TechShepherds.com

Get the word out...

'Tis the season for people to come knocking on the church door....looking for information about your service times.  Two of the most popular ways people search for the service times are by visiting the church website and by calling the church office.

Website:

• Make it clear what time(s) your Christmas services are.  Don't forget to include any other Advent/Christmas Eve service(s) you may also have.
• Provide clear directions to your church

Telephone:

• Be sure to give all the information to the church receptionist.
• Include the information on the church greeting for those who call after hours.
• Direct people to your website for more detailed information.

Have a Merry Christmas!

It's not just a good idea...It's the law

Link: Got a nanny? You need a shredder - Consumer Security - MSNBC.com.

On Wednesday (June 1, 2005), a new federal law kicked in requiring those who handle other people's personal information to dispose of the data properly. Recycling the paperwork isn't good enough -- it must be destroyed, the rule says, rendered useless to anyone who might stumble upon it.

Each week, churches handle a plethora of data about individuals and families:  from guest registration cards, medical release forms, or background check information.   Where do does all this information end up?  Hopefully it gets entered into the church management system.  Where do those forms go after that?  Too often they get thrown in the trash as is.

Now, whether you run a business/organization or have personal hire assistant at home, you are responsible for their personal information that you collect.  This new law is a great way to help ensure that personal data does not end up in the trash where prying eyes can get it. 

Remember, do not just throw it away; get a shredder and destroy it!  When buying a shredder, be sure to get one that will handle the volume of pages you need to run through it.

Here are some of the things to look for:

• How many pages at a time can the shredder swallow?
• How many pages per day / per session can it handle?
• What type of shred is produced?
  
  • Cross cut
  • Confetti cut (most secure)
• Can it shred staples and paperclips?
• Can it shred credit cards?
• Can it shred CDs?
• How big of a trash can is included with it?
• What safety features are included?

There are several brands.  I personally have had good luck with Fellowes brand.

Customer Service...Penske Style

On our recent move, I went searched for a rental truck from a company I could trust.  My research kept bringing me to Penske Truck Rental.  I had rented from Ryder in the past, but they no longer rent trucks for personal moves.

So, I began the the journey by going to www.pensketruckrental.com where I was able make reservations online for the truck and accessories we needed.  Upon making the reservations, I immediately received email confirmation.  While this is nothing that special since it was an automated response, it did make me feel better about doing business with them online.

Then, the unexpected....a few days later we received a packet from Penske Truck Rental in the mail that was packed with we needed for our trip.  They even included a scale that helped us determine what fuel mileage we could expect.  This was particularly helpful in budgeting since the price of fuel has gone so high.  They also included a CD that had how-to videos for the truck and car carrier.  I have moved in the past, and no one could tell me if I was supposed to stop at truck weigh stations.  You guessed it, they proactively told me that I must stop at all weigh stations.  THANK YOU!!!!

Change of Plans
We had to change our dates for our trip.  I went back to the Penske web site, but this time there was a link to their new site that is still in beta.   Being the techno-nerd I am, I naturally tried the new site.  There I was able to chat with a customer service representative and change my reservation.  The process went very quickly, and of course I was able to multi-task other things while they were making the changes for me.

So What?
First of all, this whole experience left a good impression on me.  It also made me stop and think about how visitors to church web sites feel after experiencing various aspects of these sites.

Guest Follow-up:  If there is a place for individuals to register on the church web site, do they get any feedback from the church?  Do they at least get an auto-response email?  Better yet, do they get a nice information packet from the church that really impresses them and answers questions they did not know to ask?

Beta the new site:  This was an interesting experience for me.  I actually had the choice of whether to use the site I first learned or to try the new site.  I liked this because 1) I had a choice; 2) if I did not like the new site, I could easily go back to the old site; 3) I was able to provide feedback on the new site which allowed me to be a part of tweaking the new site; 4) I actually have gone back to the new site a few times just to see how it has improved.  By using a beta site like this, it creates some anticipation and draws people back.