Must-Have Features of Visitor Check-in Software for Businesses

When at all possible, it’s important that you make your company a well-oiled machine. Few things hamper your company, like inefficiency and wasted time.

According to studies, about 89% of employees admit to wasting time. While people waste time with office chit-chat, social media, and other distractions, built-in flaws in your company can also lead to time waste.

An ineffective system for getting visitors in and out is one of the main ways that companies waste time. Investing in the right visitor check-in software can help you.

Here are some features that you should look for when you need visitor check-in software that can help make your company more productive and streamlined.

Photo Capture for Your Visitors

Any visitor management software needs to have photo capture. Capturing and logging visuals of your visitors lets you put a face with a name. This helps you get acquainted with strangers, helps you remember them, and builds a stronger rapport.

Being able to photo-capture your visitors is crucial no matter what industry you’re in. For instance, a manufacturing company might match this feature with reminders to confirm things like parking location, estimated time of arrival (ETA), and other features. The photos can be easily routed via Slack, e-mail, and other forms of communication so that everyone on your team is on the same page.

A Solid Pre-Booking Setup

When you run a front desk or visitor kiosk, having a pre-booking setup is crucial. This way, your guests can carve out a slot of time that works best for them. You are more likely to avoid scheduling conflicts and can be more diligent over everyone’s time.

Pre-booking is great both for the guest and your team. Internally, your team will be able to carve out meeting room space without double booking. Everyone in the building will have a stronger grasp on their schedules each week. Pre-booking will help make your meetings more productive and effective as a whole.

Printable Badges for Visitors

Even when embracing technology, few things are as valuable as a good old-fashioned visitor’s pass. It lets you identify a person’s name, the business of their visit, and who they’re checking in to see.

Including printable badges with your visitor sign-in system lets you customize it however you’d like. You can include things like an interviewee’s alma mater, a visitor’s fun fact, or color and code systems. Many visitor management systems will let you print badges on the spot.

A Logbook Archive

In addition to effectively welcoming visitors, you’ll need to also keep detailed archives. With today’s software, you can keep a cloud-based log book that you can reference whenever you need to.

Having a logbook this extensive lets you scroll through any date to find out when someone was in your office. When you’re diligent about checking in every visitor, this logbook can help you keep your company more secure.

For instance, if you’ve experienced a theft, break-in, or other incident, you can always go back and consult your logbook to get an exact count of who and how many people were in your office at any given time of the day. This logbook, when combined with a sophisticated lobby management system, will let you provide better records and access control.

E-Signing Systems That Are Seamless

Bringing visitors in often requires some forms to be signed. In addition to standard visitor registration sign-in sheets, you may also need guests to sign documents like non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), employment contracts, legal documents, and other forms.

The ability to e-sign documents helps you get people in and out. They won’t need to worry about finding a pen or finding a surface to bear down onto. Digital signing lets you immediately archive your documents and prevents you from wasting paper. This is an eco-friendly measure that lowers your company’s carbon footprint. Companies today are pushing for sustainability, so e-signing systems are a quality addition.

Touchless Features When Possible

In a post-COVID world, you need to remain mindful of sanitary options. The best way to do this is by incorporating touchless features whenever possible. This reduces the amount of cleaning you have to do and limits the spread of germs and bacteria.

Your visitors will be able to check in with things like voice commands, QR codes, badge scanning, smartphone tapping, and other measures. Many of these systems will also allow you to scan people’s foreheads to take their temperatures before they can enter your building.

Instant Host Notifications

This feature also lets you give people a heads-up whenever a host’s guest has arrived. For instance, an interviewer can get an immediate alert via Slack, text, e-mail, or other means. This gives them the chance to shift gears, prepare, or contact the visitor personally.

Hosts can also customize these notifications in whichever way makes sense to them.

Cost and Easy Upgrades

Finally, always make sure that your software platform is cost-effective and easily upgradeable. Shop around for a price that suits you and compare it with competitors. Any visitor management software that you choose should have extensive upgrades that make it perform better.

You’ll be able to beta test and adopt new features as they come about. The upgrades will also work out bugs and kinks.

Invest in a Visitor Check-In Software

Having access to quality visitor check-in software revolutionizes the way that you do business. You’ll appreciate having these features in your software regardless of how many visitors you welcome each day, week, and year.

ALICE Receptionist is a leading, award-winning platform that can revolutionize your business. You can contact us for more information on pricing and the types of services that we offer. Use our website or call us at (702)284-7377 to speak to an expert.