Problem

For over a decade, Ashley Moore, the Senior Property Manager at Mini Storage Depot in Merrillville, Indiana, has navigated the complex world of legal notices. State law requires that Moore submit legal ads to the local newspaper ten days before the date of their auctions.

“We have an auction every month,” said Moore, “so it’s a regular part of the work I do.” The local newspaper in the area is the Northwest Indiana Times, and Moore has had an excellent and enduring relationship for years. “The newspaper has always been very efficient and very good at catching errors,” said Moore.

That’s why Moore described herself as “apprehensive” when, earlier this year, the newspaper announced that they were embracing a new digital solution for managing the legal notice process: Column. “I was worried about losing the personal touch from the newspaper,” said Moore candidly.

Solution

However, once the transition happened, Moore was pleasantly surprised. “As soon as I was working with the software, I understood right away why Northwest Indiana Times made the switch. I didn’t know what would be involved with placing our legal ads self-serve, but with Column it’s just not a hard task at all. Everything is very streamlined and efficient.”

Moore also highlighted the helpfulness of Column’s onboarding process. “Sometimes people switch platforms and it’s just a headache — there are too many buttons, too many options. But that’s just not the case here with Column,” said Moore. “Right away, I received support from Column through helpful emails and instructional videos, which guided me through how to get started. It took me no time at all to set up an account and log into the self-serve portal. Now when I need to post the ad, I always do it myself. It takes five minutes and I’m done.”

She also emphasized the extraordinary value of Column support. “I love Column support. During the transitional time, they answered my questions quickly. They understood the urgency associated with this process, and were very thorough.”

Impact: 3 Key Features

1. Under 5 Minutes to Place. “The self-serve portal is a game-changer. It’s incredibly quick and straightforward – I can post an ad in just five minutes,” she said. “Once it’s done, it’s done.” The text editor allows for both easy file upload and copy & paste, so Moore doesn’t need to adjust anything about the way she normally types out her ads. With Column though, she gets a price estimate right away and has full control over making edits. “Column gives you multiple chances to go in and make changes if you need to,” she explained.

2. Fast Affidavits. Moore also highlighted Column’s efficient handling of affidavits as particularly noteworthy. “I need affidavits for our auction files, and Column sends them promptly via email. This is crucial for our compliance requirements,” she remarked. Automated affidavits are one of Column’s most popular features, for both newspapers and clients. Affidavits are stored in perpetuity in your Column account, and can be received quickly, at anytime, by logging in. “Column sends me an email with the affidavit and I’m able to print it off and put it in our files.”

3. Automatic Emails Ensure Accuracy. “Column has simplified the process of legal ads without sacrificing accuracy and compliance, which is very important in our line of work,” said Moore. “And you still get an automatic email asking you to proofread it one more time before you push it through. This provides that extra layer of assurance.”

Summing up her experience with Column, Moore said, “It’s valuable, time-saving technology for everyone who interacts with it. Not just us at the storage facility, but also the newspaper staff.”

In an industry where efficiency, accuracy, and compliance are paramount, Ashley Moore’s experience with Column emphasizes the importance of newspapers embracing customer-centric, online solutions. Column empowers people like Moore to easily navigate legal notice requirements, enhancing operational efficiency and driving business success for newspapers and their clients.

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