Payment for Key Word Index Pages

[Scott Burgess]

Is anyone receiving per page compensation from an agency for key word index pages that are billed out at the same rate as a transcript page?

[Janiece Young]

No, but I've been told that agencies charge for this.

[Pamela Williamson]

No.  And wouldn't this be considered reporter's work product?

[Amanda Leigh]

Nothing is considered reporter's work product.

[Scott Burgess]

I imagine this practice is a direct result of "contracting" for court reporting services, a way to offset negotiated "discounts" provided to large consumers of court reporting services. 

What bothers me about this is that if the agency "discounts" the per page rate for the O&1 they generally pass that "discount" onto the court reporter in the form of lower per page compensation.  If the "contract" allows the agency to charge per page rates for key word indexes the agency is very likely making more money with the "contract" job than before if they weren't already charging for indexes.  Key word indexes can easily be 12-13% of the page count of a deposition.   A 100 page deposition is now billed as a 113 page deposition, the reporter is paid a discounted per page rate for the 100 pages because of "special" pricing and the agency keeps virtually 100% of the 13 billed index pages. 

[Amanda Leigh]

And this is why the reporter, who is an independent contractor, a business, should have their own rate sheet and not charge based on what an agency charges per page. 

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Amanda, wish there was a "Like" button for your comment.  I totally agree.

[Amanda Leigh]

Thanks, Kelli--and even better phrased would be "and not accept rates based upon."

I'm all right with what agencies charge--the most expensive probably has not kept up with the cost of living (except on those cost-shifting copies I hear tale of).  What should be charged per page, however, has been disseminated over many services/fees, services and fees that didn't used to exist.  The agencies are making their money (on radar for venture capitalists--seems companies are sprouting up every day); but the reporter who accepts what is offered or bases their pay on a percentage of agency page rate (or the rate they're told by agency is the page rate), they are surely getting the short end of the stick, IMO.