Before You Spend an Hour Correcting That AI Transcript...

You've dictated the report. AI has transcribed it. You open the document to have a quick look.

There's an odd word in the first paragraph, so you correct it.

Then you spot another.

The punctuation needs attention. A heading is in the wrong place without any formatting. Something that was clearly an instruction to you or the typist has become part of the report. You listen back to one section to work out what happened there.

An hour later, you're still at it.

At this point it is reasonable to ask exactly what the AI has saved you.

It's a bit like cleaning the house before the cleaner arrives. We all know people do it, but it rather defeats the object. The same applies to correcting and formatting your AI transcript before sending it to us. That's what we're here for.

You can send it to us before you've checked it

If you want BackupTyping to check an AI transcript against your dictation, don't do the first correction yourself.

Send us:

the AI transcript;
the original recording;
your report template or a suitable example;
any photographs or appendices we need; and
a brief instruction telling us what you want done and when you need it.

That's generally enough.

We don't need you to make the transcript presentable first. Presentable is rather the point of sending it to us.

Tell us what we're looking at

The most useful piece of information is often very simple:

“This is unchecked AI text.”

That tells us not to assume you've approved the wording.

If you've already checked some of it, tell us where you got to. If the AI has summarised or rewritten your dictation rather than simply transcribing it, we need to know that too.

Likewise, if a particular paragraph has been manually changed since the recording was made, mention it. Otherwise we could diligently listen to the audio and put back the wording you deliberately removed.

Nobody wants that.

Give us the right template

You don't need to spend time making the AI document look vaguely like your usual report before sending it over.

Send the actual template.

If your firm's blank template doesn't make the finished layout particularly obvious, send us a completed example as well.

We regularly work with clients' own Word templates. Styles, numbering, tables, page breaks, headers and photographs are all part of producing the finished document.

And yes, Word occasionally has its own ideas about where all of those things should go.

Photographs don't need to be a puzzle

If photographs are involved, make it clear which caption belongs to which image.

A filename, photograph number or other sensible reference is enough. We don't require an elaborate spreadsheet explaining that IMG_4287 is the damp patch beside the rear bedroom window if “Photo 14” will do.

If the photographs are already in the report, even better. You can dictate the captions and we can add them to the relevant images.

Tell us when you really need it

“Urgent” means different things to different people.

If you need the document by 10 am tomorrow, say so. If you actually need it by the end of tomorrow but would quite like it at 10 am, that's slightly different.

BackupTyping offers different turnaround options, so choosing the right one matters. There's little point paying for urgency you don't need.

A perfectly adequate instruction might be:

“Unchecked AI transcript and audio attached. Please check against the recording, put into our building survey template and return for my review tomorrow afternoon.”

That's it.

You don't need to produce a beautifully formatted set of instructions explaining how you'd like us to beautifully format the report.

Have an AI transcript waiting for attention? Send us what you have rather than spending your own time getting it ready for us.

Call BackupTyping on 020 7096 1663 or email if you'd like to discuss what you need.

Outsourcing Your Property Typing Doesn’t Mean Losing Control

Outsourcing is sometimes treated as an all-or-nothing decision. You either have an in-house typing team or you send everything elsewhere.

But that’s not how many of our clients use us. Some send us work every day. Others only need help when things get particularly busy.

Increasingly, we’re working alongside clients who prepare their own first drafts.

You Decide What to Send

You might prefer dictating your reports and leaving the transcription to us. Perhaps you’ve started using speech-to-text and only need help with the formatting. Or you may have an excellent administrative team that occasionally needs additional support.

All of those arrangements can work.

Our outsourced typing services are intended to fit around your existing business, rather than require you to reorganise it.

What About Confidentiality?

It’s a reasonable question, particularly when you’re dealing with confidential property information.

We work with experienced freelance transcription professionals who are engaged under written agreements containing confidentiality and data protection obligations.

Access to client information is restricted to authorised personnel and our contractors are required to follow our security procedures.

We also work with established client templates and instructions, helping maintain consistency across the documents we produce.

You Remain in Charge of the Report

When you send work to BackupTyping, you retain responsibility for the technical content. We follow your instructions, prepare the document and refer unclear or potentially incorrect information back to you where necessary.

If you use AI to produce the first draft, that’s entirely your decision. If you prefer traditional dictation, that’s fine too. Our role is to provide reliable transcription and document production support, whichever method you choose.

A Little Extra Capacity Can Go a Long Way

There are times when even a well-organised office has more work than it can comfortably manage. A particularly busy inspection schedule, staff holidays or a large instruction requiring many reports can quickly create a backlog.

Having an established property typing company available means you can send work out when necessary without committing to additional permanent staff.

And when things quieten down, you simply send less. For more on the time saved, see Fee Earner or Typist?.

If you need additional transcription or document production support, contact BackupTyping on 020 7096 1663 or at hello@backuptyping.co.uk.