Delivering Holiday Cheer: Appointment-Plus Online Scheduler Calendar Automating the Docking Process for Distributors, Warehouses this Fall, Winter Seasons

Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) September 13, 2011

The fall and winter holiday seasons are a busy time for the nations distributors, warehouses, manufacturers and other facilities that receive inbound shipments as they scramble to fill an influx of new orders from customers eager to fill their shelves for the months festivities. Sites that rely on Appointment-Plus online scheduling calendars will not only improve the delivery process by allowing their drivers and carriers to schedule their drop-off times online, theyll also be able to sync with software applications they already use, such as QuickBooks and e-marketing services Constant Contact, iContact and MailChimp.

True to its motto We Work With What You Work With, Appointment-Plus online business calendar is the industrys only Web-based booking application to marry online scheduling, payment-processing, accounting and e-marketing services in one affordable and efficient system. Upcoming features include syncs with Google and Microsoft Outlook calendars, as well as a new user interface.

Managing deliveries over the phone and with a clipboard or paper appointment book is not the most efficient way to handle this important part of the supply chain, says Bob La Loggia, CEO of Appointment-Plus. Our cutting-edge scheduling software helps simplify this process, resulting in significant time and monetary savings for dock operations.

Plus, we work with many of the same software applications you already use on a regular basis, making it easy to transfer information right from your Appointment-Plus scheduler.

Businesses that have recently implemented Appointment-Plus into their dock-scheduling operations include:

Graphic Packaging International, Middletown, Ohio
Heatcraft, Stone Mountain, Ga.
HenneCold Storage, Tampa, Fla.

A leader in dock-scheduling software since 2001, Appointment-Plus online scheduler calendar gives inbound facilities the tools they need to completely automate and streamline the delivery- and dock-scheduling process. Among the functionality found in the feature-rich system are:

Online self-scheduling, which allows carriers and drivers the ability to schedule their own delivery times at their own convenience without having to pick up the phone or send/receive an e-mail or fax. This feature can also free up a significant amount of on-site and administrative staff time; in fact, some sites that use Appointment-Plus report monetary savings ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars weekly, as theyre able to better schedule their dock staff and reduce overtime expenses.
Automated e-mail and text message reminders sent prior to a scheduled drop-off time, which can dramatically reduce the number of later arrivals and missed deliveries.
Robust record-keeping and reporting capabilities that may it easy to quickly gather and analyze delivery information. Its also perfect for recording actual arrival and departure times, a necessity when determining hold times at the docks.

Adding the online self-scheduling component to the docking and delivery process is easy with Appointment-Plus online scheduler calendar, which supplies each client with a unique URL link to their scheduler and an assortment of book now buttons that can be added to Web sites and e-mail messages. Once the driver clicks on the link or button, he or she instantly accesses the online scheduler calendar, which can show available docks and delivery times, as well as any special instructions. Once a time is selected, the system automatically does the rest without any additional action from on-site administration.

Because its Web-based, Appointment-Plus online scheduling calendars require only an Internet connection to use, without any installations, downloads or additional hardware necessary. This trait allows users to access the software from any Internet connection, a true benefit for supervisors, managers, dispatchers and other dock staff who need the ability to view their schedules when off-site or at other locations at the facility.

Pricing starts at $ 39 per month, with no long-term contracts. All signups receive a complementary training session with a professional set-up coach during their 15-day free trial period.

Having a proven scheduling procedure in place is crucial in ensuring a smooth and seamless delivery process, La Loggia explains. Appointment-Plus helps you achieve that.

To learn more about Appointment-Plus online scheduler calendar and how it can improve your delivery- and dock-scheduling procedures, click here.

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About Appointment-Plus: Appointment-Plus is the leading online appointment-scheduling system, serving organizations in 11 countries ranging from one-person businesses to Fortune 500 companies. With over 15 million end users across 100 industries, Appointment-Plus is the preferred scheduler for medical practitioners, healthcare providers, colleges and universities, personal fitness trainers, spas, salons, shipping docks, government agencies, financial institutions, tour operators, and many other types of organizations. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., over 70 million appointments have been booked through Appointment-Plus since its launch in 2001.

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Priory Direct: How Integrated Labels Drive the Success of Online Retailing

Paddock Wood, Kent (PRWEB UK) 14 October 2011

Christmas is just around the corner - and more and more of us will be doing our festive shopping online. According to IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group), the UK is Europes leading e-retail economy, with sales estimated to reach 81bn this year and its currently growing at 18 per cent each year. In the UK, 37 million of us are Internet shoppers.

Not so long ago, buying something mail-order meant waiting 28 days for delivery. Now we expect our goods within a few days if not, the next day. To make this happen, online traders need a fail-safe system for packaging, delivery and despatch and integrated labels are at the very centre of this process.

Paddock Wood-based Priory Direct (part of the Priory Business Group PLC) is the UK and Europes leading supplier of integrated labels and the company has been involved in this sector ever since people started to buy online.

As often happens in our business, we responded to our customers needs, says Bob Pitman, managing director of Priory Direct. Weve been supplying business forms for more than 30 years and our customers started asking us for a way of making the despatch process easier for them.

Integrated labels are labels which are integrated into a sheet of paper which, when it comes to Internet shopping, is usually the sales receipt. Today, they are used worldwide by all types of businesses from the largest online retailers to personal sellers. Priory Directs customers include the smallest e-retailers, right up to companies selling many thousands of items everyday through eBay, the Amazon Marketplace, their own webstore or, quite possibly, all three.

Integrated labels make the whole sale and despatch process as straightforward as possible, with less chance for goods to go astray - as there is no need to spend time matching receipts to labels and labels to products, says Bob. Today, most of us have received something from an online retailer - so weve seen integrated labels in action.

Priory Direct offers a wide variety of integrated label sheets. When it comes to what size of integrated labels to select, it comes down to what information a customer needs to fit on it and the system/software being used to print it.

Ideally the label itself should accommodate the delivery address, a Postage Paid Impression (PPI), and an if undelivered return address. The sheet can include a range of details from an invoice and companys logo to sender information or terms and conditions. Priory Direct also offers bespoke versions giving businesses the opportunity to include their corporate colours for instance.

Today, integrated labels are central to the success of internet shopping without them we wouldnt receive our goods online as quickly or as efficiency, adds Bob.

Image supplied of Bob Pitman

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Reputation Rhino Launches Online Reputation Management Solutions to Combat Online Terrorism

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 31, 2011

Reputation Rhino, a leading online reputation management solutions company based in New York City, launched several new solutions today to help people promote, protect and defend their online reputation. Reputation Rhino offers a comprehensive online reputation management platform that goes beyond simple monitoring. Their professional services are designed to eliminate or minimize the impact of damaging reviews and Internet articles and promote a positive online reputation for individuals and businesses.

The need for advanced online reputation management has never been more important. A 2010 Microsoft study revealed that 70% of recruiters and HR professionals rejected candidates based on information they found online. More recently, a study by ChannelAdvisor found that 92% of U.S. Internet users read product reviews and 89% of those respondents said the reviews influenced their purchase decision.

We are living in an age where first impressions are found online. People used to check the Yellow Pages for a job, a date, a pizza or a plumber, but now they check Google, says Todd William, Reputation Rhino founder and CEO. Someone can hide behind a hateful comment, video or post that remains online forever and can damage your personal life or business. It is online terrorism. Reputation Rhino has the tools and experience to fight back.

Reputation Rhino employs a team of experienced public relations, legal, marketing, and technology professionals trained to remove or bury defamatory articles, Ripoff Reports and other online complaints by creating and optimizing positive Internet content. With Reputation Builder, the company offers one of the best online reputation management solutions available. It has never been easier to build, monitor and take charge of your online reputation.

Reputation Builder is an affordable new service that helps people reserve their brand, product, personal name or username on the top 100 social media websites in the world. The most valuable real estate in the 21st century is virtual, explains William, it takes just a minute to protect your name or company from brand-jacking or username squatting and create a hundred new ways to be found online by clients, customers or prospective employers.

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