App for scheduling client phone calls

[Twofish]

I run a Kumon centre where I have 70+ students whose parents (should) get regular phone calls updating them on progress. Does anyone know of an app (iphone or Mac) that would automatically remind me to call the parents 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year after the students starts studying? Free, obv, if possible.

Much obliged.

 

[ellobogrande]

You need nothing more than a calendar or your tickler file for this. Put day-specific reminders where they are easiest and fastest for you to do so and where your brain trusts that you will see them at the appropriate time.

 

[Twofish]

You need nothing more than a calendar or your tickler file for this. Put day-specific reminders where they are easiest and fastest for you to do so and where your brain trusts that you will see them at the appropriate time.

And if they leave? Then I have to manually clean them out of the system. I have started with paper but this is one task that really needs a digital solution. I think.

but thanks for your suggestion EBG!

 

[Oogiem]

Does anyone know of an app (iphone or Mac) that would automatically remind me to call the parents 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year after the students starts studying?

Not free but you could easily set that up in Omnifocus. First crete a template project and put it on hold. The project name is Student updates. Create actions for each one that are set to start 1 week, 1 month 3 months & 6 months after completion or else play with the repeat options , you might want to use due dates instead. I'd also make it automatically marked as done when last item is checked off to make cleanup easier.

When you have a new student, make a copy of the project, add the students' name into the project name and make it active. The actions will come up as needed in sequence.

If a student leaves just delete or drop their project.

 

[DenaDahilig]

Tickler could still work

Hi, Twofish!

What if you put a reminder at the first update, say a monthly reminder for next month, April 1st, for example: "call John Smith about John Jr.". When that day comes, pull it out, call Mr. Smith, then put that note back in the tickler for the next reminder date, May 1st, and so on.

It also let's you reevaluate at each update when you want to do the next update, giving you some flexibility. When that student leaves, you only have to pull one piece of paper.

You can also track on that paper when your last update(s) was done.

Would that work?

Dena

 

[mthar1]

Hi, Twofish!

What if you put a reminder at the first update, say a monthly reminder for next month, April 1st, for example: "call John Smith about John Jr.". When that day comes, pull it out, call Mr. Smith, then put that note back in the tickler for the next reminder date, May 1st, and so on.

It also let's you reevaluate at each update when you want to do the next update, giving you some flexibility. When that student leaves, you only have to pull one piece of paper.

You can also track on that paper when your last update(s) was done.

Would that work?

Dena

I agree with this. Having a printed form for each student with all the necessary information for the calls and fields to add any additional new information would give you instant access to vital support material while keeping the system extremely simple and robust.

 

[frazierlaw]

Two great answers!

This wasn't my question, but these two answers are awesome! A digital and a paper solution! Props Oogie and Dena!

 

[Twofish]

Lo tech solution

Hi, Twofish!

What if you put a reminder at the first update, say a monthly reminder for next month, April 1st, for example: "call John Smith about John Jr.". When that day comes, pull it out, call Mr. Smith, then put that note back in the tickler for the next reminder date, May 1st, and so on.

It also let's you reevaluate at each update when you want to do the next update, giving you some flexibility. When that student leaves, you only have to pull one piece of paper.

You can also track on that paper when your last update(s) was done.

Would that work?

Dena

Yes it would Dena and I'm delighted to have found such an easy peasy solution! I couldn't work out what relevance the tickler file had to me but now I know!

You are awesome!

Sue

 

[Twofish]

Not free but you could easily set that up in Omnifocus. First crete a template project and put it on hold. The project name is Student updates. Create actions for each one that are set to start 1 week, 1 month 3 months & 6 months after completion or else play with the repeat options , you might want to use due dates instead. I'd also make it automatically marked as done when last item is checked off to make cleanup easier.

When you have a new student, make a copy of the project, add the students' name into the project name and make it active. The actions will come up as needed in sequence.

If a student leaves just delete or drop their project.

Oogie, I'm going to have to try out Omnifocus just to see how that would work - it sounds exactly like what I was after. (I have a sneaking suspicion that the tickler file wins though!) Thank you so much for your suggestion.

Sue

 

[vbampton]

When you have a new student, make a copy of the project, add the students' name into the project name and make it active. The actions will come up as needed in sequence.

In the template, put something easily replaceable like [X] in the project name and action, and you can do a quick find/replace to insert their name in every action that way. It's handy when glancing down an action list without looking across to see the project name column.

 

[Suelin23]

Tickler

I do similar to the paper tickler but on an iPhone app, Awesome Note (ANote). I'm trying to learn about birds, and I've setup a note with reminder for each one. I've got notes for each bird I want to revise after a day, a week, a fortnight, a month and a quarter.
I setup the due dates manually, and after I've revised the notes I put at the bottom of the note I put the dates when I actually revised the info, and then manually adjust the due date again.
At first I wanted an app to remind me automatically, but I find that life happens, and I don't always revise when I'd like to, but doing it manually means that the next one is always spaced apart appropriately, if they were automatic I might get a reminder only two days after I've just revised it because I was late.
Also by doing it manually you can see if you've overscheduled reminders - 6 on one day? I'll push a few back.