KimHaas.com Transcription Coaching, Blogs and Articles
December 25 2009
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The Perfect Transcription Client
The time to think about your transcription project is not after the audio is completed and ready to be transcribed. It’s before the interview or phone call or meeting even begins. In that regard, here are the top five things that would make you the perfect transcription client.
1. Pay attention to your surroundings. This is very important due to background noise on the recording. It’s important to have your interview or telephone call in as quiet a location as possible. Background noise including children or other people talking, music, televisions or pets can be distracting and can cause important points to be missed when transcribing.
2. Speak clearly. This is another item that is not often thought about when you are sending your audio to be transcribed. If you or the other party has an accent or has a habit of mumbling, it can be difficult to make out words when heard on the recording. For an in person interview, be sure the recorder is placed in between you and the subject. Test the location for clarity before starting your interview. If needed, you can each wear small, tie clip microphones to help with clarity.
3. Have the best equipment you can afford. The days of micro cassette recorders and transcription machines are almost obsolete. The majority of transcriptionists now work with digital audio. It’s important that you purchase the best digital recorder that you can afford that has the features that you need. Pay attention to features such as the ability to attach it to a telephone, the way the files are transferred to your computer and the format in which they are saved. If possible, purchase a recorder that uses MP3 files. These files can be heard by anyone without conversion or special software.
4. Test your equipment. Before your interview, set up your equipment in a similar situation to make sure it’s working. If you’ll be conducting a phone interview, test it with a friend or relative to make sure everything is working properly and you know how to make the connections. Also make sure your line is clear of static or any other possible background noise. You don’t want to assume the equipment is working and then discover that your hour long interview is lost forever.
5. Pay for quality work. In these days of outsourcing, it’s tempting to outsource your work for pennies an hour to a transcriptionist in another country. This is a mistake. If you need excellent listening skills, research skills, and English grammar, then be sure to hire someone proficient.
Do you or your staff really have the time to proofread the transcript from an outsourced worker whose first language is not English and correct their mistakes? If you had to do that, then you may as well have done the work in house or hired a top transcriptionist to begin with. I am a big believer in keeping your money at home. If you are in the U.S. and need U.S. English, then hire an American transcriptionist. If you are in the U.K., then hire in the U.K. Support your economy at home.
Hopefully these tips will help you become a better transcription client and help you prepare for your project with more care and thought on how it will be used. One final tip - Transcription is not just typing.
About the Author:
Christina Routon is a general transcriptionist that works with private clients in the fields of Internet marketing, insurance, talk radio, genealogy and graduate studies. She is U.S. based in the state of Georgia and is a charter member of the American Transcription Association. You can find her contact information, rates and other information at http://www.clrtranscriptionservice.com
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