Contents
- The attendance tracking process
- Getting started with check-in
- The check In screen explained
- Checking someone in
- Self Check In
- Child/Family Check In
- Checking Someone Out
- Self Checkout using the Kiosk Mode
- Removing someone’s check in
- Exporting lists of attendants or absentees
- Adding Guests
The attendance tracking process
In order for you to track attendance for an event within ChMeetings, the event needs to be created and attendants need to be checked in for the particular event they attend. The check-in process is used when people show up at your event and you want to record them as having attended. Here is a short overview of how this works:
- First, you need to choose the event for which you want to track attendance.You can find all of your events within the dedicated Events module. Here is where you will have the option to first select the event to which you would like to check in attendees. If the event you require has not been created yet, then please create it first, by following this guide.
- Next, you need to check people in for the event. You can have someone handle check-in on site, when the event takes place, by following the process presented below in this guide. In addition, you can allow members to check themselves in. They can do so by following the process presented in this event attendance guide for members,
Getting started with check-in
You do not need to enable registration in order to have the option to check people in.
To start tracking attendance using check-in, please go to Events and select or create the event you require.
For one-time events, the Check In option is located at the top right of the main event screen.
For recurring events, you will find a Check In option next to each future occurrence.
Get started by clicking the Check In button, either on a one-time event, or on an event’s occurrence.
The check In screen explained
Once clicking the Check In button, you will be taken to a dedicated section, where you can select the people who are attending your event. This section comes with the following features:
- The All People list, where you have the entire list of people who have registered for the event.
- An Absent People list, which includes people who have not yet been checked in to the event.
- An Attended People list, including people that have been checked in.
- A button with options to Add People and Guests. Please note that this button does not display if your event has registration enabled.
- A Search field, where you can type in the name of the person you want to check in.
- An Alphabet by which you can more easily find people whose last name begins with the selected initial.
- An option to Export attendees or absentees by group.
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A Filter feature that allows you to sort the list alphabetically or by last attended date, or filter by group or by gender. Here is what the feature looks like:
- Camera QR Code Scanner Use your device camera to scan attendants’ QR codes to check them in.
- Plug & Play QR Code Scanner - Connect a plug & play QR code scanner and ChMeetings will detect it. You can scan QR codes during the event by using this button.
- Switch to Kiosk Mode - Clicking this button switches the check-in screen to Kiosk mode. You will need to enter your password to switch back to the main check-in screen.
- The Check In button is available on the All and Absent People list. Clicking it will check the person in and move them to the Attended People list. If the person you are checking in has other family members who are registered for the event, then the button will show the number of available family members. When clicking the number, you can choose who to check in from the list of family members. When someone is already checked in, this button turns green.
- The Check Out button - When someone is already checked in, you can click this button to check them out.
Please check the visual guide below to see where each of the above features is located.
Checking someone in
Using the Web or Mobile ChMeetings App
When not found in the All/Absent People list
Before you can check someone in, they need to be in your list of All/Absent People first. Please use the Search box to find them. If they are not there, they either do not have a ChMeetings profile or they do not fit the criteria set while creating the event (e.g.: group or user role). In this case, please follow the steps below:
- Search for them in the main People module. If they do not have a profile, you can add them either from the main People module: or from the Check In screen. Here is where you can click the Add People button on the left side of the search box, then select Add New Person. This will allow you to edit the person’s complete profile and add them to the Attended People list, as checked in.
- If they do not fit the event’s criteria, use the Add People option, from the same menu.
- In the window that comes up, search for the person that you want to add. You can select multiple people and they will be added underneath the search field. If you need to remove any of them, simply click the delete (x) icon next to their name. Click Add when you are ready to add the selected people to your event. Once added, they will be displayed within the Attended People list, so they will be checked in automatically.
When not found in the All/Absent People list, for an event with registration
IF you want to check someone in to an event with registration required, there is no option to add new people to the Check In lists. This is because only registered people are being displayed.
If someone should be checked in, then please first register them to the event (if one-time) or occurrence (if recurring). Once registered, they will display within the All/Absent People list and you will be able to check them in by following the steps below.
When found in the All/Absent People list
If you have searched for a person and they are in the All/Absent People list, you can check them in right away by clicking the Check In button next to their name. This will move them to the Attended People list. This is the same for events with and without registration, one time or recurring.
As soon as someone is checked in, the check-in button turns green. In addition, the check-in time is displayed under their name.
The check In process when there is a mandatory form in place
Sometimes, the event might require people to provide some information when checking in. This can be achieved by adding a mandatory form to the event Check In process. The Check In can only be completed after filling out the form.
Using QR codes for mobile check in
The check in process on the mobile app is the same as above, except for an additional feature.
You can scan people’s QR codes right from within the app. The option is found on the right side of the search field, in place of the export button on the desktop app. Press the QR scan button, then simply point your camera to the QR code. ChMeetings needs permission to use your camera for this to work.
You can get people’s QR codes from various places in ChMeetings:
- The QR code icon on the member’s profile.
- The Export feature on the People list, where you can generate QR Codes or cards, which you can either share with people or print for quick check in.
- The person’s registration confirmation page, where you can also see and download a QR code.for their registration. If there is only one registered person, they will be checked in automatically. If there are multiple people on the same registration, you will be given a list of them and you can check them in individually, using the check in button.
Using a plug & play QR code reader
You can scan QR codes using a dedicated reader and ChMeetings will pick up the corresponding people during event check-in. All you need to do is to connect your reader to a PC/Mac, then click on the QR code reader icon at the top right of the check-in page to start taking attendance.
Self Check In
Attendants can check themselves in; or any children (including those not part of the event’s group or ministry) using one of the following methods:
The Kiosk Mode
Switching to the Kiosk mode lets you use your computer or mobile device as a self-check-in station. We recommend that you use a touchscreen device to make this feature easy to use for attendants.
The Kiosk Mode also lets you check people in using a plug&play QR code reader. Click the dedicated QR Code Reader button next to the Search option.
To exit the Kiosk Mode, click or tap the “X” button at the top right. For security reasons, you will need to enter your password to go back to ChMeetings. This ensures that there is no unauthorized access to your ChMeetings data while your app is in Kiosk Mode.
In-app Check In
In the Member View, each event is accompanied by a Check In button which attendants can press to check themselves (and other family members) in for the event.
QR Check In
Members can use the ChMeetings mobile app to scan the event’s QR code upon arrival.
For detailed, member-oriented instructions on all self-check-in options, please see: All you need to know about church event registrations: Register, Check-In, Cancel.
Child/Family Check In
Family Check In
When there are several members of a family attending an event, you can see the number of family members next to the check in button corresponding to anyone part of the same family, as shown below.
Select the required members, then click Check In to complete the process.
Printing Name Tags for Parents & Children
If you have chosen to print name tags for parents and children for your event, then the Print dialog will open automatically, as soon as you check the person in. All you need to do is check the tag information if needed, then print it.
You can also set up your printer to choose the printer itself, the label size, and the layout.
Checking Someone Out
When a member is checked in, they will have two buttons against their name:
- Check in (green)
- Check out (red)
To check a member out of an event, please click on the red Check Out button. As soon as the check out is done, the time will be displayed underneath the person’s name.
You can also check someone out by scanning their QR code using a plug&play QR Code Reader.
Self Checkout using the Kiosk Mode
Admins can connect a plug&play QR code reader that members can use to check out by scanning a QR code. Clicking the QR Code reader button next to the Search option will let them scan their QR code, then display their profile. If they are checked into the event, they will have the option to check out.
Removing someone’s check in
If you need to remove someone from the list of checked in attendees, simply click the green check-in button. Once doing so, this button should turn back to a white background.
Exporting lists of attendants or absentees
IF you would like to export a list of either people who have attended or have been absent from a specific event, you can do so by clicking the Export button on the right side of the search box. This feature is available for all event types, regardless of registration requirements.
You will have the option to export either the Absent People or Attended People list, as well as to export each of these lists by group. If you choose to export by group, only people included within the selected list, who belong to the selected group will be exported.
Click Download to generate a spreadsheet that includes the person’s name, gender, contact details, event day and arrival time. If you are exporting the Absent People list, the arrival time will not be included, everything else will.
Adding Guests
You can only add guests to events that do not require registration. To do so, simply click the Add People button on the right side of your search box and select Add Guests.
Next, enter the number of guests you would like to add. This will update the number of attendants to the event, but will not add any extra people profiles to ChMeetings. Guests therefore participate anonymously.