Transcriptions

Certainly! Trial files should be shorter than 5 minutes and there should be prior communication. There is no charge for trial files.

• Try to minimize participant overlaps by asking them to speak one at a time, as simultaneous speeches are impossible to transcribe.
• Opt for air conditioning over open windows so as to reduce external noise.
• It would be advisable to conduct a brief test recording to ensure sound quality and use two recorders for backup if possible.
• The main issue is that there should be no background noise during the discussion. For this reason you should avoid recording in open spaces or in places where there is music and/or other people’s voices (e.g. restaurants or cafes) or sound from a TV/radio.
• Also, make sure the speakers are close to the tape recorder and remind them that the conversation is being recorded and will be transcribed, so that they can control their voice volume as well as mention their name each time they speak (especially in meetings with many participants).
• Using an external microphone connected to the recording device could also significantly improve sound quality.
• Remember to ask participants to turn off their mobile phones, as even in the silent setting a mobile phone can interfere with the recording.
• Also, do not place papers, books, cups/mugs, or devices (e.g. a projector) near the recorder, as the sound of pages being turned next to the microphone or the movement of a cup on the table overlaps the voice of speakers who are a little further away from the recorder.
• If possible, consider using a digital recorder instead of cassette recorders for better sound quality (The cost of purchasing a dependable digital recording device begins at approximately 40 Euros). The quality of the recording provided by digital recorders is much better and the recorded file can be sent to us via the internet, saving time and also the cost of shipping. If your digital tape recorder provides CONF/DICT options, remember to use the appropriate DICT setting for dictation and CONF for multi-speaker conversations.

Upon completion of the project, the corresponding document (invoice or proof of service) is issued on credit. Invoices are sent via e-mail as Office Support follows electronic invoicing, while receipts are sent by post. Payment is made either by deposit to Office Support’s bank account or in cash, preceding the delivery of the file.

For simultaneous interpreting (booth), audio files must be delivered separately, meaning one file for the sound of each language. Recording companies typically record different languages on separate audio channels, allowing the extraction of independent files for each language.

If the files involve consecutive interpreting, there will be a single audio file and it will be transcribed by bilingual collaborators.
If the client wishes, the two files can be merged into one (in a side-by-side format, with one column for the original language and one for the interpretation). This process can be done after completing all transcriptions and affects both the timeline and the project cost (please let us know so that we can include it in our proposal).

If the client wishes, it is possible to deliver printed files (hard copy), which may be bound (plastic spiral or thermal binding). Please let us know when assigning the task.

Yes, but such files are challenging to send over the internet due to their large data volume. In these cases, the material must be delivered, at the client’s responsibility, to the offices of Office Support. The material will be returned after completion via courier, the cost of which is borne by the client.

For professional recordings, the company that created the DVD or video may be able to isolate the audio (different recording channel) into a separate file. This file can be sent to us over the internet without the need to send the cassette or DVD. You must contact the recording company for this option.

Office Support collaborates with a recording-video company for audio-visual coverage of events. Prior communication and a site visit by the designated Office Support collaborator are required in order to select the necessary audio equipment.

For an accurate transcription of speaker names, it is advisable for the client to provide Office Support with a list of speakers’ names, especially in the case of non-Greek speakers. Additionally, in cases of conversations held in English involving Greek speakers, it is useful to provide a list of the preferred spelling of the Greek names in English (e.g. Giannopoulos instead of Yannopoulos or Yiannopoulos).

If minutes are kept by a secretary during the meeting, sharing these notes with Office Support would be useful so as to facilitate the accurate transcription of the speakers.

Also, in workshops and conferences, the workshop schedule is extremely useful for us and we kindly request that you send it along with the audio files, if possible in electronic format and preferably pdf.

Especially in cases where Office Support will be responsible for both recording and transcription, the assignment should ideally be made one week before the scheduled meeting, in order to book the recording equipment and also to book time for the transcribers who will work on the project.

As certain times of the year are characterized by heavy workloads, it would be advisable in any case for us to have your assignment as soon as possible, even if your material is not ready for delivery, so that we can schedule the work and adhere to the proposed timelines.

Our company has been involved in transcription since 2004 and has accumulated a lot of experience in this field. In addition, Office Support has a large network of collaborators and can therefore take on projects of any size.

As an indication, we transcribe more than 5,000,000 words (600 hours of audio) per year. Our turnaround times, even on large projects, will astound you!

For very large projects, we typically recommend to our clients the option of incremental delivery, meaning the project is delivered in smaller segments. This allows the client to proceed with the processing of the transcribed files concurrently, without having to wait for the completion of the entire project.

Since all transcriptions do not have the same level of difficulty and do not require the same amount of time, the calculation of the turnaround time is based on specific characteristics of the audio files. The main factor influencing the timeline is the audio quality, with the number of participants being the second most significant factor. In general, the fewer speakers involved and the better the audio quality, the shorter the turnaround time.

Office Support provides two alternative delivery timelines: The standard delivery time for audio files that do not exceed 3 hours is approximately 5-6 business days. For larger files, the exact delivery date is determined on a case-by-case basis, based on our written quotation. In cases where transcriptions need to be delivered earlier, express delivery is available upon consultation. In express deliveries, the cost is increased by 30% and it requires prior telephone arrangement.

We will start transcribing your material as soon as we receive it. The delivery of the transcriptions will take place in accordance with the timeline outlined in our quotation, which will be strictly adhered to. In the event that the audio file has problems affecting quality or delivery times, Office Support will contact you promptly to let you know.

In any case, Office Support reserves the right to revise the agreed-upon delivery time or even refuse to undertake the project if the audio quality is so poor that transcription is not feasible. In cases where you know in advance that the audio quality is not satisfactory, it would be preferable to have a sample of the audio before assigning the project so that we can send you a specially tailored proposal.

All transcriptions are delivered in Word Document format, with the speaker’s name highlighted in bold at the beginning of each sentence. In cases where identifying each speaker is impossible or not of interest to the client (e.g., in focus groups), speaker changes are indicated by a new line and a bullet point. For legal texts, if the client wishes, transcriptions are delivered in a Word file with line numbering and wide margins, allowing lawyers or the Bureau to make notes on the printed text (ask us to send you a sample of the legal format we use).

To ensure the fidelity and accuracy of transcriptions, Office Support employs a second collaborator (different from the person who performed the transcription) who listens to the audio file again and checks the already transcribed text, making any necessary corrections or additions.

In the case of multiple speakers, there are often overlaps between them and/or parallel discussions among subgroups of the speakers. In this case, an effort is made to transcribe as much of the discussion as possible, but priority is given to the main speaker/the voice that is clearer.

Office Support makes every possible effort to transcribe the conversation with absolute accuracy and without any gaps.However, in some instances, achieving this is not technically feasible. Points where transcription of word(s) was not possible are marked with asterisks (***).

What differentiates our company is that, in every case, the final deliverable from Office Support reaches 100% in accuracy and completeness. With the exception of points where the audio quality prevents us from avoiding asterisks, the deliverable can even be published as is. If you know in advance that the text will be published, it is useful to inform us beforehand so that we can also intervene in any expressive inaccuracies from the speakers (e.g., switching between singular and plural).

Our company does not operate on weekends, public holidays and for three weeks in August. However, in the case of express delivery, we often work beyond our regular business hours, which is why there is an additional charge for these deliveries.

There are various reasons why sending your material through our website may not be feasible. The most common reason for failure is that your connection is quite slow, causing the upload of very large files to fail.

If you are trying to upload via your company’s network, your IT technicians may have disabled this feature on users’ computers. Therefore, it would be advisable to ask for their assistance.

If, for any reason, you are unable to upload, please send your material to our office at:

Office Support,
Formionos 69-71,
161 21 Kaisariani
(4th floor)
Τel.: +30210-7560244

If you wish to send us your files by mail or courier, we recommend keeping copies at your headquarters to safeguard your material in the rare event that it is damaged in transit.

Firstly, you need to request an official quotation from us, describing the specific project you want to assign. After our communication, you will receive our quotation within 48 hours.

The next step is the written acceptance of the quote (or assignment order) and the signing of the corresponding confidentiality agreement. Note that if the quotation is not accepted, we cannot initiate the transcription of your material.

Subsequently, you will need to send us the audio files (either via the internet or through physical delivery) along with any accompanying material that could facilitate the transcription process.

We will start transcribing your material as soon as we receive it. The delivery of the transcriptions will take place in accordance with the timeline outlined in our quotation, which will be strictly adhered to. In the event that the audio file has problems affecting quality or delivery times, Office Support will contact you promptly to let you know.

Upon completion of the project, the corresponding document (invoice or proof of service) is issued on credit. Invoices are sent via e-mail as Office Support follows electronic invoicing, while receipts are sent by post. Payment is made either by deposit to Office Support’s bank account or in cash, preceding the delivery of the file.

The best possible solution is to contact a recording company to ensure truly excellent sound quality. Office Support collaborates with a specific recording company and can assist you in this area as well (please contact us for details). Professional recording is a prerequisite for large meetings (with many participants), conferences and workshops, administrative or disciplinary boards, and market research groups (focus groups).

If you wish to record interviews between two individuals or dictate texts for transcription (e.g., correspondence, notes, or literary work), you can record on a digital or analog cassette recorder and send us the audio for transcription. Digital files are preferred as they can be sent to us through our website (upload), saving time and shipping costs. If you choose to record on an analog cassette recorder, you will need to send us your tapes. Additionally, Office Support provides the option of telephone dictation.

It would be useful for each recording to follow some basic guidelines that will ensure better sound quality, facilitating a complete transcription. More information on how to ensure better sound quality can be found in the question “Guidelines for better recording quality” above.

We can transcribe all common digital file formats. If you are recording using a digital recorder, check the device’s manual to see if it can be connected to a PC for file extraction. Some older devices create files in a format that only the device itself can play. In these cases, you will need to send us your device so that we can transcribe the audio file.

Digital files not only provide better recording quality than analog files (cassettes) but also help both us and our clients reduce both transcription time and costs, since they essentially eliminate the need for tapes, shipping costs, and storage space.

Additionally, digital files work better with the specialized programs we use, allowing our transcribers to work even more efficiently, since with a push of a button, they can avoid the delays associated with navigating through a cassette or using a foot pedal.

In order to save time, the transcribed text is delivered in Word document format via email to an address specified by the client. In larger projects, delivery can be done in stages, allowing the client to proceed with their work concurrently with the transcription.

If the client wishes, it is possible to deliver printed files (hard copy), which may be bound (plastic spiral or thermal binding).

The return of the source material (tapes, CDs, DVDs, USB sticks, etc.), as well as the printed file where required, is arranged through a courier service, the cost of which is borne by the client.

All our transcribers are professionals with extensive experience in the field, as Office Support does not associate with individuals who engage in transcriptions on occasion. They are both full-time permanent-in-house employees as well as qualified external collaborators with whom the company has a long-term working relationship.

Office Support does not utilize automatic speech recognition technology for transcriptions, as the results do not meet the quality standards we have set for ourselves. In general, voice recognition technology is still many years away from replacing “live” transcribers.

Office Support and its staff are committed to maintaining absolute confidentiality for any information they come across in the course of a project and not disclosing it to any third party.

Employees of the company are informed about each project based solely on what is necessary for the proper execution of their work, most of the time without even knowing the name of the final client. In any case, whether permanent or external collaborators, all associates of Office Support sign a confidentiality agreement at the beginning of their collaboration with our company.

Also, Office Support is willing to sign a confidentiality agreement, either in accordance with the form we already use or on a form prepared by the client.

If the files are in digital format, you can use our website to upload them. The process is simple. By going to the «File Submission» section, using the upload application and following the instructions, you can complete the process in just a few steps. If no prior telephone contact has been made, please include any useful information in the “message” field (preferred delivery time, the total number of audio files we should receive, etc.). Upon receiving the files, a representative from Office Support will contact you to confirm receipt and ask for any clarifications if necessary.

In the case of physical files, these should be delivered to the Office Support headquarters.

The cost is calculated based on the actual number of words transcribed (automatically counted in Word), regardless of the duration of the audio file, but there is a minimum charge for very short files.

If transcriptions need to be delivered earlier, express delivery is possible upon consultation. In this case you should be aware that there is a surcharge (30%).

If additional completeness checks are required due to poor audio quality, there is an additional cost per hour of work.