Volunteer Policies and Procedures

Call Center

Call Center

Call Center User's Guide

Description

The Call Center is a web-based system allowing agencies, clients, donors, etc., to communicate with Fresh Start via a web browser, email, or phone. This guide describes how these contacts should be handled. It is strongly suggested that you play the part of an end-user and utilize these systems to understand what the end-user would experience. There is a separate guide that describes how to handle donors.

Volunteers are assigned to various Call Center groups, depending on what work they want to do. For example, we have an Agency group, which handles questions on how agencies utilize our systems. We also groups for Clients, the Director, Donations, President, Volunteers, Web Master, etc.

The basic unit of work is a ticket, which contains the correspondence between a user and Fresh Start. Anyone in a group can access a ticket and take action on it. That way, if someone can't handle their tickets, anyone can pick them up.

Contact Methods

Tickets are created when an end-user contacts Fresh Start. There are three ways that tickets are created: Email, website, or via our phone system.

Once a ticket has been created and assigned to a group, anyone in that group can use the Call Center system to email the end-user. All correspondence to/from the end-user is copied to the ticket. An end-user can only have one ticket open per group.

Workflow

The basic workflow is as follows:

  1. An end-user uses the website form to submit a question, sends an email to the info-account, or calls our main number and leaves a message

  2. As a Call Center member, you will have a Call Center button in your list of apps when you log in. Multiple groups use the Call Center, and depending upon what groups you're in, you will see a display something like the following: 

    This displays the number of phone calls that are open, messages needing some action, and the total number of open tickets in that group.

    main_menu.JPG

  3. Click on a green button with the name of the group that you want to access.
  4. If you were to click on the green Volunteer button, you would see a list of open tickets, as shown below:

    tickets_menu_non_donor.JPG
  5. This shows the ticket number, the ticket status, when it was created and last updated, the ticket owner's initials, the end-user's name, and a title that should describe what the ticket is about.

    The Sts (status) field provides a visual status of the ticket:
    1. A yellow phone indicates that we need to contact the end-user.
    2. A green phone means we're waiting to hear from the end-user.
    3. An hourglass icon that implies that you're waiting for some event to occur in the future. 

  6. To view a ticket, click on the ticket number. You will then see a ticket similar to the following:

    ticket_non_donor.JPG

    This shows the group that the ticket belongs to, the ticket owner, the next action for the ticket, the end-user's name, and contact info. 

    There are a series of buttons which:

      1. Sends an email to the owner of the ticket.

      2. Sends an email to the end-user.

      3. Displays the history showing who has done what with the ticket

  7. Below that is the correspondence with the end-user and/or notes that have been created. Finally, there is a button to add a new note.

    If any photos have been received, they will be displayed under the notes. If you place the cursor over a photo, a magnified view will appear to the right, showing photo details.

The way that I (Geoff) like to handle tickets is to:

Feel free to use any system that works for you

Replying to an Email

  1. Pressing the "Reply to email" button causes a new web page to appear:

    reply_to_email_non_donor.JPG

    The end-user's email address is filled in, and there are a series of canned responses that you can utilize. Each group (i.e. Donations, Clients, Agencies, etc) has its own set of canned responses. The titles of the canned responses should give you an idea as to what they're about. Select one that best matches the question, or write your own.
  2. You can edit the canned responses. In some cases, there are fields that need to be replaced. For example, in the above canned response, you would need to replace “[Enter dates]” with the dates that we run new-volunteer tours/training. Be careful not to corrupt the HTML (the stuff between the <>).
  3. Pressing the "Email View" button displays what the email will look like to the end-user. Press again to switch back to edit mode.
  4. When you're all set, press the "Send" button. Then press the "Return to Tickets" button. The "Status" icon will change to a green phone.
  5. You will then see a list of tickets. Lather-rinse-repeat for any other tickets that need responses.

Open Tickets Page Details

This section provides details on all of the various buttons and fields on the Open Tickets page:

Ticket Page Details

This section provides details on all of the various buttons and fields on the Open Tickets page:

Photos

Photos are typically only associated with the Donations group, but an end-user may want to send photos for other reasons.  Photos appear at the bottom of the ticket. If you're using a PC, you can place the cursor over a section of the image, and a magnified view of the image will appear to the right. If you're on a device that doesn't have a mouse/trackpad, you can click on the filename above the image. This will open up a separate browser window just containing the image.

There are 2 ways that photos can be sent:

Once you close a ticket, the photos are deleted. As a result, you probably want to make sure that you're completely finished with the ticket before closing it.

Update User Setting

On the main page of the Call Center, you will see a link for "Press here to update your account information." When you click on this link, you will see the normal settings to update your account information, plus the following:

call_center_settings.JPG

Enter the initials that you want to display on tickets that you own on the Open Tickets page.

The "Send group email notifications on" section only applies to the Donations group.  Check any days that you want to receive emails regarding new tickets. You will always receive email, regardless of what's checked above, when an end-user updates a ticket that you own.

Press Submit when you're done.

Call Center

Call Center User's Guide for the Donations Group

Description

The Fresh Start Furniture Bank Call Center group is responsible for handling web-based queries and e-mail from donors wishing to donate items to Fresh Start Furniture Bank. This guide describes how these contacts should be handled. It is strongly suggested that you play the part of a donor and utilize these systems to understand what the donor would experience.

Workflow

The basic workflow is as follows:

Open Tickets Page Details

This section provides details on all of the various buttons and fields on the Open Tickets page:

Ticket Page Details

This section provides details on all of the various buttons and fields on the Open Tickets page:

Photos

It is important to receive photos of items before scheduling a pick-up. It's amazing how many donors will tell you that their items are in great shape…until you see them. Photos provide a chance to turn down items before the transport team shows up at the donor's house. 

Photos allow you to see if there are obvious rips/tears/stains/etc on an item. You can also tell if something is an antique, beat up, or too large for our clients.

Photos appear at the bottom of the ticket. If you're using a PC, you can place the cursor over a section of the image, and a magnified view of the image will appear to the right. If you're on a device that doesn't have a mouse/trackpad, you can click on the filename above the image. This will open up a separate browser window just containing the image.

The message sent to the donor when they requested a pick-up includes instructions on how to send photos.  There are 2 ways that they can do this:

Update User Settings

On the main page of the Call Center, you will see a link for "Press here to update your account information." When you click on this link, you will see the normal settings to update your account information, plus the following:

call_center_settings.JPG

Call Center

Info email from GetHelpMail.com

There's a website called FindHelpMail.com, which connects people who need help with an appropriate agency/group.  We receive emails from them in our Info account.  The following describes how to handle these emails:

 

Call Center

How To Print The Transport Schedule

Call Center

Transport Schedule

Description

This guide describes how to view the transportation schedule, set the route, and schedule new transport slots.

Viewing the Transport Schedule

You can view the transport schedule by going into the Call Center app and selecting the Donations group. There will be a black navigation bar at the top of the page. If your FSFB account has the "Transport Admin" privilege, you will see a "Transport Schedule" link on the black menu bar. Clicking on that link will display a page similar to this:

transport_schedule.JPG
 
This shows the date of the transport, an optional title, the towns we will be picking up from, the overall duration of the transport, how many pick-ups have been scheduled, and the amount of time available for pick-ups.

If you click on one of the dates, it will display the details for that pick-up:

transport_details.JPG

You can edit any of the fields on the form.  Press Update to save your changes.

At the bottom of the page, under the list of pick-ups, you will find the following buttons:

Transport Schedule Routing

To arrange the pick-up schedule:

  1. Use the above section to open the transport schedule for a given date. Typically, we do this on the Thursday (Friday at the latest) before the pick-up.
  2. Press the Map button at the bottom of the page.
  3. Use Google Maps to arrange the pick-ups in an order that makes sense.
  4. We like to schedule the furthest away pick-up first and then work our way back towards the store. That way if we have to drop off furniture at the store mid-route, we're closer to the store.
  5. Note the order of the pick-ups.
  6. Return to the browser page you opened in step 1 and drag the tickets, using the cursor, into the same order you did in step 4. Note that you can't do this with a tablet/phone, as you don't have a mouse.
  7. Press the Map button to make sure that the order is correct.
  8. If appropriate, use the Send Email buttons to notify the donors and the team.

Creating a New Transport Slot

At the bottom of the Transport Schedule display, there is a button labeled "Schedule New Transport".  Click on that and you will see:

transport_details.JPG

Donations

Donations

Inspecting Donations

Guidelines for Inspecting Furniture

Look for the following:

*** If your first reaction when you see the furniture is not good, go with your gut as it is what most others will think too.***

Donations

Saturday Donations Process Flow

TRAFFIC COP

Prepare clip board with tax receipt, tally by town form, client names

Greeting of arriving vehicle

For early arrival of clients

GREET & INSPECT DONATIONS

Review Donation Take and Don’t Take sheets

Greeting of arriving vehicle

Inspect: **does it pass the “I’d give this to my family”.

Further Inspect items:

If items don’t meet FSFB standards, thank them, explain

DONATIONS MOVERS

Other places to donate:

Donations

Additional Resources for Donors

Clothing

Mattresses

Futons, Sleeper Sofas

Baby Furniture, Car Seats, and Strollers

Cabinets, sinks, fixtures, hardwired lights, etc.

On-Line

Other

The above information came from these group’s websites, so call ahead to double-check what they take.

Finance

Finance

How to Import Donations via PayPal

Finance

Financial Records Tasks

Financial Records Tasks

  1. Get the mail from the very back of the storage area or from the safe. Sort it into checks, bills/statements, or other info. There is a rack of file folders behind the desk with folders for credit card, truck, deposits, and more. File any paperwork that is obvious, other than the checks. It should be noted on credit card receipts what was purchased (office supplies, gas, etc.)
  2. Sort the checks and corresponding paperwork into two piles - transport donations, and all the rest. We separate the deposits for these two. All checks should be stamped with the "For Deposit" stamp found in the top drawer in the desk.
  3. For the transport deposit,
    1. Write on the transport schedule the check numbers next to the donated amounts that the guys wrote down when they made the pickup.
    2. Make a copy of all the checks, then on that sheet, write down "transport deposit" and if there was any cash, the amount of cash along with the name of the person (people) who gave cash. For the checks, circle or highlight the person that wrote the check, if there are two names on the check. Then sum up at the bottom the total of the transport donation (cash and checks).
    3. Enter the transport deposits in the database. For each donation:
      1. Search for the donor's name in the database to see if they have donated before. If they have, select their record, and if not, create a new record and enter in the name/address/phone info that you have.
      2. On the Donor Items tab, click on "add item". Enter the date of the pickup, the quantity donated ($ amount), the item (select Transport Donation from the drop-down), and in the notes field enter the check number, cash, cashier's check, etc. Save by selecting "update".
    4. Go back to the check copy page and write "entered in DB".
  4. For non-transport donations,
    1. Copy the checks as before, and sum up the totals for the page. Write the type of income it is under each check (individual donation, corporate donation, grant, recycling, consignment, etc.). We enter Gail McCarthy (Scentinel Nose Work) as a corporate donation.
    2. Go to the database, enter the checks as before, selecting the right type of income from the drop down, and putting the check number or cashier check in the notes field. You don't have to change the dates on these, the day they are entered (default date) is fine. Do pay attention to the dates of checks at the beginning of the year when income might be from the previous fiscal period.
    3. When checks come from places like Fidelity, they are almost always on behalf of an individual donor so enter them under that donor's name. Sometimes it is tricky to find that info on the letter.
    4. For an anonymous donation, create a new donor by entering the last name as 'Anonymous' and the first name as the date (yyyymmdd).
    5. Go back to the check copy page and write "entered in DB".
  5. To check your work, run the Access database report titled "Donated Items by Date by Donor". The date range you enter should reflect the dates of the donations and not necessarily the date you manually entered the deposit. If you see any inconsistencies, research and correct.
  6. If a donation is $250 or greater, it needs a printed out thank-you letter. Print out the letter, sign it, address and stamp it. Envelopes are in the bottom drawer of the left side and there are more either in the penalty box or anywhere else office supplies might be. Stamps are in the safe, and return address labels are in the main drawer under the desk. We don't have mail pickup at FS so you will need to mail these.
  7. For both transport and other deposits, get deposit tickets from the top drawer of the desk (don't use the one with our account number on it) and write the account number on them (you don't have to fill out the other info). List the checks and cash on the back, total it on the front, and take it to Avidia bank to deposit it and get the receipt.
  8. Put all the deposit paperwork in the safe until you get the receipt. When you do, staple the receipt to the top left-hand corner of the paperwork and then file it in the deposits folder.

Front Desk

Front Desk

Client Appointments

Client Appointments

To access client appointments you need to log-into the system as an agency.

To schedule or cancel an appointment

To cancel an appointment

To schedule an appointment:

Extending a referral

If you need to extend a referral:

Front Desk

Client Checkin Duties

Front Desk

Additional Resources for Clients

Clothing

Berlin: Many Hands Thrift Shoppe – 24 Central St. (Rte. 62) (508) 838-2575

Marlborough: Our Lady Thrift Shop – 197 Pleasant St. (508) 481-1284

Savers – 222a East Main St. ( 508) 485-5191 https://www.savers.com/

Marlborough Food Pantry – 255 Main St. (508) 481-4080

Framingham: Savers – 500 Cochituate Rd. (508) 875-0225 https://www.savers.com/

Hopkinton: Project Just Because- 109 South St. (508) 435-6511

Worcester: Savers- 490 Lincoln St. (508) 853-3653

Mattresses

Acton: Household Goods * 530 Main St - 978-635-1710 http://householdgoods.org/

Chelmsford: The Wish Project – 166 Middlesex St. North – 866-947-4360 http://thewishproject.org/

Walpole: New Life Furniture Bank – 102 Elm St – 774-316-NEWL https://www.newlifefb.org/

Futons, Sleeper Sofas &Newer TVs

Acton: Household Goods 530 Main St. (978) 635-1710 http://householdgoods.org/

Baby Furniture, Car Seats, and Strollers

Acton: Household Goods– 530 Main St. (978) 635-1710

Chelmsford: The Wish Project – 166 Middlesex St., North (866) 947-4360

Additional Furniture and Lamps For Sale at Discount Prices

Habitat for Humanity Restore Donation Centers: http://www.habitat.org/restores/

Ashland- 310 Pond St. (508) 799-9259 x-204

Leominster- 637 Lancaster St. (978) 227-5556

Worcester- 640 Lincoln St., Suite 100 (779) 236-6283

The client will need a referral to visit the above organizations.

The above information came from these group’s websites, so call ahead to double-check what they take.

Front Desk

Snow Day/Shift Cancellation

Procedure for a Snow Day/Shift Cancellation

In the event that a shift will be canceled due to a snow day or some other reason, the following steps will be followed:

  1. If it is a weekday, a volunteer will check whether the Hudson Public Schools are closed and if so, the store should also be closed.
  2. If it is a weekend (or a weekday where we have decided to close the store independent of HPS), then a store manager or volunteer will determine that the store should be closed.
  3. The volunteer will send an email from within the scheduling system to all volunteers signed up for the shift alerting them that the store will be closed. [Schedule Details -> pick date -> 'send messages' (at bottom of page) -> select only 'signed up' and 'any group' -> 'find volunteers' -> write email -> 'send email']
  4. The volunteer will update store closed dates in the system so that the web page and voice mail system reflect the store closing. [Call Center -> 'update store closed dates' -> enter date -> 'create']
  5. The volunteer will notify the social media person and ask them to post news about the closing on social media.
  6. The volunteer will note which clients are affected by the store closing (as this information will be lost once appointments are cancelled).
  7. For each client,
    1. The volunteer will call the client to let them know about the closing. If the volunteer is unable to reach the client, they will leave a voice message and also send an email, if possible. They will document their efforts in the client's records. [Select client on scheduling page -> Client Details page lists the phone # and email of the client -> 'add note' to document contact attempt(s)]
    2. The volunteer will extend the client's referral expiration date by up to a month, if necessary. [On Client Details page -> change expiration date -> 'update']
    3. The volunteer will then cancel the client's appointment in the system so the client is able to reschedule. [Schedule Details -> pick date -> 'cancel appointment' for client]
    4. The volunteer will check to see if there are open appointments in the next few weeks. If there are open appointments, suggest that the client reschedule their own appointment.
    5. If the next few weeks are fully booked, the volunteer will offer to open up a new appointment on an already full day. They will schedule the appointment. [To open appointment slot, Schedule Details -> pick date -> 'enable slot'. To then make an appointment for the client, sign in as agency FSFB -> 'schedule or cancel an appointment' -> pick client -> 'schedule appointment'] (Note: If you are adding an appointment onto an already full appointment date, do not offer that same date to more than one client.)

Front Desk

Front Desk Job Responsibilities

Front Desk and Client Check-in Duties

Tasks associated with the front desk and client check-in are as follows:

  1. Get gift cards from the safe for the number of clients MINUS any refugee clients handled through he various agencies (they don't get gift cards). Put them in the bank pouch in the desk drawer or in your apron/pocket. Do not leave them unattended on the counter or desk.
  2. Update the white board with the client names and towns, if it's not already set up. Write out two sets of truck tags for each client's last name, and tape one to the board and put the other set in the binder clip on the nail by the mover's board/display.
  3. If you see volunteers are in the store but they haven't checked in, check them off. If any volunteers come in who had not signed up, add them to the shift in the volunteer scheduling system.
  4. Scan the notes and family size info for the day's clients and have a general idea which personal shopper you are going to have shop for each client.
  5. For each client that arrives:
    1. Greet the Client.
    2. Verify name, address, and contact info on referral form. Note on the referral form that information is correct or which items need to be updated.
    3. Write vehicle/truck size on the white board and on the green check-in sheet. Determine if vehicle is empty.
    4. Give client a Target gift card and record the card # on the green check-in sheet.
    5. Review list of shoppers and determine which shopper is available. Assign a shopper and write the shopper's name on the white board.
    6. Explain bonus items to the client and give the client a bag to shop these items. Ask the client to take these items to their vehicle before meeting with their shopper. If the shopper is ready, the bonus items can be shopped for at the end of their visit.
    7. Introduce the client to their assigned shopper.
    8. Put the orange tag with the client's name on the back of their vehicle.
    9. Be available for the shopper if they have any questions.
  6. If a client wants to shop remotely, make sure you know whether the truck is coming and if so, have the shopper call the client at the appointment time. In that case, the shopper will fill out all three sheets. Put the gift card in an envelope with the client's name and give it to the QR person to put it in the dish set.
  7.  Keep an eye on the clients' carts to make sure the shoppers have all the correct bed parts and are keeping to the established limits.  
  8. Two to three days ahead of each shift, go to the Client Appointments or Schedule Details app and click on each client and check their notes to see if there are any matching names/previous visits/strange circumstances, etc.  If this is a second visit from quite a while ago, we usually let them come again but we print out the list of what they got the first time.  If it's a second visit from quite recently, unless it's for one item, we usually cancel the appointment and reach out to the agency explaining it's one visit only.  Sometimes a duplicate name can be confusing especially for nationalities that use several different last names.  Usually checking the cell phone or address makes it clear.  If we have to cancel an appointment due to it being a second trip, we usually suggest Household Goods to them.
  9. At end of shift, go to the Client Appts app and check "visited store" for each client who has come in. For any client no-show, check 'no-show'. If they didn't call to explain, go into the database and close the referral. If they did call with a reason, go into the database and make a note of the reason that they missed their appointment and leave their referral open for one more try.
  10. Get all the white sheets for the day (you may have to retrieve some from the shoppers or they might be on top of the file cabinet next to the desk) and put the no-show sheets on top - write no-show on them - and then staple the whole days' worth together and put it in the front of the accordion file on top of the white desk. We save these for a month or so in case we need to look back at anything.
  11. File the volunteer sheet in the folder on the desk. These are saved for a month in case we need to refer back to them for exposure to sickness on a certain shift, etc.
  12. Return any unused Target gift cards to the safe, and count the total number of gift cards, and compare it to the number in the system (inventory #4621). Write that number down on the post-it in the safe and if it matches check it off. If it does not agree, you need to review the order for each client visiting the store to ensure that the shopper correctly added the Target gift card. We are doing this after every shift to make it easier to catch mistakes.
  13. Go to the very back of the storage area and get the mail from the tray that is by the back right door. Bring it up to the desk, open everything, and if there are any checks stamp the back with the deposit stamp in the drawer. Put any mail that needs to be dealt with in the safe for the financial person to handle.
  14. Erase the board, clean it if necessary, and set up the client list for the next shift.

Inventory Entry

Inventory Entry

General Instructions

Main Menu

Creating/Editing an Item

End of Shift Review

Editing Items:

Inventory Entry

Item Class Specific Guides

Appliances (anything with a cord) 

Cleaning / Testing Inventory:

Inventory Entry

Artwork

Sort:

Cleaning & Wrapping Inventory:

Inventory Entry

Dish Sets

Cleaning / Wrapping Inventory:

Inventory Entry

Lamps

Cleaning / Testing Inventory:

Inventory Entry

Rugs

Cleaning / Wrapping Inventory:

Inventory Entry

Movers and QR

Movers and QR

Lead Mover

Lead Mover

Shift Planning

Loading Client’s vehicles

Off-loading donations (FSFB truck, Movers, 1-800-Got-Junk, etc):

Movers and QR

QR

Scanning QR Codes

In this job, you will support the Personal Shopper who is working with the client. While the Shopper and the client are choosing furniture, etc., you will be gathering any small inventory items that the client has selected including dish sets, small appliances, lamps, artwork, and other miscellaneous items for the client. You will be packing these items up for the client, as necessary.

Also, you will be coordinating the loading for each client with the volunteer movers. Therefore, you will need to keep informed about the progress that the kitchen and linens volunteers have made on each client. The lead mover will come to you to ask any questions regarding the status of a client’s order.

Overview/Coordinating the loading

  1. The white board at the front of the showroom lists the current day’s clients and their status (checked-in, running late, etc.). This board helps you to understand which clients need to be worked on. The computer screen near the loading dock lists, in order, the clients who are ready to be loaded. This screen helps you prioritize the order in which you work on the multiple clients.
  2. You should co-ordinate with the volunteers shopping for linens and kitchen items to choose a color for each client’s name tags and reserve a cart in the new annex for the client. Make sure a cone has been placed on the cart with the client’s name tag on it.
  3. Our volunteer movers will be focusing on gathering the furniture and loading it into the client’s vehicle. You will be focusing on the smaller items, such as the dish sets, small appliances, lamps, miscellaneous items (for example, small rugs, unique household items like bed risers or hanging storage), and art work.
  4. As the QR person, the items you are gathering may be staged on the client’s carts with their linen and kitchen goods.
  5. To avoid confusion, make sure that any items that you cannot fit on a cart are clearly labeled with your client’s name on the appropriate color tag.
  6. It is helpful to understand the typical shopping flow for each client. With some exceptions, the shopper usually offers the client dish sets first, then small appliances, large pieces of furniture, miscellaneous items, lamps, and finally, artwork. This means that once you have collected the client’s dish sets and appliances, there is often a lull before you are able to scan the remaining items. During this lull, you can start the next client.
  7. When the QR, linens, and kitchen volunteers have completed loading the client’s cart(s), you should bring the carts to the area outside the new annex area (in front of where the twin linens are stored). Do not bring partial loads to this staging area as this may lead to confusion with the movers about the location of carts in the annex area versus in the staging area. You need to be able to confidently assure the movers that the carts in the staging area contain all the non-furniture items.

Collecting items using the web-based shopping application (“app”)

  1. Using your phone, go to the Fresh Start web page (www.freshstartfurniturebank.org). Choose ‘Volunteer’. Scroll down and “press here to login” under Current Volunteers. Enter your email address and password. Choose ‘Order Pick-up’.
  2. On the Order Pick-up page you should now see tabs for Order#, Items, and Picked. Under the Order# tab, click on ‘Refresh List’. Once any shopper places the first item into their client’s on-line cart, that client’s name will be listed in the dropdown list. Select the client you are interested in from this dropdown list. Note that if a shopper has started a cart for a client who has a future appointment, their name will also be listed even though you are not responsible for gathering their items today.
  3. Once you select a client, their notes will appear on the Order# tab. In the notes, you can see which shopper created the order. You should direct any questions about this order to this shopper.
  4. You can now click on the Items tab to see the items that the client has chosen while working with the Personal Shopper. You may scroll left and right to review these items. The first items the shopper should place in the cart are the Target gift card given to the client (if applicable/available) and the ‘Carts for homegoods’. This cart is the reminder to the movers to look for the client’s linen, kitchen, and QR items after they have loaded the furniture.
  5. Each item in the cart has a unique item #. Each physical item has a sticker on it with the item # and the corresponding QR code.
  6. Each time you locate one of the client’s chosen items:
    1. You will press the green ‘pick item’ button below the picture of that item in the app.
    2. After clicking on ‘pick item’, the app will ask you to scan the QR code of the item. This is done for inventory purposes and to ensure that you have selected the correct item. The camera window will open within the app and you will point the camera at the QR code. It works best if the QR code is being viewed straight on (not tilted). If the app has successfully scanned the QR code, you will be brought back to the Items tab listing and that item will no longer be present.
    3. If the app is having a difficult time identifying the QR code, it is best to select ‘cancel’ (button on the bottom right of the camera viewing screen) and try again.
    4. If the item’s QR code cannot be read (for example, if the sticker is ripped or crumpled), once the camera has opened in the app to take a picture of the code you may scroll to the bottom of the viewing screen and select ‘Manual Scan’ (button on the bottom left). This overrides the need to match the QR code for the item number. Manual scans, which do not cross check to ensure you picked the correct item, should be avoided whenever possible.
  7. Once scanned, the item will be located under the “Picked’ tab. You can select the ‘Picked’ tab and review any scanned items if you have any questions about the status of an item.
  8. While working in the app, keep in mind that the Personal Shopper is continuing the selection process with the client. The app will automatically refresh. Make sure to check back on the app to see if any new items have been added since you last reviewed the client’s cart.
  9. When you are finished with a client, all the items you were responsible for should be found under the Picked tab and therefore will no longer be showing under the Items tab.
  10. Once the team of kitchen, linens, and QR volunteers (you!) have completed their task for a client and the carts have been delivered to the staging area, you will indicate this by selecting the “Mark Cart Ready” button under the ‘Carts for homegoods’ item in the client’s cart. Selecting “Mark Cart Ready” will cause the button under the homegoods cart to change to “Pick Item”.
  11. Once the movers see that the homegoods carts are ready (as indicated by the “Pick Item” button under the homegoods cart) and load these items into the client’s vehicle, a mover will select ‘Pick item’ for the carts for homegoods. The Items tab should now be empty and the mover will be able to close out loading for that client in the app.

Where to Locate Items

  1. There is a QR ‘alley’ in the new annex area where the shoppers are located. On the left side of the alley, you will find the lamps , small appliances , dish sets, dish sets – extra, and then the small appliances – free stored on the wire shelves.
  2. On the right side of the alley are the boxes of artwork, including mirrors and clocks. The boxes are arranged alphabetically (Abstract, Children, … People - back of room to front).
  3. Lamps – free are grouped together on a small shelf next to the alley.  Overflow are on the bottom shelf where the table lamps are.
  4. Rugs are laying on the floor behind the couches. You need only collect and scan a rug if it is small enough to fit on a cart.
  5. Misc. Items, depending on what they are, can be stored in various places!

Packing notes

  1. For lamps, remove and wrap the bulbs and shades. Package the lamps.
  2. For appliances with glass parts (like coffee carafes), pack/secure the item safely.
  3. To avoid confusion, make sure that any boxes, bags, large artwork, floor lamps, etc. that you cannot fit on the cart(s) are seated next to the cart and are clearly labeled with your client’s name on the appropriate color tag.

Personal Shopper

Personal Shopper

Personal Shopper User Guide

PERSONAL SHOPPER

Fresh Start Furniture Bank’s mission is to help restore hope, dignity, and stability in our community by recycling donated furniture and housewares, for free, to people in need. Our personal shoppers have the most contact with our clients and, therefore, play an important role in reinforcing our mission statement. The personal shopper is the lead individual who is responsible for understanding the needs of the client and assisting the client in selecting furniture and other household items. It is imperative that the shoppers always keep in mind the dignity of our clients and ensure that they are treated with respect and leave their shopping experience feeling like they have been given a fresh start for a hopeful future.

If at any point you are having difficulties in your interactions with your client and feel that you need support, please ask the front desk personnel.

Furniture Selection Overview

Furniture is selected based on the supply that Fresh Start currently has, what the client needs, the space restrictions in the client’s dwelling, and transport restrictions. When showing furniture to a client, the personal shopper should get an understanding from the client regarding the size of their dwelling and any concerns about moving the furniture (e.g. availability of help to carry the items, what floor the apartment is on, tight hallways, stairwells, elevators, or door openings, etc.). The client’s transport vehicle(s) also dictates the amount and size of furniture chosen. If the vehicle capacity is in question, feel free to ask the lead in-store mover to have someone measure the vehicle so you better understand your space limitations.

The client selects the furniture based on their style and color choices; it is not appropriate for the shopper to select the furniture for the client. However, if the client finds the shopping process overwhelming and/or is experiencing extreme indecision or anxiety over the process, the personal shopper may help the client to come to a decision.

The inventory of furniture is constantly changing. As long as there are two pieces of furniture in any given category (e.g. kitchen tables), the client must choose between the two pieces if they are interested in that furniture category. They cannot return for a second visit in hopes of a different selection on their follow-up visit.

Meeting the Client and Preparing to Shop

Please refer to the laminated “Flow for Check In & Starting to Shop” at each shopping station for an overview of the information presented in this manual.

  1. Set yourself up at one of the four desks with a laptop computer found in the annex. Enter your email address and password on the Fresh Start Furniture Bank login page and select ‘Personal Shopper’. You are now logged into the web-based virtual shopping application (‘app’). (Note: If the previous shopper is still signed in, please logoff the previous volunteer and sign yourself in.)
  2. When a client arrives for their appointment, the client check-in volunteer will give you the Client General Check in sheet. Some of this sheet will be completed and will detail:
    1. The client’s name and the number in the family
    2. The ages and sexes of the children of the client
    3. The vehicle(s) that will be used to transport the client’s furniture, etc. (vehicle type, license plate #, any restrictions on use)
    4. Whether a Target gift card was given to the client
  3. After greeting the client and identifying yourself, you will complete the rest of this form:
    1. The client’s needs for mattresses, box springs or platform, metal bedframes, and headboards (by member of the family, by bed size)
    2. The items the client is interested in getting today and any priorities, if space is limited
    3. What floor the client lives on
  4. You will also complete the Client Release form, the Linens Wish list, and the Kitchen Wish List.  Hand off the kitchen and linens wish lists to the volunteers on the shift who are packing those items.
  5. In the rare instance that the client has visited the store previously, you will be provided with a list of all items that the client has previously selected. You will need to keep these items in mind when offering additional items to the client.
  6. There are five tabs or screens in the shopping app: Client Info, Items, Chat, Audio, and Release. Three of these tabs (Chat, Audio, and Release) are not currently used by the shopper.
  7. The shopper is initially on the Client Info screen. Choose the client’s name from the ‘Select client’ drop-down box. The Client Info screen will then be populated with the client’s info. The client check-in volunteer will review the client with you and tell you if any of the client’s contact info needs to be updated. After you make any updates to the contact info, select the green ‘Update’ button found under the contact info.
  8. Review the transport choices under Vehicle 1 (and Vehicle 2, if applicable) on the Client Info screen and select the closest match for the client’s vehicle(s). It is not necessary to list the license plate number as the check-in volunteer will have tagged the vehicle. As the client chooses furniture, the app will calculate what percentage of their transport vehicle is full. You can see this percentage at any point while you are shopping by looking back at this Client Info screen. Once the app calculates that you have filled 50% of the client’s transport vehicle(s), it will continually remind you of the percentage filled.
  9. Before shopping with the client, you should put the Check-in Items in the client's cart as follows:
    1. The shopper selects the Items tab.
    2. In the ‘Item Class’ drop-down box, the shopper selects ‘Check-in Items'.
    3. In the ‘Item Type’ drop-down box, the shopper selects 'Carts for homegoods' and presses the green ‘Add to Cart’ button.  This cart is the reminder for the movers to collect the client's non-furniture items.
    4. The cart, in the upper right-hand corner of the items screen, should now show ‘1’ item.
  10. If a Target gift card has been given to the client, the shopper should enter the Target card into the client’s cart similar to the instructions above (Item Type is Target gift card).
  11. You are now ready to shop with the client.

Beginning Shopping

  1. At each shopping station, there is a laminated double-sided “Flow for Check In & Starting to Shop” sheet. This sheet provides guidance for shopping in an organized manner starting with small kitchen items, moving onto furniture, and ending with lamps and artwork. In some instances, due to transport vehicle restrictions and/or priorities of the client, the personal shopper will present items in a different order but a review of this sheet is always helpful to confirm that you have offered all of the categories of items. This sheet also tells you the categories (‘Item Class’) in the app where you will find each item and the quantity limitations for each item. Unless you have been instructed otherwise, please adhere to the quantity limitations provided on this sheet.
  2. You will now step through the shopping process, item by item. For each item, your routine will be the same. Let’s use couches as an example:
    1. You will tell the client what item you will be reviewing. “Let’s look at couches next.”
    2. The Shopping Flow tells you that couches are found under the item class of seating. On the Item screen, in the Item Class’ drop-down box, select ‘Seating”. In the ‘Item Type’ drop-down box, select ‘Couch/Sofa”. The couch inventory will be displayed on your laptop.
    3. Tell the client the quantity restriction noted on the Shopping Flow sheet. “You may choose any combination of a couch and a loveseat.”
  3. When you and the client first start looking at the inventory, explain the following to the client:
    1. You will be scrolling left/right to review all the items.
    2. Make sure you read the descriptions underneath each item.
    3. If you want to see an item closer, we will click on the image. To return to the normal view, click on the ‘x’ in the upper right-hand corner of the picture.
    4. Some items have multiple pictures to give you different views or a close up of upholstery, etc. If multiple views are available, you can see them by clicking on the image.
  4. When the client finds an item they would like, add the item to the client’s cart by pressing the green “Add to Cart” button under the item they have chosen.
  5. If the client wants an item removed from their cart, select the green “Remove from cart” button under the item. This will return the item to the general inventory.  Note:  If you find that you need to select "Unpick Item" before picking "Remove from Cart", that means a fellow volunteer has already physically picked that item and therefore you need to tell them to put it back on the floor.
  6. You will repeat this process for each category.
  7. If the vehicle(s) is getting full (60%+) at any point during the process, you will need to revisit the client’s priorities. You may suggest they skip over several of the categories and focus on the items most important to them. Ask them which of the selected items in their cart are the lowest on their list so that you may tell the in-store movers this information. 
  8. At any point, you may click on the cart in the upper right-hand corner of the Items screen to see the contents of the client’s cart. It is important to review with the client what is in their cart a few times throughout the process to ensure that there is no miscommunication about their choices. You are, however, not showing them their cart so they can change their mind or try to revisit the whole process!

Reconciling of Information

  1. After all the furniture and before moving on to the lamps and artwork, the personal shopper should reconcile with the client the furniture that has been selected by show
  2. Show them the contents of their cart. Once you get their approval that what is in their cart (which is the bulk of the shopping) appears correct, click on the “Ready to Load” button on the bottom of the Client Info screen. This enters your client into the waiting queue for the movers. The client’s name will show on the screen near the loading dock. Tell your client that a volunteer mover will at some point come to tell them where to move their vehicle when it is their turn.
  3. Complete the shopping for the last few categories with the client.
  4. Show the client their shopping cart one last time. Thank them for the opportunity to help them today. Ask them to wait outside for their turn loading.
  5. Confirm with the movers that they are aware of your client’s presence on the loading list (especially if it is a slower day and they are occupied with other tasks).

Completing the Process

  1. Go into the client’s cart and click on the orange ‘Mark Picked-up’ button below the Target gift card (if applicable).
  2. When the volunteers who are selecting linens and housewares are done with their respective jobs, they will give the shopper their completed wish lists.
  3. Using the Linens Wish List, complete the categories under the ‘Linens’ item class by entering the following items to their cart:
    1. For Item Type ‘Bag/Box Misc Linens’, enter 2 for the average family and select ‘Add to Cart’
      1. For Item Type ‘Blankets’, ‘Comforters’, ‘Pillows’, ‘Sheets’, and ‘Towels’, enter the number on the wish list and select ‘Add to Cart’
  4. Using the Kitchens Wish List, complete the categories under the ‘Kitchen’ item class by entering the following items to their cart:
      1. For Item Type ‘Bag/Box Misc Kitchen’, enter 2 for the average family and select ‘Add to Cart’
      2. For Item Type ‘Frying Pan/Skillet’, ‘Glasses’, ‘Pots’, and ‘Silverware/Flatware’, enter the number on the wish list and select ‘Add to Cart’
  5. Now go into the client’s cart and for each of those kitchen and linens items that you have just put into their cart, click on the orange “Mark Picked-up’ button.
  6. Note: The above steps should be done when the movers are not actively working on the client (or done quite quickly while they are!). You do not want to muddy the waters by having the movers think that an item, like a blanket, is in the client’s cart but has not been picked up yet. The movers expect that the # of items selected vs. # of items picked will be equal when they complete the client loading.
  7. Add a note about the family.  Click on the green “Add Note” button below the notes on the Client Info screen. A pop-up box will appear.  List the family members, including the children's names, ages, and genders.  This information is not included in the referral so it is good to document.  Include any comments about their mattress needs, vehicle for transport, refused items, and any space limitations on the vehicle.  Type your note in the box and hit enter.
  8. Once the personal shopper is confident that all of the client’s items have fit into their transport vehicle(s) and they have left the loading area, the shopper may close the client's order by clicking on the red ‘Close Order’ button on the bottom of the Client Info screen.
  9. If the client completed their shopping on this visit, the shopper may close the referral by clicking on the red ‘Close Referral’ button on the top of the Client Info screen.
  10. Staple together the check-in sheet, the Release, the linens wish list, and the kitchen wish list.  File this group of formsin the file cabinet next to the front desk under the appropriate year.
Personal Shopper

Selecting Linens and Kitchenware

Selecting and Packing Linens

In this job, you will support the Personal Shopper who is working with the client. While the Shopper and the client are choosing furniture, etc., you will be selecting bed, kitchen, and bath linens for the client. You will also be packing these items up for the client.

It is our goal to provide the client with a nice selection of linens that match their tastes and satisfy their needs, however, keep in mind that we can only do the best we can. It is important to balance your client’s wishes against the overall good of all clients. Limit yourself to picking only one or two new items while filling in the rest of the client’s needs with used items. Do not take the last remaining item in multiple categories; leave some for the others. Keep in mind the client’s color and taste preferences but be ready to be flexible if their choices aren’t readily available.

Before beginning the selection process

  1. You will be given the orange Linens Wish List either directly from the Personal Shopper or from the volunteer who is handling client check-in. Review this form. Direct any questions you have about this form to the volunteer who completed the form.
  2. Familiarize yourself with the client and their family.
    1. How many adults are in the family?
    2. What are the sex and ages of their children (if they have any)?
    3. What size beds do they sleep in?
    4. What are their color preferences for bedding, kitchen, and bathroom linens?
    5. Are any vehicle restrictions noted? Can you pack in bulky boxes or do you need to be careful in your packing?
  3. Pay attention to what is marked as “yes” (wanted) versus “no” (not wanted) on the Wish List. Do not waste time and inventory giving items to clients that they have indicated they do not need.
  4. Familiarize yourself with the linens area of the store.
    1. Twin, Full, Queen, and King bedding each have their own shelving areas. In each of these areas, the sheets are on the top shelf, blankets on the second shelf, and comforters on the lower shelves.
    2. New bed pillows are lined up on a shelf or found in a box.
    3. Kitchen linens are grouped together, as are the bathroom items.
    4. Stuffed animals are kept in a bin/bag in the linens area.
  5. While reviewing the linens area, note any items that appear to be in short supply or, conversely, are in abundance. Do you see signs indicating you may give out more than the usual allotment of any items? Are there any specials, such as hand soap, that can be given out to every client?
  6. Be aware that the Shopper, at the end of their session with the client, will need to record in the web-based shopping system the quantities of specific items given to the client. You therefore need to clearly indicate on the Linens Wish List which items you gave the client and, specifically for bedding linens (sheets, blankets, and comforters), new bed pillows, and towel sets indicate the quantity given. The shopper will enter the number given of these specific items into the web-based shopping system. Any items other than bedding, pillows, and towel sets are accounted for by the Shopper entering that multiple “bag/box of misc. linens” were given to the client.
  7. Set yourself up at packing table. Co-ordinate with the volunteer scanning QR codes the color for the client’s name tags and note which cart has been reserved for this client. Make sure a cone has been placed on the cart with the client’s name tag on it. You will be packing as you shop. To avoid confusion, make sure that any boxes or bags that you cannot fit on the cart(s) are seated next to the cart and are clearly labeled with your client’s name on the appropriate color tag.

Shopping for the Linens Wish List items

  1. Select the bedding for each bed on the Linens Wish List, as requested. For each bed, the normal allotment is one set of sheets, one blanket, and one comforter. Posted signs will indicate if you can give extra linens or if there are limitations. If there are flannel sheets, these can be handed out as an additional set for the client. If possible, try to coordinate the linens for each bed. Always remember who you are shopping for. The bedding preferences of a young boy differ from that of a elderly female!
  2. Select new bed pillows for the client, if requested. Based on the availability of pillows, you may at most give one pillow per family member or, if the supply is low, you will be given a cap on how many you may provide per family.
  3. If the client has young children, select a stuffed animal for each child (if available).
  4. Select bathroom items, as requested. Each member of the family gets a towel set. When towels are in short supply, adults will be given a towel set and children will receive just a bath towel. Other bathroom items are handed out based on availability and the client’s interest in the item.
  5. Select kitchen linens, if requested. If the kitchen table size is not listed on the wish list, check with the Personal Shopper about what size and shape kitchen table the client has selected or look on the web-based shopping system to find which table the client has selected. If the shopper has not indicated kitchen colors, the kitchen linens can be chosen to match the dish set the client has chosen (dish set can also be viewed on the web-based shopping system). The size of the client’s family dictates the minimum number of placemats and/or napkins to give a client.
  6. If the client would like throw pillows or throw blankets for their home, look on the web-based shopping system to see which couch and/or upholstered chairs the client has selected and determine which colors would be best. If pillows or blankets have been staged on the couch in the showroom, pack up these loose items to go to the client.

After your shopping

  1. Make sure you have clearly indicated what you have given the client on the Linens Wish List.
    1. Did you check off everything that you gave?
    2. Did you clearly indicate the number of sheet sets, blankets, comforters, towel sets, and pillows that you handed out?
  2. Give the completed Linens Wish List to the Personal Shopper.
  3. Make sure the volunteer scanning the QR codes, who is coordinating the loading with the movers, is aware of the status of the linen items.
  4. When time permits, restock the linen shelves.

Selecting and Packing Kitchen

In this job, you will support the Personal Shopper who is working with the client. While the Shopper and the client are choosing furniture, etc., you will be selecting kitchen items. You will also be packing these items up for the client.

It is our goal to provide the client with a nice selection of items for their kitchen that satisfy their needs, however, keep in mind that we can only do the best we can. It is important to balance your client’s wishes against the overall good of all clients. Limit yourself to picking only one or two new items while filling in the rest of the client’s needs with used items. Do not take the last remaining item in multiple categories; leave some for the others. Keep in mind the client’s preferences but be ready to be flexible if their choices aren’t readily available.

Before beginning the selection process

  1. You will be given the yellow Kitchen Wish List either directly from the Personal Shopper or from the volunteer who is handling client check-in. Review this form. Direct any questions you have about this form to the volunteer who completed the form.
  2. Familiarize yourself with the client and their family.
    1. How many members are in the family? How many children?
    2. Does the family like to cook? To bake?
    3. Are any vehicle restrictions noted? Can you pack in bulky boxes or do you need to be careful in your packing?
    4. Has the family requested a kitchen starter kit (1st item on the kitchen wish list)? The client’s interest in this kit indicates they have very few items for their kitchen. If you give them a kitchen starter kit, you need not worry about the specific tools listed in the kitchen tools section found on the top of page 2.
  3. Pay attention to what is marked as “yes” (wanted) versus “no” (not wanted) on the Wish List. Do not waste time and inventory giving items to clients that they have indicated they do not need.
  4. Familiarize yourself with the kitchen area of the store. Most items are stored in the newest part (“annex”) of the store on the long metal shelving. Additional quantities, if any, are stored in the kitchen sorting area. It should be sufficient to select items from the annex unless you are looking for a particular or unique item that you think might be found in the kitchen sorting area.
  5. Be aware that the Shopper, at the end of their session with the client, will need to record in the web-based shopping system the quantities of specific items given to the client. You therefore need to clearly indicate on the Kitchen Wish List which items you gave the client and, specifically for silverware, drinking glasses, pots, and skillets indicate the quantity given. The shopper will enter the number given of these specific items into the web-based shopping system. Any items other than silverware, drinking glasses, pots, and skillets are accounted for by the Shopper entering that multiple “bag/box of misc. housewares” were given to the client.
  6. Set yourself up at packing table. Co-ordinate with the volunteer scanning QR codes the color for the client’s name tags and note which cart has been reserved for this client. Make sure a cone has been placed on the cart with the client’s name tag on it. You will be packing as you shop. To avoid confusion, make sure that any boxes or bags that you cannot fit on the cart(s) are seated next to the cart and are clearly labeled with your client’s name on the appropriate color tag.

Shopping for the Kitchen Wish List Items

Kitchen Starter Kit

Kitchen Table Items

Pots & Pans

Other

Kitchen Tools

Not in Starter Kit

After your shopping for items in the Kitchen Wish List

  1. Make sure you have clearly indicated what you have given the client on the Kitchen Wish List.
    1. Did you check off everything that you gave?
    2. Did you clearly indicate the number of silverware, drinking glasses, pots, and skillets that you handed out?
  2. Give the completed Kitchen Wish List to the Personal Shopper.
  3. Make sure the volunteer scanning the QR codes, who is coordinating the loading with the movers, is aware of the status of the kitchen items.
  4. When time permits, restock the kitchen shelves.

Personal Shopper

How to pick Mattresses, Bed Frames & Platform Beds

Personal Shopper

Mattresses

Platform Beds- Grant

Metal Bed Frames- used (Item Class “Mattresses- General”)

Grant Metal Bed Frames - (Item Class “Mattresses Grant”)

Personal Shopper

Personal Shopper- Client Shopping Flow

Flow for Check in & Starting to Shop

  1. The Front Desk volunteer will check in the client by noting their arrival on the white board, completing the top half of the Client Check-In form, tagging their vehicle and giving the client their Target gift card (if applicable).  They will bring the client to their Shopper.
  2. The Shopper will complete the Client check-in Form, the Release, and also the Linens & Kitchen Wish lists.  These Wish Lists will be given to the linens and housewares packers.
  3. Sign in as a Personal Shopper and select your client.
    1. Enter Client’s Vehicle Info for the In Store Movers and for space calculations.
    2. Make any necessary changes to the referral.  Click Update.

Shopping through the categories

If you don’t see a category listed in Personal Shopping System, it means we have NONE

Check-In Items

Kitchen Dishes, Appliances & Kitchen Checklist

Kitchen – Item Class

Bedroom

Pick mattresses, platforms, bed frames:  Always pick first from Mattress - General and then from Mattress - Grant (adhering to distribution guidelines)

Beds – Item Class

Dresser – Item Class

***If a dresser includes a nightstand(s) that takes away from the end table allotment of 2 end tables/nightstands per family**

Living Room

Kitchen Furniture

**Review the shopping cart, click Ready to Load, notify Movers**

Other Items

 

Final Steps

Enter items from the Kitchen and Linens Check Lists into the client's cart.  Mark these items as 'picked'.  Add a note about your client on the Client Info page of their record.  Describe the family (children's ages and genders), their mattress situation, the vehicle(s) they had for transport, any items they declined, and any shopping or space limitations.  Close the order.  If applicable, close the referral.

Sorting

Sorting

Sorting

General Introduction

Volunteers working in the sorting area at Fresh Start are a vital part of the behind-the-scenes work. All of the home goods donations received by our donations staff are brought to the sorting area. The soft items, such as bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen linens are deposited into the large bins in the sorting area. Hard items, such as small kitchen appliances, pots and pans, and dish sets are put on the donation shelves in the back of the sorting area. Volunteers working in the sorting area draw from the bins and/or the shelves and, in an organized fashion, process what they find. If you have any questions, always feel free to ask any of your fellow volunteers for help!

Safety is always our primary concern. Please keep the emergency exit doors clear, walkways clear of donations, and do not attempt to lift any item beyond your weight capability. There are always other volunteers in the store that can move that small appliance for you!

Keep in mind that a donor might have given us multiple bags and/or boxes. If you find what seems to be an incomplete set of dishes, sheets, etc., alert the sorting team, and put it aside while the volunteers work through the rest of that donor’s donation.

General Acceptance Guidelines

Fresh Start accepts donations of practical items for our clients which have been gently-used and are in good working condition. We do not accept items which are broken, torn, stained, foul smelling, covered with pet hair, show any evidence of insects or rodents, or are missing parts. We do not have the ability to pre-screen all donations and therefore the donations brought to the sorting area can fall into a wide range of conditions. Disposable gloves are provided for volunteers who wish to wear them.

We only accept seasonal items during the appropriate season due to space limitations. We do not accept items that have religious or political undertones.

Almost all of the donations are given to families in need. However, if a donated item looks like it might be of value, it is set aside with a note on it for our volunteer who researches these items. Value might stem from it being an antique, a desirable item on eBay, or a donation of substantial value (e.g. a brand new KitchenAid Mixer). We do consign or sell some items in order to help pay for some of our operating expenses.

Disposal Guidelines

Important: If a donated item smells poorly or exhibits any signs of insects, etc. it is important to put the item directly in the dumpster. Any of the other disposal options discussed below are not necessarily removed from the store on a daily basis and therefore are not appropriate for a foul item!

That being said, it is our goal both to keep items out of our landfills whenever possible and reduce our garbage disposal costs. For these reasons, we provide a wide variety of recycling or donation alternatives:

Looking to volunteer a bit more? We are always looking for volunteers to drop off the Buddy Dog, Textile Recycling, and Savers donations to their respective locations!

Presentation Guidelines

We want the home goods area of our showroom to be attractive and, in large part, how the items are cleaned and packaged in the sorting area contributes to achieving our desired look. It is always vital for linens and housewares to be clean before being placed in their bins in the sorting area. Clean linens are generally tied in ribbons before being put in their respective bins or shelves in the sorting area and eventually placed out on the showroom floor. It is desirable for like items to be packaged in similar size bundles so they stack neatly on the showroom shelves. Items should be tied snuggly so that the bundle does not fall apart when handled.
Restocking Guidelines

It is our goal to have a well-stocked showroom. Replenishing items on the floor should be done before our opening hours or after the clients are completed for the day. Whenever possible during our shifts, donated items which have been processed should be placed into that item’s applicable bin or shelf space in the sorting area. There will be times, due to low inventory as a result of a hectic day, when items will be needed on the shelves in the showroom during the middle of a shift. This restocking should be done without interfering with the work being done for the clients.
Care of the Sorting Area

We do our best to keep an organized sorting area with bins and shelves to store the majority of items that will be processed on any given day. It is important to understand that the inventory can fluctuate greatly from week to week, so we need to be flexible and creative with our storage solutions.

At the end of each shift, the volunteers should take some time to ensure that the sorting area looks neat and organized for those who will be working the next shift. At shift’s ends, please do the following:

Let’s learn about the specific items we will be sorting; linens, tableware, and housewares, and decorative items.

 

LINENS

We accept:

We DO NOT accept:

 

Bedding

 

Bathroom

Kitchen

Miscellaneous

TABLEWARE

We accept:

We DO NOT accept:

Dish Sets

 

Complete Dish Sets

Incomplete Dish Sets

China

 

Glasses and Mugs

Glasses

Mugs

Silverware

HOUSEWARES

We accept:

We DO NOT accept:

Prepware

Cookware

Bakeware

Kitchen Utensils

Small Appliances

 

Lamps

Plastic storage containers and plastic tableware items

 

DECORATIVE ITEMS

Artwork

Transport

Transport

Truck Maintenance

Registration and Inspection:

General Maintenance:

Transport

Truck SOPs

Supplies:

Ensure the following are on the truck:

Prepare to drive the truck:

Driving:

Communication with Donors:

Unloading:

Wrap-up:

Transport

How to Print the Transport Schedule


Start a web browser
Log into your FSFB account
Click on the Call Center app button
Click on the Donations group button
On the black menu bar at the top of the screen, you should see "Transport Schedule".  Click on that.

Transport Schedule will only appear for users who have the Transport Admin privilege.


You will see a display showing available transport dates. Click on the appropriate date.
Click on the Print button at the bottom of the screen.

If you use ^P, it will print too small.

 

Transport

Transport Scheduling

Description

This guide describes how to view the transportation schedule, set the route, and schedule new transport slots.

Viewing the Transport Schedule

You can view the transport schedule by going into the Call Center app and selecting the Donations group. There will be a black navigation bar at the top of the page. If your FSFB account has the "Transport Admin" privilege, you will see a "Transport Schedule" link on the black menu bar. Clicking on that link will display a page similar to this:

transport_schedule.JPG
 
This shows the date of the transport, an optional title, the towns we will be picking up from, the overall duration of the transport, how many pick-ups have been scheduled, and the amount of time available for pick-ups.

If you click on one of the dates, it will display the details for that pick-up:

transport_details.JPG

You can edit any of the fields on the form.  Press Update to save your changes.

At the bottom of the page, under the list of pick-ups, you will find the following buttons:

Interaction with the Donations Team

A day or two before the schedule gets set, someone needs to review the details of what's getting pick up.  If there are open slots, send an email to the donations team (donations@freshstartfurniturebank.org) to let them know that there's an open slot.

If a donor cancels, creating an open slot, send an email letting the donations team know.

Sometimes a pick-up duration gets extended past the the standard of 0:45.  This can leave gaps in the schedule that the won't get filled in.  We plan for (4) 0:45 pick-ups, and if someone extends a pick-up to 1:00, there will be a 0:30 slot available.  In this case, you can check to see if any of the existing pick-up can be shortened to 0:30, or you can send an email out to the donations team, letting them know that there's a 0:30 slot available.  Quite often we get requests for pick-ups that don't meet our minimums, but in this case, can be filled in with a 0:30 slot.

Transport Schedule Routing

To arrange the pick-up schedule:

  1. Use the above section to open the transport schedule for a given date. Typically, we do this on the Thursday (Friday at the latest) before the pick-up.
  2. Press the Map button at the bottom of the page.
  3. Use Google Maps to arrange the pick-ups in an order that makes sense.
  4. We like to schedule the furthest away pick-up first and then work our way back towards the store. That way if we have to drop off furniture at the store mid-route, we're closer to the store.
  5. Note the order of the pick-ups.
  6. Return to the browser page you opened in step 1 and drag the tickets, using the cursor, into the same order you did in step 4. Note that you can't do this with a tablet/phone, as you don't have a mouse.
  7. Press the Map button to make sure that the order is correct.
  8. If appropriate, use the Send Email buttons to notify the donors and the team.

Creating a New Transport Slot

At the bottom of the Transport Schedule display, there is a button labeled "Schedule New Transport".  Click on that and you will see:

transport_details.JPG

Computer/Technical Issues

Computer/Technical Issues

Importing a Word document into BookStack

Here's how you convert a word document into a format that you can import into BookStack.

One-time operation:

For each Word document that you want to convert:

If your document isn't a Word document

Computer/Technical Issues

Workflow with No Network

Client Flow When Experiencing Network Issues

Determine the issue:

If you have determined that the network is down and there is no near-term fix, follow these procedures:

Day of Network Outage

  1. The shoppers will be unable to use their laptops. They should use their phones selecting to use their mobile data plan rather than wifi. Some volunteers’ phones might perform better on mobile data due to the strength of the signal for their carrier.  The shopper and client may need to work outside of the building for a better signal.
  2. Using the shopping application on their phones, the shoppers will load the client’s cart.
  3. The Kitchen and Linens Wish lists will be fulfilled as usual with the exception that the shoppers will not add the kitchen and linens items into the clients’ carts on the shopping application.
  4. The movers and QR person, using their phone on mobile data, will likely be able to see the items being put into the cart. The use of phones on different carriers can introduce some timing issues when making changes to the inventory database. For this reason, a paper approach will be used for choosing the items and no scanning will be done during the outage.
  5. The QR person or the shopper will make a list of each item chosen by the client, listing the client’s name and all the item’s QR numbers and item descriptions (e.g. 11234 Dressers – 2nd or 12434 Art – Animals). This list will include all the furniture to be loaded by the movers plus any items handled by the QR person. It is helpful if the items handled by the movers are grouped together and those handled by the QR person are grouped together on the paper list.
  6. The QR person should confirm that the number of items on the list reconciles with the number of items in the client’s cart (less any items such as the Target gift card which neither the movers or QR person deal with).
  7. A copy of the paper list will be made. The copy is given to the movers and the original is kept by the QR person.
  8. The movers may now start using this sheet to load the client. For each item loaded, the movers should:
    1. Check off the item on their sheet, and
    2. Whenever possible retain the QR slip. QR slips cannot be retained if they are permanently affixed to the item such as in the case of mattresses, boxsprings, platforms, and new bed frames.
  9. The QR person may now start using their sheet to pull the client’s small items. For each item gathered, the QR person should:
    1. Check off the item on their sheet, and
    2. Whenever possible retain the QR slip. QR slips cannot be retained if they are permanently affixed to the item, such as dish sets.
    3. Affix the QR slips to a blank piece of paper. Eight slips can fit on each side of a sheet.
  10. When the movers are done loading the furniture, they should give their paper list with all the furniture checked off to the QR person along with the gathered QR slips.
  11. The QR person will confirm that all items (mover’s items + QR person’s items) have been selected and will communicate this to the movers.
  12. The QR person will affix the QR slips from the movers on the sheet(s) with the others.
  13. The paper list, the sheets with the QR slips attached, and the Kitchen and Linens Wish Lists should be collected for each client.

Once the Outage is Over

  1. Each client from the day of the outage needs to be completed by either the shoppers or the QR person.
  2. In Personal Shopper mode, the Kitchen and Linens Wish List items should be added to each client’s cart. These items should then be picked (Mark Picked-Up). If a Target Gift card was given and has not been picked yet, it should be picked.
  3. In Order Pickup/Mover mode,
    1. Each of the items for which we collected a QR slip should be picked (Pick Item and then scan the QR slip).
    2. Before moving on to the items for which we could not collect QR slips, review which items are left unpicked. Are they all items that could be reasonably expected to have had their QR slip permanently affixed to them (like mattresses, boxsprings, platforms, new metal bed frames, dish sets)? Or are there any “regular” items still unpicked? If the latter, check in the showroom and storage area to make sure the item is not still on the floor and therefore forgotten. Do not assume everything loaded correctly!
    3. For each of the items for which we were unable to collect a QR slip, these items should be picked (Pick Item) and then manually scan the item (Manual Scan). Manually scanning the item (rather than, for instance, scanning an item with an identical QR# on hand) documents that there is not absolute assurance that the correct item was chosen and loaded.
    4. Confirm that all items have been picked. If any items remain, resolve why.
    5. When all items have been picked and any discrepancies resolved, the order may be closed and if appropriate, the referral closed.
  4. Many of the items that QR slips can not be collected for (and therefore we have no proof the correct item was handed out) are items that Fresh Start purchases and therefore it is critical that we keep accurate track of the inventory. These items include mattresses, boxsprings, platforms, and new bed frames. If time allows, it is wise to inventory these items before going forward to confirm the inventory is accurate.
Computer/Technical Issues

Network Debugging

I hope that no one is reading this because the network is down, but stuff happens, and as a result, I've written this guide on how to do simple debugging of the network.  Good luck, and may rebooting solve everything!

Initial Checks

Server Rack

Modem

Router

Ethernet Switch

Rebooting Access Points

Rebooting Devices

Pi Debugging

What next?

Port Forwarding

The following information is for the network administrator if they need to set up a new router;

Volunteers

Volunteers

Volunteer Scheduling System

System Description

The FSFB Volunteer Scheduling System is designed to easily handle the complex task of managing jobs and associating them with volunteers.  Volunteers sign up for jobs using a website or text messages, which are described in another document.  This document describes the administrative portion of the website that handles:

Note: This document describes the use of sub-jobs, which was a fine way to break up a large job into departments when all of the jobs started at the same time. That is no longer the case on Saturdays, as we have Donations starting at 8:30, Transport starting at 9:00, and Clients starting at 9:30. The major issue is that a volunteer is only allowed to sign up for 1 shift per job, and we often have volunteers signing up for both Donations and Clients.  As a result, we have 3 primary-jobs with no sub-jobs.  This manual has not been re-written to remove sub-jobs, but all of the concepts are the same.

Accessing the System

To access the administrator Volunteer Scheduling web page:

Alternately:

Sending e-mail or text messages to volunteers

One of the most common tasks is to message volunteers to see if they are available to work on a specific day.  Unfortunately, it feels like we’re always asking people to sign up, so we’ve made it as easy as possible to communicate our needs and for them to sign up.

If you click on a job title, you will be taken to a screen that shows all of the jobs associated with it.  I.E.  If you click on Saturday, it shows Store and Transport sub-jobs and the volunteer jobs associated with those 2 sub-jobs.  If you click on Store, it only shows jobs associated with the Store.

Picture2.jpg

Ignoring the top 1/3 of the page, it shows you job names, (the number of volunteers requested), and the volunteers who have signed up for the job. At the bottom of the page, it shows you volunteers who are available but haven’t signed up and then a list of volunteers who are not available. 

To send a message to volunteers, click on the Send Message button at the bottom of the screen.  You will then see a screen like this:

Picture3.jpg

The first set of checkboxes allows you to select who you want the message to go out to.  Volunteers can have 4 different statuses:

By default,  the Available and Unknown boxes are checked.  If you want the message to only go to people who have already signed up, clear the other boxes and check the Signed up box.

The next set of checkboxes indicates the groups to whom you want to send the message.  There are checked boxes next to every group who can sign up for a job.  Feel free to clear any check boxes to narrow down to whom your messages are going.  When you’re ready, click on the “Find Volunteers” button.  You will then see a screen that allows you to select specific volunteers and enter your message text.

Picture4.jpg

In this case, I cleared all of the groups other than Transport Assistant.  All of the volunteers who are part of the Transport Assistant group and were available or had an unknown availability are shown.  Clear individual check boxes if you know that someone isn’t available, or click on Clear All to clear them all.

Enter the subject of the e-mail message and then the body of the e-mail message below that.  Do not include a salutation, as “Hello [first_name] will be added to your text”.  Under the "Email Message" box, you will find 3 check boxes:

When you’re done, click on the Send Email button.

Similarly, enter the text that you want to send as an SMS text message in the “Text Message” box and click on Send Text Message to send the message.  

Signing-up or cancelling volunteers

If you want to directly sign-up or cancel volunteers for a specific job, click on that job’s name.  In the following example, I clicked on “Transport Assistant”.

Picture5.jpg

In this case, we want 2 volunteers (as shown in the Qty field) for this job and as a result, there are 2 pull-down boxes shown directly above this text.  Rafael is signed up for 1 slot, and the other is unassigned.  

Note that signing-up or canceling occurs immediately upon making a selection, and the volunteer will receive a message notifying them of the change.

Creating a Primary Job

A Primary Job is the top-level job that you see on the scheduling system.  Typically these are the Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday jobs, but we may create them for special events.  To create a primary job, go into the scheduling system, and at the bottom of the page you’ll see a button labeled “Add a new job”.  Click on that and a job titled “New job” will appear at the top of the list of jobs.  It will have today’s date.  Click on that job and a page will display titled “New job – Job Details”.  Follow the procedure below to update it.

Client Appointment Slots

If you created a primary job with client appointment slots, you will see a display similar to the following:

client_slots.PNG

The buttons in the Action column allow you to:

Creating a Sub-job

Sub-jobs are jobs underneath of a Primary-Job which break functionality into groups.  For example, within the Tuesday master job, you’ll see Store and Transport sub-jobs.  By clicking on those sub-jobs, you can send messages to just people within that sub-job.  To create a sub-job:

Creating a Volunteer-Job

A Volunteer-job is a job that a volunteer can sign up for.  This is under a Primary-job or a Sub-job.  To create a Volunteer-job:

Deleting a Job

To delete a Primary/Sub/Volunteer-job:

Replicating a Job

On a monthly basis, we typically replicate the jobs from the previous month.  This involves selecting a single Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday job and copying it to the following month.  For example, if I want to copy a Saturday job, I would select one of the Saturday primary-jobs and then press Select dates to copy job to button.

A calendar then appears as shown to the right.  Click on the dates that you want to copy the job to.  The dates selected are listed above the calendar.  Press the Copy to other dates button to copy the job.

*** Note that something strange happens after you click on 2 dates in the next month.  The Calendar changes back to the current month.  I don’t know why, but you do need to be careful with what dates you pick ***.

Volunteers

New Volunteer Information Sheet

New Volunteer Information Sheet

Our Address: 16 Brent Drive, Hudson

Our Mission:

Fresh Start Furniture Bank helps restore hope, dignity, and stability in our community by recycling donated furniture and housewares for free to people in need.

About Fresh Start:
Fresh Start is a volunteer-based non-profit that collects donations of furniture and home goods from the public and distributes them for free, to people in need. To receive furniture, clients must obtain a referral from a social service agency. Clients then have 30 days to come in and select their furniture and housewares, and must take all of the items they selected on that date. We do not store items for later pick-up.

Our Clients:
Every one of our clients has a story, and we may never know how they ended up in need. They could be escaping domestic violence, moving out of a shelter, in recovery from physical or mental illness, Veterans, refugees, immigrants, recovering from addiction, or working low-wage jobs.

Our clients generally have a lot going on in their lives, so our volunteers need to be patient and calm, making sure that every interaction is treated with dignity and respect.

Our Volunteers:
Along with our Donors, our Volunteers are our biggest asset. If you have a special talent that you would like to share, please let us know!

Store Hours:

Monday 8:45-12:00

Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:45-12:00

Saturdays Donations: 8:15-10:30

Saturday Clients: 9:15-12:30

What to Wear:

Where to Park:

Volunteers should park on the left side. Parking spots close to the entrance are for clients and donors.

When you Arrive for a Shift:
Please plan to arrive 10-15 minutes before the shift.

Volunteers’ Donations:
Donations from volunteers have the same rules as any donors and will be inspected.

To Sign Up for a Volunteer Shift or to Cancel:

Social Media:
If you are on Facebook, watch for our posts and share them.

Please feel free to take pictures, but ask permission first of any clients or donors.

We use #FreshStartFurnitureBank when tagging photos.

We also post on Instagram.

Please join our private Facebook Fresh Start Furniture Bank Volunteer group!

Questions: Email: volunteers@freshstartfurniturebank.org

Volunteers

New Volunteer Process

New Volunteers Process

Tour Times

Tour with New Volunteers

Paperwork > Database

Tracking Dates

Questions: Contact Volunteers@FreshStartFurnitureBank.org

Volunteers

New Volunteer Tour

Our Address: 16 Brent Drive, Hudson

How Clients Set Up Appointment:

To receive furniture, clients must obtain a referral from a social service agency. Clients then have 30 days to come in and select their furniture and housewares. Clients can have up to 2 visits and must take all items selected during a visit.

When Clients Come to the Store:

The goal is to shop and pack in 1 hour. The steps are:

  1. Check in

    1. verify address, phone, family members,
    2. get vehicle size & license plate (for capacity purposes & to load into correct vehicle!)
    3. provide bags for bonus extra items (small items that we recycle into a new home!)
    4. get a shopper to work with client

  2. Shopper

    1. Reviews lists with client – mattress, furniture, kitchen, linens (outdoors)

    2. Distribute Household and Linens list to assigned volunteers for them to pack.

    3. Tablet – shops for items and “check in” items for client.

      **QR and movers locate item/number in clients

      **System provides packing % based on vehicle**

  3. Household & Linens

  4. QR – appliances, lamps, artwork

  5. Movers – load beds, furniture, rugs + soft good items (#3 & #4)

Volunteer areas:

  1. Donations In-take
  2. Cleaning furniture
  3. Cataloging Inventory
  4. Sorting - Linens
  5. Shop

Questions: Email: volunteer@freshstartfunriturebank.org