Data research and analysis can be time-consuming tasks, but with the help of a professional transcription service like Espresso Translations, a lot of time and resources can be saved which can later be used for other purposes. It is important to assess all the potential services to get the best-suited transcription service for your job.
The following are some guidelines which will help you make an educated decision for hiring the right expert.
Level of Expertise
When hiring a transcription service, a smart practice is to do some homework. You need to know the level of expertise that the transcription firm has in your industry or field of interest. You might be tempted to contract a firm that offers a transcription option in a wide variety of fields, however, they may not be able to produce high-quality work due to a lack of expertise in any of the fields. It is important for your business that the transcription of your data is done accurately and professionally. Transcriptionists who are experts in a particular area will have a far better understanding of the nuances, jargon, and experiences specific to that field.
Procedures Related to Data Security
Information that needs to be transcribed may or may not involve sensitive data such as security numbers, financial and health records and other identifiable data. For this reason, the transcription firm you are hiring needs to be aware of the security procedures and place high emphasis on them. They need to be updated with the latest technologies and software to get the job done. Moreover, these firms should have a system for you to track and monitor the information they have been entrusted with.
Turnaround Time
Another important aspect to consider when hiring a professional transcription service is the turnaround time. You need to know beforehand the scheduling of the firm, i.e., how long they take to transcribe a particular file or if their mode of work is open-ended. The timeframe for the work concerns you because it can cause delays in your projects. Furthermore, you need to inquire about how they deal with emergency orders which may arise if an unforeseeable incident comes up.
If you want to hire a transcription service with a fast turnaround time, many would recommend TranscribeFiles which offers a 24-hour turnaround time.
Dealing with a Varying Workload
For many businesses, the workload varies day by day due to different reasons. Taking into account the changes in the workload with your home business, you should consider whether the transcription service will be able to keep a steady pace with your workload, be it a hectic season or a surprisingly slower one. Business owners often have to stay on top of a heavy workload and handle any new projects that arise. It is always a good practice to know if the service providers have enough staff to facilitate the work without any interruptions if there are changes to the number of tasks required.
Request Sample Projects
Before delving into a contract with any transcription service, you should request to view their previous works or projects to see if their work is of as high a quality as they claim it to be. While you can always ask the service providers to see their past completed projects, it is ideal to ask around with their existing customers about their satisfaction or lack of it with the transcribed work they paid for.
Quality Standards for the Transcription Service
With transcription, the quality is one thing you can never compromise on. For this reason, it is better to inquire about the working standards the firm has for their transcriptionists. This will not only give you an idea of the quality of the work but also will inform you about the standard of work you will receive if you hire them.
Choose a transcription company that fits the above-mentioned criteria because you should strive to work with the same company for years and switching services can be a distressing process. Therefore, a little research can save you a ton of trouble in the future!
