Directors Call, FAQ & Forms

FAQ - from Customers inquiring about Directors Call
What is PENN Alert Directors Call? What plan is right for me? Whom would I be calling? What is included in the service for each group? How many sections does this include? How long a period does the service cover? How Long a period does the service cover for Competitions? What are the steps from viewing the website to being ready to make calls? How long does it take to accomplish setup-training-calling? Do I have to sign a Contract?	If a Parent has several children in the group do I need to pay for each child? At the end of my term of purchase what happens? Is there an easy way to search and make lists on the website? Will the email portion replace my personal email list of all those involved the group? What if I have additional members sign up or quit the group during the service period? How do I pay for the PENN Alert Directors Call service? How is Sales Tax handled? Do you prepare invoices? Can I sign up today and start service when my season starts in several weeks or months?
What is PENN Alert Directors Call? Directors Call is a service to allow a Director, Competition Director or Camp Director to reach any number of contacts fast by dialing one number or making one click to deliver Emergency Notifications or time saving information Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page What plan is right for me? PLATINUM PLAN: Notification for: cancellations, delays, reminders, fund raisers, performance attire, what to bring to rehearsal or performance, transportation and meal needs, meeting places, and time changes with in 24 hours of the event where only hone can get the results needed Great to notify Staff, Boosters, Members, and Parents Call can reinforce emails Keep parents posted on the organizations events and schedule priorities Call a particular section for any reason(i.e. “percussion rehearsal starts 1 hour early on Thursday!”) Stay in touch with section leaders Booster events get more impact and better participation Directors Call finds uses every week you are meeting with a group or having a performance. More importantly, Directors Call keeps you in touch with your membership when you are not meeting every week. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page Whom would I be calling? Directors would be calling the entire membership to inform them of rehearsal times, site changes, items to bring to rehearsal, etc. A call could also be directed to section leaders or a particular section. Directors can even contact the parents to advise of a booster meeting or upcoming performance events. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page What is included in the service for each member / group? Each person to receive calls can provide up to 2 phone numbers and an email address Unlimited calls as per service plan. All long distance to send calls Messages can be up to 45 seconds Group - Unlimited Dial Lists, any size Nationwide service 24/7/365 Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page How many sections does this include? Pricing is by individual person (vs. a group minimum cost). Students in multiple sections can be on multiple dial lists at no extra cost. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page How long a period does the service cover? Pricing is broken down up to 4 months, or up to 12 month periods. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page How Long a period does the service cover for Competition? Pricing is broken down to: 1 day events, 2-3 day events, 4-7 day events. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page What are the steps from viewing the website to being ready to make calls? A. Fill out a Directors Call Work Sheet to finalize pricing and make sure we understand your needs B. Fill out the Account Set Up / License Service Agreement / Terms of Use Form C. If you are mailing a check, fill out the forms and email them to Support. We will match up the items when your check arrives. D. Receive hands on instruction and your personal copy of easy to understand instructions with your Account and User Number. E. You will need to make an Excel file or go onto our site and type or cut and paste each persons first name, last name, main phone number, cell number, email address. We will work on this in the training but you will need this info for final set up. F. Make a test deployment with the instructor We will customize the instructions to your needs and send a personalized set to the User with their codes to operate the service. Some organizations want all data updates to flow through one individual others do not. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page How long does it take to accomplish setup-training-calling? Depending on the size of the group and the speed you provide the information. We can get you set up and trained in a few minutes. It's that easy! Training and setup takes place after you payment is processed. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page Do I have to sign a Contract? No, but you do have to sign a Account Set Up / License Service Agreement / Terms of Use Form If a Parent has several children in the group do I need to pay for each child? Yes, students may be in separate Sections. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page At the end of my term of purchase what happens? 30 Days before “end of term” we will remind you to renew your service. 3 Days before “end of term” we will remind you of the date we will delete student information if you do not renew. Seasonal renewals are possible at any time. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page Is there an easy way to search and make lists on the website? Yes, we have a search tool to find individual members, and a tool to help you slice and dice the total list into smaller lists. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page Will the email portion replace my personal email list of all those involved in the organization? No, the email option of this service is for emergency and time saving emails in connection with calls covering those topics. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page What if I have additional members sign up or quit the group during the season? There is no credit for those that quit the group. There are additional costs for added members. We regularly sweep all accounts for counts. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page How do I pay for the PENN Alert Directors Call service? All service is prepaid with net terms. You can pay by check or credit card. Mail your checks to Azzini Communications, 7235 Algonquin Dr., Cincinnati, Ohio 45243, USA. Customers in Canada may pay in Canadian funds. If needed contact support for invoices in advance of payment. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page How is Sales Tax handled? If you have a tax exempt certificate we will need a copy before service is activated. Sales tax may be charge in certain States. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page Do you prepare invoices? We prepare invoices once we receive the Account Set Up Form with Credit Card payment info or your check payment. If you need an invoice to requisition a check we can do that. Request that information in the comment section. All invoices are sent by email. If we receive your Sign Up information and you have figured the costs incorrectly we will notify you by phone or email immediately. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page Can I sign up today and start service when my season starts in several weeks or months? Yes, that is the ideal approach. That way your training and lists will be ready to go with time to double check everything. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page

Automated Phone Notification, Directors Call

Operational FAQ
Who decides which numbers to call, main phone or cell? If a person only has a cell phone number should I put that number in the Phone or Cell column? Can the system dial extensions? Are there any additional special features on your web site? Are there any special features on your phone deployment? Can the Directors call everyone involved in the group or competition with one deployment? What types of messages are most effective?	Can I practice before I send a deployment to my group? I forgot my log in info what should I do? How will I know if my message was received? What if I made a mistake and want to cancel the call? What if I have a problem or question? What suggestions would you make to help me be prepared to make a phone deployment?
Who decides which numbers to call, main phone or cell? It is up to the person making the calls. If it is late at night or early in the morning probably the main phone number will reach all. If it is with in a few hours of the event probably both numbers should be called. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page If a person only has a cell phone number should I put that number in the Phone or Cell column? List the number in the main Phone Number field on the forms. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page Can the system dial extensions? No, the system can only dial direct 10 digit numbers. List all numbers: area code, prefix, numbers. The system will accept numbers with or without hyphens. DO NOT use parenthesis around the area code. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page Are there any additional special features on your web site? Yes, our easy to use deployment page lets you: pick the dial list or lists you need, you can pick where to send the calls, only home numbers, only cells numbers, or both. On our message page you can prerecord messages, type donut messages and just add the dates and times as needed, or you can do everything on the fly. You can also choose to type a message and have our Text to Speech engine read the message. We even have a search page. If you want to change data on a contact, we have a fast easy solution to pop up every list that the person is on. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page Are there any special features on your phone deployment? Yes, you can record a message, hear your message, accept your message, or rerecord your message at any time, and pick any time and date to send that message. You can also pick any prerecorded message, pick where you want the message delivered (cell, home, email, or any combination), and pick any combination of dial lists (this is useful for the Director who needs to contact several separate groups). We even have the ability to record messages on the phone and save them for future phone or web use. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page Can the Director call everyone involved in the group or competition with one deployment? Yes, it is simple and helps the Director work more efficiently. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page What types of messages are most effective? Unfortunately most people's attention span is short so short direct messages are more effective. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page Can I practice before I send a deployment to my group? Yes, We set up a Test Account for each User so they can call themselves. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page I forgot my log in info what should I do? On the log in section there is a link to request your information. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page How will I know if my message was received? You can log onto our website Message History Page to see which calls were received Live, Voice Mail, Busy, or No Answer. Each Busy and No Answer is retried 4 times in five minute intervals. The User can decide if a second deployment is needed to those that did not receive the call. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page What if I made a mistake and want to cancel the call? If you are on our website Message History Page and are fast you might have time to click the Cancel button. Calls usually start going out before you can hang up from deployment. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page What if I have a problem or question? In most cases a non technical person can operate our system in fewer than five minuets. It's that easy! You can always contact us, our customer service can handle your problem or question over the phone or by email. We also have easy to understand instructions on our web site and special "cheat sheet instructions" we email all users with their User Codes. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page What suggestions would you make to help me be prepared to make a phone deployment? Write down the Toll Free number, your Account Number, User number, Dial List number(s), put them in your wallet and know the points you want to make in your message. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page

Automated Phone Notification, Directors Call

FAQ for people receiving calls from PENN Alert Directors Call?
Please review this information with all individuals who will receive a PENN Alert Directors Call.
What is a PENN Alert Directors Call? How is my personal data used? What will my caller ID show when I receive a call? When I receive an email what will show up on my email inbox? Will I always receive an email with all the filters I use? Can I reply to a Penn Alert email message?	What do I do when I receive a PENN Alert phone message live? What will happen if my number is busy, or no one answers? What will happen when my Answering Machine or Voice Mail Answers the call? What if I have more than one phone number in my records for an individual call list?
What is a PENN Alert Directors Call? A PENN Alert is a voice and text notification. This service is provided by the organization sending the notice. A PENN Alert will inform you of incidents or updates involving emergency or time saving notifications relevant to you and this organization. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page How is my personal data used? All personal data is secure and safe. Personal date is never shared, rented, or sold to anyone. Personal data is only used to carry out the missions Directors Call was hired to do. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page What will my caller ID show when I receive a call? The phone number used in the Account Set Up and in some markets the Name of the organization sponsoring the service. We will assign a generic caller ID number or you may use your personal choice for a nominal fee ($10.00). Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page When I receive an email what will show up on my in email box? The sender will be the name of the organization from the account set up and the subject will always be PENN Alert. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page Will I always receive an email with all the filters I use? While we can not guarantee that our emails will clear your filtering, we send each message out one at a time to prevent them being labeled as spam. Some email services will put the message in a Bulk Folder. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page Can I reply to a Penn Alert email message? If you must have further correspondence with the sender you must use your personal email system to ensure the sender receives the message. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page What do I do when I receive a PENN Alert phone message live? You must speak (say "hello"), the system is voice activated and will recognize that there is a live person on the line when you speak a word or two. Your message will now be delivered. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page What will happen if my number is busy, or no one answers? A. Each Busy and No answer phone number will be tried up to four times, each call in five minuet intervals. B. The person making the deployment will decide if the conditions require additional attempts to those whose line was busy or there was a no answer. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page What will happen when my Answering Machine or Voice Mail Answers the call? PENN Alert recognizes the steady flow of words from your greeting message measured against a timing program as an answering machine or voice mail service. Since there are thousands of various designs of answering machines / voice mail services, on a very few systems, a few words announcing a PENN Alert notification might be left on the message. The majority of answering machines will only record the intended message. Because of this timing issue we repeat the intro two times. Depending on your system, you may hear any part of either intro or no intro, just the message. This is because the time to transmit calls and transfer to voice mail services varies by service. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page What if I have more than one phone number in my records for an individual call list? The person making the deployment will choose which numbers to call in the deployment: main phone, or cell phone. Depending on the time and urgency of the call they will choose one or a combination of these numbers. If both numbers are chosen, both numbers are treated as separate deployments. The results from one number has no effect on the other number. Back to Questions \| Back to Top of Page