UMass Amherst launches mobile check-in for campus tech support

The information technology department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst launched a new mobile check-in system this fall to improve in-person tech support for students, faculty and staff. 

By using the mobile check-in, students, faculty and staff can save time and skip the line for in-person tech support at the university’s Campus Center. 

“In-person wait times at our Campus Center Service Desk can get long at the beginning of the semester,” Anthony Laffan, UMass Amherst’s IT Service Desk senior manager, said in a press release. “Our new online check-in helps students, staff and faculty hold their spot in line before they even arrive at the Campus Center.” 

Those seeking tech support at the university fill out a form with their contact information and the mobile check-in system saves them a space in line. It also sends text message updates on the approximate appointment time. The text updating system also allows students, faculty and staff to push appointments to a later times, get status updates on their requests or cancel their appointments.

So far, more than 700 people on campus have used the virtual queue this semester, according to the release.

“The majority of people were in the queue for 10 minutes or less and over 70% were helped in 15 minutes or less,” said Dan Whalen, IT Service Desk assistant manager.