How do you do member sign-up?

#1

Hey everyone,

we’re finally tackling member self-sign-up. To better understand the problem, I’d love to interview a few lab managers on how member sign-up currently works in their lab.

If you are a decision maker in your lab/space, I’d love to talk to you! It does not matter whether you’re currently using Fabman or not and whether you sign up members manually, have a custom-built solution, or even track everything on paper.

If you have 30 minutes to spare in the next two weeks for a phone or video conversation, send me a DM, contact me on Twitter, or drop me an eMail.

Thanks in advance!

#2

Hi Rachael,

We do sign-up in person usually.
New member will write down their information when they are filling out the waiver.
We input the information manually into Fabman right on the spot, and show them what member portal looks like with an demo account.

It will be great if members can self sign up.
Or if we can open an page for members to fill-in the information at reception table, without letting new member using the admin account page.

Thanks!

#3

Hey @fablabvan,

thanks for the details! I have some further questions:

  1. What kind of information do you collect on paper?
  2. Which fields are mandatory and which are optional?
  3. What do you do with the waiver? Do you scan it? Keep the paper on file?
  4. Do they have to provide a payment method? (Credit card or something else?)
  5. Do they pick a package/plan right away or at a later date?
  6. Do you immediately invite them to create a member portal user?
#4

Hi @raphael,

Glad we got to meet a while back to discuss how we implemented member sign up in our space.

For us, we wanted to create an easily accessible automated way of signing up to our lab. (We opted for a custom-built solution)

We needed to standardise entries and fields, (for our record keeping). And automate package assignments based on the data they have entered.

We created a google form that collects the data: Name, Role, Email, Advisor, and others.

Once the form is submitted, a script is triggered and uses the Fabman API to create a member (POST) with the appropriate packages. It also sends the user a fabman account sign-up email too.

This way a person can sign up from anywhere, as opposed to BOTH the administrator and the user having to be in the lab. (They can sign up anywhere) It also means that people get the correct packages Immediately, and standardises some entries, (for book keeping and resource management).

Training is done in person, and Key-card access is registered after the first training course.

Hope this helps!

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