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A Summer Reminder

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT

It’s Summer here in the Good Olde Pueblo and things have really heated up. With a high this weekend of 106, we have the bright idea of going to Phoenix where it is likely to be 10 degrees warmer. The heat here is all people talk about to newcomers.

My brother-in-law recently moved to Arizona from Wisconsin and we had a chat at lunch. For months now he’s been saying, “if another person warns me about how hot the Summers are, I am going to explode.” Today we asked him, “So, is the heat here, all that people have foretold?” (Yes, I use the word “foretold” in every day language, don’t you?) Anyway, he replied that it was indeed hot, but he also reminded me that in Winter in Wisconsin you can’t go out day or night because it’s too darn cold. But in Arizona you can go out early in the morning, or have a nice barbeque after the sun sets. It’s actually quite lovely, even in Summer, for a few hours.

Then my brother-in-law reminded me, in Wisconsin, when the temperatures are hitting the upper 80’s or 90’s people drop like flies. I think every year a few elderly people succumb to heat stroke in a most unfortunate manner.

So, while the Summer here is hot, and it’s all we can think to talk about, at least we are aware it is hot. We are aware of the danger—most of us anyhow. And we are knowledgeable in how to handle it.

As a business in Southern Arizona reaching out to our community and to those elsewhere, we want to remind you all to stay hydrated this Summer.

A reminder such as this should be sent to everyone you know.

In the meantime, while I’m on my journey northward, everyone in the family will have ice cold water bottles, we will have a cooler with extras and at least 5 gallons of emergency water and various non-melting snacks (no chocolate L) for a 2 hour trip. I hope we don’t come across any haboobs!

Putting the "I" in "Social"

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

By Carly Stewart

Everyone knows that Social Media is about interacting with people. It means forming connections with people to not only get them interested in your business and products but to also get them interested in you as a person to form business relationships and partnerships that will last. What they don’t always tell you, even if it seems to be an obvious point, is that in order to create these online connections through social media sites and through your marketing, you must understand people. What better way to know and understand people than immersing yourself in an environment that encourages social interaction and discussion?

This brings me to the Tucson chapter of the American Marketing Association. (AMA) The TAMA hosts many different events through the year in Tucson where members of all different marketing backgrounds can come together and form in-person connections while learning a new topic and enjoying a catered meal.

I was greeted by smiling faces at the door asking me to sign in and get my “Vegetarian” card for the catering services; I couldn’t wait to see what was to be served. Once again this meeting was at the Arizona Inn, a historical inn located in central Tucson. This location is a convenient meeting spot for people all over Tucson and is also very accommodating, comfortable and has great food.

I was pretty early to the meeting so I found a seat in the center of the room and proceeded to tweet about the event, when I was greeted by a fellow marketer that works at the Tucson Airport. While we have different job descriptions and work at two different places we both understood the importance of getting to know other attendees and forming these connections before the lecture began. We were joined by an Arizona Daily Star executive and an Account Manager from On Media Publications. We had just enough time to get to know each other’s backgrounds before we were asked to give the speaker our attention.

The topic of last week’s presentation was “Personal Branding- Competitive Advantages” with speaker Lisa Hromada an Assistant Art Director from Gordley Group. She was a clear and focused speaker that was enjoyable to listen to. Her presentation was comprehensible and well organized, though some points seemed a bit obvious to me. The topic focused on the branding of an individual as opposed to company branding which was a new topic I had yet to hear about. It is essential to brand yourself positively not only to represent your company but also to build esteem around your name. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found based on a study of baby boomers that people between the ages of 18 to 46 hold an average of 11.3 jobs. (Source) Because of this it is important to think of not only how you represent your company but how you represent yourself, on and offline. One thing that I took away from the presentation is that it is important to have a job where you are constantly learning and improving your skills, not just to do well at your job but to gain valuable experience that can be applied to things later in life.

Overall the meeting was an enjoyable experience. Hromada wrapped up just as I took my last bite of cheesecake and they cleared the plate from my delicious rice and veggie medley. An FAQ session began and Hromada answered all questions with grace. The ladies I sat with and I all exchanged business cards and wished each other well.

Social media is about more than just advertising your company so stop tweeting and get out there and meet people.

Another city, another trade-show come and gone.

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

How was New Orleans?

It was just after Mardi Gras, so the City was still somewhat decorated and filled with culture, as ever. The River was brown and we didn’t manage to make it to the ocean. The Convention Center however, was huge. Walking from one end to the other felt like miles after standing all day. Point of fact, it was actually one mile long. Tucked away in the back of the hall we had a great vantage point. We saw some old friends and met some wonderful new friends. We even wandered over to see Bill Clinton speak. We were pretty far back, and didn’t get to see very much, however. The number of people taking photos with their cell phones was astonishing. I sort of thought the Secret Service wouldn’t go for that, but apparently it’s not a big deal.

The show floor, in addition to being huge, was often very crowded. We met people from all areas of the globe. The neighboring exhibitors told horror stories about the various costs associated with everything from flying to exhibiting. One woman flew first class on Southwest Airlines, which only assured her that she would be at the front of the plane. Their business class seating did not offer larger seats, free cocktails or anything else one would associate with the hefty price increase for first class.

It’s always good to get out there, however. All too many days are spent behind a desk, so it was refreshing to see and be seen. The HIMSS tradeshow offered a great venue to get a feel for where technology is moving and to test the waters with some upcoming ideas. It was great to chat with Directors, Doctors and IT staff alike and say, “what if you could do this?” or “How would you use a product that could…” The feedback we receive at tradeshows regarding products and services is truly enlightening.

It’s excellent that we are able to take all of those discussions back to the office and work to include feature ideas and product offerings in our “What’s Next?” discussions. We are excited to attend HIMSS14 next year. Our Marketing Department is already working on a new display, the Software Department is going over requests and ideas gleaned from this year and there is an overall excitement ricocheting around our building.

We are happy to say that this year’s giveaway went over wonderfully. Giveaways are a great way of drawing people towards your booth, starting conversations and making new connections with people all over the country. This year our giveaway was a Microsoft Surface, a tool that is useful for personal and business use alike. Brenda E. from Mayo Clinic was the winner this year, congratulations again, Brenda!

Thank you HIMSS. We’ll see you next year in Orlando.

A Time of Giving

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Here at Inphonite we are lucky to be surrounded by great, caring people and to have jobs we love and that can support us. Unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky.W hen I go home to spend Christmas with my family I am certain of a few things: a roof over my head, delicious food to be shared, and presents for everyone to open that lie beneath a tree that we spent hours decorating. I am thankful for that every day because I know there are so many people that don’t have the luxuries that I do, or even the basic things I sometimes take for granted.

I am grateful that every year Inphonite gives me a way to give back to the community and those in need. This year was the 3^rd year in a row that I personally have participated in the Adopt-a-Family program with Inphonite.

As a company we “adopt a family” for the holidays and try to give them a wonderful Christmas they otherwise may not have. We started this holiday season off by giving our family a tree to decorate, bringing them some of the spirit and tradition that I know so well. We then received a wish list of gifts for the children.

I am proud to say that many of our employees participated and went above and beyond what was asked of them. It was an unbelievable and incredible experience to see our Conference Room packed with toys, clothes, movies, dolls, and sports equipment to give to the family. One of our employees also had the idea for everyone to donate some money so we could purchase a gift card to a local grocery store to help the family purchase food for the holidays and beyond.

Being in the software industry we understand the value and importance of technology, especially that of a computer. With the ever-growing popularity of computers in this day it is almost essential for every person to have one whether it be for school, work, play, bills, or keeping up with current events. With that in mind, Inphonite donated a computer and all necessary and related extras. We hope that the children will be able to use it for their assignments in school as well as for entertainment purposes and that the parents can explore the uses of a computer to make their lives easier.

It was an amazing thing to see the employees of Inphonite contributing their time, money and effort to making the Christmas for this family one to remember.

Technology Helps Stamp Out No Shows!

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Customers call and ask us all the time, “How can your software reduce no-shows?”

We tell them, it’s not as simple as just having our software. “It’s how you use it that really brings results.” Now while you may be chuckling to yourself thinking you’ve heard similar in other… situations, it really is true.

Did you know that studies show that more and more people want to be reminded of their appointments? One reason for that is that they wouldn’t have scheduled the appointment if they didn’t want or need it. The biggest reason however is that more and more places are charging for no-shows.

We suggest the following steps, if you wish to truly reduce no shows, save money and save time.

Make an internal policy-

Having an internal policy of how people are contacted will leave no room for discrepancies amongst yourself and your staff.

Think about how you want things done. Do you want to call people the day before their appointments? On evenings? Between the hours of 2-4pm two days before their appointment? Do you want to send an email reminder a month in advance? Or a text that morning? Do you want to give customers the choice on how they want to be contacted? Or, is the first method always going to be an email and the second a phone call? Decide if you want to charge for no-shows, and if so, how much and under what circumstances. Determine who in your office is going to be in charge of setting things up, making changes, running and reading reports and even following up with your customers. These are all things that need to be thought out in advance.

After you’ve brainstormed on all of this, take the time to write out the policy in a language that leaves no room for confusion. Be sure to add contingencies—if the person can’t be reached at the home, call cell and then send a text. Consider any possible request or outcome to determine how, when and where to contact people. Write out whether you’re going to charge people who cancel within 20 hours instead of 24. What if they call because their car broke down? Or they are sick.

Finally, once it’s all written down, have everyone involved in messaging, scheduling, patient discussions and billing sign off with understanding and agree to how things should be done.

Set external expectations-

Customers, patients and even colleagues who don’t realize they will be contacted via an automated system will not get the message. The most common reasons people don’t get the message include that they may hang up once they hear that it’s an automated message, they may ignore it if they don’t recognize where it’s coming from, or it could go to spam. It is simple to set expectations, however:

Add a note to the paperwork your customers, patients, colleagues, etc sign at the very first appointment or meeting with you. If you are allowing them to choose how they wish to be contacted, be sure to include that in your paperwork.
Add a sign in your office—somewhere obvious, like by the front desk, where people will read it the second they walk in, and again before leaving. Post a copy in a waiting room, consult room, your office, or even your restrooms. Anywhere that customers are, you will want them to refresh their memories regarding your methods of contact.
Discuss it. Tell people in person, something like, “We are instituting a new automated system for messages. You can receive them via voice, email or text. Make sure you allow calls and texts from the number 555-555-1234, or the email address reminders@myoffice.com. If you can’t make the appointment, we’ll need you to cancel 24-hours in advance, or you will be charged a no-show fee of $xx.” If you’re offering them the choice on how to be contacted, ask them their preference.

Once you have your policies in place and your expectations set there is no stopping you. Stick to your policies. Send your messages and do not feel guilty about charging for no shows.

REMEMBER:

Consider creating one of the following signs for your office:

A charge will be made for all broken appointments not notified within 24 hours.
$50 Charge For No-Shows

A sign as simple as these reduce no shows over 50%. People are more comfortable agreeing to these policies however, if they are reminded. No one wants to pay for “nothing.”

Also, consider adding this to your initial paperwork:

You will be considered a no-show if you miss an appointment and do not notify us in advance.
Payment of the NO-SHOW fee must be made in cash, valid credit card, or verified check before further appointments are allowed.

Did you know that CMS (Center for Medicare Services) has now clarified that they will allow physicians and other providers to charge Medicare beneficiaries for missing appointments, provided that they do not discriminate against Medicare patients, and also charge non-Medicare patients for missed appointments?

In closing, I leave you with this thought—sometimes it’s simply the fear of punishment, in this case, paying for not showing up, that will make people show up. You don’t even necessarily have to charge everyone. There could be exceptions. But if you threaten to, even if a small amount, it may be just enough.

With technology today, there is absolutely no reason for no-shows.

Top 10 Things Inphonite is Thankful For

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The holidays are fast approaching and like many, we choose to see Thanksgiving as the last moments of serenity before the year-end madness that is about to ensue. We have a potluck and spend time in reflection, revisiting moments of the last year finding pride in things accomplished and memories of laughter, tears or contemplation. There are a lot of “Remember when’s…”

Remember when…David passionately held a company meeting out in the rain to discuss his latest product ideas.
Remember when…LaMont spent an hour telling everyone in the conference room that though he hadn’t read the books, he was on Team Jacob and how great the latest Twilight movie was.
Remember our Anniversary party when Carly and Andie had to sit in a separate section of the restaurant because they were underage and Genny had a heated discussion with the Manager while Christine took pictures of people at the next table over in the same section drinking alcoholic beverages.
Remember when…Rick finished lunch before everyone else. Me neither, it hasn’t happened.

All this reminiscing has me thinking. So, this year we asked several Employees what they are thankful for. Without further ado, here are the top 10 things that Inphonite is thankful for:

10. A new dartboard- Even the most dedicated of us enjoy blowing off some steam and bonding over chips and salsa in the break room.

9. Air Conditioning in the hot Summer months- There were a few sweaty days there, but we survived them.

8. The Keurig- Sometimes a caffeine pick-me-up is just what we all need.

7. The Thai restaurant up the road—Sticky tables, dripping soy sauce bottles and bamboo chopsticks wrapped in paper all beckon like home for impromptu meetings or take-out for quarterly meetings.

6. Technology- Without all the new smart phones, tablets and PCs on the market things would become stagnant. Technology is a conduit to solving problems that people sometimes don’t even know they have.

5. Competitors- We love our competitors. We need to be able to refer people to someone when our product isn’t quite what a potential customer might want. They won’t look us in the face or speak to us at tradeshows, but we love them. Competitors make us work just that much harder.

4. Our products- Our development team is a top-notch group of technical savants that create amazing, cutting edge products, unlike any on the market and for a fraction of the cost. Inphonite products are user friendly and more and more feature-rich every day.

3. Our Partnerships- Working together with like-minded companies to bring the best products to our mutual customers is rewarding in and of itself. Being able to grow those partnerships and watch our companies grow together because of them is absolutely amazing.

2. Our Customers- We truly care about our customers. They teach us so much and offer so many great ideas. We spend time listening to their needs and even hearing about their day. We want to help when their power is out or congratulate them when they become a Grandparent. We celebrate their birthdays or send a sympathy card when something tragic happens. We thank our customers for the homemade cookies, well thought-out letters, and each gift they have given us throughout the year. And sure, I know you may be thinking, “why aren’t customers #1?” The answer is this: because without what comes next, our true #1, we would not have our customers.

1. Our Staff—We are proud of our passionate team. The endless hours of brainstorming new products, implementing features, testing each release, working hard, selling, creative design and dedication can only lead us further down this awesome road together—making connections first with one another and then our customers and finally helping our customers make even more connections. Way to “Pay it Forward!”

A Note on Product Longevity

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

I always love it when I pick up the phone and there is a happy customer on the other end.

I am not talking about just happy, but completely and totally happy, for years.

Just the other day a customer called out of the blue. He started out by saying, “Is this JulySoft? The makers of ReminderPro??” I answered affirmatively.

He went on to explain that his system is working just fine and has been for years, but that he is upgrading his database, or rather EMR system and is pretty sure he will need help to update his import that pulls the data from the database in order to make his reminder calls.

In looking at our computer system, I was unable to locate him or his company in our current database which meant they were in our older one, one that I was unfamiliar with. Since I couldn’t find his file immediately, I spent some time talking to him to find out his needs. He told me he’s had our software for years and it’s been running so beautifully he didn’t feel the need to purchase or renew his support contract. In fact, he hadn’t needed technical support of any kind for over five years. Now, years later the program is still running perfectly, but he decided to upgrade his own database.

Before doing the upgrade however, he recognized that this change would affect the integration between his ReminderPro messaging system and the new medical records database. He carefully searched out a new EMR that told him they integrated with ReminderPro.

Unfortunately, however I had to explain that the version of ReminderPro he was using had reached its End of Life and he will need to upgrade in order to remain current. The good news is that he can use his old hardware without issue and the upgrade price is more than 75% off of the price it costs to buy our software new. Alternatively, he can sign up for our Software as a Service (SaaS) version for even less and with no contract.

Either way he’ll be getting the same amazing calling system he’s been using without a single technical glitch for years, and now he will have even more features than before.

He expressed his excitement about all of the options available and spoke immediately with a sales representative to get the ball rolling.

Inphonite’s take: iPad vs. Surface with Windows RT

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Now that we’re back from the Microsoft Build conference and we have all had a chance to check out the new Surface, here are our thoughts:

Last year we all received iPads after hitting one of our Sales’ numbers. The company rather hoped the iPad would be a business tool that we could use. There were grand ideas of taking notes during meetings, working on email, and even some other projects.

For most of us the iPad became little more than a toy. Some were resold and some handed off to family members. Those of us that kept them use the iPad for reading, social networking, emails and more video games than we’re likely to admit.

For a business tool, the iPad proved mostly useless—at least, in our business.

I personally don’t want to admit to drinking the “Microsoft Kool Aid” we talked about in an earlier blog, but I do find that as a company we are leaning toward the Surface RT as our tablet of choice. We can readily admit this may be because we are a technology company and we all do work primarily in a Windows environment. After all, this is where are most comfortable.

As a business tool, the transition to Surface was simple. We can use Word, PowerPoint, Excel and integrate our Outlook into the Mail and Calendar built in. We can log into our network and use the wifi to search our database while in the middle of a meeting, rather than saying, “I’ll look up the details after the meeting.” We have the ability to increase memory and use USB plug-ins for things like speakers, thumb drives, etc. Even the touch keyboard and kickstand are great. The other day I sat on a couch and used the Surface much like I might my laptop. I worried the keyboard would be too flimsy or the kickstand would close in on itself and the Surface would be a wobbly mess. None of those things happened.

We look forward to the Surface with Windows 8 Pro coming out. This will make the Surface even more user friendly and like a laptop with its ability to run any application. On the technology clock Microsoft certainly waited quite some time to get into the tablet market. So far though, the wait may just have been worth it.

Refreshed by Microsoft Build

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

We attended the Microsoft Partner conference with a completely open mind this past Summer, wondering what we might learn and what people we would meet in Toronto. We were unprepared for the vastness of the event, though we hung in there and paved our own way as we are apt to do.

Indeed, we even found a skywalk where we were completely alone above “the mob” of attendees. This bird’s eye view allowed us to find the best path and enabled us to surpass the masses. This reminds me of the way we approach our development—by viewing the big picture and running ahead full force, once again easily surpassing others.

Later on, we met presenters and attendees alike and spent our days going from session to session learning about the upcoming technologies, discussing our own, and experiencing the true vastness of the Microsoft Partner Network.

We made connections worldwide with other Partners and had opportunity to discuss some of the hot topics surrounding information exchange, particularly as it relates to the medical industry on a much more intimate level.

This conference was great in that regard, though a let-down in regard to most of the sessions. Perhaps we chose the wrong ones to attend. We left that conference feeling somewhat like we had spent a week being marketed to repetitively and wished we had learned more.

When we sent our developers to the Microsoft Build conference, we expected some more of the same. In fact, we joked about attending and “drinking the kool aid” that is Microsoft. We were encouraged however when the sessions took a more direct approach to give us the tools and taught us more in depth about those topics that were merely touched on at the earlier conference.

The Build conference gave us opportunity to work with other developers, to brainstorm and to use new Microsoft technologies and tools. It further brought in some playful competition with other developers in the Azure development arena.

Inphonite came home as proud recipients of all four Azure development prizes, including a watch, an RC Mini car, a speaker and the grand prize: a cool messenger bag made out of bicycle tires and a seatbelt.

Sadly we did not win any of the cash prizes for a new Windows 8 app. Instead of developing products for the Inphonite software line, we encouraged our developers to think outside the box and see if there was something they themselves wanted to develop. Everyone went off and did their own thing. In this way, we clearly work better as a team. Regardless, fun was had by all. There was a great stretch of imagination and skills, and we returned from Microsoft Build richer in technology, education, understanding and with a refreshing view ready to tackle some new projects.

Hurricane Sandy's Effects Felt Far and Wide

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Many people may not know this, but Inphonite basically got its start on the East Coast. So when Hurricane Sandy hit, the reverberations were felt in Tucson as gust after gust and wave after wave claimed our customers’ businesses and homes.

Several customers contacted us as the storm came near, to work with our technicians and developers individually to set up some last minute Emergency Messaging. Our technicians were already on red alert for weeks helping our customers set up emergency broadcasts for their customers, patients and staff. There have been more office closures and cancelled appointments running through InphoniteVoice than ever before.

Those customers with our on premise solutions were offered conversions to our SaaS model to ensure that their messages would go out over the internet, even while they were instructed to power off their machines, and ultimately lost power.

This is a truly sad time for so many. Inphonite wants to find a way to help. We have been brainstorming and in addition to a financial donation to the RedCross, we will be contacting our customers personally to offer some business IT assistance as they get their networks back online.

CUSTOMERS: If you live in an area that has been affected by this tragedy, we will be contacting you soon.

In the meantime, please know we are thinking of you all.