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The
connection between parents, students and Food Service management |
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< Details for Parents > < Details
for School Admin > Food Service
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LunchPhoneÒ is a
registered trademark of Molitors Management Consulting, LLC |
Phone: 513.398.0040 |
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LunchPhoneÓ
System, copyright 1980-2007, MMC, LLC; all rights reserved |
Fax:
513.398.0040 |
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www.LunchPhone.com |
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Q: How does the LunchPhone work? The main part of the LunchPhone system is technically
called an “IVR” (Interactive Voice Response) system. This means that it is a computer
hardware/software system controlled through your responses on a touch-tone
telephone instead of a keyboard and mouse.
Since the telephone is used instead of the keyboard and mouse,
this means you can control the LunchPhone remotely from any place that has a
telephone. The process begins when a parent calls the phone number
you have assigned to your district’s LunchPhone system. The LunchPhone is constantly in the
ready-to-answer-the-phone mode; when a parent calls, the LunchPhone
automatically answers. The parent
will hear the greeting and instructions to enter their child’s student ID
number. After confirming and verifying
the student ID, the parent will hear the “main menu”, listing a series of
options (Note: you have the ability to set or change the options and their
order, as well as record your own custom greetings and menu choices). Typically, there are three “listen” options ---
(1) listen to your child’s current lunch account balance, (2) listen to the
date and amount of your last payment, and (3) listen to the mailing address
for sending in payments and questions. There are also two “active” options; these are
options that require the parent to enter additional information (in order to
gain additional features). If your
district wishes to allow parents to add money to their lunch account
by using their credit cards, the “Add Money” option can be activated. A parent would enter their credit card
number, expiration date, and the amount they wish to add to their account. The second “active” option allows the parent to request
a printed-or-faxed Activity Report.
The Activity Report will show them each day’s purchases and payments,
along with a running balance and other useful details. The report will cover the previous 7, 14
or 31 days. If the parent requests an
Activity Report, it will automatically print in the Food Service office or at
any designated printer (it can then be mailed home or sent home with the
student). If the parent enters their
fax number, the Activity Report will be automatically faxed to them a short time
later. Keep 1 major point in mind --- all of the above activity
occurs without any intervention by Food Service management or staff. The LunchPhone is designed to operate
on its own. While Food Service
management has the ability to control its features and may use some of the
back-office functions that will help them, the LunchPhone does not
need a baby-sitter to perform its daily tasks. Once a day, the LunchPhone will update its database with
that day’s lunch purchases and payments from your point-of-sale system. This means that a parent will hear the
most current information available. Information, much like lunch, is best served fresh and
when the parent wants it. |
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Q: What are the benefits of the LunchPhone? There are many specific operational benefits with the
LunchPhone. Here is a short list… · The LunchPhone is an automatic,
unattended system; it functions without a baby-sitter. The LunchPhone will answer a call, follow
the caller’s instructions, hang up, and reset the telephone system without
you lifting a finger. If the
caller requested a printed or faxed Activity report, the report will
automatically print or be faxed. · The LunchPhone is a demand-driven
system fully operational on a 24/7 basis. If a parent calls for a student balance at 6:15am or 8:42pm,
the LunchPhone will answer the call.
Even during the school lunch periods when many point-of-sale systems
are busy and unavailable, the LunchPhone is ready and on-line. · The LunchPhone is easy to
use (as a parent calling in) and easy to operate (as a member of
Food Service). After entering and
verifying the student’s ID number, a parent only needs to navigate 1 menu of
choices. The choices are clear and
logical. Callers do not “get lost” or
frustrated inside the LunchPhone system.
The LunchPhone offers many back-office features and reports not
available to the callers. The
back-office operation is just as easy and logical as the telephone-access
operation. · The LunchPhone is accessible
by any touch-tone phone. This
means a parent can access their account from their home phone, their work
phone, their car’s cell phone, any phone.
Since everyone has a phone and everyone knows how to use a phone,
access is universal. · The LunchPhone works with any
point-of-sale system. Since the
LunchPhone gathers its daily details from your POS system, you do not enter
any data. The transfer is automatic
and complete. In fact, if you have a
“split district” with different POS systems or different POS versions across
your various schools, the LunchPhone is designed to accommodate the
split-district situation. · The LunchPhone allows parents
to replenish their account by adding money through their credit cards. The LunchPhone system has been certified
for direct credit-card processing. If
you wish, you may allow parents to add money by charging their Visa and
Mastercard credit cards. We can help
you get set up as a merchant (LunchPhone does not act as a middleman
or broker, only a software application), thereby keeping your credit-card
fees to the lowest possible levels. · The LunchPhone acts as the ultimate
communication tool. For a full description
on communication, click here [School Admin Benefits] to jump
to the “Details for School Administration” page and read about how to really
communicate with the parents in the district. |
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Q: What do other Food Service directors think of the LunchPhone? The LunchPhone’s value is best recognized by those who
use it. Here are some comments from
users… “It helps you provide excellent customer service and
that’s the name of the game. I’ve
found it to be very reliable and the information is accurate. It makes the pay-in-advance feature go
smoother. The main benefit for Food
Service is that once you get it set up, it’s a hands-free operation. It doesn’t take clerical time. Even when no one is in the office, parents
can get an answer to their most frequently asked questions. A lot of calls do come in after 4 pm, so it
is a tremendous service to the parents.”
Linda Bass Wiley, Food Service Director
Princeton City Schools [6,500 students] “I think the LunchPhone system is a great system and I
use it all the time. I can monitor
what my kids are eating and how much they are spending. If need be, you can set spending
limits. There’s just a whole lot you
can do with it.” Gary
Hubbard, father of 6 children
Mason City School District “The LunchPhone system is probably the best thing that
has ever happened to Food Service. I
consider the POS system and the LunchPhone system to be companions --- you do
not put all of your software eggs in one basket or you’ll regret it. The LunchPhone makes the POS in a
cafeteria 100% more effective serving parents and students. And the level of satisfaction of staff,
students and parents is way up. The
LunchPhone helps you monitor nutritionally and monetarily your children’s
school lunch program.”
Darlene Hicks, Food Service Director
Mason City Schools [6,800 students] “I’ve heard nothing but good comments and I get them all
the time! Parents can keep a closer
track on what their kids are doing.
Actually, both the parents and the kids like it.”
Darlene Peddicord, Food Service Director
Crestview Local Schools [1,200 students] If you require more persuasion, give us a call. |
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Q: How much does the LunchPhone cost? The LunchPhone system is a district-wide system,
and its price varies according to the number of incoming telephone lines you
wish to have…
1-Line LunchPhone………$7,695
2-Line LunchPhone………$9,895
4-Line LunchPhone………$14,895 Remember two things about our prices --- (1) the price
is a “complete” price and (2) the price is for the entire district. The prices you see are “complete” prices. We call them complete because they include
all the elements of a LunchPhone system --- the telephony hardware (i.e.,
the telephone control boards that are installed in your computer), the
telephony software, the telephony licensing, the LunchPhone control software,
the LunchPhone database, the LunchPhone record and playback software, the
software licensing, the user’s manual, the cost of installation, on-site
training, and upgrade-and-phone support for the 1st year. The only cost not included in the
prices listed above is the cost of travel/lodging (please contact us
for a specific quote). Since the LunchPhone was designed to serve any parent in
your district, it makes perfect sense to price it on a district basis. You do not need to worry about how many
individual buildings, the number of kitchens, lunch rooms or serving lines
within your district. So which level of LunchPhone do you need? We have discovered a rough rule-of-thumb
that balances need (i.e., having enough lines most of the time with minimal
busy signals) with cost (i.e., buying a too-large system). Our rule is based on student population
--- 1 phone line for every 2,000 – 2,500 students. This rule-of-thumb takes into account
varying degrees of lunchroom participation, the free and reduced students,
and multi-kid families. What if you guess wrong and need to expand? We have also established an expansion
price chart, allowing you to expand your LunchPhone to meet the needs of the
district. The expansion can be
accomplished without losing your initial investment. Here is the Expansion Price Chart…
Expand from 1-Line to 2-Line LunchPhone………$3,195
Expand from 1-Line to 4-Line LunchPhone………$8,495
Expand from 2-Line to 4-Line LunchPhone………$6,495 You should have one last question about pricing: Are
there any on-going costs? The
answer is “yes”, but the cost is minimal.
After the first year, the upgrade-and-phone support is $495 (1-Line),
$595 (2-Line), and $895 (4-Line).
This keeps your LunchPhone current and up-to-date. |
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Q: What about the technical details of the LunchPhone? While the internal technical details of the LunchPhone
are complex, we have designed the system for easy use and operation. First, realize that the setup and installation of
the LunchPhone is included in our price (see item above). We supply 95% of the things you need to
get the LunchPhone going in your district. Second, you are responsible for supplying a standard
Intel-based PC computer. You also
need to allocate 1, 2 or 4 telephone lines for your LunchPhone (depending on
which level you are getting). We will
also need some information, including the brand/version of your point-of-sale
system, the name of the printer you will use to print reports, and other
basic network information. Third, we will work with your IT department for
all of the technical specifications for the PC computer, network connection
and telephone lines. We have
additional printed material that provides all of the details. Fourth, your day-to-day use of the LunchPhone is
extremely simple and straightforward.
You will become accustomed to its operation immediately. Also remember that training and support is
part of our package, so we will make sure you know what you are doing. |
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LunchPhoneÒ is a registered trademark of Molitors Management
Consulting, LLC LunchPhoneÓ System, copyright 1980-2007, MMC, LLC; all rights
reserved www.LunchPhone.com |
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