Looking for a good transcription company on the Internet is a difficult task. Whether you perform a general Google search for “transcription services” or a specific search such as “conference transcription” or “interview transcribing”, you receive thousands of website links. Once you find a transcription company you think can handle your job, you then have several elements to consider aside from the price of the services. How the company answers the questions will tell someone the level of professionalism and experience the company has, which will help in the decision making process.

Who does the transcribing? – Transcription companies with a good reputation got that way because of their experienced workers. There is so much more to transcription than merely typing what is heard. Grammar, spelling and language skills only scratch the surface as to the demands of the job. The job does not begin and end with typing alone. Proofreading and the ability to catch inconsistencies or contextual errors hidden in speech is absolutely mandatory in this business. Above all, this must be achieved without altering the speaker’s style and message.

How much time will the transcriber spend on research? – Unless a list of names, locations, and other potentially difficult words is provided by the client to the transcriber with the recording, there is a certain amount of research that must be done to ensure spelling and grammatical accuracy. The transcription company should already know this and be prepared to build the research costs into their price quote for services. However, the price for research should not be too high since information is usually easy to find on the Internet.

Are the transcripts proofread? – All transcripts should be proofread by the transcriptionist, but the company you contract should have another set of eyes proofreading the transcript before it is returned to the client. The final proofreader’s job is to identify where areas do not make sense or where there are inconsistencies, as well as double checking the spelling and grammar. Without a final proofreading by new eyes, the company risks giving the client a transcript that contains errors.

Do they have enough transcribers? – The bigger concern is whether or not the company takes on more work than can be handled. If the company receives big tasks with short deadlines, the end result is typically a rushed job performed by transcribers outsourced by the company. Without a sufficient number of transcribers on hand, a client will likely receive shoddy results.

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