As more and more users and providers try Expedite, they often come back to us with great questions. We welcome all questions from everyone and do our best to respond quickly. Questions come in through the live chat on our website, through Facebook and Twitter, as well to our email address.
Often, many users have the similar questions. We wanted to take a quick minute to share responses to a few of the questions that came this past week, so everyone can learn about our answers as well as how your questions help us improve the Expedite platform.
The first question from a reporter asks why she is being asked for a credit card number when she signed up as a provider.
We’ve gotten this one a few times. Expedite has two key roles. Users are attorneys, paralegals, and firm owners. Providers are court reporters, videographers, mobile videoconference techs, notaries public and couriers. If a court reporter is asked for a credit card number, that court reporter mistakenly signed up as a user. Based on feedback, we’ve addressed this in the next update that will make the roles much clearer at the start of the sign-up process.
The next question is also from a court reporter. “I understand the app pays me promptly for the appearance fee, but who handles the production and the invoicing?”
Great question. We designed Expedite to instantly connect attorneys with available resources in the immediate vicinity. We wanted to create a win-win for all parties by filling needs that often caused delays. All the production and invoicing for that production is handled off the platform by the provider. Expedite is not a firm. Our name is not on any invoicing or production component. If you are affiliated with a firm, you could ask if they would handle the production and invoicing. They will likely accept as you are essentially bringing a new client to their firm. There are also many great resources available if you want to handle the production and invoicing yourself.
SmartDeps is a great resource for the production component. They have created a resource page specifically for Expedite providers. Check them out and learn how they can become your personal production department. www.smartdeps.com
Finally, an attorney asks a question about what happens to a job request that has been denied by available resources.
First, if providers have their availability set to “on” in the app, we want them to be accepting jobs. We are also aggressively recruiting additional providers to keep pace with the demands of attorneys. In the current version of the app, if a job request has been denied, it falls into a state of limbo just sitting out there. We are addressing this in the next version of the app with a new feature that informs attorneys if a job has not been accepted.
Keep those questions coming. On our website, we also have a detailed Provider FAQ and a User FAQ. Also be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!