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Overview

eReceipt has the capability to share a single database among eReceipt users.  The benefits to using a single database are sequential receipt numbering and consolidated reporting.

The “Multi-User” setting in eReceipt requires a local area network where all users can connect to a file server.

In situations where a network does not exist or remote users need to share a single eReceipt database, you can take advantage of the cloud.

The cloud is a essentially a remote file storage and access service that runs over the internet. This allows you to access your files from anywhere in the world, provided that you have an internet connection. One such popular service is offered by dropbox.com.

At the time of this writing, you can register for a free Dropbox account that gives you a total of 2GB of storage.

This document will explain how to set-up a Dropbox account to remotely access and share your eReceipt database with other eReceipt users.

Disclaimer:  Dropbox.com is not affiliated with or provided by Fuhr Software, Inc.  Please review dropbox.com’s terms and agreements carefully before using the service.  Fuhr Software does not:  a)  provide support for this service,  b) guarantee against data loss, and c) guarantee connection availability.  Use this or any cloud service at your own risk.

Step 1 – Install the Dropbox Application

1. Go to www.dropbox.com
2. On the home page, click Download Dropbox.
3. Follow the instructions to install Dropbox on your computer.
4. If you have a Dropbox account, enter your username and password.  If you do not have an account, click Next.  Enter the requested information.
5. Select the 2GB account.
6. Select Typical Setup.
7. You can walk the tour or click Skip Tour.
8. Click Finish.

Step 2 – Prepare Dropbox for eReceipt

1. On your desktop, double-click the Dropbox icon.
2. Create a new folder called eReceipt.
3. Double-click the new eReceipt folder.
4. Leave this window open for step 3.

Step 3 – Setting up eReceipt for remote remote access

1. Start the eReceipt program.
2. Click File, Multi-User Settings.
3. Select Use shared database.
4. Go back to the eReceipt folder in Dropbox.
5. Click in the Address bar of the window which will highlight the folder’s path.
6. With the entire path highlighted, right-click and choose copy.
7. In eReceipt, right click the empty box under Shared File Location and choose Paste.
8. Check the box next to Copy my database and use it as the shared database.
9. Click OK.

Congratulations!  Your eReceipt database is now accessible over the internet!

Please remember that the size of your Dropbox is limited in the free account.  If your database grows beyond this space, you may be subject to additional charges from Dropbox.  Visit www.dropbox.com for more pricing information.

Continue reading if you would like to share your eReceipt database with other users.

Sharing your eReceipt Database with other Dropbox users

Before starting make sure each user has installed and configureed Dropbox on their PC.

Step 1 – Share your eReceipt Dropbox Folder

1. Open your Dropbox folder.
2. Right-click the eReceipt folder and choose Dropbox->Share this Folder
3. Enter the emails of the Dropbox users that you want to share with.
4. Users will receive an invitation email.  Each user must click the link in the email and Accept the invitation.
5. Once the invitation has been accepted, your eReceipt folder will show in the user’s Dropbox folder.

Step 2 – Configure eReceipt to use the shared folder

1. Start the eReceipt program.
2. Click File, Multi-User Settings.
3. Select Use shared database.
4. Go back to the eReceipt folder in Dropbox.
5. Click in the Address bar of the window which  will highlight the folder’s path.
6. With the entire path highlighted, right-click  and choose copy.
7. In eReceipt, right click the empty box under  Shared File Location and choose Paste.
8. Make sure that the Copy my database…  IS NOT selected.

Congratulations!  You are now sharing your eReceipt database with other users!

"We want LobbyCentral to stand above the recent surge of lobby tracking system products," says President/CEO Jaime Fuhr.  "We have big plans in store for this domain and exciting new features will be revealed before the end of 2011."

Today’s world is faster than ever. “payWave” Visa cards, self-check out lanes, and even ATMs have catapulted consumers into a “no fuss” mentality. Consumers want their products and they want to be out the door before the shrink wrap hits the floor. Businesses have made it extremely easy to get things, and consumers expect the same when it comes time for help.

Think about the last time you had to wait for something. As a customer service professional, you tend to allow a certain amount of leeway. But, you still wonder why it is taking so long and why doesn’t the company have enough staff.

The problem that most companies face is that they are not aware of how many customers are coming in and/or at what time. This information can be gathered from sales totals but sales do not account for customers that come in to simply ask questions, to return an item, or worse, to speak with a manager regarding a problem. As a result, this loss of information creates under- or over-staffed situations. On one hand, it can cost the business money in the form of dissatisfied customers and on the other, the expense of salaries.

Most companies will use a paper sign-in sheet to keep track of who is next and arrival times. While it is a good first step, there are several problems with this method.

Privacy

In certain types of businesses, a customer (or patient) may not to keep their visit confidential. Unfortunately, a paper sign-in sheet will disclose the names of the customers that have come in. Even worse is if the sign-in sheet is a log book that contains back months and months worth of information for anyone to leaf through.

Notification
The sign-in sheet is unable to notify employees that a customer is waiting. Therefore it either requires a receptionist to locate an employee or employees are required to monitor the lobby. In the first scenario, if the receptionist is on the phone or assisting another customer, he or she must remember to find an employee for one or more people that have signed in. While this is happening, new arrivals will have to wait.

In the second scenario, employees must leave their desk to periodically check the lobby for waiting customers. It also causes an unbalanced distribution of work as one person may check more often than others.

Tracking

Sign-in sheets must be manually tallied at the end of the month to gather information such as total number of visits, total wait-time, who was seen by who, etc. This is a very time-consuming processes and is prone to errors. Issues such as inaccurate or missing check-in and check-out times, no logging due to “rush hour” situations, no closing comments, hand-compiled reports can only give managers limited information about their branch traffic.

So if management needs detailed and accurate reports, what is the solution? Before answering that question, we should ask why we need these kinds of reports.

The answer is simple. In order to properly schedule employees you must first understand your branch traffic. This goes beyond the total transactions per hour and includes items such as how long it takes an employee to perform a transaction, which services are being provided, and how long are customers waiting for service.

With this data, you can then balance your work schedule so that it:

A) Reduces the time the customer waits.

B) Eliminate expenses due to over-staffing.

C) Identifies training issues.

D) Increase employee awareness on why customers visit.

There are two methods that improve on the paper sign-in sheet. A spreadsheet and an automated check-in and tracking system.

The spreadsheet method removes the privacy issue but requires a receptionist to accurately enter the time the customer arrives, is taken, and leaves. It does not remove the notification problem but it does make the compiling of reports easier. This method is also prone to errors and can make historical searching difficult.

A better solution is using an automated lobby tracking system, which removes the manual time-stamp process and provides employees with a list of the customers that are currently waiting for service. At any time, a manager can view their current status of their lobby, see who is currently occupied to make adjustments. For example, bringing in another employee to help with overflow.

Fuhr Software’s lobby tracking software, LobbyCentral, takes the basic check-in and tracking system one-step further by sending check-in alerts. When a customer is signed into LobbyCentral, an alert is sent to employees notifying them that a new customer has arrived. This notification allows employees to work on other items without having to constantly check the lobby. This in effect, reduces the customer’s wait-time and keeps employees aware of the current traffic.

While a spreadsheet improves on the information gathering, a lobby tracking solution will provide great benefits and improve your overall customer satisfaction.

Whichever approach you take, be it a paper-sign in sheet, spreadsheet, or automated solution, remember that what a customer thinks about your company is dependent on the care and attention they receive.

About LobbyCentral

LobbyCentral is a fully automated customer check-in and tracking system used by customer service departments in credit unions, banks, educational, and medical. More information about LobbyCentral can be found on our website at www.thinkfsi.com.

“Before implementing LobbyCentral, we used paper slips with categorized services that the front desk would circle and attach to a display for MSRs to handle,” explains Shon Hanczyc, Downtown Loans/Member Services Manager. The primary problem with this method was that Black Hills members would wait longer because there was no direct notification that a member was waiting as it required the MSR to periodically check the display board.

While using the paper-slips provided some form of organization, an individual was responsible for compiling a monthly report from the slips. This was very time consuming and was prone to errors.

“LobbyCentral has provided a seamless method to handle lobby traffic,” says Honczyc, “MSRs can asses the member’s situation before the initial contact and can monitor how long members have been waiting. We’ve also been able to determine what hours are the busiest and have adjusted our schedule to accommodate those busy times”.

Since implementing LobbyCentral, Honcyzc also explains that they are able to improve their “Welcome Home” experience by looking up the member’s information and ID to provide a direct acknowledgment.

LobbyCentral has helped Black Hills Federal Credit Union improve the quality of member service and measurement. Learn how LobbyCentral can help your credit union or customer service organization.

For more information, visit our product information page or check out the online product demo.

About Black Hill

Black Hills Federal Credit Union is located in Rapid City, South Dakota and serves over 51,337 members at 12 locations.

About Fuhr Software, Inc.

Fuhr Software, Inc. dba FSi was founded in 2006 and is the developer of several credit union software products including LobbyCentral, WireCentral, and VRMCentral. Fuhr Software developed the first lobby tracking system of its kind in 1997 as a means for credit unions to replace the paper sign-sheet with the computer network. FSi’s website can be found at www.thinkfsi.com.