May 2020
Isaac’s Essentials
It Takes a Little Bit of Luck
Stay Ahead of the Curve
I am super excited to kick off vConnect, our latest innovation for communicating with our clients. vConnect is a monthly e-newsletter filled with everything you need to know about what’s happening at Vertican. Each issue will include a section called Isaac’s Essentials where you’ll find a personal message from me on a multitude of subjects ranging from the industry to the latest tech gadget.
COVID-19 has dramatically impacted the entire country. How are we handling COVID-19? I’m glad you asked. For over 15 years Vertican has functioned as a company with a partially remote workforce. So when the devastation of the pandemic hit, we were prepared. Here’s how Vertican is taking on COVID-19:
Our employees
Vertican’s Core Values
Be a Duck
What it means: We stay cool, calm, and collected even when we are faced with adversity.
How to express it: We never stop kicking below the surface, but always keep our professional and adult composure above the water.
Result: Respect. Professionalism. Success.
We assigned a COVID Czar to compile as much information as possible. By gathering it all in one place, each employee’s time is now maximized with quick access to reliable and easy-to-understand information on COVID-19.
On the Executive side, we created an Executive committee to focus on financial assistance at a government level and how to best take advantage of what is being offered. To extend our financial relief efforts to our employees, we cut 20 percent of our Executives’ salaries.
We have also increased our efforts for Employee Engagement. During this trying time, we want our employees to know we’ve got their backs. Now that 100 percent of our company works remotely, their routines have been tremendously impacted. To keep spirits high, we’ve hosted movie night, bingo, and weekly competitions for cooking, hacks, and a personality test. To maintain good posture, we sent each of our employees an Upright Go. We’re dedicated to making sure our employees are staying healthy, comfortable, and happy during the pandemic.
Giving has always been at the core of Vertican. Before the pandemic, we kicked off Vertican Gives. Each quarter employees decide on three charities for Vertican to give. Now, we have doubled our efforts to give locally and also inspired our employees to donate.
Our clients
In early March it became clear that we needed to pivot and create a plan to help our clients. So, we put together a Stimulus Package to give away as much licensed software as possible for free: a low cost to Vertican and high value to our client.
The Stimulus package includes free modules/features including setup instruction and group online training and free group training/consultation on COVID-19-related urgent requirements. For more information on how to take advantage of our Stimulus Package, click here.
We updated our best practices for information management by inviting clients with similar concerns to Virtual Town Halls to learn firsthand from our experts. We also created vForum, a blog providing an open line of communication between our clients and our experts. Not only did this cut down on operation waste, but it also allows for clients to bounce questions and ideas off each other.
COVID-19 has dramatically impacted the way the world operates. We are constantly updating our best practices internally and externally. I hope that you have taken advantage of all we have to offer during this time. I would love to hear how Vertican can better serve you; shoot me an email HERE.
Product Stories
It was in late 2015, when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) entered into a Consent Order with the law firm and debt buyer, Frederick J. Hanna & Associates PC (Hanna). This was the first enforcement action by the CFPB directly against a collection law firm. The CFPB sued Hanna for relying on deceptive court filings and faulty evidence to file debt collection lawsuits. Under this order, Hanna had to pay $3.1 million in penalties to the CFPB and agree to injunctive relief (all without admitting any of the CFPB’s allegations). Eventually, Hanna was forced to close its doors.
This was not the last time that the CFPB would bring Consent Orders against law firms and debt buyers in response to their assertions the firms were “mass-producing” lawsuits against consumers.
The bottom line: This Consent Order’s injunction amounted to requiring a basic standard of proof before initiating or threatening a collection suit. To be in compliance, firms needed to find a better way match documents, data, and balances.
Vertican strategized on how to develop an effective, streamlined, and user-friendly way to show meaningful review that would also be flexible and available for every legal filing and document in the firm. POOF! The Attorney Meaningful Review (AMR) module for Q-LawE users was created.
So, what does it do?
The AMR module allows firms to review data and compare to documents in a seamless interface. The AMR Claim Review Screen contains all the necessary components for a client to perform meaningful review on a claim based on the firm’s specifications. The interface places data on the left of the screen with the document seated on the right for easy review. A validation checklist is placed between the two, making it easy for the client to Pass or Fail the review. In order to Pass the review, Pass must be selected for each item in the validation check list.
Firms can also define the AMR Group process for different claim stages: placement, suit, judgment, garnish, lien filing, and any other process defined by the client.
Best of all, the AMR Module is available for free to all Q-LawE users. Want a Get Out of Jail Free card? Learn how to stay in compliance by registering for our AMR Town Hall.
Events
Upcoming Vertican Town Halls
May 13, 2-3:30 p.m. EDT – Attorney Meaningful Review Module (AMR) – Q-LawE users can learn the AMR Module and Fox users can see a demo.
May 20, 2-3 p.m. EDT – Report Generator – Collection-Master
May 27, 2-3 p.m. EDT – Barcode and Document Batch Import – Q-Law & Q-LawE
These Town Halls are part of Vertican’s Emergency Relief Stimulus Package. Click here to find out more.
vCon 2020 – Save the Date!
VT Spotlight
Welcome to the place where we share an inside look at some of Vertican’s awesome team members. Our inaugural issue of vConnect is pointing the spotlight on Joe Woodward. Joe has been with Vertican since 2012. His key role with the company is working as Team Lead of Client Services. As Team Lead, Joe focuses on supporting and educating our clients on all things relating to Collection-Master, vMedia, and vExchange products.
We talked with Joe about his position at Vertican and learned about what he is up to outside of the office too.
What sort of work did you do before having joined Vertican? I was working as an EasyTech at Staples. I was with Staples for seven years, but I knew I didn’t want to be in retail anymore.
Vertican’s Core Values
Learn Like an Adult
What it means: Not every decision or action we take is going to be correct all the time. We are NOT know-it-alls.
How to express it: Our experience shows us that how we react to failure determines our ability to succeed. We are hungry to continue learning from our successes and our setbacks.
Result: Continuous improvement.
What is a typical day at Vertican like for you? My day starts with meeting with the Collection-Master Development team in our morning SCRUM (team meeting). We discuss current projects, bugs, and other incidents. As Team Lead of Client Services, I assist the Client Services team with any incidents they are having trouble with. I also set up training sessions to teach employees our applications and troubleshooting steps to better assist our clients. Later in the afternoon, I meet with the Client Services team to discuss what everyone is working on or any questions they may have.
What do you like most about working for Vertican? Every day is different. I always encounter something that I have not seen before. I enjoy problem-solving and sometimes having to think outside the box. I also like coming up with ideas to improve efficiency of the Client Services team as well as making things easier for our clients.
If you could learn anything new, what would it be? I think it would be really cool to learn how to fly a plane.
What was your very first job and how old were you? My very first job was at Subway, I was either 16 or 17. I had to get a job because I was now able to drive and had to pay for my car insurance. Just like retail, I hope I never have to work in the food industry again.
Word on the street is you like magic? Tell us about it and how that began. I was always fascinated by magic growing up. I could not wait until the next David Copperfield special to see what he would show next. Unfortunately, a lot of his tricks are big, elaborate, and expensive. Occasionally, he would do a card trick and I realized that even small tricks can have a big impact.
Have Each Other’s Backs
What it means: We are a team. A team of Adults. We know that we are only as strong as our weakest link.
How to express it: We don’t throw each other under the bus. EVER. We lend a hand. We help each other. Together we are better.
Result: A loyal group of consummate professionals ready for anything together.
I learned my first simple card trick when I was eight. In high school, I remember seeing David Blaine’s first street magic special. Over the years, I developed the skills to pull off those tricks; I would then show them to my family and friends.
What is something about you that may surprise your colleagues? I think all my colleagues know that I am a magician. But it is always fun when I tell our clients and then show them a quick trick that blows their minds!
What (else) do you like to do outside of work? Watching too much television in a short period of time. I watched the entire series of Breaking Bad in a week and a half before the finale aired. I also enjoy watching movies and playing the latest video games. Now that I have a Kindle, I am getting back into reading. Because of my affinity for problem-solving, I also enjoy Escape Rooms with my friends. When I’m not doing those things, I’m practicing and learning new magic tricks.
Share something exciting you did in the last 12 months. After our vCon 2019 in Las Vegas, I got to go on stage for Penn & Teller and assist with a trick. They both signed a playing card that was used during the trick and had referred to me as “Captain America,” as I was wearing my Captain America t-shirt.
Do you have a favorite movie, artist and/or book?
Movie: Can’t pick just one. Pulp Fiction, Back to the Future, The Empire Strikes Back, Fargo, The Princess Bride, Fight Club, Alien, The Matrix, The Usual Suspects, Jurassic Park, The Big Lebowski.
TV: Breaking Bad, Fargo, Doctor Who, The Office, The Flash, Sons of Anarchy, Mr. Robot
Music: Coheed and Cambria (I’m consumed by their music and the story that revolves around it)
Book: Probably Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Time Travel + Magic = Awesome!)
Please share a favorite quote. “Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.” –Michael Scott
Software Tip
Bookmark Claims
Ever need to come back to a claim for some reason? Perhaps your boss interrupts you for an urgent matter? Maybe IT needs to fix your computer? Maybe you need information from a co-worker who’s not around?
- Simply bookmark the claim with a descriptive reason by pressing ALT-V within a claim in the Paperless File.
Click on image to view larger version.
- At the Dashboard, click the Bookmark tab to see all your bookmarked claims. After reviewing a bookmarked claim, Collection-Master will ask if you want to remove or keep the bookmark.
Click on image to view larger version.
Use F1 and CTRL-F1 at the Claim Review Screen of the Paperless File to Access the Prior Claim
At the Claim Review screen:
- F1 will auto-fill the file number of the last claim you reviewed in the Paperless File.
- CRTL-F1 will auto-fill the file number of the last claim you reviewed anywhere in Collection-Master (e.g., posted a payment, merged a document, review in the Paperless File).
Software Tip
Quickly navigate between DDAS rules
While inside DDAS Setup, you can quickly navigate to other DDAS rules with similar triggers regardless of the DDAS ID. The Next and Previous buttons you’re already familiar with respect the DDAS ID value. On the other hand, the ‘L‘ button (shown here by the blue arrow) moves through your DDAS list in the order of the trigger. By using the Up and Down arrows on your keyboard you can navigate to a new DDAS rule. Hit Enter to bring up the selected rule.
Click on image to view larger version.
Creating a Duplicate Clone Job on the Job Scheduler
If you need to clone a job configuration in Q-Law Job Scheduler, you can do so by first selecting the original job. Then hit the ‘Create Job’ button (shown by the blue arrow here). You will receive a prompt asking if you want to create a clone of the job. This way the Runcompid, Program Name, and Email Configurations are already populated. This saves time when creating new job configurations.
Click on image to view larger version.
ENTER TO WIN
Vertican’s Core Values
Do the Next Right Thing
What it means: When faced with a decision, we always do what’s right, not what’s convenient.
How to express it: Even if it means more work or extra steps, we do not cut corners.
Result: We have an untarnished ethical reputation.
Answer two trivia questions for a chance to win a Vertican branded Tile!
Contest closed
See the vConnect June 2020 issue for the answers to the trivia questions and the list of winners.
1. What are the TWO planets in the solar system that rotate backwards?
2. What was the main reason that the Pilgrims brought dandelions to North America on the Mayflower?
What’s a Tile?
- It’s a tiny Bluetooth-enabled tracker and companion app that allows you to locate your items and find them fast.
- Find your keys, wallet, phone … anything!
- It has a convenient hole to attach to your keys or bags. But you can attach it to anything you’d hate to lose, and you can always find it fast.