How much notice do you need to start a project? With over 200 transcribers working 7 days a week, we are always available to start your project. We can add your project to our schedule months ahead of time or the day of your interviews.
Do you guarantee confidentiality? Absolutely. All of our transcribers are required to sign a non-disclosure agreement and at the client’s discretion, can also sign a company or project specific NDA. We provide complimentary private, password controlled ftp space for each client to ensure your files are accessed only by you and our team. In addition, any physical media you mail (tapes, DVD, etc.) is kept in-house to maintain control.
Can you transcribe in other languages? In addition to our English transcription, we also offer Spanish to Spanish and Spanish to English transcription.
Are your transcribers native English speakers? All of our English transcribers are US-based native English speakers. We never outsource our work, overseas or otherwise.
How do I start a new project? Call Mike DeLia, Director of Transcription Services at 215.367.4000 x261 or by email at ftp@focusfwd.com. This email address is maintained 7 days a week, so a manager is always available to start a new project. Your private ftp space will be set up within minutes and we will start transcribing as soon as we receive the audio.
You can also ship media to our office:
Focus Forward, LLC, Attn: Mike DeLia
515 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 110, Fort Washington, PA 19034
If you are an existing client and already have a username and password, you can upload directly to our ftp space: Upload Now
How soon will I receive my transcripts? Our standard turnaround is 24-36 hours on files 60 minutes or less, 36-48 hours on 90 minutes and 48-60 hours on 2 hours. This turnaround is the same for one interview or 20+ interviews. Need it quicker than this? Just let us know and we’ll put a rush on your project. With such a large staff, we are able to turn around large jobs in the same amount of time as one file.
What allows you to turn around the transcripts so quickly, compared to other companies? With over 200 transcribers on staff, we have a unique process that allows all files to be transcribed simultaneously. Each file is then quality checked and proofread by one of our in-house proofreaders to provide consistency and accuracy in all of your transcripts. Our uniformity standards and proofreaders ensure each transcript looks like the same transcriber worked at an impossible speed!
Do you use voice recognition software? No. Voice recognition software is a great idea in theory, though does not offer the quality we provide. Voice recognition software is best used by a single user whose voice is trained to the software. It is really not suitable for transcription.
How do you charge? Our rates are based on length of audio and are not affected by the number of speakers or topic. Many transcription firms charge based on the hours of labor, number of pages, speakers, or topic. With Focus Forward Transcription, there are no surprises on your invoice and we can provide accurate quotes up front, based solely on the length of your files.
From what formats can you transcribe? We accept virtually any format of digital file. We can also transcribe from cassette tapes, minicassettes, microcassettes, FocusVision & ActiveGroup archives, DVDs and VHS tapes.
What can you transcribe? We can transcribe any audio you have. With over 200 transcribers on staff, we are experts in every topic.
How can I record the top quality audio? The best answers to this are very simple: eliminate background noise, make sure the speakers are close to the microphone and ask everyone to speak clearly, loudly and one at a time. We also recommend using an external microphone and, if using a hand held recorder, digital is the way to go. The hand-held analog recorders are of very low quality and the tapes often break, losing all of your audio. No matter what you use, we recommend also having backup audio recordings, as nothing is foolproof.
