April 30, 2007 by Dan Siegel.

Imagine a company so arrogant that its employees never return calls. Imagine a company so arrogant that its customer service representatives never return calls. Imagine a company so arrogant that its supervisor in customer service never returns calls, even when he promises to, and even after multiple messages are left. Imagine a company that, when you reach your regional supervisor, he says that you signed a contract and basically tells you to go to …. That my friends is Nova Information Systems, the wonderful company that my bank, Wachovia, co-brands with and recommended to me to handle my credit card processing. Since the fall of 2005 (that’s not a typo), no one from Nova has ever returned a phone call or responded to inquiries, even when my bank (Wachovia) tried to spur them to reply. The people I deal with at Wachovia acknowledge that I have been treated like …. but they are as powerless to deal with Nova as a dead skunk in the middle of the road. And the people at Nova don’t care — now that’s lousy customer service.

On the other hand, we’ve dealt with Verizon Wireless for years and have generally been very pleased (we just avoid the Ardmore store). Our sales representative (Carlton at the Springfield, Pa. store) epitomizes what customer service should be. He is helpful and honest, and the type of person every customer wants to deal with. And so are their customer service people for Blackberrys. Every time I have called for support, they have been helpful and knowledgeable, and have resolved my problems.

Let’s hope Verizon Wireless never merges with Nova. If that happens, all you’ll ever get is a busy signal.

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April 14, 2007 by Dan Siegel.

People are always asking for easy solutions to annoying computer issues. One of them is the proliferation of logins and passwords we have to remember, particularly on the Internet. While I keep a database of all my passwords, I also have an easier solution — the Roboform toolbar. It’s an easy to use plug-in that records (and revises) all of my logins and passwords, and can also fill forms with as much information as I like. There is a free version, but it only stores a limited number of passwords, etc. I bought the full version and it saves me a lot of time. The company’s website is http://www.roboform.com/. Try it.

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April 9, 2007 by Dan Siegel.

Technology brings to mind computers and solitary work, yet I find that technology allows us to interact more than ever. Sure, handwritten letters are now less common, and it can be difficult convincing our kids (and ourselves) of the importance of thank you notes and other “quaint” notions. Yet, somehow, technology keeps us connected, too. Today I (finally) emailed my first newsletter from Integrated Technology Services, LLC, and was glad to get it done. But what turned out to be the best part? Email from friends and colleagues who received it and just wanted to drop me a note. The notes weren’t very long, but they allowed us to reconnect, something we wouldn’t have done if we had waited to write a letter and mail it. Email may be fleeting, but it’s a nice way to stay in touch and let friends know you’re still there.

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April 7, 2007 by Dan Siegel.

It’s taken some time to get going, but I’m pleased to announce that Legal Tech Blog is live — and alive. That’s right, or should I say, “that’s write.” Rather than only author periodic columns about technology and the practice of law, which are limited by space (and deadlines), I’m happy to unveil Legal Tech Blog, where I can share my views with others, and learn from them as well. So, join in, have fun, tell me what you think, and let’s enjoy technology together.

Dan Siegel

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