How to Choose a Vendor: Part 1: General Questions to Ask

Whether you are an attorney or staff member in a litigation firm, your job has a lot of moving parts with limited time to accomplish all that needs to be done each day. When choosing a business partner to support you it is important, and can save a lot of time on the back end, if you know what questions to ask upfront.

Below is a list of questions to consider when selecting a court reporting agency:

What is your confirmation process?

When working with a vendor, you want to be sure the item you’ve checked off your to-do list will get done without requiring you to follow up repeatedly.  A company should confirm receipt of your notice of deposition within an hour and begin working to schedule the best court reporter and videographer for your needs.  On the day before your deposition, the scheduling department should email the individual who scheduled the deposition by 9:00 am to confirm the deposition is going forward.  By the afternoon, if there has yet to be a confirmation, the company should call that scheduler in your office and receive confirmation from either the scheduler or someone else with the team.

How can I reach your staff after hours?

It is important to know whether you can get in touch with your vendor after hours for last-minute scheduling or cancellations or urgent production needs.  Ask your vendor where their after-hours phone calls are routed.  Do they go to a third-party answering service?  A voicemail box that gets checked the next day?  The scheduling, production and video departments should be available 24/7 for any last minute requests that need to be made.

What is your cancellation policy?

Did you know that more than 40% of depositions get cancelled?  If you don’t know already, be sure to find out your vendor’s cancellation policy and discuss any extenuating circumstances in advance.  Keeping the line of communication open and discussing case-specific needs will help your vendor understand your expectations and, ultimately, give you better service.  A quick conversation can help you avoid footing the bill for a cancellation fee.

 When will you bill me?

With some vendors it may depend on the service line or product you are purchasing. It is important to know whether your invoice is coming by mail or electronically. It is good for a company to offer both options out of consideration for the client who has his or her own preferences and processes for payment. You should also know when the bills are sent out. A company should invoice you approximately 3 weeks from the date of service. However, there are always exceptions, such as immediate pass-through costs, in which case billing may be different.

When and how do you expect payment?

It is also good to know when payment is due. To avoid unnecessary confusion, it is best that payment is due upon receipt.  To assist clients and ease the burden placed on their accounting departments, it is also good to consider different payment options, such as check or ACH.

Can you assist in some of the planning details?

If your to-do list is growing and certain tasks are taking up too much of your time, check with your vendor to see how they can help.  Ask if they can handle some of the small details that take up so much time, or if they offer services to make your job easier.

What territory or venues do you cover? 

Some litigation firms are only local, and some are nationwide. Nationwide firms can have an advantage, working with numerous court reporters and videographers across the United States who are available to cover even last minute depositions. A company with an established network can relieve you of having to deal with multiple court reporting companies and their diverse internal processes. Also, if you work across state lines, having a centralized scheduling, production, and billing department provides you with consistent service and a timely response no matter where your depositions occur.  When someone from your team is out of the office, having your transcripts available at one reporting firm will allow you to always know where to find them.

Can you find and book the conference room for me?

Whether a deposition is local or across the country, calling hotels and conference facilities for rates, taking notes, negotiating, and handling the contract can be very time consuming.  An established company will know where to call, where not to call, and what questions to ask. They can get you the best rate by booking rooms by volume.   This allows you to focus on other priorities without all the hassle of returning calls and hunting down answers to unnecessary questions.

Do I have to order every time or can I set up a standing order?

Whether you’re working on a large case with many depositions or many cases involving a similar matter, if you find yourself consistently placing the same order, then setting up a standing order might be useful.  If your vendor offers this service, you can tell them exactly what you want after each deposition and your order will automatically be filled.  A standing order should be offered at no charge to you.  Companies should allow you to specify details of your standing order down to specific attorneys, county, or case.  For example, if attorney John Smith always wants a hard copy, e-transcript, e-exhibits, and not the video, with the invoice sent to co-counsel after his depositions in Madison County, IL cases only a standing order will help to be sure all requests are fulfilled. Another example is attorney Jackie Scott orders a rough, e-transcript, and synched video after her depositions in St. Louis City, Cook County, IL, Los Angeles, CA and New York, NY but not in cases in other locations.

Do you offer online scheduling?

Online scheduling can be a useful tool that can save you time. Companies that are keeping up with the available technologies should be able to offer this service to you. At PohlmanUSA we offer scheduling via phone, email, fax or through our proprietary website.

What features does your website offer to help save me time?  The agency’s website should be more than just a billboard for their  company; it should also be an interactive medium that receives information from clients. For example, at PohlmanUSA.com  you can upload 10 notices at one time, sign up to receive deposition alerts regarding detail changes, and even access a searchable repository of your firm’s past orders.

Want to learn more about how PohlmanUSA can be your partner in reducing costs associated with discovery in your litigation? Call our sales & marketing department at 1-877-421-0099 or email us at [email protected].  And remember, “We’re always listening®.”