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FAQ
Digital dental services is the pioneer in providing digital services
to the dental community.
Frequently Asked Questions
 | How is DDS different from other computer service companies? |
| DDS staff is trained in dental office computers. No other company
knows computers, dental software and unique features such as Digital
X-ray, and Camera’s. We don’t just set up your computers we make
sure everything works together! We can also migrate your existing
practice to a next generation digital office with networked
computers all over your office. |
| I bought all this equipment with a 2 year warranty why isn’t
everything covered? |
| The manufacturer’s warranty is return to factory! You must take it
and pick it up from their office. Computer equipment has surprised
everyone by becoming very reliable. Yet the public doesn’t
differentiate computer equipment with software like the computer
industry does. If your computer does not turn on it’s an equipment
problem. If things don’t work right, it’s a software problem!
Software includes your programs AND the operating system. The software
is owned by you, and set up for your office. Networking, e-mail,
documents and patients are your responsibility. If a hard disk stops
functioning, the warranty supplies a new hard disk. It’s up to you to
install all the software back onto it including Windows! |
| Why do I need DDS over any other computer company? |
| We are Dental office computer specialists. Your Dental office is a
business. If your computer isn’t working, your business isn’t
working. As you expand your computer into the operatories, you become
more reliant on your computer network. Online charting, exams, digital
imaging and X-ray require a computer company who will work to make all
your computer equipment, hi-tech dental equipment and your dental
software work together. Most computer companies stop when the computers
work together. They don’t understand the other components, or how your
office expects to use them. |
| There are cheaper PC’s from Dell & Gateway why should I buy
from DDS? |
| Most PC manufacturers like DELL have created custom computer
components to save money. Therefore the idea has been lost that all
computers use the same parts. Each company works to make a “better”
PC. But many parts may not be compatible and you can only get parts from
DELL. Recently, the average phone call to Dell can take upwards of 2
hours on hold to talk to a technician. You could be paying our
technicians while on hold with Dell trying to get an answer. Their
onsite warranty means that a part is mailed to you “on-site”. DDS offers a technician on-site. While you may never have an issue with
these computers, most dental offices want a relationship with a company
like DDS who can come to your office, configure and troubleshoot your
computers and network. These services are not available from mail order
computer companies. |
| Dell has won 5 star service awards, why should I need DDS? |
| PC magazine ranks the service from companies such as Dell, Gateway
and Apple based on industry standards for HOME. The last 5 STAR ratings
boasted a “Time to Talk” (to someone who could help) 14 hours and
“Time to Resolve” as 4.8 to 5.1 DAYS and then it went down from
there, with an average of 2 – 4 weeks of down time! This is not
acceptable to most dental offices. Ask yourself if your office could
function without your computer for up to 5 days! |
| If I already have equipment will DDS still help me? |
| If your equipment is not purchased from DDS, we will need to perform
an on-site equipment inventory. This will help us decide if we can
service your existing equipment and make sure we can get replacement
parts. Then we will be able to determine if we can support your existing
equipment. We can always work to perform configurations, networking and
add parts. This may void warranties with other companies, but it is
usually better than having to mail the computer to get service. |
| Can I buy equipment from someone else, and then have DDS install
it? |
| Yes, but we charge a higher rate and can’t guarantee results. We
may not have the proper drivers, disks, cables, or parts to install 3rd
party equipment. We are as prepared as any PC service company and have
more experience with dental offices, but may not be able to complete our
work without additional parts because of unforeseen circumstances. |
| I want to feel secure with my computer equipment what do I need? |
| As your computer system grows in your office, you need to assign
someone to be responsible to be sure backups are done regularly, that
they are taken off the premises and that they are tested to be sure they
are working. You need a relationship with DDS so that in case of an
emergency you know whom to call, and that they can get your office up
and running again. You also must meet with DDS at least annually to
review your system and plan for any type of disaster so you know what to
expect if a problem arises. Surprise is your worst enemy. |
| I like to keep up with technology, what do I need to do? |
| DDS will keep up with technology so you don’t have too. We will
review your computers, internet service, virus and power protection and
present options to you. As you know this industry moves very fast, it’s
not possible to keep the most current technology all the time. It’s
even not reasonable to have the most current operating systems and
programs when they first come out, we understand this, we do our best to
test everything to see how it works together. While problems are almost
always going to exist if you constantly upgrade, DDS will help make sure
things work, or we can put them back the way they used to be when they
did. DDS is like having your own I.T. department. |
| If my equipment breaks down, how quickly can my office expect to
be up and running? |
| Each piece of equipment needs to be evaluated individually. While we
can sometimes perform miracles, we can’t guarantee when you will be
up. We don’t have loaner equipment. We will optionally help you create
a disaster recovery plan. This helps you be prepared with a plan for
what will happen if my only laser printer goes down and it’s going to
take a week to get the part. |
| How can I protect my office from being down? |
| The most dreaded problem is loosing the hard drive on your server
that contains all your data. It’s always critical to be sure your
backups are current and working. Many have heard the nightmares of
someone not having backups. We strongly recommend “Disk Mirroring”.
This sets up 2 hard disks in the server one automatically backing up the
other while it runs. If one fails, the other just keeps going. The
system will beep until the bad disk is replaced, then it automatically
restores the new drive “while you are working”. You are down no more
than the time it takes to reboot your system, compared to hours or days
of time to restore your drive from disks and tapes. |
Copyright Digital Dental Services 408.431.0612 www.digidental.net
in association with http://www.smilesaversdental.com
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