I need opinions, advice...

[debk]

yes.... I need HELP!!!

I'm thinkin' I need a tablet, and if I do, then I need opinions on which one to do what I need it to do.

Ok... first let me tell y'all what the problem is...then the best way to fix and with what.

Several of the companies I do work for, send out emails to a group of agents, first one who snags it, gets it. The rest are SOL. Some will send to me directly, and if I don't accept within a certain time frame - an hour to four hours, sometimes more - the order is then sent to others. Most of the time, I get the ones that I have an hour or more to accept. Occasionally they come in the middle of the night or before dawn, I may/may not get those.

My biggest problem is one particular company. I WANT those orders!!! I can have it drop into my email, I immediately click over to get it, and it's either already gone - how do they get them so quick? - or I'm allowed in to key in one of those goofy skewed letter/number codes, and by the time I get it in, the order is gone.  Last week, in 2 days, I missed over 20 orders from this company. I have already missed 3 today. About the only time I am getting them is if they are out of town, or if the other person's (s') queue fills up. (we can only have 10 open orders)

I have internet service through Knology, which is cable. My computer is networked from the room next to this one. My PC is a Compaq with an AMD Anthion, 500GB hard drive. windows 7. I have no idea what all that means except it works.

I have a smart phone that's a 4G Droid Razr and I get my email forwarded to it. If I sit with it, and constantly renew my email, I can sometimes get the order first. Email is only retrieved every 15 minutes otherwise. These reports are gone in SECONDS!

Auto accept is risky. Some companies flat out forbid them. Don't know if this one does, but I don't know how it would work, because of the "code" thing that has to be keyed in so it's accepted.

When I'm working on a report, I usually don't have time to keep clicking back and forth between my report and my email. Plus I forget to look at the top of my screen to the tabs to see if one has dropped in.

These reports can drop in any time between 7am and 8pm....sitting and clicking on my email or watching my email on my PC all day, when I'm not doing a report, means I'm not doing anything else either. And it's giving me a lot of stress, especially when I miss one. I have top tier rating with them, but the orders still all go out to everyone above a certain level. I know there is at least 2 other agents grabbing them.

If I get a tablet, would it help to get them quicker? What kind should I get? Do I have to pay for internet service separately with them? or do they work off my house line (or anywhere else) that is wi-fi'd?

Is there any other way to get these emails quicker? There does seem to be some delay getting them through my PC, as I can refresh my phone and there may be an email that hasn't hit my PC yet.

I do work for several other companies, but this is one of the ones that pays weekly as opposed to 30-45 days, their reports are easier than several others which means I get them done a lot quicker, and I'm losing at a bare minimum, over $500/week, just from them.   

Please remember, when giving advice... I am technically challenged. If you are telling me something to do to my phone or PC.... I will not be offended if you talk to me like I'm in kindergarten. Anyone older, probably knows more than I do.

[Chris_]

What email prodiver are these being sent to (Yahoo, Gmail, some other third party)?

[Celtic Rose]

You should be able to set your phone to automatically alert you when you get a new e-mail.  Try the following steps to change your settings:

1. Select Settings.
2. Select the appropriate account (located below General).
3. From the NOTIFICATION SETTINGS section, select Email notifications.
 Enabled when a check mark is present.
4. If enabled, select Choose ringtone.
5. Select a ringtone then select OK.
6. Select Vibrate.
7. Select one of the following:
     Always
     Only when silent
     Never

This should cause your phone to make a sound whenever you get a new e-mail.

[zeitgeist]

You should be able to set your phone to automatically alert you when you get a new e-mail.  Try the following steps to change your settings:

1. Select Settings.
2. Select the appropriate account (located below General).
3. From the NOTIFICATION SETTINGS section, select Email notifications.
 Enabled when a check mark is present.
4. If enabled, select Choose ringtone.
5. Select a ringtone then select OK.
6. Select Vibrate.
7. Select one of the following:
     Always
     Only when silent
     Never

This should cause your phone to make a sound whenever you get a new e-mail.

This sounds like a good option.  My wife gets texts all the time in darn near real time and they don't need as good a signal as voice or so it seems.  She use to do her email that way too but disabled it because she got sick of deleting a bunch of junk (so you may want to set filters, email costs money on her phone because it is data.) 

[EagleKeeper]

To answer your question, getting a tablet will not solve your problem.

If I am not mistaken you work from home using Internet based email along the lines of what Chris_ is asking about.

If I am correct the problem you are facing is the refresh time of the browser in requesting updates from your email service. The same problem also seems to apply to your phone.

If I were to make a guess I would say that you are competing against folkes that sit in an office with a local email server and are using a *real* email client.
Perhaps they work at home but have a VPN connection to a central office and again they are using a full blown email client.

As far as setting up your phone to notify you when it receives an email I'm not sure that's going to help you out unless something is done about your browsers refresh time.

I took a quick look at my Yahoo email settings and didn't see an option for setting refresh times.

I think that Chris_ is asking the relevant question.

[Dori]

I think that Chris_ is asking the relevant question.

That's what I thought too.  Isn't there also some kind of pop-up function, like when you get a p.m.?

[EagleKeeper]

That's what I thought too.  Isn't there also some kind of pop-up function, like when you get a p.m.?

I'm not sure what you mean by p.m. and you might clarify what application you receive a pm in and receive a pop up message.

Edit: The reason I ask is there are major differences in the way that IM, PM, and email work.
 

[Dori]

The reason I ask is there are major differences in the way that IM, PM, and email work.

Right.  At work we get IM's, but like here on this board you get a PM.

I was thinking that while she was working on her reports, if she could get a pop up like an IM notifying her of an email. 

[Texacon]

Deb, is it possible these other agents are going straight to the lenders site and picking them off?

KC

[debk]

What email prodiver are these being sent to (Yahoo, Gmail, some other third party)?

Knology to PC and also to phone as a POP3 on the phone.

[debk]

You should be able to set your phone to automatically alert you when you get a new e-mail.  Try the following steps to change your settings:

1. Select Settings.
2. Select the appropriate account (located below General).
3. From the NOTIFICATION SETTINGS section, select Email notifications.
 Enabled when a check mark is present.
4. If enabled, select Choose ringtone.
5. Select a ringtone then select OK.
6. Select Vibrate.
7. Select one of the following:
     Always
     Only when silent
     Never

This should cause your phone to make a sound whenever you get a new e-mail.

It should but doesn't. I already have that set up. 

[debk]

To answer your question, getting a tablet will not solve your problem.

If I am not mistaken you work from home using Internet based email along the lines of what Chris_ is asking about.

If I am correct the problem you are facing is the refresh time of the browser in requesting updates from your email service. The same problem also seems to apply to your phone.

If I were to make a guess I would say that you are competing against folkes that sit in an office with a local email server and are using a *real* email client.
Perhaps they work at home but have a VPN connection to a central office and again they are using a full blown email client.   I do work from home, but I don't understand the this paragraph.

As far as setting up your phone to notify you when it receives an email I'm not sure that's going to help you out unless something is done about your browsers refresh time.

I took a quick look at my Yahoo email settings and didn't see an option for setting refresh times.

I think that Chris_ is asking the relevant question.

[debk]

Deb, is it possible these other agents are going straight to the lenders site and picking them off?

KC

No, not on this specific one. I actually called them - yeah..it was India, and was told the offers (of work) would only go out to every agent that services the area. With this company, I have 4 entire counties listed.

I do work in 4 additional counties, but I have those tagged that I have to be personally called before I will go to them. I ask and get more money for going to "Deliverance" !!!  (I am very serious, these are all white areas, they have lots of guns, and the biggest source of income is meth, I'm safer in the projects here in town!    )

[EagleKeeper]

I do work from home, but I don't understand the this paragraph.

All It means is that they may have a "virtual connection" to a central office that would allow them to use a real email client.

In your situation it would be an application that creates persistent connection to the central office and manages routing so that you would be able to use a real email client as though you were sitting on their wired network.

What email service do you use?

I would like to look at what email protocols they support.  

[debk]

All It means is that they may have a "virtual connection" to a central office that would allow them to use a real email client.

In your situation it would be an application that creates persistent connection to the central office and manages routing so that you would be able to use a real email client as though you were sitting on their wired network.

What email service do you use?

I would like to look at what email protocols they support.  

Knology... it's also called WOW. We get internet, cable, and phone through it.

I guess the part I'm not understanding is the "real email client" phrase. When I was with a different realty company, we had email through them, and that delayed my emails even more getting through the required security parameters.

[Chris_]

Check the settings on your Knology email.  There may be a way to have it update quicker.

Maybe Knology just has slow email servers.  It happens.

[EagleKeeper]

Knology... it's also called WOW. We get internet, cable, and phone through it.

I guess the part I'm not understanding is the "real email client" phrase. When I was with a different realty company, we had email through them, and that delayed my emails even more getting through the required security parameters.

So I am assuming that your email address is xxx@Knology.com?

By "real email client" I mean the following.

Have you ever had a job where you had a desk and that desk had a computer and that computer had wires that were plugged into the wall? This means that you would be sitting on their private wired network. In this case you would be using an email client that, when fired up, would set up a persistent connection to the email server so that as soon as the email server receives an email for you your email client will know it in real time.

The difference being that you now probably use a web browser over the Internet, which by the nature of the Internet precludes the persistent connection part and thus you have a 15 min (or whatever) delay waiting for the browser to refresh it's view of your inbox.

It's exactly like this website, you will not see this post until you refresh your browser. It's not like that with a real email client and a persistent connection.

[debk]

Check the settings on your Knology email.  There may be a way to have it update quicker.

Maybe Knology just has slow email servers.  It happens.

I think I may have just solved part of the problem thanks to this suggestion!!

I found an area that I didn't know was there  and my email was set to refresh only every 5 minutes!!!! 

Also found I can have it make noise and blink. 

Now I wait and see if it works! 

[debk]

So I am assuming that your email address is xxx@Knology.com?

By "real email client" I mean the following.

Have you ever had a job where you had a desk and that desk had a computer and that computer had wires that were plugged into the wall? This means that you would be sitting on their private wired network. In this case you would be using an email client that, when fired up, would set up a persistent connection to the email server so that as soon as the email server receives an email for you your email client will know it in real time.

The difference being that you now probably use a web browser over the Internet, which by the nature of the Internet precludes the persistent connection part and thus you have a 15 min (or whatever) delay waiting for the browser to refresh it's view of your inbox.

It's exactly like this website, you will not see this post until you refresh your browser. It's not like that with a real email client and a persistent connection.

Yes, when I had an office at former realty company, my computer in my personal office was wired into the wall. We had comcast business. But there my email address was xxxx@realtyexecutives.com.

Now, I am xx.xxx@knology.net . There are only 2 of us in the current company and we have different servers. I bet I haven't gone to current office 10 times in last year. No reason to.

[EagleKeeper]

Has anyone sent you an email yet to test the changes you made?

[debk]

Has anyone sent you an email yet to test the changes you made?

just you! 

now that I've enabled something.... it should chirp or ding or something when a new one comes in.

um.... right after I turn on the speakers.. 

[debk]

just you! 

now that I've enabled something.... it should chirp or ding or something when a new one comes in.

um.... right after I turn on the speakers.. 

I chirp!!!!

[debk]

Now... let's see what happens!

Next question... back to tablets, please.

I don't really want to replace my laptop, cause I prefer to work on a desk top. It's just easier for me. Plus if I can get a tablet to "chirp" or something when emails come in, I wouldn't be tethered to my desk all day, I could go to kitchen or laundry or whatever. Lost 2 of the ones that sit for an hour, before including someone else, cause I felt the urge to get creative in the kitchen and lost track of time to check email.

I would like an affordable one. Under $200 would thrill me, but under $300 is probably reality.

I have a basic kindle... still in the box since last Dec.. 

[EagleKeeper]

I can't help you with tablets, I've never had one.

One thing that I will say is Newegg.com usually has good prices.

[debk]

Know anything about refurbished stuff?

Good, bad, so-so, don't even think about it?