We have heard quite a lot of interesting discussion lately regarding gift giving and the court reporting profession. Some agencies feel the need to offer “gifts” and incentives in order to fatten their schedule and entice clients from other agencies. These inducements may come in the form of gift cards, vouchers, offers to local restaurants and even lotteries to win an iPad. The premise may seem harmless enough to a salesman, but to those of us who are hardworking court reporters, the idea is loathsome and the results can be demoralizing.
We are in court reporting because we love what we do. We work hard to build a solid reputation and establish good relationships and hopefully loyalty with our clients. As reporters or agency owners, we deliver a good product; stay up late nights making sure the record we deliver is a good one. We research terms; listen and re-listen to .wav files confirming we heard correctly; we listen to our clients. The driving force behind our daily activities is helping to make them successful. We are turning out work product that will change the course of someone’s life, and that is why we take our job very seriously.
So when we run into these detracting gimmicks, it only deepens our determination to focus our energy on quality, commitment and our client. We are not salesmen, we are court reporters. We want to report the record with integrity. Enticements and bribery cheapen our industry. At the heart of a client-centered agency is our mission to deliver what we have promised: a timely, quality transcript. Not a gift card in an envelope.
