Visitor Management Software Makes a Great First Impression

There is an old saying that first impressions last, and that is especially true in business.

In the world of commerce, visitors come in many shapes and sizes. Regardless of their reason for visiting your workplace, the visitor management and check-in process must be handled correctly.

Negative first impressions

We’ve all heard horror stories about organizations that deliver poor first impressions. Attending events where the reception staff have no idea where it is taking place. Sloppy sign-in procedures with reception teams who don’t know who visitors are. Confusing information about the location. Business spaces that aren’t kept clean and professional.

It all leaves a lot to be desired. Even if such occasions have not burnt an indelible memory, if a cloud based visitor management system isn’t up to scratch, it can leave guests rattled.

After all, many guests travel great distances to see you. You want to make them feel welcomed, relaxed, and ready to engage after a stressful journey. With sophisticated visitor management software, you can create a smoother and positively memorable experience.

For instance, reception teams can have all the relevant information about guests in advance. These can include vital information on dietary needs or a need for access to disabled facilities.

Related Reading: Why Visitors Aren’t Booking – 9 Myths about Visitor Management Systems

Essential visitor management features for positive first impressions

There are plenty of visitor management solutions available to businesses of all sizes, sectors, and scales. However, when you’re researching the best visitor management system for your business, it’s important to consider your specific requirements.

The features you should be looking for are those that go beyond the usual benefits of a visitor management system. Basics, such as being user-friendly, global scalability, and GDPR-compliant, should go without saying. Ideally, you will need the following features if creating the right first impression is a priority.

Related Reading: What is visitor management? – What are Visitor Management Systems and How Can They Help Your Business?

Pre-registration

When visitors can be pre-registered before arriving at your premises, check-in time will be considerably reduced. Nobody wants to hang around in a reception space or waiting room, no matter how comfortable or entertaining. If it takes around two minutes to check in a guest who hasn’t pre-registered, that can be cut down to mere seconds with pre-registration.

While this is amazingly useful for day-to-day visitor management, it can be a game-changer when hosting larger events or conferences on your business site. Smoother, more streamlined check-ins create a strong first impression.

Visitor ID

First impressions aren’t just about convenience. Visitors also want to know that their data is safe and that security is covered. That’s where visitor ID comes in. You don’t want investors, people interviewing for a role with your business, or suppliers and clients to wander around your business premises without anyone knowing who they are or where they can go!

Some form of visitor ID is crucial for a wide range of reasons. In industries, it’s against regulations to allow visitors without ID access to the property. Having a visitor management system that features the immediate creation of photographic ID badges is critical for security and regulatory purposes and also for showing your visitors that you take security seriously.

Group check-ins

While pre-registration is excellent for creating a great first impression on lone visitors, what happens if you have a large group to check in at the same time? Group check-ins have traditionally been the bane of reception desk staff. It can be a time-consuming, even embarrassing, task if you have other visitors trying to sign in simultaneously.

All good visitor management software and systems will allow for easier and more efficient group check-ins.

Notifying hosts

If you want to cut down on the time a visitor is waiting in reception, it is crucial to let the hosts know their visitor has arrived. The earlier the host knows, the quicker they can come and meet them. The problem comes if reception teams have to hunt down the host via multiple phone calls or even leave the desk and conduct a physical search of the building!

With the right visitor management system, you can let people know the moment their visitors have arrived and exactly when they are on the way. This gives your team the information they need to land that positive first impression while also cutting down on waiting time. Don’t underestimate how important that is — the employee experience is just as vital as the visitor experience.

The tech-savvy first impression

Tired pen and paper visitor sign-ins will give an immediate first impression — and not a great one. An old-school sign-in book doesn’t look professional and comes with inherent security risks that will weaken your first impression. With a visitor management system, you can showcase your brand as tech-savvy and cutting edge.

That is great when your investors show up for their quarterly meeting, and it’s also a good way to show potential new hires what your business is about — which can lead to better job interviews with job seekers looking to align with a forward-thinking organization. In the time of the “great resignation”, that’s more important than ever.

The rules for creating a great first impression

Planning ahead for your guests through visitor management systems can make a huge difference to the visitor experience because it shows you’ve taken the time to think about them.

You cannot afford to drop the ball when it comes to visitor management. There’s some confusion about how long it takes for someone to decide on a positive or negative first impression. Some studies suggest anywhere from seven to 60 seconds, others claim just 1/10 of a second is all it takes.

Either way, you don’t have a lot of time, and as the old saying goes, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.

You never know, your next visitor could be your biggest client, an investor or potential partner, or maybe the best possible candidate for your current vacancy.

No matter who walks through the door of your business, it’s vital to consider that all-important first impression. The challenge is ensuring efficiency is prioritized, but not at the expense of security. Both are critical, and that’s where a lot of organizations struggle.

Major security measures can create a negative first impression. CCTV cameras, turnstiles, and long waits for security ID rarely make for a welcoming arrival. Here are some rules to help align positive first impressions without compromising security.

Focus on simplicity

The more complex your sign-in process, the less positive the visit experience will be. Archaic, outdated processes won’t impress your visitors. Don’t forget that every second a visitor has to wait before they are seen by the reception desk, sign in, and meet their host, the worse their view of your business will be.

Automated check-ins are fast and convenient. And when the host also knows exactly when their visitor has arrived and can head down to meet them, it all results in a more positive visitor experience.

Fight inefficiency

Your guest has arrived, the person they’re meeting is nowhere to be found, and the meeting room they’re supposed to be using has been double-booked. The visitor can’t even log into your wifi because nobody can tell them the password. Every one of these issues is caused by inefficiency, usually the result of using traditional visitor management processes.

Strive to make sure your visitors don’t just have a smoother check-in experience but also have all the information they need to meet with the person within your business. From ensuring there is space available to meet them to providing them with essential information like maps and passwords, the more efficient you are, the better the visitor experience will be.

Protect personal information

Imagine you arrive at a place of business for a meeting. Instead of a digital visitor management system, the receptionist hands you a sign-in book and a pen. You’re expected to write down your name, phone number, the name of the person you’re meeting, and possibly even your car’s registration number.

You can also see the details of everyone who’s arrived before you, meaning that anyone following you will be able to see all your information, too. Whether that’s a rival supplier, or someone in the running against you for a job vacancy. There’s also the question of what happens to the sign-in book once it’s full?

And that’s without even considering the COVID-19-implications of how many people have touched the pen you’ve been handed.

A digital visitor management system can avoid all these potential issues, meaning both first impressions and security levels are kept at optimal levels.

Invest in first impressions today

When you add visitor management software to your visitor experience design, it’s important to align it with any additional resources you have. Elements like digital signage reinforce first impressions and highlight your investment in the nitty-gritty of day-to-day business management.

The latest visitor management software by Cloudbooking allows reception teams to send invitations to all attendees, keep them up-to-date on time or date changes instantly, print new visitor passes at short notice, or notify the host that a guest has arrived.

Deliver the perfect first impression

Picture the scene. You’re a possible client of a new supplier, and you’re en route to meet with the management team. It’s your first meeting in-person after some back and forth emails. On the day before your meeting, you get a short email confirming the appointment and giving you essential details, such as directions and parking information. You get to the reception desk to find that the reception team is expecting you, and they sign you in within seconds.

You are then met by the person you’ve come to see and receive vital information on your phone about how to use the coffee machine and the wifi password.

Compare that with having to find your own way to the premises and struggling to find a parking space. Then, you arrive at the reception desk, and the team is busy answering phone calls. After a wait, you tell them who you are and who you’re here to meet. They have no idea what you’re talking about and spend 20 minutes on the phone looking for the person.

Who’s going to get your business?

First impressions count

It’s likely you already know how important first impressions are. We dress smartly for job interviews, book the most formal meeting room when holding meetings with investors and high-profile clients, and are even careful about our profile photos on LinkedIn.

But it’s easy to forget about first impressions when running a business or large department. That’s why it’s so important that the visitor experience is part of an ongoing, company-wide discussion. And if you’re looking for a visitor management solution, Cloudbooking is here to help.

If you want to find out how we can help you deliver the very best in visitor experiences, get in touch with our friendly team today. Alternatively, you could get hands-on and try out the Cloudbooking visitor management system for yourself with our no-obligation free trial. Investing in first impressions could be your next step toward success.