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Event Planner Quirkiness

Forums: General Discussion
Created on: 03/01/15 02:43 PM Views: 1910 Replies: 27
Sunday, March 1, 2015 at 2:43 PM

Here are some comments from a first-time user of the Event Planner. These are more in the category of ergonomic/human factors and quirkiness than actual bugs.

Goal: I want to present registration options around the coming class reunion to include 2 paid events, 3 free events, and 2 paid products. I haven't gone active yet, so am looking at “Preview Draft”.

Issues:
1. I enter the “Event Information” using some formatting including bullets and numbering. When I save it, the bullets and numbering are missing. They're back again in the preview.
2. When I create this event, I see things are in a logical order of Info, Ticket-events, Products, and Donations. However, when I preview, unexpectedly I see Ticket-events first. This is unfortunate, because it separates them from the paid products that some people will overlook.
3. As I create my first event (which since it is in the event planner, seems to be and event-event – maybe change terminology), I'm hungry for a few things that seem missing:
(a) There is no place to specify start time (or end time)
(b) There is no place to offer a description like in Product Manager. I'd like to say thinks like, “purchase your ticket directly ? hyperlink” or “get there a half-hour early for parking” or “bring a lawn chair”.
4. I see “Registration Questions” that are associated with the event. However, in the preview the questions are disassociated.
5. I see a ?-bubble next to the “Registration Closed” checkbox. I actuate it to see just what that means. Nothing happens. So I'm still wondering.
6. When I'm in the “Preview Draft” page, I see all the normal ClassCreator left-menu items. However, none of them work.

Hope these help to improve things.

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Monday, March 2, 2015 at 5:27 PM - Response #1

Here's more:

7. The events require that a price be specified or the "free" checkbox selected. However, there should be another choice, like "pay elsewhere". We do a golf outing, but registrants are expected to pay at the course.

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Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 11:42 AM - Response #2

Thank you for all of your detailed observations. We will review and implement as needed.


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Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 12:12 PM - Response #3

I turned everything up to 3a over to Programming.

I have a question on 3b: Is the Event Information editor not sufficient for this? You're able to provide all the info you want here of course. I'd like to understand the necessity of an event description field when there's already a detailed editor available for event information.

Turned 4 over to Programming

On 5, the blue ? is working fine here. What browser and browser version # are you using?

On 6, event preview, this preview is meant to show how the event looks only. It's something we expect people to close back down. If links are active somebody may attempt to return to the Event Planner, thereby creating two open editing instances.

Jeffery, thank you very much for your thorough observations. Your input will indeed make the system better -- very much appreciated.


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Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 12:46 PM - Response #4

I know the event planner is primarily intended and designed for paid (pay in advance to attend) events but is it permissible to use it for events without any charges? Might be helpful if we ever hold a future event, such as an in between years mini reunion, for which all attendees would pay their own way (plus it publicized as much as possible) and we agree to meet somewhere but we would just want to keep track definitively of attendees, etc...

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Edited 03/03/15 12:59 PM
Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 12:57 PM - Response #5

Yes.


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Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 1:03 PM - Response #6

Thanks very much. I felt uncertain about it and appreciate the reply and approval.

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Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 3:12 PM - Response #7

I do quite a lot of events through out the year and a lot of them are what we call "Pay As You Go", which basically means that you pay at the event, pay your own bill, separate checks, that sort of thing. this could cover all types of events that you might have. Just a thought for item 7.

Randy

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Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 5:47 PM - Response #8

Thanks for your quick responses. Here are my inputs to your questions (keyed to original issues):

3b. Keeping in mind that we are using the Event Planner to replace the Reunion Planner, we are covering a whole weekend of activities. So we would like to provide a bit more information about each venue beyond name and address. Some examples are:
For the river boat cruise, “get there a half-hour early for parking”,
For the golf outing, “purchase your reservation directly and hyperlink”,
For the picnic in the park, “bring a lawn chair”,
For the tour of high school, "meet at the band entrance door, at 9:45".

5. Regarding the blue-?, I've tried Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Opera. Still no. Keep in mind that I am still building the events and have not yet published. There is a banner at page top that may be conflicting with the javascript.

6. I can live with the dead menu items, but I have to wonder, why show the menus at all on an event preview?

7. Did you see this one in a follow-on response? When we advertise a river boat cruise, we don't want to be booking those tickets via paypal, but if we don't it appears as a "free" event. People get the wrong idea, when they should be booking their tickets directly.

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Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 8:35 PM - Response #9

Al right - so you're not finding the event description area sufficient for this. You're wanting a field that displays along with the title of the activity itself. What would you call this field? We have the activity name and the activity details already of course. Would you call it Activity Description? Activity Info (optional)? Something like that?

For now I'm going to assume it's the custom banner Javascript. I am unable to repeat in any browser.

7. Isn't this really the same thing as our "Pay at the door' option? You can of course enter an activity, a price, not mark it free, and then select your pay at the door options. Should we just rename this option something else? If you're paying for a cruise in advance, you're not exactly "paying at the door" but the intent is the same. Should we put in something like "See Admin payment instructions" and then offer a field for Admins to describe exactly how to pay for the activity?

By the way, I want to come to YOUR reunion. Smile


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Edited 03/03/15 8:39 PM
Thursday, March 5, 2015 at 11:33 AM - Response #11

Here are some of the items we have in Reunion Planner for our annual Golf Outing event. These are not a complete list, but gives a good sampling of what we need in the Event Planner. It has unlimited questions, hints, and types. Can the Event Planner handle all of this?
________________________________________________________
I Wish To Participate In The Following Golf Outing Events:
Checkboxes:
Lunch Only - $12 Per Person __
Golf And Lunch - $60 Per Person __
Hole Sponsorship - $50 __
Corporate Sponsorship - $250 __
I Will Donate A Gift For The Silent Auction __
I Will Send A Cash Donation __
I Will Send A Door Prize __
________________________________________________________
If you are paying by check in advance:

Radio Buttons:

Hint: Make Payable To: Rockville Athletic Alumni Summer Outing Mail To: Tim Smith, PO Box 732, Carmel, IN 46028
Contact Tim at: 317-443-0181-Call, 317-581-1796-Fax

I will be paying in advance. __
I will be paying the day of the event. __
_________________________________________________________
Which Session Do You Prefer To Play In?

Radio Buttons:

Hint: The Committee must limit each session to the first 18 teams registered and appreciates all players who select "Either" to help in balancing both sessions.

AM Session __
PM Session __
Either Session __

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Thursday, March 5, 2015 at 2:31 PM - Response #12

Thanks Max. I will share this info with the team.


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Saturday, March 14, 2015 at 7:46 PM - Response #13

I've found another quirky item:

8. Working on my not yet active event, I am trying to rearrange the items in Ticket and Event Manager, a feature which seems to be implemented. However, I have one Event, "Ice cream at Lagos" that just won't take for rearrangement.

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Wednesday, March 18, 2015 at 4:41 PM - Response #14

Thank you. I will inform the programmer.


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Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 10:56 AM - Response #15

The programmer reports that the reordering issue is fixed.


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Monday, March 30, 2015 at 10:07 PM - Response #16

Brad wrote:

7. Isn't this really the same thing as our "Pay at the door' option? You can of course enter an activity, a price, not mark it free, and then select your pay at the door options. Should we just rename this option something else? If you're paying for a cruise in advance, you're not exactly "paying at the door" but the intent is the same. Should we put in something like "See Admin payment instructions" and then offer a field for Admins to describe exactly how to pay for the activity?

Hey CC,

My deal with "Pay at the door" options and the Event Price/Free event.... is our event is a quarterly luncheon we have at a buffet restaurant and the price can be different for each person. So on the line that ask "Event Price: " or "Check if event is Free" ..... I can't answer either one...... I definitely don't want to state the event is free.... and when folks signup, they see EVENT FREE.... "Woohoo! I'll sign up and TELL the other 9,000 classmates to do the same" etc......
On the Reunion Planner, you could select "Admission is Free or Pay-at-the-Door"....


Thanks, Tez

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Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 4:10 PM - Response #17

Actually, your event is "Free" and the meal is Pay at the door. We may simply need to change that wording to Event is Free or Pay at the Door. By clicking that option, we do not tell the user that the event is "Free". It is simply a tool that then guides our system to prompt you with more questions/options.


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Thursday, April 2, 2015 at 11:19 AM - Response #18

Thanks Scott.

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Thursday, April 2, 2015 at 6:21 PM - Response #19

We have been using the terminology "No Host", meaning you can get in to the event free but you have to pay your on food or drinks or what ever it needs to be paid for. But if you call the event "Free" classmates take it to mean you eat or drink or what ever for free. It must be changed other wise we don't have anyway to sign people up for the event. No way to determine how many are planing on attending.

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Thursday, April 2, 2015 at 6:57 PM - Response #20

Another item that I noted is when you are paying by check. When you get to check out, there isn't anywhere that tells them who to make the check payable to. The Payment Postal Address box has Recipient Name, Recipient Address and Recipient City, State, Zip. You need to add "Make check payable to" show at check out and in the Payment Postal Address box. At lest for us, the Recipient Name is the person who is receiving the checks. We want the checks made out to our account name.

I would like to say that even with all of these little problems, I still fell that all of you have done and are doinig a good job. It is hard to for see every little thing that can go wrong. Thank You

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Saturday, April 4, 2015 at 10:54 PM - Response #21

I posted this question on another forum, but wondered if anyone here has suggestions.

I just added t-shirts for sale on the reunion registration and in the class store.

(1) Class store only shows individual transactions made at store.

(2) Complete product descriptions only show in the store, not on the reunion registration.

(3) T-shirt purchases on the reunion registration only show up in individual transactions.

(4) There is no summary available for t-shirt orders on the Class Store nor on the Event Planner. The downloadable reports on the Event Planner are only available for the reunion events (1 on Friday and 3 on Saturday).

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Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at 9:04 AM - Response #22

Re: "Free" vs. "Pay at the Door" - I also have the same problem. People are seeing "Free" in the registration screen for all add-on activities like Happy Hour, Golf, etc. rather than my "$ On your Own" as noted in every other place I could put it, like initial Event info as well as Registration Questions. Having "free" on the registration screen is very misleading.

As for wording suggestion: how about "Other" or "N/A" to simplify. Otherwise, I like "Pay at Door" Thanks.

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Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 4:41 PM - Response #23

Thank you for the suggestions. We will discuss all options.


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Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 11:32 PM - Response #24

Hi Scott,
Since the "Free" part is still there in the Event Planner, would you please provide my multi-year site with a Reunion Planner link...getting ready to announce/begin registration for our next quarterly luncheon.... I deleted all the names last time and "re-used" the old link but prefer not to do that this time.... Thanks! Tez

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Monday, June 29, 2015 at 11:25 AM - Response #25

Hi Tez,

I added a new reunion planner called "new" that you can rename and use.

Jessica
Class Creator Support


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Monday, June 29, 2015 at 1:21 PM - Response #26

Great! Thanks Jessica! (:

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Tuesday, July 12, 2016 at 1:11 AM - Response #27

Kathy - did you ever get an answer to your problem #2 ?
I'm experiencing the same problem right now for my reunion. Our product descriptions only display in the Product Manager, not in the Event Planner.

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Edited 07/21/16 2:07 AM
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