Frequently Asked Questions: First Class Software
Is your software cloud-based?
Yes, First Class is hosted in the cloud. To access the platform you simply need an internet connection and a web browser.
Is First Class accessible from any device?
Yes, First Class can be accessed from any device including smartphones, tablets, and computers. The system has been optimised for viewing on these devices.
Does your software support multiple locations?
Yes, First Class supports multiple locations. Multiple locations can be set up within one instance/account, or you may wish to have a separate database for each location. Our account managers can guide you on the best arrangement for your specific needs.
Can I customize First Class software to suit my businesses needs?
Yes, First Class is highly configurable. The system has over 50 settings that can be configured to your unique needs including levels, skills, certificates, and communication templates.
Can I track student progress and attendance using the software?
Yes, First Class has a class attendance tracking feature. Staff can tick off attendance via the class view or scheduling view. Parents can also use the self-check-in feature and the customer portal to check their child in for a lesson.
How do I request a demo?
To schedule a demo with a First Class expert, please visit our demo request page – here.
Features and Functionality
Is there a mobile app available for the software?
Yes, our parent or customer portal has an app version that makes access more convenient for parents. There is no app for the system back end as access is managed through the web browser.
Can the software handle class scheduling and registrations?
Yes, First Class’s core functionality includes a powerful scheduling feature that handles everything from term-based bookings to make-up lessons.
What features are included in your software?
For a full list of features go to www.firstclassretention.com
Select your business type to find functionality specifically to your industry.
Can I send automated notifications to parents and students?
First Class has a range of automated communication triggers including triggers for onboarding, overdue payments, missed classes, and new bookings.
Does the software offer automated billing and payment processing?
Yes, First Class offers a range of billing options through third-party payment processes. Payment options include one-time credit/debit card payments and recurring direct debits. Speak to one of our account managers to understand the best billing options for your class business.
Can the software generate reports and analytics?
Yes, First Class has a range of powerful reports and analytics that are designed to give you the right information about your performance. Common reports include attendance reports, financial reports, occupancy, progression, and many more.
First Class’s dashboards give you snapshots of key performance metrics including the current number of active students, cancellations, new students, and attrition.
Does the software integrate with other popular management tools?
We have a range of integrations with other complimentary tools from accounting systems to access control.
For a full list of integrations please see our partner/integrations page here:
Can the software generate reports and analytics?
Yes, First Class has a range of powerful reports and analytics that are designed to give you the right information about your performance. Common reports include attendance reports, financial reports, occupancy, progression, and many more.
First Class’s dashboards give you snapshots of key performance metrics including the current number of active students, cancellations, new students, and attrition.
Support and Implementation
Can parents and students access their accounts and update information?
Yes, via the customer portal parents can log into to see their childs progress, update their contact information, view/pay invoices, notify an absence and book make up lessons.
Support: support@memberretentionsystems.com
What kind of customer support do you offer?
We offer email, phone, and live chat support during business hours.
Our support ticketing system allows us to track any support requests and respond in a timely manner. Our service agreement stipulates response time standards that we uphold to ensure you receive a high level of support and assistance when needed.
Is there a dedicated support team available for urgent issues?
What are your customer support hours?
First Class supports users in 9 countries. We have support staff available to assist you quickly at any time during business hours, wherever you are based.
Can I request new features or enhancements for the software?
Yes, our product development roadmap is customer driven. You can request new features and enhancements via our support email – support@memberretentionsystems.com or via our online forum.
Do you provide training or documentation for using the software?
We have an extensive knowledge base that includes articles and videos on how to use First Class. We offer training packages that can help fast-track your system knowledge and improve your implementation of the system.
What is your average response time for support inquiries?
Our response times are outlined in our service agreement. For a draft copy please contact us.
Can I use First Class in a language other than English?
Yes. We support most languages via google translate.
Security and Privacy
Where is the data stored and is it accessible internationally?
Your data is generally stored locally, based on your country. For example, if you’re in Australia, data is housed in our Sydney-based AWS data center.
How secure is your software?
Being a cloud-based platform, we have carefully selected our hosting provider to ensure our system data security is at the highest possible level. We use a range of procedural and physical security measures to ensure your data is kept secure.
- “First Class uses robust data encryption and industry-standard protocols.
- “Regular backups occur every two hours with a disaster recovery process in place.
- “Comprehensive audit logs track all key actions within the system.
You can view our privacy policy here: https://www.firstclassretention.com/privacy
Do you use encryption to protect sensitive data?
Yes, First Class uses data encryption to keep sensitive information safe.
Is my centres data backed up regularly?
Yes, your data will be backed up every two hours. We have well-defined disaster recovery processes in place.
Are there audit logs to track user activity within the software?
Yes, we have extensive audit tracking on all key system actions.
What kind of authentication and access controls are implemented?
First Class has MFA (Multi factor authentication) functionality for increased security.
You can control user access by the settings in our user type functinoality
Can I export my centres data from the software?
Yes, you can export customer lists and other data. You can also request a full backup of your data from our support team.
Integration and Migration:
How long do you retain customer data?
Typically 7 years. We will not purge any of your data without request.
How seamless is the integration process with other systems?
Most integrations use an API as an API to connect the systems. Modern API’s make integrations extremely smooth and instantaneous.
Can I migrate my existing data to your software?
Yes, our team are experts in migrating data from other systems into First Class. We also have a importer tool which makes importing data yourself easy.
What data do you typically migrate?
- Active students with their classes
- Recent inactive students, eg. last 12 months
- Make up lesson tokens
- Available credits
- Customer account balances
- Notes
Integrations
Can I import and export data in various formats?
Yes, almost all over our reports have an export to excel integration. We also have an importer tool to import bulk data.
Does the software integrate with popular accounting software?
Yes, we have an integration with the popular accounting software Xero.
Is there an API available for custom integrations?
Yes, we have an API which is available for custom integrations. For example, you may wish to integrate with a more general CRM like Salesforce or if you are a school a school management platform.
Pricing and Billing:
Can I integrate the software with our website?
Yes, you can integrate links to the customer/parent portal with your website. Please speak to your account manager about the best way to do this for your business.
Subscription packages
Why are First Class’s subscription fees typically higher?
First Class provides tools that can help you with significant admin time as well as improve customer retention rates. Improvement in these areas will provide you with a much higher return on your investment. Our clients are making a blue chip investment that will give them the best long-term return.
How is the subscription fee calculated?
Subscription fees are calculated based on active student numbers
We also have different packages which impact cost such as our premium subscription which includes a branded app.
How much does your software cost?
First Class pricing is based on the number of active students enrolled in your business. If you are a small business with low student enrollment numbers you will pay less than a business with a large number of students.
Pricing will also depend on the functionality needs of your business. You may wish to opt for our modules that you do not need.
Typically we provide a pricing proposal after an initial walk-through and needs discussion so we can recommend the best package for you.
If price is your most important buying criteria we suggest you look at alternatives to First Class as our subscription fees are typically 15-20% higher than the market average.
Are there any additional fees or hidden costs?
Yes, additional or hidden fees are outlined below
SMS: Approximately 9 c per SMS. This is billed based on use only. You may choose not to use the SMS feature however we highly recommend this feature for urgent communications such as canceled lessons.
Transaction fees: Our payment processing providers have transaction fees on each payment. This can vary depending on the type of transaction however for credit cards a rate of 1.7% is common. These fees can be passed onto the customer or you can opt to absorb them if you prefer.
*It is important to remember that there is a convenience factor for customers who wish to pay via credit or debit card.
Do you offer a free trial or a demo of the software?
We can provide a 30-day free trial however you must complete a trial registration form and attend a trial onboarding call.
If you would like to book a trial onboarding call please complete the following form.
What payment options are available for the software subscription?
We offer monthly direct debit billing OR annual/bi annual upfront plans.
Is the platform available in my country?
Most likely – We support most countries including United states, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand.
Is there a cost for emails?
No, you can send an unlimited number of emails for FREE.
Need more answers? Reach out to our team for further information at info@memberretentionsystems.com