Hiring a verbatim transcription team to handle your firm’s recorded statements is an important part of the claims process. However, finding a provider that meets the exact needs of your company doesn’t have to be a difficult task. Consider these seven tips when looking around.
#1: Ask Whether They Do True Verbatim or Clean Verbatim Transcription
In some cases, the manner in which something is said is far more important than the words that are used. With insurance claims, this could not be more important. During a recorded statement, an insured or claimant is often conveying their side of the story. Inflection, emotion, and even brief pauses can make that information translate differently on paper—which can make a big difference during litigation or arbitration proceedings.
Companies transcribing in “clean verbatim” style remove brief utterances (“uhms,” “ahs”), filler phrases, and false starts. True verbatim transcription includes all these elements, which are quite important to the claims investigation and arbitration process.
Ask any transcription company you are considering hiring which one of these two process they offer or even if they provide a choice between them.
#2: Determine How Secure Their Data Security Protocols Are
Another thing to consider when deciding between providers is how secure their data protocols are. In this day and age, identity theft is a huge problem among large corporations—and insurers are definitely not immune. Very personal details of both insureds and claimants are revealed during a recorded interview, and turning those audio files over to a company that doesn’t have a data security plan in place can be detrimental to your business, should a data breach ever occur.
Be sure to also ask how long they keep audio files before securely deleting them. Some insurance transcription companies hold these recordings for months or even years, which can leave your firm unprotected against data theft if there is ever a large scale breach.
(Hint: Allegis Transcription offers top-notch enterprise-grade security procedures in place to protect the sensitive data of our clients.)
#3: Request Information on the Average Transcript Turnaround Time
Time is money in the insurance industry. Sometimes, getting a transcription file back in a reasonable timeframe can make a huge difference, such as when a file is about to go to arbitration or when you are up against a tight deadline.
Finding out that your new verbatim transcription company takes weeks and not days to return a document to you when you’re on a strict schedule can be incredibly frustrating. Thus, it is vital to ask about this part of the process before deciding to hire a particular translation company.
(Hint: At Allegis, our average turnaround time on transcription files is about four days. However, we also offer priority and rush services to ensure you have a document returned in as little as four hours.)
#4: Ask Whether They Can Handle Your Volume Level
Whether you have only a handful of transcriptions per month or several thousand, it is important to ask any firm you are considering if they can handle your particular volume level. Many companies offering insurance transcription online aren’t fully equipped or staffed for taking on large orders, which can create a huge issue as your company and transcription needs grow. Find one that meets your current order level now, but can also keep up with your volume in the future.
(Hint: At Allegis, we produce an average of 150,000 verbatim-style pages per month for our clients and are comfortable handling a wide range of order volumes.)
#5: Find Out Their Experience with the Claims Industry
There’s no doubt that insurance transcription is its own special niche. One of the most important things to consider when hiring a verbatim transcription firm is what their level of experience with the industry entails. Find out whether or not they are familiar with industry jargon, claims protocol, and procedures. If they aren’t skilled in working with insurance claims specifically, it might be time to consider someone else.
(Hint: The insurance industry is Allegis Transcription’s primary focus. In fact, we work with some of the biggest carriers in the P&C industry.)
#6: Inquire How Long They’ve Been in Business
It is also important to inquire how long the transcription company has been in business. While some of the methods utilized today in verbatim transcription are state-of-the-art—instant uploads, digital files, secure backup, etc.—the industry has actually been around for many, many years. If they’ve only been open for a short amount of time, consider working with a firm that has more experience to ensure you’re getting the best possible service.
(Hint: Allegis has been in business for nearly two decades.)
#7: Ask What Their Accuracy Standard is for Verbatim Transcription
Accuracy is extremely important when it comes to recorded statement transcription—especially verbatim files. Ask any company you are considering what their accuracy standard is for their transcriptionists. Do they regularly review files? What is their internal filtering process like? With the insurance industry being so high stakes, it is really important to work with a transcription provider who takes accuracy very seriously.
(Hint: Allegis Transcription has a very high 98% standard for our verbatim recorded statement transcriptions. Find out more here.)
Finding the right verbatim transcription provider takes a little time and effort. However, keeping these seven tips in mind will ensure you hire the right one for your needs.
