That may work for a smaller amount of customers, but when dealing with a significant amount of customers that can not be cost/time efficient thing to do.
Frank ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jack Unger" <[email protected]> To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2009 3:19 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] ISP billing/management software. > Marlon, > > I got a notice like that from Quickbooks maybe 6 months ago. I irked me > because I didn't want them to be able to force me to upgrade when my > 2004 edition was doing just fine. > > I started using the following workaround. > > 1. Rather than emailing invoices directly from QB via their email > gateway, I now save each completed invoice as a PDF in the subdirectory > of the client that I'm invoicing. > > 2. From my email program, I then originate an email to the client and > attach the PDF invoice. > > This process may take a few more seconds than the older, mail-from-QB > process but it has worked out well otherwise and I feel that I am less > of a victim of Intuit's marketing machine. > > Also, when I need to follow up with the client regarding payment status > (which happens all too often these days) I can just go back to the > original email that I sent them and forward it to the client along with > a polite inquiry as to the payment status. > > jack > > > Marlon K. Schafer wrote: >> Hi All, >> >> I just got a notice that Quickbooks is going to REQUIRE an upgrade in order >> to continue to keep sending out bills via email. And we have all of 1 month >> or so to get it done.... I HATE Intuit and would like to replace them. >> >> Here's the work flow in our office. >> >> New customer calls in. >> Fill out signup sheet with all needed customer data. >> Assign static ip to customer. >> Enter customer billing info into Quickbooks. >> Enter all customer data into Access. >> Enter customer username and pass into RADIUS. >> Enter customer email account(s) data into email server. >> Enter customer data into Postini (if they purchase the filtering). >> Type customer signup sheet info into word doc and store in customer folder. >> Generate installation work order. >> Fill out check list showing what steps have been completed. >> >> This has worked nicely in the past and "only" takes about 30 minutes to >> accomplish. But now we're growing too fast and have gotten too big to >> maintain this. Between tech support calls etc. the office manager is having >> to bring in extra help. It's only a day per week and it's good for there to >> be two people there at least part of the time. No one should work alone all >> of the time. Plus, if she wants to take some time off she will have someone >> trained in the basics so we'll likely need to keep some extra help around no >> matter what. This mechanism also gives us a lot of double checks, redundant >> data points etc. With Access and Quickbooks we can run a very nice mix of >> reports etc. >> >> We do NOT have a customer trouble ticket mechanism other than the file on >> them. We don't track customers on a per call basis. That's not too bad >> because we're still small enough that we can normally remember problem >> customers. >> >> This would probably be a good time to change everything though. >> >> In my perfect world, I'd have a billing system (that handles all of the >> taxes for different communities etc.), trouble ticketing, auto server >> configuration AND deconfig. I'd want good reporting capabilities. >> >> I've looked at some of the commercial systems out there, but at $1 or more >> per month per sub for a full blown system I'd rather keep putting that money >> into the local labor pool. >> >> Freeside looks pretty good but I don't do programming or server admin work >> in-house. I don't mind hiring someone to set it all up etc. and to take >> care of the server. But it has to be an affordable solution too. >> >> What are people using? Do you like it? >> >> If you had it to do all over again, what would you do? >> >> Vendors please feel free to hit me up. >> marlon >> 509.988.0260 >> Or talk to Apryl in the office 509.982.2181, she'll know more about what she >> does day in and day out. >> >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> WISPA Wants You! Join today! >> http://signup.wispa.org/ >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] >> >> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >> >> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ >> >> >> > > -- > Jack Unger - President, Ask-Wi.Com, Inc. > Serving the Broadband Wireless Industry Since 1993 > Cisco Press Author - "Deploying License-Free Wireless WANs" > WISPs - Do you know where your customers are? > For wireless coverage mapping see http://www.ask-wi.com/mapping > FCC Lic. #PG-12-25133 LinkedIn Profile <http://www.linkedin.com/in/jackunger> > Phone 818-227-4220 Email <[email protected]> > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! 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