<<-----------------------------------------------------------
originally Posted by: Michael H Vandenberg on 8/27/2025 at 12:55 PM
Congratulations to Channing House (CH) with their long running successful resident Help Desk. Answers to Michael's questions:
> recruiting willing and able resident volunteers.
Fortunately CH is in the heart of Silicon Valley so we get many tech-savvy female & male residents. I read the biography of new residents and approach them several times after they have been residents for at least 3 months.
>Does the administration provide the internal phone extension?
We have an internal phone extension and a corporate email address. The phone only takes messages.
> Who and how are the phone extension and email in-box monitored?
Both the phone and emails are forwarded as email to tech help dispatchers: a primary (me) and an alternate who makes sure the primary reacts to all contacts. Our stated expectation is to respond to a request within 24 hours as we are all volunteer residents.
>How are help messages assigned to appropriate tech volunteers?
I created a dispatch google sheet, sample shown here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kfPV0VOPE4sIQd2_H82x8Tf6xURmE8kgMd7f44AA9Y4/edit?usp=sharing
I list individual tech skills (Mac, PC, iPhone, TV, etc.) and how long since the last dispatch. Our rule is to dispatch individuals only once every 5+ days. Techs are free to reject any dispatch. We also do only fixes, no training. For training and problems outside our volunteer skill set we refer to outside vendors and YouTubes. Apple phone support and genius bar are really good. Unfortunately residents learn tech names and call them directly. This is a problem we've discussed in our tech meetings to prevent being a personal tech help and jumping the queue.
>Are there criteria for respective volunteers to become tech help team members?
Mainly interest, tech skills, a desire to meet their neighbors, and gentle, sustained asking by me.
>What are your major contributing factors [to success]....?
A dozen willing, skilled residents that volunteer for tech duty. Not over dispatching any given tech - keep techs happy. Most tech calls are significanly less than an hour. Firm with residents about the tech mission and timing - 24 hour contact, fix not train. A dispatch process that sorts calls solving some simple ones with a phone call (power cycle the device) and making sure really "hot" calls get attention. We fill that gap between personal skills and the hassle of finding external professionals to fix a problem for $.
On another subject, CH has had two GoogleGroup email distribution systems for over a decade available only to residents: one for announcements and general interest (no sex, religion, politics, etc.) and a second open to (almost) all subjects. The emails are watched for good behavior. There are also multiple special purpose email groups for various committees and interest groups.
CH also has a resident Audio/Visual team that supports all resident events in our Auditorium and other venues with microphones/speakers, cameras, projectors, lighting, staging, recording, hearing loop, Zoom meetings, screen sharing, etc.
Bert Laurence, Tech Help Dispatch, Channing House
for Mike Vandenberg Resident Communications Facilitator Kirkland Village (Presbyterian Senior Living)