FAQs

Updated: 8/29/24

1. How much time do I have to transcribe a task? If I don’t finish a task within the time limit, can I get an extension?
2. If I don’t finish transcribing a task, will I still get paid for what I did work on?
3. After I transcribe a task, is this the end? Do I get paid then?
4. I’m worried about my transcript having too many errors. Is this a problem?
5. Is it really necessary to capture every “um” and “uh” when transcribing?
6. Is there a limit to how many tasks I can work on in a day?
7. Sometimes I don’t know who’s speaking and the file doesn’t always provide accurate speaker IDs. How do I deal with this?
8. How does payment work?
9. When do I get paid?
10. What should I do if I’m having problems with a task?
11. The editor is lagging, or slowing down. What can I do to fix this?
12. How can I communicate with the Parrot team if it’s urgent?
13. How long does it take for my task to be reviewed?
14. What does "No tasks available" mean?

How much time do I have to transcribe a task? If I don’t finish a task within the time limit, can I get an extension?

Every standard task has a 8-hour time limit, and every surge task has a 5-hour time limit, which should be sufficient as tasks are generally always 15-minutes long (or less). We encourage you to complete tasks in one sitting, but we understand that life's interruptions sometimes do not allow for this.

Please keep note of the deadline when you begin a task, to avoid disappointment if the task is reassigned. We reassign tasks after the exceeded time period to ensure we meet our client's deadlines. 

If I don’t finish transcribing a task, will I still get paid for what I did work on?

When tasks are not completed within the 8-hour window, the file is automatically re-assigned to someone else. The work done is not retrievable. Because Task completion includes both transcription and corrections, we strongly encourage transcribers to assess their time capacity before taking on tasks as this results in a loss of time, work, and nonpayment.

However, if there was a technical reason (the Parrot app stops working) that you could not complete the task, and you contact the Parrot team immediately, we will do our best to assess the situation and compensate you fairly for your time. If you cannot complete a task, please message the Help Center as shown here: 

After I transcribe a task, is this the end? Do I get paid then?

Once you've submitted a task, it moves on to our trusty reviewers, who will be the final pair of eyes on the full transcript. 

You'll get feedback on your transcript in the form of a transcript comparison, which is automatically generated when a reviewer has finished reviewing your task. It will show the differences between your transcript and what the reviewer submitted, so you have an understanding of where you went wrong. 

Once you've taken a look at the feedback and acknowledged it, your task will be added to your payout tab:

I’m worried about my transcript having too many errors. Is this a problem?

While mistakes are inevitable during transcription, a lot of the errors found in initial transcripts come from a lack of familiarity with the Parrot Style Guide. We strongly recommend that transcribers take the time to read through Parrot’s Style Guide (found in the Help Center) prior to transcribing. 

Though the review process exists to catch errors, it is not meant to be a crutch or substitute for effort. It allows us to comply with legal and industry standards of accuracy through quality control. Evaluations of transcripts are based on a number of factors:

1. When the same mistakes are made despite reviewer feedback;
2. When corrections return uncorrected or with more errors than it contained from the start;
3. When the Parrot team has reached out regarding quality issues, and they persist.

The beginning can feel rough as there is a period of familiarization and adaptation to the Parrot Style Guide. However, we’ve observed rapid progress with steady transcription and personal diligence.

Is it really necessary to capture every “um” and “uh” when transcribing?

Parrot’s editorial style is Full Verbatim, which entails the inclusion of everything that is said, exactly how the speakers say it. We do so because 100% of our clients come from the legal or law enforcement industry. The ability to consult the exact words that were spoken can mean the difference between a favorable and an unfavorable verdict. Some lawyers might use them to help determine how nervous, prepared, or hesitant a person was when speaking in the courtroom or during interrogations. Transcriptions that have been cleaned up or are not fully verbatim can fundamentally alter the context of speech and influence the course of justice.

The legal nature of the transcripts we produce demands that we look for the best.

Is there a limit to how many tasks I can work on in a day?

No, we do not have a minimum or maximum number of tasks. Order volume ebbs and flows, especially around the Holidays. We will alert you on Slack when major changes occur!

Sometimes I don’t know who’s speaking and the file doesn’t always provide accurate speaker IDs. How do I deal with this?

Files do not always come with a full list of identified speakers. Here are a few pointers to help in such scenarios:

1. Speaker names can come up during the course of a recording but not necessarily in the task that you're working on. The review process helps to fill the gaps. During transcription, please be mindful of existing unknown speakers before creating new ones. Label them according to gender and or title when known (ie.female/male unknown judge/attorney). This helps out others who are working on the same file but in a different task and prevents multiple unknown speaker IDs for the same individual.

3. Kindly refrain from using the same “unknown speaker” ID for all unidentified voices, male and female, lawyer and judge. 

How does payment work?

Every new transcriber needs to set up their bank account through the Payouts tab on Parrot. Payments are currently being processed through Stripe.

When do I get paid?

Payments are sent out on a weekly basis, every Monday.

What should I do if I’m having problems with a task?

As wonderful as technology is, it too can sometimes malfunction. In such an event, we have a few tips for troubleshooting prior to turning to the Parrot team for further support.

1. Do a hard refresh of the page with Command + Shift + R on a MAC. Ctrl + Shift and click R on PC. If that doesn’t work, try:
2. Logout of the app, quit the browser and re-enter the file.

Should the problem persist after these two steps, you can request assistance on the remote-transcriber Slack channel. Send a screenshot of the problem and describe in detail the nature of the error message. The more information you provide the engineers, the easier and faster it will be to resolve. We recommend posting tech glitches to the slack channel rather than directly messaging, as others can benefit from seeing the issue.

The editor is lagging, or slowing down. What can I do to fix this?

Sometimes extraordinarily long transcripts can cause the editor to lag, or slow down. There are a few actions you can take to reduce this and optimize your transcription session: 

1. Disable extra, unnecessary browser extensions

2. Close extra, open tabs that you aren't using

This should help the editor run smoothly.

How can I communicate with the Parrot team if it’s urgent?

The in-house team is reachable via Slack or the Help icon on your profile. 

How long does it take for my task to be reviewed?

Usually it takes around 7-10 days depending on the client order.

What does "No tasks available" mean?

Currently there are no tasks available to transcribe.