Each specific error code will have a couple of possible reasons why it should be chosen, which are outlined below. Each error code (except [xHang up/Unintended Call) requires an explanation of why the error code was chosen in the [z field. This explanation, depending upon the error code, will go to either Copytalk Customer Service or to the customer themselves. Your profile has come pre-equipped with a set of macros that automatically set up the error code along with a standardized [z field explanation (macros are in parentheses below). Please keep in mind that you cannot assign more than one error code to the same job. The error code [x and [z fields should be placed either completely before the [4 text field or completely after the [4 text field; they cannot interrupt the [4 text field.

Choose this error code if the customer clearly states that the dictation is a continuation (for example, if they say “This Is Part Two”, “Continuing On With My Notes”, “Case Notes Continued”, or "Lucas Meeting - Three" etc.). This is the only reason why you use this error code. You will still type out the job as normal and the customer will receive the transcription.

Do not choose this error code if the continuation is implied (for example, if the first thing the customer says is "So, as I was saying about the fact finder").

    [xAbusive customer
    [zThis is a continuation of a previous message.

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Choose this error code under the following three scenarios:

    1. Hang Up: You receive a job that is exactly 10 seconds of silence/static.
    2. Unintended Call: You receive a job that contains nothing but background noise, or speech that is clearly not a dictation (as if the customer accidentally pocket-dialed), or you receive a job that sounds like hold music, as if the customer called into the service but then switched lines to take another call before dictating anything.
    3. Cancel The Job: You receive a job where at some point the customer clearly states to cancel the job.

- This is the only error code that does not require a [z field explanation. The e-mail will not be sent to the customer, you do not need to scribe anything, and any text you would've typed will be lost or erased.

- It takes Formalizer a second or two to recognize that you've entered the Hang up/Unintended call error code. If you try to hit Send before Formalizer has recognized the error code, it temporarily won't let you send the job out. Be sure to wait a second or two after entering the error code, before hitting send.

- In the case of a Hang Up, always be sure to listen to the full 10 seconds to make sure it was all silence/static and there was no dictation. Not all 10-second jobs are Hang Ups; some 10-second jobs are just very, very short dictations.

- In the case of an Unintended Call, always make sure to listen ahead to see if the customer ever comes back to the line and dictates anything. You can either speed ahead using Ctrl+ or by jumping forward with your mouse.

- In the case of a Canceled Job, this instruction must be fairly clear and unquestionable. If you're not sure whether the customer really wants the job canceled, scribe the job in full and send the job to QA with a comment, or ask a supervisor for assistance before sending the job out.

    [xHang up/Unintended call

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We do not do strikethrough, larger/smaller/different font, right/center justify or columns. We also cannot put any type of accent mark or umlaut on/above letters. If the customer asks for any of these, ignore that request, continue to type out the text of the e-mail as normal, and choose the Unsupported feature error code. At the end of the error code, after the colon, simply list whatever the unsupported request was.

    [xUnsupported feature
    [zCustomer requested an unsupported feature: center justify

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In a non-fixed addressee e-mail job where the customer has to name the recipient for the [1 field, there must be at least one valid recipient chosen from the customer's nicklist in order for Formalizer to allow you to send out the job. If there are no valid recipients stated, the only way to send the job is to choose the No Valid Recipients error code. You should never take a "guess" when it comes to selecting a recipient. If a customer states a recipient, the name the customer states must be an EXACT match to the name that is in their nicklist in order for it to be considered "Valid". There are three main reasons why we would use the No valid recipients error code (and the macro associated with that reason is in parentheses):

1. The customer forgets to name a recipient.

    (xxn1)
    [xNo valid recipients.
    [zCustomer did not state a recipient.

2. The customer names a recipient that is not valid because the customer: names a recipient not on the list, names an unintelligible recipient, names a recipient that only partially matches the name on the list (for example, the customer says the recipient is Bob W. Smith, but only Bob Smith is on the list), or if the customer states the recipient as an e-mail address (alex@yahoo.com) but does not spell the full e-mail address (a-l-e-x at y-a-h-o-o dot c-o-m).

    (xxn2)
    [xNo valid recipients.
    [zCustomer stated a recipient not on the list: Bob W. Smith

Sometimes names on the nicklist are in lowercase (i.e. john, bob) or all caps (i.e. MARK).  If you have a name macro where it capitalizes the first letter, Formalizer will not recognize this as a valid recipient and give you an error message.  Recipients are case-sensitive, so make sure to cancel your name macro and type the name EXACTLY as it is shown in the nicklist.

3. The customer states the e-mail should be sent to everyone in the nicklist.

    (xxn3)
    [xNo valid recipients.
    [zCustomer requested the transcription be sent to all contacts on the list.

- In all instances of this error code, you must still transcribe the rest of the job as normal.

- In example number two, when the customer states a name or e-mail that is not valid, add the name/e-mail that the customer stated to the end of the [z field explanation (as shown in the example). If a customer states multiple names or e-mails that are invalid, you should add all names/e-mails to end of the [z field explanation.

- In example number two, if the customer names a recipient that is unintelligible, add "an unclear recipient" to the end of the [z field explanation. If the customer names multiple recipients, where one of the recipients is an invalid match, and the other recipient is unintelligible, choose xxn2, list the name of the invalid recipient at the end of the [z field as you normally would, and then also put "and an unclear recipient". (For example, [zCustomer stated a recipient not on the list: Bob W. Smith and an unclear recipient.)  Do not use a Garbled bookmark for the unintelligible recipient.

- See Can't Match One Or More Recipients if the customer states multiple recipients, and at least one of them is valid and at least one of them is invalid.

- A carbon copy does not count as a recipient. Carbon copies can only go in the [2 field. See Can't Match One Or More Recipients if the customer names an invalid carbon copy.

- If a customer names a valid carbon copy, but an invalid recipient, put the carbon copy in the [2 field, and put the appropriate [xNo valid recipients error code.

- Customers will state their recipients in a variety of ways. Some customers will say clearly "The recipient is Bob Jones", whereas others will say "E-mail to Bob Jones" or "Send this to Bob Jones". Also, some customers will simply begin the dictation by saying "Bob Jones". In a non-fixed addressee job, it's important to recognize the different ways in which a customer might state a recipient. (However, a "forward" is treated differently. If a customer says to forward the e-mail to someone, see the Forward? section)

- Sometimes a customer will dictate a recipient in a fixed-recipient job (the recipient field is greyed out). When this happens, type the requested recipient as the subject line, unless a different subject line has also been dictated – in which case, type the requested recipient as the first line of the body of the text and then create a new paragraph to begin the message body.

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In a non-fixed addressee e-mail job where the customer has to name the recipient for the [1 field, there must be at least one valid recipient chosen from the customer's nicklist in order for Formalizer to allow you to send out the job. If there are no valid recipients stated, the only way to send the job is to choose the No Valid Recipients error code. You should never take a "guess" when it comes to selecting a recipient. If a customer states a recipient, the name the customer states must be an EXACT match to the name that is in their nicklist in order for it to be considered "Valid".

The Can't match one or more recipients error code is for when the customer states multiple recipients , and at least one of them is valid and at least one of them is invalid.

1. Use the Can’t match one or more recipients error code when the customer names multiple recipients and at least one of them is a valid match, but one or more of the recipients stated is not valid because the customer: names a recipient that is not on the list, names an unintelligible recipient, names a recipient that only partially matches the name on the list, or if the customer states the recipient as an e-mail address (alex@yahoo.com) but does not spell the full e-mail address (a-l-e-x at y-a-h-o-o dot c-o-m).

    (xxc1)
    [xCan’t match one or more recipients
    [zCustomer stated an additional recipient not on the list: Mary

2. You would also use Can’t match one or more recipients if the stated recipient for the CC [2 field is not valid (for the same reasons listed above).

    (xxc2)
    [xCan’t match one or more recipients
    [zCustomer stated a carbon copy not on the list: Fred Jones

- In all instances of this error code, you must still transcribe the rest of the job as normal.

- In both examples, when the customer states a name or e-mail that is not valid, add the name/e-mail that the customer stated to the end of the [z field explanation (as shown in the examples). If a customer states multiple names or e-mails that are invalid, you should add all names/e-mails to end of the [z field explanation.

- In both examples, if the invalid name/e-mail the customer stated is unintelligible, simply put "an unclear recipient" at the end of the [z field explanation (for example, [zCustomer stated an additional recipient not on the list: "an unclear recipient"). Do not use a Garbled bookmark for the unintelligible recipient.

- Remember, a carbon copy does not count as a recipient. Carbon copies can only go in the [2 field.

- If a customer names a valid carbon copy, but an invalid recipient, put the carbon copy in the [2 field, and put the appropriate No Valid Recipients error code.

- Customers will state their recipients in a variety of ways. Some customers will say clearly "The recipient is Bob Jones", whereas others will say "E-mail to Bob Jones" or "Send this to Bob Jones". Also, some customers will simply begin the dictation by saying "Bob Jones". In a non-fixed addressee job, it's important to recognize the different ways in which a customer might state a recipient. (However, a "forward" is treated differently. If a customer says to forward the e-mail to someone, see the Forward? section)

- Sometimes a customer will dictate a recipient in a fixed-recipient job. When a customer dictates an e-mail recipient in a job that already has a fixed recipient, type the requested recipient as the subject line, unless a different subject line has also been dictated – in which case, type the requested recipient as the first line of the body of the text and then create a new paragraph to begin the message body.

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This is a rare and confusing error code and if you’ve never done one before, you should check with a supervisor before sending it out. 

In a non-fixed addressee E-mail job, a customer is allowed to dictate an e-mail to be sent to multiple recipients, and each recipient will receive a copy of the same e-mail. The customer is also allowed to dictate multiple e-mails to the same recipient. However, the customer cannot dictate one e-mail going to a recipient(s) and then a different e-mail going to a different recipient(s). If after dictating one e-mail, the customer indicates that they would like an additional e-mail sent to a separate recipient, ignore this request, choose the Multiple Items error code, and only transcribe the first dictation for the first recipient(s). The Multiple Items error code should never be used in a fixed-addressee job.

    [xMultiple items
    [zCustomer tried to dictate an additional e-mail to be sent a separate recipient.

(The [xMultiple items error code is NOT the correct error code to choose for when there are multiple error codes in a job. See the More Than One Error Code? section below.)

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It is very rare that you would ever need to use this error code. This error code is for when 100% of the dictation is completely unintelligible and you cannot make out anything that was said. This means that you have listened to the entire job and you feel no one would be able to transcribe any of it. The e-mail will not be sent to the customer, and any text you've typed will be lost or erased. Therefore, if you have typed anything at all in the subject or text of a job, this is a clear sign that you should not be using this error code.

    [xGarbled dictation
    [zDue to poor audio, this job could not be processed.

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As a scribe, you should know why we use the Other Problem, Process Anyway error code, but you are not supposed to choose it. Only QAs are supposed to choose it. The only exception to this is when a job contains more than one error code. Please click here to read about how to handle a job that has more than one error code.

There is no macro for the Other Problem, Process Anyway error code. When you get a job that you feel should be marked as Other Problem, Process Anyway you should immediately find a supervisor to ask them what to do with the job.  If no supervisor is available, you can scribe out the entire job as normal and send to QA with a comment saying that you think the job should require this error code.

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As a scribe, you should know why we use the Other Problem, Do Not Process error code, but you are not supposed to choose it. Only QAs are supposed to choose it. There is no macro for this error code. When you get a job that you feel should be marked as Other Problem, Do Not Process you should immediately find a supervisor to ask them what to do with the job.  If no supervisor is available, you can scribe out the entire job as normal and send to QA with a comment saying that you think the job should require this error code.

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How to handle a job that contains pre-recorded audio depends on a few factors:
Is it a "Note" job or an "E-mail" job, how good/bad is the audio quality, and what type of pre-recorded audio is being played?

The decision to not process a job is never left up to the scribe alone. If you have a job with pre-recorded audio and you're unsure of whether or not to process it, check with a supervisor before processing the job or use these guidelines listed below.

If the job is a "Note" job (it says "Note" at the top of the screen in the blue bar):

- Process it to the best of your ability, with no error code needed.
- With multiple speakers, create a new line each time a new speaker talks.
- Never use the [xAbusive customer, [xOther problem, do not process, [xHang up/unintended call, or [xGarbled dictation error codes, unless you are otherwise instructed by a supervisor to do so.
- Contact a supervisor before processing the job if the audio in a "Note" job is extremely difficult.
- If the job requires any special instructions or particular attention, a supervisor will let you know beforehand.

If the job is an "E-mail" job (it says "E-mail" at the top of the screen in the blue bar):

We DO process it if:
- It's a pre-recorded "dictation", as in a recording of someone saying their meeting notes, case notes, social worker notes, to-dos, etc.
- The audio is clear enough to be scribeable without any "undue hardship".
- In these instances, process as normal without any error code. As long as the job can be scribed accurately, there is no need to send to QA.
- If the job is scribeable, but the audio is of poor quality or difficult, scribe as normal and then send the job to QA when finished.

We DO NOT process it if:
- The recording contains more than one speaker (someone introducing the audio or stating a subject before playing the tape recorder doesn't count as multiple speakers).
- The audio quality is extremely poor and not-scribeable, to the point where it creates "undue hardship".
- It is pre-recorded audio that is not a "dictation", but rather is some sort of promotional audio, a recording of a seminar, recording of a presentation, recording of a conversation, recording of a radio show, a "self-help" tape or "how to be successful" tape, or web audio, etc.
- It is a recording of a voicemail.
- In these instances, check with a supervisor via PSI before processing the job to see whether the job should be processed. If a supervisor is not available, process the job and send to QA with a comment when finished.

You cannot assign more than one error code to the same job. If a job contains multiple error codes, the error code you will choose depends on whether or not the job is a fixed recipient job or a non-fixed recipient job. The [xMultiple items error code is NOT the correct error code to choose for when there are multiple error codes in a job.

In a fixed recipient job, if there are multiple error codes in the same job, transcribe the job as normal and choose the [xOther problem, process anyway error code. Put all reasons for all error codes in one [z field. For example: [xOther problem, process anyway [zThis is a continuation of a previous message, and customer requested an unsupported feature: center justify.

In a non-fixed recipient job, you would follow the same procedure as a fixed recipient job, unless one of the error codes in the job is the [xNo valid recipients or [xCan't match one or more recipients error code. In this case, the proper recipient error code must be chosen. In the [z field put the reason for the invalid recipient, and then also include the explanation for any other error codes in the job. For example: [xNo valid recipients [zCustomer did not state a recipient, and customer requested an unsupported feature: columns.

Look up to the top of the Formalizer screen at the blue bar. If it says this is a "Note" job, process as normal, without any error codes. Create a new paragraph each time a new person speaks.

If it says this is an "E-mail" job, we do not process "E-mail" jobs that contain multiple speakers. The decision to not process a job is never left up to the scribe alone. Find a supervisor before processing the job, or process the job as normal and send to QA with a comment. (Someone introducing a tape of a pre-recorded dictation or stating a subject before playing a tape recorder doesn't count as multiple speakers. See the above section on pre-recorded audio for more information).

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Anytime you receive a job where the customer seems to be trying to contact Copytalk (about their account, their service, their billing, a complaint, etc.), process the job as normal and send to QA when finished, with a comment saying the job might be a Customer Service Issue. Only QAs should mark a job as a Customer Service Issue.

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If the customer tells you to "Forward the job to" someone, what you should do depends on whether the job is a fixed or non-fixed addressee job.

- If the job is a fixed addressee job, they are likely telling the recipient of the e-mail to forward the job to that person. Simply scribe what the customer says as normal text or subject.

- In a non-fixed addressee job, if the customer does not name a recipient, but rather says to forward the job to someone, treat the person being named as the recipient, and if it is a valid recipient, choose it. If it is an invalid recipient, see the No valid recipients error code.

- In a non-fixed addressee job, if the customer does name a recipient, but then also says to forward it to someone, they are likely telling the recipient of the e-mail to forward the job to that person. Treat the person or persons named as the "recipient" as the only recipient for the job, and scribe what the customer says about the "forwarding" as normal text or subject. (For example, "This is an e-mail to Barb and Mike, Forward this to Peter". Barb and Mike are the only recipients and "Forward this to Peter" should be either the Subject or the first line of text.)

- A "Forward" is not the same as a "carbon copy" and should never be used as a carbon copy.

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If your job has an issue that is not covered by one of the sections listed above, then your job most likely does not require an error code. Contact a supervisor if you have any questions, or process your job as normal and send to QA with a clear comment explaining why you've sent it.

If your job begins with an automated voice that says "This is an e-mail correction," click here to read about how to process an E-mail Correction job.

If your job contains a lot of bookmarks and/or you're unsure if the job needs to go to QA, click here and read the section entitled "Common Reasons to Send to QA".

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