Establish a Consistent Visitor Policy
When it comes to visitor management, every company will have a system that’s unique to their needs, office hours, and staffing. But whether you’re a team of 100 or 10, there are consistent best practices that help streamline and improve your visitor experience.
Visitor policies might evolve to meet the needs of a growing company or (as in the case of 2020) to accommodate for global changes. However, policies should be consistent from day to day. A cohesive visitor policy makes it easier for front desk personnel to efficiently do their jobs while also giving security teams a foundation for their work. Policies should include:
- Check in and checkout procedures
- Access points for visitors
- How regularly visitor logs are cleaned out
- Types of ID needed from visitors
- Assigning a guest to an employee
- Additional check-in parameters, such as a temperature check
Implement Health and Safety Screenings
Speaking of 2020, the global pandemic made low-touch and contactless solutions critical for visitor management systems. High-touch log books — where everyone shares the same pen and paper — increased the risk of getting entire office spaces sick. As the public moves forward and offices bring more people into the workplace, experts predict that health and safety screenings won’t be going away anytime soon. Finding a health screening that integrates with your visitor check-in process is a critical best practice for your visitors and your employees.
Use ID Badge Identification for Visitors
ID badges are quick ways for security teams to identify who should be in an office and who shouldn’t. However, a surprising number of companies don’t give visitors any sort of credential to recognize them as a visitor. Badges should have the following information from a visitor:
- Photo
- First and last name
- Date of visit
Additional information like a visitor’s organization or contact info can be added, depending on security needs. It’s also best to collect badges from visitor at the end of their visit to prevent any attempted misuse.
Automate Visitor Alert and Messaging System
Front desk teams juggle a lot of information, phone calls and messages every day. Telling the team that a visitor is here for them — especially during busy moments — might not be the most effective way to alert the office to a visitor’s presence. By sending an automated alert to employees when a visitor checks-in, front desk personnel are freed up to continue working on what they need to get done.
Regularly Review Data Logs for Security Reporting
Visitor management systems like BreezN make it easy to analyze guest data. Reporting equips security teams with insights as to who is in your offices, who they’re frequently meeting with, and how many guests failed to properly check out. Reports can also help keep the office healthier by providing insights into the most frequently used rooms and spaces. That data helps with contact tracing efforts as well as giving custodial teams information on what spaces need a deeper cleaning.
Every company’s visitor practices will vary, but these tips will help establish a solid baseline to support your front desk team’s interactions with visitors. Schedule a demo online with us or call 1-888-718-0807 to learn more about the best practices for a visitor management system.
