Plea to keep the calendar sync option for $69 plan
Hello Simple Practice
I am writing this post to plead to keep the calendar sync option for $69 plan. I am a solo practitioner and have other obligations that I share my online calendar with my family. It is vital for me to have the simple practice calendar input go to my main calendar.
I do not mind paying $5-$10 to add this function to my $69 plan if it is necessary for your business. I understand these services and functions are not privileges and are not free.
The simple practice has helped me make solo practice possible. Client portal and ext/email reminders are all so easy for my clients to use and made therapy more accessible for the clients.
Please reconsider $69 plan to include the calendar sync function or to make the calendar sync function an add-on option.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration.
Keiko Yoneyama-Sims.
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I agree that the calendar sync option shouldn't be part of the $99 a month plan. I've been paying $39 a month for both calendar sync and client appointment reminders, both functions are vital for my use of SimplePractice as my EHR. Increasing the cost of my plan by $60 per month just to keep the functionality I already have seems a bit extreme. I know the pandemic has been hard on all of us, but more than doubling the cost of basic functionality seems over the top.
I would like to second Keiko's request to have the calendar functionality (and I'd also add the appointment reminder functionality) be separated out or available as an add-on to the Basic plan. I'd be happy to pay $49 a month just to keep those 2 functions. I don't need any of the other stuff in the higher plans. Please consider making those 2 things add-ons!
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Absolutely agree! I've been an original customer for almost 10 years, since 2013. It's sad that SP has been closing comments for those of us who are voicing our concerns, needs, and offering solutions. I really hope they re-think their plan, as upsetting a large group of customers isn't good business for anyone.
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It's outrageous that it's not included!
I'm not thrilled the rates for subscription went up, first with forcing me on a month-to-month rather than yearly payment and then with this increase coming in March, but I can live with it. What I am really upset about is the "Essential" plan (the equivalent of what I have had now for years), which would still be an increase in cost, doesn't include the Calendar Sync function anymore. This is what really has my feathers ruffled! I cannot reason spending $100 a month for the "Plus" plan just to get the Calendar Sync that I have had for years but for $40 less.
Personally, I don't want the telehealth option b/c I use Zoom and I don't take insurance so none of those features included are useful to me. The one I want, that I have had all this time, is being removed AND I'm being charged more despite losing this feature. What's up with that?
It's really not cool, SimplePractice. Super not cool. You should definitely reconsider this.
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Wait what!? This is on the $99/mo plan? That's crazy!
I was upset about having to pay an extra $500/yr just for reminders but now to get a simple calendar sync is going to cost so much more. This is nuts!
SP I urge you to reconsider your pricing plan. This is NOT simplifying things for your customers. Very against the principles that brought us here. We're good with price increases but they should make sense. This is ludicrous. I don't need 80% of the features I'm being forced to pay for.
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Sarah,
I couldn't agree more with your sentiments. It seems that they are trying to get folks to upgrade into plans that include their teletherapy option in the hopes that we'll dump zoom. I completely get that as a business decision but it neglects that we as therapists try to create stability for our clients. Consistency is deeply important to the therapeutic frame. Jumping around changing stuff because it'll save us a few bucks isn't what therapists do. It seems someone has made a huge error here on the business development side. I'm frankly shocked and alarmed as SP was founded by clinicians for clinicians. I've been a loyal customer for 7 years now because they have been so Rock solid. This is very fishy. -
As of about 10 minutes ago, I confirmed Simple Practice mgmt INTENDS that only $99/mo customers will be able to use Calendar Sync. There are lots of the same kinds of comments about this deterioration of service for which we may pay $10/mo more. People are talking about being loyal customers enjoying the service being forced to begin to compare w/other services. Some are already done w/SP b/c of this. It appears SP is losing customers to this choice to make calendar sync a Plus-only feature. Maybe SP is holding out on this issue b/c its metrics indicate otherwise. If so, my guess is that's just delayed attrition b/c people want their ducks in a row before they pull the plug on their EHR. We've got to research alternatives and prepare for a frustrating & time-consuming transition. SP, what are you doing?
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I only see 5 clients a week. I was on the $69 plan for the telehealth. When they gave me the option to pay $30 more to keep the calendar sync, I decided I could start putting in my appointments on my phone by hand, so I chose to stay with the $69 version. Immediately all of my past appointments were deleted from my phone and tablet, going back to May of 2021! I assumed the past appointments would stay. I started to put them in again by hand, but gave up and decided to pay them the extra $30 a month. It did not restore my past appointments! This is a very poor way to treat loyal customers, Simple Practice!
UPDATE: After I caved and gave SP my extra money (and they immediately took $25) I still do not have my calendar appointments returned to my sync calendar. So I paid them yesterday, and they still have not returned my sync appointments, although it took them no time at all to take them away when I wasn't going to pay. This feels like a scam, and until now I had never thought of SP in this way. But this is wrong, just so wrong!
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While I've posted on this once already, I'm adding another voice to the chorus of frustration over this pricing change for calendar sync. Sure, I can manually input the information, but I have enough to do. I am now starting a free trial with a competitor EHR because of the lack of response from SP, and the apparent lack of customer care. I suspect SP is counting on its customer base to find the task of switching systems to be onerous enough to just pay for the increase. But seeing as how I can save about $600 per year with the other system, yeah - that's worth the hassle.
Just to be clear - I would gladly stay with SP if calendar sync was included in the middle tier. I'm disappointed because I found SP to work well, and the $65 I paid per month felt fair. As it stands now, I'm moving on.
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Christopher I think you're right about them hoping that we just give up given the difficulty of switching. I think what they underestimate is that once folks switch, they will not be switching back because of that same onerous load. They are burning loyal customers forever. HUGE business mistake.
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I came to the community board for this topic exactly. I don't understand why Claendar sync and my appointment requests should be an additional $30/month. Those are the only features missing that I need. Everything else on the $99 plan does not apply to my practice - I don't do insurance, I don't have billers, I make my own treatment plans, etc. It would make sense to pay $5-$10 more *maybe* (I still don't see why these two features would not be included in the $69 plan), but $30 for that? Like others, I too have been looking at other EHRs that offer these features. I also agree that the switch will be difficult, but worth it in the long run financially.
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YES. Please look for the petition against SPhttps://chng.it/bggyCL7Psb
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1000% agree! I just signed the petition: https://www.change.org/p/open-letter-to-of-simple-practice/psf/promote_or_share
I also just started a free trial for a competitor EMR system, because as a sole proprietor it is absolutely ridiculous and bordering on selfish and immoral of Simple Practice to require us to pay almost $100 a month just for calendar syncing. Almost every other EMR system that I have looked into charges much less for similar features including calendar syncing. Specifically, I am looking into Therapy Notes...
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I was floored to see that the ONLY option with calendar sync is the $99 plan. I don't need anything else and it seems ridiculous to pay an additional $30-$60 a month for a basic function provided in other EHRs for much less. I am won't be staying with simple practice and am actively looking for another EHR. It feels ethically and morally gross and I'm very disappointed.
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This is unconscionable. As soon as I selected the $69 option for the future, they immediately and retroactively removed all of my calendar syncs going back to May 2021, even though at that time it was an option I paid for. I am sorry to say I knuckled under and gave them their money so I could get my past appointments back on my other calendars, and while they took my money immediately on 2/2/2022, they have not returned my past appointments to syncing, nor are they syncing my new appointments I have booked since then, nor have they replied to my messages about this. I cannot do business with a company that treats their customers in this way, and have started the process to move to TherapyNotes. Very poorly done, Simple Practice! For shame!
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I sent a complaint to admin, and part of their response was recommending that I add my feedback to the Customer Feedback page. You can "vote" on my feedback so it may be taken more seriously.
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If you're interested in the entire response I got from them....
"Thank you so much for your patience. My name is William, and I can certainly clarify any questions you have related to our recent pricing change announcement.
First, I understand where you’re coming from and I want to thank you for this valuable and candid feedback about our new plans as our customer.
I can clarify that the new Starter and Essential plans won’t include our Calendar Sync features. However, you’ll still be able to view and edit your SimplePractice calendar from both the web and mobile apps on any of the new subscription plans. To be transparent, at this time, it will not be possible to grandfather old plans or alter subscription packages based on individual features other than the add-on options you’ll see on the Pricing page. However, our team is currently tracking our customers feedback internally. Additionally, I would encourage you to add your valuable feedback here: Customer Feedback.
Changing our subscription plans wasn't a decision we took lightly. We made the thoughtful choice to better reflect the value created by all the innovative features we've developed.
Please let me know if you have any additional questions, and I’ll be glad to assist you." -
I, too, sent in a complaint and posted a request in the Customer Feedback page to have calendar sync set up as an option for lower and middle tier plans. Please clink the link below and vote so that the company can hear how significant this change is for us:
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You should do your research on SP. They are big business now. Bought out not too long ago. The days of simple practice being lovely and simple- small business are gone. It doesn't hurt to try but I see the writing on the wall. As much as I actually ❤️ SP and what it offers, this absolutely prices me out and it's not worth the stress and compromise of what I have to give up each month to a company that doesn't care about it's clients.
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