Much has happened in the UK and around the world since 1990. And if you “do the maths”, the figures are pretty interesting! In the final installment of our celebrating FSTL’s 30 years series, we’re taking some time to crunch those 1990 numbers.
Across the UK
Back in 1990 the UK population was 57.13 million. This has now risen to 67.76 million in 2020 which is a 15% increase over the 30 years.
I bet we all wish we could go back in time when it comes to how much it cost to buy various things too. According to “Back in my Day”, the average price of a house in the UK was £91,089. Fuel cost 47p per litres! The average salary was £10,601 and you could do a basic grocery shop for £7.73.
And now to FSTL’s 30 years…
When we say that we have a loyal, consistent team that has been with us for quite some time, we really do mean it! Our current team (including Fiona) have been working for FSTL for a total of 225 years! That’s an average of over 17 years each. Five members of our team have been with us for over 20 years (Six if you include Fiona!)
We have produced transcripts for over 1,500 different clients.
Our jobs have ranged from 2 minutes to several days, and we’ve covered everything from 1:1 interviews right through to speeches of world leaders and CEOs. Our client base has stretched around the world, with customers sending us sound files from Europe, Asia, America and Africa.
We have had 6 different offices in Croydon and Redhill over the 30 years and have been in Redhill since 2011.
And what about the future?
The past 30 years have seen huge leaps and bounds in terms of developments in technology. These developments have undoubtedly changed the way we work, and there will inevitably be more to come! New technology assists us with being able to receive sound files faster and being able to turn around work to clients quicker, wherever in the world they may be. However, we firmly believe it will be a while yet before technology can completely take over the transcription process. Complex recordings involving many different accents and technical language require a human ear to be able to transcribe the content accurately. Our long-established team are highly experienced and can quickly produce transcripts on a variety of different topics, in many different formats.
At FSTL, we believe that providing good quality transcripts to our clients is what we do best and will continue to do for the foreseeable future.