| A Nice Side Benefit of IIAS: Easier Giving |
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QS/1 user Richard Stryker, of Bayshore Pharmacy in Atlantic Highlands, N.J., anticipates that his IIAS-compliant POS system is going to help his customers help others. Here's how he tells this story. "The first time we heard about flex accounts [FSAs] was December of 2007. A customer asked if she could use the $400 left on her account to purchase children's medicine and donate it to a local organization. I contacted the food bank in town and they gave me a list of the items they usually carry - cough medicine, first aid supplies, antihistamines, etc. We were touched by our customer's thoughtfulness, so we discounted the items so the food bank would be able to receive even more supplies. The customer wanted to remain anonymous, so we dropped them off on her behalf. At that time, our angel of mercy had to receive itemized receipts and fill out the forms necessary for reimbursement. It was a valiant idea that became an arduous task for her. Beginning this year, however, the hassles involved have been eliminated. We have had no problems with our flex card processing. Adoption has been smooth. We began promoting our IIAS capabilities in December and continued through the New Year by using our phone system to notify callers that we are accepting flex cards, by placing signage at the POS and in the store windows, and by printing notices on our receipts. There has not been a single issue yet. So, the next time we have a customer who wants to use a flex account to benefit the community, it is going to be very simple because we now have the ability to process the claims efficiently." Richard Stryker, Bayshore Pharmacy |