I'm trying to upgrade our company's outdated pen-and-paper visitor log at the front desk to something more modern. Ideally, I'd like to set up a tablet where visitors can enter their name and company, and maybe even sign in with their finger. I'm looking for affordable and practical recommendations for a system to make this work. What are some options to consider?
4 Answers
There are plenty of visitor management systems available that could fit your needs. One affordable option is Sign In App. You just need an iPad, and it features functionalities like QR codes, guest invitations, and notifications for hosts.
Honestly, I wouldn't be too quick to ditch the pen-and-paper method. Some companies, including ours, spent a lot on systems like LobbyGuard and they ended up being pretty disappointing. We still often resort to the old logbook because the digital options don’t always hold up well over time. If you're definitely going digital, maybe consider having someone go through the logs and digitize them periodically instead.
Check with some of your vendors; they might already have visitor management solutions built into their services, like Zoom or Unifi. But in my experience, traditional systems often outlast new tech for reliability.
If you’re thinking about collecting biometric data like fingerprints, just a heads up - you may face some resistance from visitors. Plus, handling that data brings a lot of regulatory issues. It’s simpler to stick with basic info like name, company, and host. If you need to verify identities, having a receptionist check IDs is a straightforward way to do it.
Thanks for the heads-up! Makes sense to keep it simple and just collect the basics.