dispute a picture.

[Quyen]

Lol. But isn't there some sort of law against taking pictures of people without their knowledge/consent? That's why (I've heard) BlackBerry doesn't have a silent shutter on the camera phone now. The shutter on my phone is so freakin' loud, the whole world would hear me take the photo!  :(