Transcription services need to transcribe audio to text quickly, accurately, and securely. When they don’t, seeking a new solution becomes critical.
Good relationships of all sorts, business and personal, enhance our lives. But, when things go sour and are unable to get back on track, despite best efforts, they become a source of frustration and anxiety. For various reasons, when the needs of people in the relationship change, and it no longer makes sense to continue, often the best solution is to part ways. So, when it comes to your transcription service, what might signal the end is nigh?
Service Is Lacking
How responsive is the transcription service to your phone calls and emails? Are they receptive and cooperative with your requests? If it takes a long time to hear back from the agency or if they’re less than enthusiastic about implementing change requests, this can undermine your business objectives and belay the entire reason why you’ve hired the agency to convert your speech to text. Lousy service can signal the end is near.
Quality Slips
Are you finding more errors in your transcripts? Perhaps your transcription service has secured new projects, and now yours is no longer a priority? Or maybe they’re having staffing problems? Having a revolving door of transcriptionists and editors can detract from the quality. Likewise, mergers and acquisitions and changes in leadership can derail the status quo. When you’re just an account number, and there’s no personal touch, it may be time to leave.
Security Incident
If your transcription service has had a security breach, why did this happen? How did they let their guard down? Was the issue caused by unintentional human error or by cybercriminals with bad intentions? What does the security incident mean in terms of liability to your business and your clients? How will the transcription company prevent future data breaches? When satisfactory answers are lacking, the safest course of action may be to close your account.
Turnaround Delays
You depend on timely receiving your transcripts to further your business objectives. Time is money. When document delivery delays become the norm, this means you become less competitive and less responsive to your stakeholders. Tardiness means you can lose out on business opportunities or even lose revenue. So, if your transcription service is unable to deliver documents on time, you may need to look elsewhere to protect your interests.
Lack of Innovation
What is your transcription service doing to make life better for you? Are they delivering solutions like mobile apps that improve your productivity and make it easier for you to convert speech to text? Are they developing solutions like ambient listening to minimize the time you spend creating documents? Do they interface with the technology you use every day? When they stop trying to wow you, it may be time to shop the competition.
Taking the Next Step
When it’s time to make a change, be sure you carefully weigh your options. Be sure to consider the logistics of migrating your data, user-acceptance of a new solution, checking references, and more. You need to minimize the chances of trading one set of problems for a new batch. While switching costs between transcription companies may be low in terms of dollar amounts, securing a new transcription service that is still the wrong fit can be costly.
If you need help transitioning from your current transcription service to a new one, contact us. We’ll be happy to help you make a qualified decision that protects your business interests for years to come. Businesses in multiple industries consistently rate Athreon as one of the best transcription companies for quality, timeliness, accuracy, security, and service. We’d be delighted to earn your business and help you improve your speech-to-text initiatives.