Instant Messaging with Treo 650
May 1, 2006
Back in the mid-90’s, I used a simple Day Runner paper planner to “organize” my life. My wife urged my evolution up to a Franklin Planner, which was more of a leather bound philosophy and way of life.
I think it was around 1998 when I picked up a Palm III in an office supply store and was instantly hooked. I even had a leather Franklin Planner case that integrated a Palm IIIx sleeve with the paper ring binder (pretty much an oxymoron now that I think about it).
My PDA journey started with the III, then a Palm IIIx, a Tungsten C and finally led to a Smart Phone Palm Treo 650 — simply the best PDA ever!
I swear by electronic organizers to keep me sane. The PDA is also my curse because it is loaded with an everlasting list of tasks to accomplish. Plus, my mom thinks my handwriting is horrible.
Part of being organized and productive is the need for instant access to info. IM is great for that. My co-workers depend on AOL Instant Messenger to stay in touch throughout the day. My family also occasionally ping me rather than call, since it’s less intrusive. I’ve wanted instant messaging (not text messaging) on my Treo, but just couldn’t justify the expense.
Finally, a few free alternative for Instant Messaging on the Treo 650 have surfaced.
Here are two worth checking out if you are looking for simple features. See the full list below for other software solutions that offer more features, yet come at a price.
Free Solutions:
AtomicCog.com’s Toccer for Treo Agile Messenger 2 BETA for Palm 3.5+
Platforms: ICQ, AIM, Yahoo!, MSN
Investment: Free Beta
Paid Solutions:
AOL Mobile
Platforms: AOL
Investment: $19.95
Chatopus
Platforms: MSN, Yahoo!, AIM, ICQ, GaduGadu and Sametime, Google Talk, Jabber
Investment: $16.95
VeriChat
Platforms: “An always-on presence on the Yahoo!, ICQ, MSN & AOL chat networks.” Investment: $24.95/$34.95 annual subscription fee, depending on level of features.
IM+ Mobile Instant Messenger
Platforms: ICQ, MSN, AOL, Yahoo, Jabber, Google Talk
Investment: $29.95
Causerie Messenger
Platforms: Yahoo!, MSN, AIM, ICQ, Jabber, Google Talk
Investment: $29.95
Occasionally, Palm software download sites run special discounts. Keep an eye out and maybe you can get 10% off.
The EverythingTreo.com Instant Messenger Roundup November 2005 has a review that compares Chatopus, IM+ and VeriChat.
If you ever need to IM while at a someone else’s computer, or your company IT dept refuses to install IM software, check out AIM Express. It’s slow, but works via the Web browser.
I hope this helps you be more productive. Let me know if you have any experience with the above or other solutions to check out. Thanks.
-Roland
Roland Reinhart is an interactive marketing professional. His observations can be found at NewMediaSandbox.com and Chaos365.com.
©2006 Roland Reinhart. All Rights Reserved.
Customer Relations- Put yourself in their shoes
May 1, 2006
This past weekend I got to spend 4 hours behind the counter of our local baseball league snack shack. Parents are asked to volunteer time so I figured one afternoon was easy to do. I was not prepared for the non-stop flurry of activity taking orders, handling money and delivering the food. Above all, having to get it done quickly and efficiently, while making a positive consumer experience.
I’m a conscientious marketer, so I really wanted to make sure I did a good job. I greeted each customer with a smile, repeated the order to make sure it was correct, asked for their money and counted out the cash I gave back to them. Finally I wished them a nice day.
I was glad when my volunteer shift was over. The experience did make me think about how easy it becomes to assume others are doing the job they are supposed to. For example, I didn’t need to be courteous or helpful. Sure it’s part of my nature, but I wasn’t being paid or incentivized to do so. My motivation is that I like to treat people how I would prefer to be treated by them.
Marketing Managers: How is your Customer Service Team doing? Have you ever tried to call/email/visit to experience for yourself how the average consumer is treated by your brand? It’s a good exercise, especially since consumers are more likely to remember and speak about a negative experience.
You might also benefit from a day spent working with the Customer Service Team. You may uncover opportunities to improve a product feature or canned responses that need to be updated.
Plus, I bet the Customer Service Team would be highly impressed that you take interest in their work and would be motivated to deliver high quality work if they knew you recognized and respected their work.
-Roland
About me…
Twenty years ago, in the mid-80’s, I spent 2.5 years working at Burger King. At first I learned all the secrets of sweeping and mopping, cleaning the parking lot and washing trays. Soon I was trusted to make shakes, sending meat through the broiler, and deep frying various munchables. Eventually I was given store keys, an Assistant Manager title, an 80 cent raise and “responsibility.” More importantly, I got to trade in my maroon corduroy with yellow collar crew shirt for any plain short sleeve shirt and tie combo I chose. Back then, looking half way important was better for my morale than the title and responsibility. :)
Roland Reinhart is an interactive marketing professional. His observations can be found at NewMediaSandbox.com and Chaos365.com.
©2006 Roland Reinhart. All Rights Reserved.
