5 Tips to Have a Successful Father's Day and Graduation Zoom
These days, it seems that every celebration has become a Zoom party. With Father’s Day and more graduations coming up, there are important do’s and don’ts to make sure everyone has a good time.
My cousin Amanda graduated from high school last week (congratulations, Amanda!). She’s in Los Angeles. Her parents organized a family Zoom with relatives participating from New York, LA, Massachusetts, Florida and even Canada. One of her grandmothers was finally convinced to upgrade from a flip phone to an iPad during the Pandemic. She has been on some family Zooms before, but for some reason, this time, she was having a really hard time. She was frustrated. The rest of the family was frustrated because she kept interrupting the rest of the participants by calling to say she couldn’t get on and disappointed that she couldn’t join. Finally, one of the grandkids managed to get her on, over an hour into the call, just as everyone else was signing off.
If this sounds familiar, we’ve got some tips so that your family can avoid this frustration and have a successful celebration.
Practice a few days in advance. Do a practice session to make sure that Zoom is downloaded, and that family members know how to click on a link to get onto the Zoom and what to do once they are on. Make sure that the camera angle is set so that everyone can see the participants face. You can download our free “How to Zoom” guide and watch a video for step-by-step instructions.
Designate one family member to assist. Make one person on the Zoom call responsible for getting a family member on the call and troubleshooting any issues that may come up. If possible, they can be on the phone while the family member is getting onto the call and stays on the phone to make sure everything is working well.
Get on early. Sign onto the Zoom at least 15 minutes before it’s scheduled to start (make sure that the person who sends the invite schedules it so that the Zoom room is accessible in advance). There’s no need to rush—take the time to make sure that you or your relative is relaxed and ready to enjoy the call.
Practice turning the video and muting buttons on and off. Do this in the practice session and when you sign in early. Nothing is more frustrating than having 20 people on a call scream out “you’re muted!” and not knowing what to do.
Learn how to end the call. Make sure everyone knows how to get off the call. It’s embarrassing to find out that the Zoom camera is still on 15 minutes after everyone else has left the call.
Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. Sometimes, it’s better to have a stranger give advice than a family member. We are here to help. If you or your family members need help learning and getting onto Zoom before Father’s Day or for a graduation, contact us at support@candootech.com or call 646-758-6606. Order your one hour lesson today!