The Court Reporter Panic Post

If you’ve explored a forum that is designated to connect court reporters with scopists and proofreaders, you’ve likely encountered a post that reads something like this:

“HELP!  I need a [scopist or proofreader] on [insert CAT software here] for a 300-page transcript that I need back [insert ominous deadline here].”  

 

These posts often include additional statements like: 

 

• “Will pay expedited rate.”
• “Witness has a thick accent.”
• “Non-technical” or “highly technical”
• “Pretty clean” or “Definitely has some drops.  Fast talkers!” 

 

Our small Stenovate team has seen our fair share of “Panic Posts” within the Stenovate Job Boards.  Fortunately, we do have a very high coverage rate.  But whether the work gets covered or not, let’s talk about the downside of “panic posting.”  

 

The Problem with Panic Posting

 

First of all, we hate seeing reporters stressed out.  Reporting is hard enough without unforeseen situations popping up and needing to find, vet, and hire help in a pinch.  In fact, this is one of the very reasons Stenovate was created in the first place.  We’re designed to help you build and manage your transcripts and workflow with your transcript teammates with one, easy-to-use, tool.

 

Second, when emotions and cortisol levels are running high, we’re probably not doing our clearest thinking (and best vetting), especially while in the throes of “I suddenly have 300 pages due tomorrow!”  

 

A lot of these fast-and-furious connections made between reporters and a new-to-them teammate don’t end in butterflies and rainbows, which isn’t totally surprising.  The newly-formed duo hasn’t had appropriate time to learn each other’s expectations.  This includes grammar and punctuation preferences and general collaboration and communication styles. 

 

Plus, having to scope or proof faster than usual will naturally lead to more errors because the teammate is doing their best to be…well, speedy.  

 

In addition, the reporter might not have adequate time to review as in-depth as they may like. Or make the necessary changes before needing to turn the transcript in before the deadline.  

 

After a whirlwind like that, the last thing a reporter typically wants to do is reflect on their new transcript teammate’s work quality to provide constructive feedback and communicate ways that they could improve upon future work together.  This can leave both parties feeling a little deflated.  

 

Now, of course, this is not always the case!  One of the major joys of being on the Stenovate team is getting to see all the 5-star reviews of our scopist and proofreader members who crank out amazing quality in a pinch!

 

(We really do spend at least a few minutes during our weekly meeting reading reviews together because it unites us in our team’s purpose of empowering the stenography and voice writer community.)

 

How to Never Panic Post Again

 

There is a simple two-fold solution to avoid this lose-lose situation where everyone is scrambling, work is rushed, unnecessary errors are made, and the end result is less than perfect.

 

1. Organize Your Workload & Workflow – Make sure you always know how much is on your plate, when everything is due, and who is currently working on each transcript.

 

2. Find & Vet Your Dream Team In Advance – Don’t wait until there’s a crisis before making connections.  Begin building relationships slowly, allowing yourself time to collaborate on small jobs to build trust and learn each other’s collaboration and communication styles.

 

Choose Your Tools Wisely

 

Instead of choosing a myriad of disconnected tools – Excel to organize, Facebook to search for help, Dropbox to transfer files, email/texting to communicate – Stenovate facilitates everything you need to build strong business relationships that empower you to maximize your time and income (without the stress).  With Stenovate, reporters can: 

 

• View transcript details & deadlines at a glance
• Find, vet, and hire scopists and proofreaders with confidence by using professional profiles with ratings and reviews.
• Delegate work on a transcript-by-transcript basis with a few clicks.
• Simplify and streamline workflow.
• Reduce communication time and friction

 

As one of our power users put it, “Stenovate is like putting my transcripts on an assembly line, so I can focus on what I do best:  Reporting.”  

 

So whether you’re currently in a crisis or sitting pretty, we hope you’ll check out Stenovate now (before the panic moment inevitably arrives).  We love empowering reporters to complete more pages with less hassle. 

 

Start a 30-Day Free Trial at your leisure and reach out any time for any reason.  We’re here to help.