Automatic SMS/text message reminders help reduce no shows and keep volunteers who are scheduled at the same service in contact with each other. By allowing each volunteer to specify whether or not they wish to receive these reminders (and not sending them to anyone you're not sure about), you can tap into the benefits of this new reminder technology starting with just the people that want it most.
- Start in the Web Terminal pane inside of MSP, and click on the "Web Terminal settings..." button at the top of the Home tab.
- In the new dialog box that opens up, click on the Auto Reminders tab.
- Make sure to check the box to send automatic text reminders to your volunteers. If this is the first time you've checked the box, you'll be lead through the steps of opening your SMS account.
- Check the box that says "Don't send automatic text message reminders to these volunteers…". A list of all of your volunteers will appear.
- Use the Shift key to select all of your volunteers, then click OK. This will essentially have turned on auto reminders, but excluded everyone. This way volunteers will be able to sign up to receive them.
- In the same "Web Terminal Settings" dialog, click on the Profile Changes section on the left, and then click on the "General info" subsection.
- In this section, check the box that says, "Allow volunteers to view and request changes to their automatic SMS reminder settings." Click OK in this dialog box.
- Click the "Commit Changes" button. You can click the "Login as…" button to log in as a volunteer and click on the My Profile tab to see the new options regarding SMS/text message reminders.
Your volunteers will receive a text message reminder with their position and service time, as shown in the example below.
NOTE: You can send an email to all of your volunteers using MSP's Announcements to let them know of this new option is available to them.