❖ Heads up! This article is only intended for Agency Managers.
The Check-in Kiosk is a great tool that allows volunteers to sign up and check in for volunteer Needs on-site! Goodbye paper sign-in sheets and clipboards! Hello simple, digital sign-in and out! However, sometimes, the volunteer Need they're looking for isn't displayed in the kiosk! Here, we cover some frequently asked questions about the Check-in Kiosk, including why those Needs might not be showing up for your volunteers.
FAQ about the Check-in Kiosk
Here are the most commonly asked questions and answers about the Check-in Kiosk to help you troubleshoot:
Q. Why is the volunteer Need missing?
There are a few reasons why a volunteer Need doesn't appear to the volunteer in the kiosk. To determine the reason, check the following:
1. Is the Need expired?
If the Need's expiration date or shift date has passed it won't appear in the kiosk.
Volunteers can still log hours on their profiles.
2. Does the Need occur within the next week?
A Need must be scheduled for within the next seven days to appear in the kiosk.
3. Which Agency launched the Check-in Kiosk?
If you don't have the setting Show needs from all Agencies enabled on your site, then the Need may belong to a different Agency than the one the kiosk was launched from. Contact your Site Manager to discuss enabling this feature.
4. Is this a private Need?
Private Needs won't appear in the Check-in Kiosk unless it's assigned to a user group.
User group members can sign up for the private Need in the kiosk.
5. Is there a required qualification for the Need?
If the Need has a required qualification assigned to it and the volunteer hasn't submitted or qualified for it yet, then they must complete it before they can check in on the kiosk.
A volunteer can sign a waiver at the kiosk, but they must complete qualifications directly on the site.
6. Is the Need full?
If the Need has met its capacity limit, then it won't appear in the kiosk.
Volunteers who signed up for it can still check in.
7. Does the Need have hours associated with it?
While the Hours field is a required step in creating a Need, you and the Site Managers have the option to enter '0' in that field.
If '0' is entered in this field, then the Need won't appear in the Check-in Kiosk.
You, or the Site Manager, can update the Need and associate hours with it as necessary.
8. Did the volunteer respond to the Need?
If the volunteer hasn't already responded to the Need before logging into the Check-in Kiosk, then it won't appear on the main page.
They can click View Other Needs to see if it's listed there and respond to it.
Some Needs do not have shifts.
These include Needs with duration types of Is Ongoing, Happens on, or Multi-date.
These Needs have unlimited capacity and volunteer spots available.
Q. How do I launch the Check-in Kiosk?
Before you launch the kiosk, be sure to set up a tablet, laptop, or other device in a location that's easy to access and manage for you and your volunteers. Make sure the following steps are performed on the device you want volunteers checking into.
1. Go to your Agency Manager dashboard.
If you manage more than one Agency, make sure you select the Agency you wish to launch the kiosk.
2. Click Chekc-In.
3. Select Check-in Kiosk.
You are now signed out of the site and the Check-in Kiosk is ready for volunteers to start checking in!
Q. How do volunteers check in with the kiosk?
Volunteers with an account
If a volunteer has an account already, then they can sign in and start checking in. Here are the steps they need to follow.
1. Have the volunteer click I Have An Account.
2. Have them select how they want to search for their account—e.g., phone number, email address, or name and click Submit.
3. They can review and confirm their account and click This Is Me! when ready to check in.
4. Their upcoming shifts appear in the table—they click Check In for the shift they're checking in for.
5. If they responded to the Need on their own, they click Check In Alone.
If they respond to the Need as a Team, they will need to click Check In With My Team.
Please note that these options are only presented if the volunteer responds to the Need as a team.
6. Now they can review their Need and Shift information, answer any required fields, and click Check In.
7. They must click Done to finish!
The Check-In Kiosk returns to the start so the next volunteer can check in.
Volunteers without an account
If a volunteer doesn't already have an account, then they can make one when they go to check in with the kiosk. Here are the steps they need to take:
1. Have the volunteer click Create An Account.
2. They fill out the Create An Account form and click Create Your Account when ready.
3. Next, they select View Details for the Need they want to check in for.
4. When ready, they click Check In.
5. Have them fill out the form and click Check In when done.
6. Now they can review information about the Need check-in time and click Done to finish!
There may be additional steps the volunteers must take at the kiosk when trying to create an account and check in for a Need. For example, they may have to complete a qualification. Volunteers can sign waivers at the kiosk, but they must go onto the site to complete qualifications.
Q. What if the volunteer can't find their account?
If the volunteer can't find their account, double-check that the information they entered is correct. You can recommend that they log into their accounts on another device—not the one with the Check-in Kiosk launched—to verify that they've completed their profiles and that their information matches.
Their mobile number is the number the kiosk recognizes.
Q. What if the volunteer forgets to check out?
The system automatically checks the volunteer out at midnight the night the Need occurred.
The system applies default hours for that Need.
Q. Why aren't Needs from other Agencies showing?
The Show needs from all agencies may not be enabled on the site. Only Site Managers can make edits to the main site settings. Please contact your Site Manager to discuss enabling this feature.
Q. What if the volunteer hasn't responded to the Need?
If the volunteer hasn't already responded to the Need before logging into the Check-in Kiosk, then it won't appear on the main page.
They can click View Other Needs to see if the Need is listed there and respond to it.
Q. Can volunteers submit qualifications at the kiosk?
Volunteers can sign waivers at the kiosk but they can't submit qualifications through the kiosk. They must submit them directly through the site. Some qualifications may require manual approval, depending on how the Site Manager sets up their site's approval settings.
Q. How do teams check in at the kiosk?
There is an option to check in as a team at the kiosk. They just need to select that option when checking in.
Q. What if the site I'm at has limited internet access?
The kiosk needs internet to launch and function correctly. However, there are a few things you can do if internet isn't available:
See if anyone has a hotspot available, or ask your Site Manager if a hotspot can be purchased for situations that require one.
You may want to consider using a sign-in sheet so that those hours can be added later.
You might ask the volunteers to self-check in through the site on their phones if the self-check-in notification is enabled.