| Although we were somewhat nervous about undertaking a new project during the winter holidays, our initial PRESTO Group and Event Manager experiences were positive. Our first schedule (December 8 - 27) was for a series of thirty Nutcracker performances, each needing sixty ushers (from a pool of about 450 volunteers). Using PRESTO to set up the event took just a couple of hours and, when scheduling opened for the volunteers, compliments for the automated system accompanied the signups. Enthusiasm has since grown. Volunteers appreciate the ease of use and the ability to see their schedules on the web. A few volunteers for other large non-profits that use an online scheduling system popular in the San Francisco Bay Area have told us that they prefer PRESTO. Technical support is superb: prompt and persistent. When we've needed help to use some of the more sophisticated features of PRESTO, the straight-forward language has been appreciated. Responses to questions address not just the particular difficulty, but also the larger implications. The few times that we've encountered processes that appeared awkward in PRESTO we've been directed to an acceptable work-around or features have been added to facilitate the process. And all quickly and responsively. Exceeding our expectations, PRESTO Group and Event Manager has made scheduling easier for both the volunteers and for us. With less time spent time on computer, e-mail, and database issues, we can concentrate on what's important: our volunteers. The Volunteer Scheduling Team
San Francisco War Memorial Opera House
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