Common reception desk problems and how a visitor management system can solve them

First impressions are everything. From the moment visitors arrive at your organisation, they will begin to form an opinion, so the experience they receive at your reception desk is crucial. There are a few common reception desk problems that can consistently occur across various types of organisations. However, these can be easily solved with an electronic visitor management system. Keep on reading to find out the most common reception desk problems and how a visitor management system can be the solution.

Receptionist not present

The role of a receptionist nowadays goes far beyond the traditional stereotype of sitting at the reception desk to meet and greet guests. In fact, it’s not uncommon for receptionists to be away from the reception desk throughout the day dealing with various different tasks. This is great for your receptionist - being busy makes the day go faster, but it’s not so great for visitors. Not having a receptionist present at all times could leave visitors waiting around to get signed in, which doesn’t leave the best first impression.

An electronic visitor management system eliminates the need for a receptionist to be present in order to make a great first impression on your visitors. Guests can sign themselves in quickly and easily on the system and be greeted with a friendly message welcoming them to the building even when a receptionist isn’t present.

Too many policies to read and fill out

Signing in doesn’t always just involve writing your name in a visitor book. There’s sometimes policies to be signed or questionnaires that need filling out. That’s a lot of paper to sign which can be very time-consuming… even worse when the pen runs out!

Many visitor management systems can enable you to present policies and questionnaires to your visitors as they sign in which makes the whole process a lot smoother and more enjoyable.

Breaching personal data security

If you’re still using a paper visitor book, have you considered how this could be a breach of personal data? Think about all of the personal data on display to everyone signing in or walking past the open visitor book. How many times do you find yourself looking at who signed in before you when signing in using a visitor book? You’re not the only one! In addition to this, where does the data get stored once the book is full?

Think about GDPR. We’re sure you don’t want to be the next organisation to be faced with a hefty fine due to a personal data breach. A visitor management system is a secure way of managing your visitors’ data. New visitors signing in won’t be able to view previous visitors’ data and you can set your own data retention period that is in line with your privacy policy. Locating data when requested is also quicker and easier when using an electronic visitor management system.

Leaving visitors waiting to see who they’re meeting

You’ve stepped away from your desk, your visitor has arrived and the receptionist can’t find where you are. We’ve all been there! But, it’s no excuse to leave visitors waiting - your guests should come first.

Many electronic visitor management systems will automatically send a notification to the meeting host via email/SMS or even your internal communication channels such as Slack or Microsoft Teams. So once your guest has completed the sign in process, you instantly get a message ensuring they’re not left waiting for you for too long.

Sign In App is a smart visitor management system that can eliminate common reception desk problems and provide you with a modern, simple sign in solution. To find out more about the features of Sign In App and how it can maximise the visitor experience in your organisation, get in touch with our friendly team. Give us a call on 0333 016 3551 or email info@signinapp.com.