Engage Calendar Update

October 27, 2021

The goal of technology is to make life easier for the people using it. The process of requesting a mentor and scheduling a session currently offers some friction for clients on the front end and volunteers on the back end. In the past, SCORE offered a calendar to simplify this process and help clients schedule an appointment with a mentor at the same time they submitted a mentoring request. This is aligned with other appointment-based services in other industries.

We originally tried the JRNI scheduling system in Engage, but it was retired in February 2022. Based on feedback from volunteers, this year we will test the viability (and necessity) of a calendar system through a pilot of 3 calendar options to determine which is the best fit for the organization.

The calendar will be optional for any chapters or mentors that are interested in using it.

The 3 options available to chapters in FY23 are:

DaySmart
Calendly
Google Calendar

We’ve developed resources to help you learn more about each option to determine which will be best for your chapter. You can find them on the Support Center.

These resources include a:

Decision matrix comparing the features of the 3 calendars
Video overview of the front-end and back-end experience for each option
PowerPoint presentation that you can use in a chapter meeting to present these options to your volunteers
Selection of training materials on how to use each calendar

We ask that you select one calendar for your chapter/volunteers and share your choice with us through this request form. Please submit your calendar selection before November 30, 2022.

How It Works:

Once you’ve selected your preferred calendar, we’ll set up your account(s) and give you access. (Except for Google Calendar; we’ve provided resources on the Support Center to help you set up and manage your own account.)
The chapter CIC and participating mentors will add their calendar links to their Engage profile.
The mentoring request form for the chapter and/or mentors will display a message that says, “Online scheduling is available at your convenience: Yes, I would like to schedule an appointment now. No, please have a mentor contact me.”
If the client selects no, the request is sent to the CIC or mentor (based on the mentoring request).
If the client selects yes, and after the mentoring request form has been submitted, they will be taken to the scheduling page where they can set their appointment.

As a reminder, the calendar is completely optional for all chapters and mentors. After reviewing the materials, if you have questions about this process, please contact engage@score.org.

Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.