This month’s newsletter brings your more need-to-know information from K9 Bytes! As we might have mentioned before, we plan on making the newsletter a regular publication in order to bring you all of the latest news and monthly specials on hardware and software from K9 Bytes.  We also want to remind new and continuing clients alike to join our K9 Bytes User’s Group on Yahoo Groups. The User’s group is a forum where K9 Bytes users can meet and discuss a variety of K9 Bytes related topics to their mutual benefit.  Sign up today( link here )!The release of this newsletter also coincides with the beginning of spring, which after the unusually cold winter many of us experienced, is no doubt welcome!

Technical Support News

We would like to use this opportunity to announce that effective one month from the date of delivery of this newsletter, we will no longer be using our answering service. By May  2010,  our MTI answering service will be replaced by a message with detailed instructions on how to create a ticket through our Customer Resource Management system or CRM. Telephone customer service operators are available only during customer service hours.

The Customer Resource Management system (CRM) is a recent addition to the array of tools that K9 Bytes utilizes in order to bring you better technical support. The CRM is a comprehensive program that allows us to track, manage, and address all incoming customer issues. Your account in the CRM includes all your relevant information: business name and address, contacts, comprehensive contact information including phone numbers, email addresses, and a list of your support history with K9 Bytes. The most efficient way of addressing your support request is by creating a ticket through the CRM from your K9 Koordinator.

Tip #1. You can create a ticket through your K9 Koordinator program by either clicking on the link at the bottom of the screen titled "Questions? Click here to create a technical support ticket." Or go to "Help" and select "Create Tech Support Ticket."

Tip #2. If you don't have access to the K9 Koordinator you can go to our website www.K9BytesSoftware.com and select "Open Tech Support Ticket" under the tab titled "Tech Support" on the main screen.

For more information on how to use the CRM, click here. You will need your Business ID to complete the ticket. Your Business ID is: @ID

Another great feature recently added by K9 Bytes is the K9 Bytes Updater. The Updater allows you to automatically check for and downloads to your K9 Koordinator program! Instructions on how to dowload and use the Updater can be downloaded directly from our website. Please note that in network environments, if one computer is updated other computers will need to be updated as well for them to run.

Tip #3. Assign one or two employees at your facility that will trained and responsible to check for updates at least weekly. Updates released with the K9 Bytes Updater are always stable releases. Beta testers have a different set of downloads available to them.

New Products and Specials

We would like to inform everyone that we are featuring a brand new retail item on our website. K9 Bytes is now offering a display pole for sale: The PD3000 Series. The PD3000 is known throughout the point of sale industry as the leading pole display for point of sale systems.  It is one of the most reliable products on the market and K9 Bytes is proud to provide this pole display to their clients. The display fully integrates with the K9 Koordinator. Act quickly to take advantage of this month’s special and look for more great specials in future newsletters!

What's New in the K9 Koordinator?

We would like to include some of the improvements that have been included in the K9 Koordinator since our last newsletter. The current release of K9 Koordinator Cheetah is version 6.0.300. If you are running behind, you want to be running the latest version! Is full of wonderful new features. Here is a list of changes since our last newsletter:

1. Prices & Vendors (retail). Together with the new Inventory report introduced in the Cheetah version these reports will help you optimize all errors found in the inventory. We highly recommend making the recommended fixes until the number of ‘Optimizations Needed’ show zero. The optimizations will provide your business an accurate inventory count, cost, potential profit, reduces shrinkage, and eliminates incorrect prices that will harm your bottom line.
2. Signoff sheet now has two modes, one in which the client address is displayed one where is not.
3. Boarding forecast now has two modes, one in which estimates are created using the run default rates, and one adjusted if any manual entries are already in the system for pets already checked in.
4. A new membership report that will identify all active members who need to renew their memberships.
5. A new ‘As Needed’ option is available for medication and diet reports.
6. A new report to identify all clients with outside services needing package renewals is being tested.  The report can be found under Services, with the name ‘Packages Expiring.’
7. New client visited report to track new customers for follow-up with satisfaction phone calls or emails.
8. New Grooming check in simplified report (old extended format is also available).
9. New Worst Sellers report for retail items. Together with the Top Sellers report will help you find your retail most and least popular items. A great tool to help you adjust pricing, create offers, and maximize your profits.

Mailing System

1. New feature to send batches of emails using the mailing system. This feature is useful if your Internet provider has restrictions on how many emails you can send a day. Email batches are used to send a few hundred emails every day, until your entire newsletter has been sent.

Boarding

1. Boarding Vacancy now shows the preferred run type. Note: you can always use the CTRL+K shortcut to open the vacancy screen.

Daycare

1. The daycare vacancy now can include services that are marked as being part of a daycare group. To set up a service as being part of a daycare group go to ‘Set Up,’ ‘Basic Services,’ and ‘Services Advanced Features.’  In the column ‘Daycare Group ID the desired group will be entered. Daycare group IDs can be found at ‘Set Up,’ ‘Basic Services,’ and ‘Daycare.’
2. An option to convert packages from ‘Half Days’ to ‘Full Days’ is now available under ‘Set Up,’ Retail,’ Package,’ and ‘Daycare.’ Select the desired package and click on ‘Toggle.’ This feature will change ALL existing packages purchased by clients. This feature is only to be used when instructed by K9 Bytes support representative.

Grooming

1. When a groom is scheduled for the check out day, and the user is changing the boarding check out, the system will automatically ask if you want to move the groom to the new check out date. This feature works before and after the pet has checked in.

Services

1. This only pertains to services configured for commissions. If a service is added, and the employee who adds the service is different to the employee who created the original reservation, a screen will show up asking to select the employee who will be given the commission for the service being schedule.

Run Cards

1. There are three different run card formats currently available in the system. The first the traditional format shows a header with a Urine, BM, and Appetite chart. The second is the manual chart run card, which includes your boarding agreement and client signature. The third is the run card including notes from the notepad, without the Urine, BM, and Appetite charts.
2. Added the pet's check in time. The following example shows the change: Old Format >>>  In: Mon 01/01/01 - Out: Fri 01/05/01 9:00 AM. New Format >>> Mon 01/01 9:00 AM to Fri 01/05 9:00 AM. There is not a setting to revert back to the old format for the run card.

Collars

1. From the ‘Reports’ screen you can print all collars or labels for all pets checking in on a future date.

We hope that you find the information in our newsletters helpful and relevant. It is our intention that by publishing a regular newsletter, we will increase the overall communication between client, companies, pet owners and those who provide them an invaluable service. As always, thank you for your support and input. We couldn’t do it without you!

Best Regards,

	      Cristopher Smutko
              Manager of Operations

Christopher Smutko is originally from the Tampa Bay area. He received his associate's degree from St. Petersburg College and his Bachelor's degree in History from the University of South Florida. He has also been a member of the National History Honor Society since 2008. Chris joined K9 Bytes in July 2009 and is now manager of operations in our headquarter in Tampa.

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K9 Bytes, Inc., 4809 E. Busch Blvd, Suite 106, Tampa, FL 33617.