In every service related field, there are gradations of quality in providers to fulfill a need. The question is how do you avoid selecting a provider who may not do a good job?

Similarities across all service fields with regard to the types of options we all have when employing someone are apparent. There are individuals who may be new to a field that may not have the necessary experience to be effective at their trade. Individuals can also be average that only does a sufficient job to get by. And finally, there are those that exceed expectations by excelling at their skill among the top in their field that pride themselves on being the best.

In the field of court reporting, an individual must meet stringent requirements in order to be certified in their respective state. Each state has a different process for the education and certification of court reporters. Texas enforces strict guidelines to ensure the industry is staffed by well-versed, quality court reporters. The process in Texas requires education and certification by written and oral examination. First, a student must attend a court reporting program to learn the skill of stenography. Upon completion of their reporting program, a state certification exam must be passed with 97% accuracy at 225 words per minute in reporting the oration of a literature piece, jury charge, and question and answer. The court reporter is certified as a shorthand reporter by the Supreme Court and can now proceed to enter many different sectors. These sectors can include freelance reporting of depositions and arbitrations, official reporting in a court of law, captioning and many others.

In Texas, the percentage of individuals that complete court reporting school and become state certified is less than 10%. This process ensures that court reporters in Texas have the fundamental skills to be successful in this profession and provide quality service. Despite state certification, not all court reporters are created equal. The challenge becomes more about the individual court reporter for quality selection. Personality, work ethic, drive, demeanor, appearance,compensational motivation, professionalism, and customer service correlate with a high level of success rather than state certification alone.

There should be a process defined to ensure that only the top court reporters that exceed the aforementioned traits become a part of their team. The process includes a phone interview, sample work, quality control feedback measures, and quality of their work, prompt product delivery, professional appearance, pleasant & respectful demeanor, effective communication skills, highly reliable, good attitude, and a good standing with the Court Reporters Certification Board.

The implications of this selection process are substantial. The selection of a poor quality court reporter can have negative implications for all parties involved. The attorney may be displeased to the extent of not using the firm again and loss of revenue may impact the business. Or, the quality of the work may be inferior to the extent to harm the attorney's success in litigation of the case.
In the end, there are some risks in choosing a court reporter for the first time. In selecting a firm that uses many different court reporters, compile a list of questions around what the court reporting firm does as part of an on-boarding process and services they offer. You may also want to contact attorneys who have experience with the firm and a specific reporter for reference. This research can provide peace of mind with a quality selection process for a court reporter and firm you can trust to provide the highest level of quality. A good court reporting firm should exemplify these qualities. A professional court reporting firm should also staff professional, experienced, quality court reporters that are well-versed in a variety of specialties to ensure uncompromising quality and customer service for their clients.