Greg, The problem is your search for one program that does it all. Remember a program that does it all is going to be data intensive over time as you enter more info into it. My Quickbooks Pro is already slightly sluggish and I've been trying to keep it as trim as I can. I've settled for two programs. I've also come to the conclusion that KISS is/are words to live by. What do I really need to run my business? I need no more than a really good PIM. It needs to have fields I can label with Piano terminology so I remember what I do for a living and keep me from wishing I'd bought that written program with all the piano stuff already labeled. So I use labels such as Piano Brand, serial #, referral etc. It needs to have unlimited notes area for each customer/telephone entry so I can enter the obligatory service record. It needs to be able to sync with Word for form letters (I've yet to use this...;-]) It needs to sync with my Palm or Pocket PC. ( I use this everyday and carry no paper what so ever) It needs to be able to have catagories I can label for searching such as all grand pianos in San Mateo due for a tuning. (Again, I have yet to use this) It needs to be easy to schedule and move appointments. I need a To Do/Reminder List so I can be reminded to call customers when their service is due (I semi-pre-schedule when I should call that customer at the time I'm working with that customer). This needs to be simple to do. I need to be able to repeat appointments, To Do reminders and I need to be able to edit those when I want. It should be able make calls with a click or bring up my email. I should be able separate different people in my Telephone List such Business, Friends, Family, Vendors. It should be reasonably inexpensive...$45 would be OK. I've been using Time & Chaos www.chaossoftware.com/ for at least a year. It is the real deal. I don't think a lot of technicians are really giving it a chance. A cursory look won't do it....I've heard once person say she didn't like the look of it. Everything is on the screen. No clicking to bring up different areas. Everything is visible. Personally, I don't really want to learn how program in Access so I can make the piano technicians database to end all databases. Life is to short... So do I need to enter $ in this database? I could but that's what Quickbooks Pro is for. I don't need all my customers entered in Quickbooks Pro. Why? Mrs. Jones who I see once a year and may very well quit tuning her piano next year? Little Johnny quits playing etc. I have a LOT of Mrs. Jones type customers. If she is in Quickbooks Pro with her own little place of honor with address, telephone etc. and has any financial links i.e. invoice paid etc., I'm stuck with her old data taking up room in the program unless I delete all prior tranactions. I've got all the info I need in T & C. I CAN hide her in Quickbooks but instead I just use a Cash Sales account with her name and address below it. Using the KISS principal, I only give a written invoice if requested with Mrs. Jones types. Canceled check is your receipt or I'll put something on the back of a biz card. That receipt I could be printing out is going in her round file 99% of the time. IMHO!!!! A few customers do keep receipts of their piano service and so they can have one if requested. A large portion of my accounts are Mrs. Jones types who always pay at the time of service. Do I really need to keep track of Mrs. Jones $110 payments year after year in my database? The deposit of her $ into my bank is recorded in Quickbooks if I need it. All my corporate accounts are in Quickbooks, i.e. hotels, performance companies. These are repeat customers I tune for numerous times each year. They always get invoices. Sorry this is so long but I've also searched for the right business software and I've found it. Again...IMHO David Ilvedson ----- Original message ----------------------------------------> From: Greg Newell <gnewell@ameritech.net> To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org> Received: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 23:32:08 -0500 Subject: Re: Intuit's Customer Manager review >Joe, > Thanks for the tips. I am currently entering or should I say >re-entering all of my customer database in Quickbooks. I was really hoping >that Customer Manager would be the one I needed. I may still end up going >with it and the Quickbooks pairing in order to make it work how I want it >to. My main thrust at this time is to get into something that will be >around for a while. No offense to either of the two that you have mentioned >but small audience programs are too likely, in my opinion, to not be well >supported or have a chance of many enhancements through the years. I am >disillusioned by the PTBiz thing with regard to either a dynamic software >license key or the current dongle offering from the same program. At least >the large offerings have support and a workable solution available >immediately if you encounter the obligatory system crash. >Thanks, >Greg >At 10:21 PM 12/10/2003, you wrote: >>Greg Newell said: "My efforts to find the Holy Grail of Piano Tuners >>Business >>software goes on! I have just received and spent a little time with >>Intuit's Customer Manager and found it NOT to be what they claim on the >>phone. >> >>Greg, >>You might have a chat with Lee Sankey. He introduced me to DataEase, years >>ago, it is really great. Of course, I had to spend a lot of time cusomizing >>it to my needs, but it is by far the best Database I've seen, (and I've seen >>a bunch!) >>Also, you might take a peek at "PeakeWare", put out by Dave Peake, Portland >>Chapter. It's a work in progress, that looks promising. Especially, as it's >>a whole lot cheaper than DataEase!<G> >>Best Regards, >>Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon) >>Captain, Tool Police >>Squares Are I >> >> >>_______________________________________________ >>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> >> >>--- >>Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. >>Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). >>Version: 6.0.550 / Virus Database: 342 - Release Date: 12/9/2003 >Greg Newell >Greg's piano Forté >mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net
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