One of the most agonizing decisions I had to take in 2020 was to discontinue providing transport services.
When we incorporated in 2007, our clients were mostly language service companies that catered to workers’ compensation (WC) insurance companies. Also, we provided direct language services to a few WC carriers.
Since we were compensated for interpreting service, transport offered an additional revenue stream by providing this service for limited English proficient injured (LEP) workers to and from their healthcare appointments.
Often, I would leave a patient waiting for his taxi after I interpreted for him. I would later find out that the patient sometimes waited over an hour to get picked up. They would call the workers’ comp carrier and bitterly complained. Moreover, lawyers would get involved and make an issue out of it.
It occurred to me that it would take very little additional effort to pick them up and take them to the appointment. When the appointment is done, we could conveniently drive them home with no waiting whatsoever. I could charge standard transport rates and make a nice profit. The insurance company avoided complaints and provided a better service for no additional cost, the patient received a better service, and we generated additional income. Everyone benefited.
As time passed, the issue of whether it was ethical for interpreters to transport patients surfaced more and more often. It became an increasing concern to avoid any contribution to interpreter bias by allowing the professional and injured worker so much time together. For this same reason, many agencies revised their policy to send interpreter and transport separately.
Then came the rise of uber and Lyft. It became cheaper for the insurance companies to just reimburse the patient for his ride. Little by little, we received less and less requests for transport services. For quite a few years, I made no profit from it at all. I continued to provide it as an added service to my direct clients who used our interpreting services. I feared that if we removed transport, that we would also lose our interpreting contract.
Then one day, I was blown away by my workers comp bill. I already had to pay higher car insurance to carry commercial liability. Now, my workers’ compensation cost was through the roof because transporting patients was considered risky. Not only was I not earning additional profit, but I was also forfeiting money. After I generated a profit loss evaluation with interpreting and transport packaged together, my company barely broke even. I then realized that for some time my safety services were carrying my business.
It was a difficult decision, but I realized that if I were to lose any interpreting clients because we no longer offered transport, the business would basically be unaffected. We would generate less overall income, but profits would remain the same. When 2020 began, we ended transport services. Then COVID-19 struck; we had even more uncertainty. In the end, I am happy to announce that we kept all our interpreting clients. What a relief!
Last year was such a crazy year! My business changed its name to better reflect who we are. Archway Safety Consulting & Language Services, Inc. We discontinued transportation services and increased safety services. Not too shabby considering the professional adjustments to the pandemic and personal rebuilding following the devastating tornado that ravaged our home and property.
