If you are thinking about hiring a transcription service, then there are a few things that you need to consider.
Their Level of Expertise
When choosing an academic transcription service, you have to make sure that they are experienced in your chosen subject. A lot of vendors tend to focus on a specific niche, as this gives them the chance to provide a bigger and better service overall. If you want to help yourself here, then you need to do your research and you also need to find out if they are able to meet your requirements.
Data Security
In some industries, the audio information that is being transcribed may contain personal or even confidential information. This may not be the case for academic transcription, but even so, it’s important to make sure that your information will be protected. Hackers these days are smart, and they know exactly how to take advantage of companies and even how to steal their data as well, so make sure that you enquire about data security when you do decide to hire a transcriptionist.
Ask about Turnaround Times
Another important thing that you need to think about when you hire a transcription firm is the turnaround time that they have. Do you have set deadlines that you need to meet? What would happen if there was a delay? The more you can discuss what you need with your provider, the better.
Find out How they Handle Changes
Transcription services often have changes in their workload as the year goes on. Some months are insanely hectic, and others are pretty slow. It’s important that you chat with your provider so you can find out how they handle any changes in their workload. If there’s a chance that your project is going to be pushed back, then you need to enquire about this, and you also need to find out if it is possible for you to get a guarantee.
Requesting Examples
Believe it or not, it’s always a good idea for you to ask for examples when you go through a transcription service. You may want to find out if they have any previous references and you also need to know if they have worked on any previous projects that might be similar. This will help you to find out if they are capable of handling your project and it will also help you to get a much better result out of their service.
If you can, it also helps to speak with existing customers so you can review a sample of the work too. This will help you before you really take the plunge because the firm that you choose will have a huge impact on the overall end result. Marketing can make a company seem better than they actually are, so the more of a picture you can get, the better you’ll be able to make your decision.
So here are five tips that will help you when hiring an academic transcriptionist. By keeping them in mind, you can be sure to find someone who can flawlessly help you to meet your targets.
To read more on topics like this, check out the lifestyle category.