Best Buy Is Not a Good Source for iPhone

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Kris Krol

My office is in the Lansing, Michigan, area. My family and business have been with Verizon Wireless since the mid-1990s. I had a Franklin planner until 2000, when I bought a Handspring Visor PDA. I went on from there to Palm products, until the most recent, a Palm Pre Plus. The one prior was the Palm Treo 755p, which was my first combined phone/PDA, now called a smartphone. For 18 months, I’ve been wanting to get a “Verizon” iPhone and reading up on all the rumor rags regarding if/when Verizon would finally get the coveted iPhone.

Not until this spring did I hear someone from Verizon unofficially say that “even when Verizon does get the iPhone, it’ll be an iPhone ‘light’.” Well, if I can’t have a full-blown iPhone with Verizon, then I don’t want one. I went in to my local Best Buy (Lansing, MI) and talked with one of the representatives in the Mobile Department in early May. I told her what I was looking for, and she strongly urged me to wait until June, when the iPhone 4 would be released. So I waited. And I researched a switch and inevitable early termination fine, because I just got my Pre Plus in January on a new 24-month plan.

On June 25, I went back in, hoping to get an iPhone 4, only to be told they had only pre-orders in stock, which were of course reserved for those who pre-ordered them. So, I settled for a 3GS. The salesman who assisted me assured me that AT&T [or Apple] has a 30-day Buyer’s Remorse Policy that would allow me to fully test the phone and the AT&T service for 30 days. I told him that what I really wanted was the iPhone 4 and would test the service with the 3GS and then upgrade to the 4 if the service was satisfactory. He assured me that I could, indeed, upgrade to the 4 without penalty or restocking fee under that policy, or even cancel my service and stay with Verizon.

Anyway, I got the 3GS and decided that would be for my husband, since he needed a new phone now and my Pre Plus was fine. It solved two issues: he needed a phone, and we could test the iPhone and the AT&T service. He liked it so much that we decided we’d be silly to think that we would now be able to go back to Verizon, so I called AT&T and ordered the iPhone 4 for myself.

My plan at that point was to play with both phones and decide whether he would like to have the iPhone 4, instead of the 3GS, so we would have the latest technology for both of us. I knew that, by the time I received my iPhone 4, I would still have two to three weeks to test it out and let him play with it and decide whether to upgrade it.

Well, the time came; we’re into his plan like 27 days. He said to go ahead and make the leap, pay the extra $50 and upgrade him. Here we come Face Time! Geeky, I know, but I thought it could be cool. Anyway, I back up his phone and restore it to factory settings and head off to Best Buy, which has confirmed for me that they have iPhone 4 in stock but only in the 32 GB model, which I’ve decided I would requisition for myself and give him mine: upgrade price $150.

I walk in to the store and take a seat. I explain to the salesgirl why I’m there and my entire plan and how I can’t wait to upgrade to the iPhone 4 for Frank, since I love mine so much. And she says, “Is it within the 14-day return period?” HUH?! Oh, no she didn’t.

I spoke with the department or area manager, and then had them call over the store manager. I explained the whole scenario and who told me what, and she said, “The policy is straight from Apple. We can’t override it. The instituted the policy just before the iPhone 4 was released because they [Apple] didn’t want people returning their 3GS phones to upgrade to the 4.” She printed out a duplicate receipt for reference on the date and handed it to me and asked if there was anything else she could do for me. I asked her why the phone is 14 days if the service is 30, and she said the policy applies only to Apple phones; all others are 30 days.

I went over to the AT&T store across the street. They rolled their eyes and said “our policy is 30 days. Go back over and ask for Jay, the guy who runs the AT&T Mobility area, and tell him Willis [AT&T Manager] sent you and see what he’s willing to do for you. We can’t exchange their inventory.” I went back. Jay was out for several days, past the 30-day period. I got back into the car and called AT&T and explained it all to them. They asked for the number to the store and called to get the story. She told me she talked to the salesgirl I talked to and were told the same story, and there’s nothing they can do but suggested I contact Apple directly.

Once I returned home and calmed down, I looked at the receipt. There is no mention of this policy anywhere on the receipt. It was too much hassle for me to pursue it further at that point, because Frank then says he asked for the upgrade only because I seemed to like the phone so much. He’s really fine with the lines of the 3GS.

BE FOREWARNED! If you’re planning to buy an iPhone, don’t do it at Best Buy. Just go straight to AT&T, where you can get the full benefit of the 30-day trial period.

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Smartphone Turf War Gets Down to Business

Posted on July 9, 2010 by Kris Krol

Having been on Verizon Wireless since the mid-1990s and the last few years, and having a Handspring/Palm device since 2000, I’m finally taking the leap to Apple’s iPhone 4. I purchased an iPod Touch in early 2009 to prepare for the iPhone interface, and I’ve loved playing with it. In fact, my kids love playing with it, as well. I’ve invested in several apps on the device that also carry over to my iPad.

In January, my Palm Treo 755p (2 years old) died. It just died. Verizon had no explanation for that and could only suggest that I buy a new device. Well, if I’m buying a new device, I want the latest and greatest smartphone that closely matches what I’m already used to. The representative I spoke with over the phone said the Droid was out, but maybe I could just wait until the following Monday, when the new Palm Pre Plus was to be launched in stores. So, I got online and started checking these out and became excited by the prospects of this “near” iPhone-type smartphone that would still support my Palm apps. Needless to say, I went in and got it the following Monday. However cool it may be, especially with the mobile hot spot feature, it’s just not the same as iPhone.

So, the week that the iPhone 4 hit the stores, I went in to my local Best Buy to get one and start a 30-day trial to see how it would work with all my business applications. Of course, they didn’t have any 4s available, so I settled for the 3GS and gave it to my husband, Frank, to test, because he’s been lobbying me for something on which he can get internet, Facebook, weather, etc. Apparently, there’s some “bitterness” in the family about the fact that I have every new gadget that comes out and can get on the internet from anywhere in the house, but some people have to go to the basement and get on a desktop computer to do that. Go figure! My grand plan is to switch the whole family (3 phone lines) over to AT&T (the only real negative about this deal). Oh, yeah, and my phone still has 14 months of contract period, so I guess I’m looking at an early termination on that one. However, Frank’s and the kids’ phones are up.

So far, testing has been nice. (I’ve even got him hooked on Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook.) Service seems fine (potentially no more negative for AT&T service). He has good internet, Facebook and weather access. My primary use for the iPhone is business. I know many of my customers and colleagues have Blackberry devices, and some are now going to Droids.

It appears that I’m on trend, though, since more businesses are going with iPhone than ever before. Here’s an article I just read on this subject. Opening New Fronts in Smartphone Turf War – WSJ.com. My iPhone 4 is on backorder. :(

Please share your thoughts and experiences with iPhone 3G, 3GS or 4 below. Is yours mostly for personal or business? What apps do you use for business? I’d love to hear about it. So far, Frank is enjoying his, and I can’t wait to get mine. If all goes as planned, he may decide to upgrade his to a 4. That is, of course, if I get mine and we get to play with it and decide about upgrading his within his 30-day trial period.

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Duplicate Emails in Outlook

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Kris Krol

Are you one of those people (like me) who like to use Rules in Outlook to redirect your messages? Have you ever been confounded by duplicate emails when they reach their final destination? Well, I may have a solution for you.

I have been using an internet fax service, called MyFax.com for quite some time, now. In an attempt to keep my Inbox cleaned out, I have set up a Rule in Outlook 2007 to have all MyFax deliveries go into an @Faxes folder and pop up a message letting me know I have a fax. I can stop what I’m doing, open the email, process the faxed item (in PDF) and then delete that email notification. It works quite well.

However, in the last few months, I’ve noticed that I’ve been receiving two such identical email deliveries. Same story with the MyFax Delivery Verifications on faxes I have sent through Outlook from my desktop. This morning, I finally decided enough was enough and called MyFax Support to find out what’s the deal. What on earth could they have changed or upgraded in their system that’s causing such consternation to me, a busy lawyer? The representative, Mike, looked at all possibilities within my account and decided it wasn’t on their end. I thanked him and turned my attention to Google and my tds.net email account Settings. No real luck. So, let the games begin!

I logged in to MyFax and sent myself a fax to see where it would go in the tds.net mail server online. Straight to my Inbox. Only one copy. Next, I went to Outlook and clicked on Send/Receive and watched two copies of the same email pop into my @Faxes folder. Curses! And then, I received two copies of the Verification indicating the fax had been received on the other end.

Time to dig into the Outlook Rules. What I found is two different Rules for the same emails. Aha! As I worked my way through tweaking here and resending faxes there, I discovered that two Rules will create duplicate email messages. I also deleted those Rules and started from scratch, so I have no screenshots for the @Faxes Rule. I do, however, through another discovery shortly thereafter, have screenshots for another set of duplicate Rules to show you.

Here’s a shot of the first Rule in my list for the Macs In Law Offices listserv folder, which had over 13,000 messages in it this morning. I only just realized that could have been cut in half, based on this finding.

1st Rule in List

The next shot is farther down the list in my Outlook Rules. Note the difference in the details in the bottom window of each shot.

2nd Rule in List

Now, see the final screenshot, which shows a section of my  email list and two sets of duplicate emails. They do not show the time, but you can see that the sender, subject, date, date and size are identical.

Duplicates!

So, go and check on your Rules in Outlook if you’re having this problem. It’s a simple solution, although it did take some time to diagnose. By the way, this would also be how you would automatically send a copy of an email to another folder; use two Rules.

Do you  have a similar story? I’d love to hear it. Heck, I’d just love to have anyone comment, so I know you’re reading my stuff. Have a great day!

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iPad vs. Kindle

Posted on May 4, 2010 by Kris Krol

I just bought myself an iPad and will be trying it out for functionality for lawyers. The iPad is truly a sexy machine, and I have to hand it to Steve Jobs for this one.  More on that in another post. If you’re interested in an e-book reading device and wondering whether Kindle or iPad is for you, read on.

Let’s start with the physical attributes. There is a quite noticeable difference in weight and feel between these devices. The iPad weighs in at 1.5 lb. and is 9.56″ tall by 7.47″ wide by 1/2″ thick. Kindle 2 is a mere 10.2 oz. and 8″ tall by 5.3″ wide by 0.36″ thick. This is important, because you will be holding the device with one hand or resting it on your lap. A 1.5-lb. device is going to get heavy and fatigue your wrist pretty quickly. Kindle 2, even with the cute pink leather case I purchased for it, is so light that I am not bothered by the weight.

iPad 16GB

The iPad has Apple’s app, called “iBooks,” which allows you to download and read — you guessed it — iBooks, not to be confused with eBooks from Barnes & Noble or Kindle Books from Amazon. When I set up my iPad, I had it install my B&N eReader app, because I bought The E-Myth Revisited from B&N before I purchased the Kindle 2 in January, so now I have a book I paid for and can’t use anywhere but on my iPod Touch, which is too small for me to enjoy reading on. (I should have waited.) Anyway, here goes.

Kindle 2 is a great device for reading e-books. It has the e-ink stuff and no back-lighting, so it appears like a printed page from any book inside or out, overcast or sunny. Of course, this also means you need a book light for it. I’m fine with that. For most of my reading, I don’t need the book light, but it is handy at times.

iPad, on the other hand, has a screen just like a computer screen. As you know, if you’ve tried to use a laptop out in the sun, it’s somewhat of a challenge. With this device, it’s utterly impossible. However, indoors, it’s bright, bold and beautiful. It also has the same multi-touch screen as your iPod Touch or iPhone, so if you like that, you’ll love this. It really is very sweet.

Here is a shot of the iPad next to my Kindle 2. As you can see, the iPad has a nice bright display. I also realize I probably have the white balance screwed up because of the primary focus being on the iPad screen, so Kindle looks a little dark in this one. This mini-studio is also set up in my basement, so it’s just dark down there. As you can see, the iPad supports color. The Kindle 2 does not. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t care. I just want to read the books. Amazon’s slogan is something like “it disappears in your hand,” which it really does. You can also see here that the iPad screen is quite a bit larger than Kindle 2. Again, not a big deal for me.

Here they are, seated side by side, enjoying a sunny afternoon on my glider bench in the front yard. (The only thing missing is an iced latte.) As you can see, Kindle 2 has a beautiful display for reading in the sun, whereas you can barely see the screen content on iPad. If you look closely, though, you can see the same page on the screen from the previous photo, the tree from Winnie-the-Pooh. You can also see part of my reflection in the screen. It is a glossy black screen, just like any laptop screen. I’ve noticed that trying to work remotely on a nice sunny day with my MacBook is not as nice as I thought it would be, because the screen darkens like this. I got Transitions lenses this past year for the first time, and they darken, too. The combination of the two “darkening agents” makes it seem like I’m looking at a screen that’s off.

I’d love to read your comments or field any questions you may have on this topic. I’m sure I haven’t covered everything there is on this topic with these two devices. I may even post an update. I will respond to all questions, and most likely, the discussion will spark a future post. Watch for more.

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Business Visa Checkcards

Posted on April 2, 2010 by Kris Krol

A little more than a year ago, I bought my first Apple computer, the MacBook aluminum unibody with the integrated multi-gesture touch pad! Wow! It just worked! I loved it. Unfortunately, on a Sunday afternoon about a week into my love affair, my darling husband, who is usually so level headed, tossed a hacky sack at my 11-year-old son who was standing near the table where I was sitting with my beloved Mac. The hacky sack ricocheted off his chest at a 90-degree angle, across the table, into a 7-oz cup of milk, only about 2/3 full, which fell over and splashed all over my keyboard. Apparently, that wouldn’t have been a big problem. In the process of my acting fast and picking it up off the table, without closing it first, I let the milk run down into the back vent and into the motherboard! The screen fizzled out and it wouldn’t come back on.

Well, I contacted Apple in Grand Rapids and then my homeowners insurance carrier, Farmers Insurance. Apple said it was likely a $755 repair. I was rather dismayed when Farmers told me they don’t cover “accidental damage,” plus the deductible would have been $750 anyway. Monday morning, I made an appointment with an Apple Genius for that afternoon and drove to Grand Rapids with the hope that they could just fix it there for free. The Genius, after listening intently to my sad story, looked it over and decided it had to be sent in for a circuit board replacement and, upon my request, handed me my hard drive. There I was without my beloved Mac, with only a hard drive in my hand and wonder about how I was going to recover from this expense.

Well, luckily, someone on the Macs in Law Offices list serv, reading of my plight, suggested that, if I purchased it with a Visa card, it might be covered under the standard Visa benefits. So, I contacted my provider. Sure enough, if it was purchased in its entirety with my Visa checkcard, I would receive reimbursement, even for accidental damage. I submitted the claim. A week later I had my Mac back, and shortly thereafter, I received a reimbursement check from Visa, and all was well in the world.

If you do not know it, using your Visa checkcard does have its privileges. In today’s mail, I received my new Visa checkcard from PNC, following the merger of National City Bank and PNC Bank. With it came the new “Guide to Benefits Package” for Visa Business Card. I’ve never actually read one of these before. I read this one! It comes with a couple of really cool perks: Purchase Security and Extended Protection.

Purchase Security

“Within the first ninety (90) days of purchase, Purchase Security will, at the Provider’s discretion, replace, repair, or reimburse you for eligible items of personal property purchased entirely with your eligible Visa Business card up to a maximum of $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per cardholder in the event of theft or damage.” This is how I received reimbursement for my Mac repair.

Extended Protection

“Extended Protection doubles the time period of the original manufacturer’s written U.S. warranty up to one (1) full year on warranties of three (3) years or less up to a maximum of $10,000 per claim.” You don’t need to ever really purchase extended warranties, like Best Buy will bug you about when you’re in the store. Just use your Visa checkcard with that benefit. Your card probably has that benefit if you just check your benefits guide.

Of course, there are terms and conditions and excluded items, such as items purchased for resale, animals and living plants, antiques and collectibles, computer software, etc., on the Purchase Security, for example. However, it really does cover a lot of everyday purchases. What if you just got a new smartphone and then dropped it on the concrete or found it in the washing machine, after it finished, within the first week? If you purchased it with your Visa checkcard or credit card, it would likely be covered.

In addition, these cards also offer, for no additional charge, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver coverage and Travel and Emergency Assistance Services. Just grab your benefits guide and read everything. You’re really covered for a lot. Generally, debit cards backed by Visa and Mastercard carry the same protections and benefits that the credit cards do. Check it out for yourself.

Do you have a story to share on this topic? Let me hear it. Leave a comment below. Thanks for reading.

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Internet Business Cards

Posted on February 15, 2010 by Kris Krol

Did you know that every lawyer and judge with whom you have dealings is listed in the State Bar Journal online Member Directory? Did you also know that the online Member Directory provides a vCard (the internet business card) for each entry? If you use Outlook or any other program that can read vCard files, then you can easily add these colleagues to your Contact Management System (CMS).

Internet Explorer

You simply click on the vCard link, and you will see a dialog box (at right – Internet Explorer) that asks whether you would like to Open or Save the file. It also includes a checkbox that allows you to “Always ask before opening this type of file.” Once you click on “Open” the file, if you are using Outlook, a New Contact window opens with all available fields populated. Here, you can make any adjustments to the way the information is displayed and categorize the contact, just as you would if  you had clicked on File | New | Contact (Ctrl+Shift+C). If you use Firefox, your dialog box will look like the second picture at right.

Firefox

Sure, you could simply Select the text and then perform a Copy/Paste, but then you would have to Cut/Paste the information piece by piece into the proper fields in the form. You could also type it from scratch from a pleading, correspondence or other hard copy source. However, you may not have all the pertinent information at hand. Depending on the source of the information, it also may not be up to date. We can assume that the information on record with the State Bar of Michigan is current, at least as of the dues renewal date; hopefully, we all keep the State Bar up to date with our information changes.

The State Bar online Member Directory listing also includes live links to available email and websites. So, you could easily send the person a quick email by clicking on the link, which opens your resident email client application and populates the “To” field with that address. You can also take a quick peek at any website that is listed to find out various details about the lawyer and firm. However, if you like or need to track any of the communications you exchange with others, you should add them to your CMS. This allows for future reference to past communications.

Did you find this information helpful? Do you have a tip you’d like to share? Do you have something you’d like to know more about? If so, or if not, please leave a comment, suggestion or question below, so we can keep this conversation going. Also, please share this information with others, using the “ShareThis” link that follows. Thanks for reading!

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Paperless at Home or Home Office

Posted on October 28, 2009 by Kris Krol

Speaking of paperless offices – Do you or someone you know have an office at home? This would, of course, include the family “den.” Take a look at this excerpt of a Designing Spaces episode, which features my friend Derek Flower, who is the Senior Account Manager – ScanSnap at Fujitsu. He is demonstrating Fujitsu’s ScanSnap S1500, the latest and greatest of the personal desktop line of scanners. I have both an S510, the previous model, and an S300, the portable model. Don’t mistake that label, though; both the S510 and S1500 are portable, as well, they’re just bigger than the S300.

You can even purchase a shoulder bag for the S510; the S300 fits into your briefcase.

Having one of these babies in your den or home office is great for taming the paper tiger of personal records and bills that we must keep track of. Before I moved into my home office, I would take my personal mail to the office the next day, scan it in there and send it to my personal email inbox for handling later when I got home. That required me to handle it more than once, which was a drag. Then I had to file it, tickle it, or something. Now, working from home, I am integrating my professional and personal lives in my scanning, tickling, bill paying, etc. These scanners make it all simple.

Derek can be found at http://scansnapcommunity.com.

Do you already own one of these fantastic scanners? Leave a comment below about yours and how you use it. I’d love to hear.

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Paperless Hospital?

Posted on October 21, 2009 by Kris Krol

Have you considered moving toward a paperless office environment? Do you know someone who has? Have you heard of a doctor’s office going paperless? I thought going paperless was just a big deal for lawyers and law firms. Apparently, there is a trend afoot in other arenas.

Watch this video to hear about the Nation’s First Paperless Hospital.

What do you think? Are there implications for paperless in the health field? What do you see as implications in the legal field? Have you explored moving to paperless? What are the pros and cons as you see them, based on your investigation? I’m paperless and have my own thoughts on this subject, but I’d like to know what you think. Please leave comments below and keep this conversation going. While you’re here, why not subscribe over in the upper right corner?

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“How Are You Today?”

Posted on October 18, 2009 by Kris Krol

Do we smile when we answer the phone?

Do we smile when we answer the phone?

How do you respond when someone asks you this question when you answer the phone? Better yet, how does your staff respond to this question when they answer? What first impression are we giving people who call us and ask us this question?

Something that I started doing a short time ago in my phone calls is take the time to ask, “How are you today?” when the phone is answered. Nine times in ten, I am met with a response, like “um . . . fine . . . ,” and in a tone that suggests I might be about to try and sell something. This tells me that the person on the other end is now “on guard” against whatever I may say, or worse, ask for, next.

Is this the kind of response any lawyer or law firm should allow from its staff? This is especially off putting coming from a court clerk, which unfortunately is quite common. Think about how this speaks to your callers. Is it possible that the caller is simply being friendly? Even if it is a salesperson, can’t they be friendly, too? As lawyers, we are all sales professionals. Should we not be equally polite and friendly to all callers, regardless of the reason for the call? How often is it even a sales call, anyway? I’ve been guilty of this type of response when I think it’s a salesperson. Now, I realize they are just doing their jobs and deserve a modicum of polite conversation, like everyone else. Can’t we simply say, “no, thank you” and wish them a nice remainder of their day?

Because this irritates me, and I can’t be the only one to notice this, I thought I would do some internet searching on phone skills. I found a good article by Susanne Gaddis, PhD, “The Communications Doctor” here. She makes some very good points about how to answer the phone, from which we can all learn something.

The way you, or your staff, answer the phone speaks to people. The way you, or your staff, treat the caller also speaks. Why do we tend to lose politeness when we are not face to face with the other party to a conversation? Have you considered spying on your staff to see how they answer? Have a friend call in (caller ID blocked, of course) and ask your receptionist “How are you today?” and see what type of response they get. Better yet, have the friend put the call on speaker, so you can hear the intonation, inflection, etc. Judge for yourself.

Have you checked your first impression lately? What did you find?

Please keep this conversation going, and leave some comments below.

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Does Your Staff Know Where You Are?

Posted on October 2, 2009 by Kris Krol

I recently contacted a colleague of mine to discuss a potential referral. His assistant said he was in court and she could not help me with his schedule or a good time for a return call, since he had his calendar with him.

In my 12 years of practice, I have come to realize that there are other lawyers out there who maintain a single paper calendar, and they usually have it with them even when out of the office. This can be frustrating for their staff, since they do not have access to the schedule. More importantly, this is frustrating for clients, other lawyers, judges and courts, because, if the lawyer is out of the office, has his calendar with him and someone else wants to schedule something, it is impossible. It then becomes a game of back-and-forth negotiation of time slots while everyone waits for the calendar to appear back at the office. It can also be a minefield for malpractice claims.

I began researching this issue and found a 2002 article[1] by Geisen Insurance Brokers, Inc., in San Diego, Law Firm Loss Prevention Systems and Procedures, which discusses, among other things, lawyers’ calendaring systems. They list four system types that apply to all law firms, including, and especially, solo attorneys: 1) computerized; 2) perpetual; 3) dual; and 4) single calendar.

Computerized calendars (kind of speaks for itself, right?) are typically centralized and have a designated staff member to make entries. It sends a series of notifications to lawyers and staff when dates are approaching. A perpetual calendar is a series of index cards filed by day, month and year with cross referencing for high-priority items. (Huh?) A dual calendar is basically two calendars for all future dates. One is kept by the lawyer and the other by the assistant.[2] Last, and certainly least reliable, is the single calendar. According to the article, even solo attorneys should use a system that requires them to make at least two entries for any given date. Their Recommendation: all lawyers should use at least the dual calendaring system.

Because my annual professional liability renewal application asks whether I have a dual calendar system, I discussed this topic with Lee Norcross of L Squared Insurance in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He agrees there must be a dual system. For him, the proliferation of personal data assistants (PDAs), such as Palm and Blackberry, has made the dual system easier, because the lawyer maintains the PDA, and the secretary maintains the computer software that synchronizes with the PDA. There are two sets of eyes to look it over. I somewhat disagree on this, because I normally do not enter dates on my Palm, but rather on my computer and synchronize a copy of that to my Palm.[3] For me, it’s still one calendar entry, so I also use my Franklin Planner for the second entry. While it is not two sets of eyes, it is two separate entries.

Norcross told me of a pending claim that involves the death of a member of a multiple-lawyer firm. He kept his own calendar, and the firm believed it had gotten all of the pending dates from his calendar. They missed one. Even in a multiple-member firm, lawyers should not maintain their own calendars. His final word of wisdom: “back up!” On the computer side of the equation, according to Norcross, is that “the number one theft from law offices is their computers.” We need to have good calendar systems, and they need to be backed up regularly.

A computer-based calendar system is great because of the automatic reminders it can give more than one person. The above article mentions that the ideal computerized calendar should notify, alert or remind the lawyer and at least one assistant. I would suggest that not all lawyers are especially diligent about reviewing their calendars on a regular basis and depend greatly on their staff. Even the lawyer should receive alerts and reminders, although they may go unnoticed. My Recommendation: use the dual calendaring system and incorporate the built-in technology of a computer-based system as one of the calendars. This should require two separate date entries. Plus, the calendar system makes simple the multiple reminders you may want for any given date. An added bonus: your staff will know where you are, or at least where you want them to think you are, and can handle your scheduling tasks in your absence. Isn’t that why you have staff?

Poll: How does your system stand up to the preferred method? I really am interested. Comment below, and let’s keep this conversation going on my blog.

[1] http://www.lawyersprofessionalinsurance.com/law_firm_loss_prevention_systems.htm. This article includes some other procedures of interest (outside the scope of this article) and should be read in its entirety.

[2] Of course, I always assumed that “dual calendar” meant a book and a computer.

[3] I used to take paper files and create a Court Notes sheet, on which I wrote any upcoming dates. When I returned to the office and gave that file to my assistant, she would input the date in the computer calendar. Now, I take my laptop to court and input the date at that time. Only occasionally, do I input dates on my Palm directly and then synchronize it back to the “mother calendar.”

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