HomeKeeper’s training and support services vary based on where the Participating Organization is in the enrollment process. New users receive web-based orientation and more intensive assistance as they begin to use the system. Ongoing user support is primarily delivered through online forums and an extensive knowledge base with task specific instructions, how-to videos and other documentation, as well as a formal support ticket system.
Training & Support Schedule
After signing their HomeKeeper Participation Agreement, new users are asked to complete a New User Setup survey, followed by a 1-hour meeting with our training and support staff for to review their survey and answer any questions before installation and configuration. At that time, we also screen users for additional support required by the organization for any custom configurations, or multi-layout setups. Users interested in advanced or custom setup support are referred to third-party Salesforce developers, preferably those that are familiar with HomeKeeper.
Once the setup process is complete and HomeKeeper has been installed, new users will attend a series of orientation meetings, depending on which feature set they will be using. These orientation meetings must be completed within 6 months of HomeKeeper installation; in order to encourage familiarization of the system and retention of knowledge.
New users are asked to prepare for these meetings by completing setup worksheets and signing up for an account at homekeeper.zendesk.com. All orientations are recorded and provided to users for future reference.
Goals of Orientation: Homeownership Feature Set
1-3 orientation meetings, lasting ~90 minutes each
- General orientation to HomeKeeper
- Introduction to HomeKeeper Support Forums
- Setting up historical AMI data
- Entering a complete buyer and transaction file from beginning to end
- Establish next steps for moving forward with HomeKeeper adoption
Goals of Orientation: Housing Counseling Feature Set
2 cohort-style orientation meetings, lasting approximately 90 minutes each
- General orientation to HomeKeeper
- Introduction to HomeKeeper Support Forums
- Setting up Agency and Housing Counselor information
- Entering a Group Education Session and registering clients for a session from beginning to end
- Entering a 1-1 Education Session and registering clients for 1-1 session topics
Goals of Orientation: HUD Connect
1 orientation meeting, lasting approximately 60 minutes, held near your first reporting deadline
- Cleaning data to allow for smooth submission
- Troubleshooting any errors that may come up
- Submission of 9902 report data through HomeKeeper
Support Forum
We have a user friendly knowledge base that includes:
• Announcements and product updates
• Setup and orientation materials
• User manual with visual step-by-step instructions
• How-to guides for common tasks
• Recordings of trainings
• User Tips and Tricks
• Links to related third-party support, resources and products
• Help ticket submission
Individual Support Requests
HomeKeeper users can submit support tickets at Support.MyHomeKeeper.org or by emailing support@MyHomeKeeper.org. Our HomeKeeper Training & Support Team fields all support requests and escalates tickets to a third-party contractor when necessary.
*Please note that support requests must be submitted as indicated above, and cannot be initiated via telephone.
Training Webinars
Webinars are the primary means by which group training is offered. In addition to the recurring Q & A webinars described below, webinars are scheduled at least 4 times per year. Past topics have included using your data to tell your stories, ideas on leveraging Salesforce features with HomeKeeper, and affinity cohorts (i.e. Habitat for Humanity Affiliates). Webinars are recorded for future reference and can be found in the users-only training forum in the Knowledge Base.
User Q & A Webinars
We host monthly “Question & Answer” sessions so that users can get the additional support they need. Split up by Feature Set, this is a 1-hour Feature Set review based on user questions. Occasionally a particular peer cohort is highlighted, allowing for more in-depth peer sharing. Additional written documentation is developed for the Support Forum based on questions and documentation requests that arise on these webinars.
- Homeownership Feature Set Q & A : 3rd Wednesday, Bimonthly (January, March, May, July, September, November)
- Housing Counseling Feature Set Q & A: 3rd Wednesday, Bimonthly (February, April, June, August, October, December)
Advanced Support & Customized Training
Users can access advanced support, customized trainings or our overview training below for an additional fee. Learn more.
HomeKeeper Basics
Held twice per year, this two-part online, hands-on training will focus on basic HomeKeeper functionality and tasks, to help you become a more confident and competent HomeKeeper user. You’ll see and practice the many ways that HomeKeeper can improve efficiency and increase capacity for your programs. Keep an eye on our newsletter for dates and registration!