Best Practices for Visitor Management Processes

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Reception areas at your facility are the first introduction a guest has to your operation and, on many days, can be an area of congestion for your employees and visitors. For example, your reception area could receive traffic from employees, delivery services, vendors, customers, and other internal and external personnel. 

Given the constant flow of traffic, the reception area at your facility needs a way to effectively track who is in your building and create a secure, privacy-protected experience for your guests from start-to-finish. Next-generation visitor management software by LobbyFox enables manufacturers and industrial organizations to offer a secure and organized experience with a customized sign-in process and branded engagement that provides your visitors with a seamless experience.

Visitor management software helps industrial organizations optimize their visitor check-in experience in multiple ways:

• Automated notifications when guests arrive 
• Self-service sign in at a kiosk, providing a quick check-in process
• Eliminating paperwork with digital documentation and agreements that assist with regulatory compliance and ensure security at your facility
• No more manual guest badge creation—visitor management software automates this process, allowing visitors to be instantly and easily identifiable via their badge photo

With LobbyFox’s industrial visitor management system, your facility will improve efficiency, privacy, and security in the lobby or reception area.

The location of the check-in kiosk within your reception area is an important consideration to take into account. Regardless of how effective your visitor management system is, if you place the kiosks in an awkward location or a location that isn’t noticeable, visitors are unlikely to undergo your check-in process without being told to do so.

For your overall visitor management procedure to be effective, it must be obvious to visitors what they should do when they enter your lobby. For these reasons, proper kiosk placement is vital. It gives your guests the visual cues they need to begin the sign-in process at your check-in kiosk. Here are some of the common locations you should consider to ensure your adherence to established best practices going forward:

• Some industrial facilities place check-in kiosks right in front of visitors as soon as they enter the lobby. This ensures every visitor clearly sees the kiosk and understands that it is the starting point of the engagement.
• Another option is to place your check-in kiosk next to the reception desk, as the reception desk is the anchor point for many lobby areas. For a great deal of guests, their eyes naturally gravitate towards the desk in the room, expecting to be engaged by a receptionist. Instead, their eyes will naturally divert to the kiosk positioned beside the desk. 
• Still for other industrial facilities, the best option may be to place a smaller check-in kiosk directly on the reception desk, which is generally referred to as a countertop setup. This approach has the added benefit of freeing up floorspace in smaller lobbies. 
• Lastly, for other industrial facilities, the best option is to install the lobby kiosk on one side of the reception area. If your lobby receives a lot of foot traffic, it could be advantageous to install the kiosk out of the way of heavy traffic patterns. However, for these facilities, it’s critical to ensure you’re drawing a sufficient amount of attention to the kiosk using prominent, clear signage.

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Almost any guest is going to be turned off by a long wait time in a reception area. Even if a staff member at your facility is running behind, your reception personnel can personally greet these guests and see what they can do to make them comfortable while they wait. 

Your reception staff should excel at being warm and friendly to your visitors. This makes guests feel truly welcomed to your facility rather than being a bother. Be sure to maintain an adequate supply of refreshments that your reception staff can offer to visitors while they wait. In terms of seating arrangements in the reception area, make sure you have enough space and comfortable furniture for guests to have a place to sit while awaiting their host.

Many industrial facilities overlook the opportunity to capitalize on the aesthetic of their lobbies in the form of branding and marketing opportunities. All too often, visitors enter an outdated and drab reception area. 

Instead, manufacturers and industrial companies could consider hiring a professional interior designer or marketing firm to carefully plan the look and feel of their waiting areas. Doing so gives guests a meaningful and authentic experience of your brand and company culture.  

Many manufacturers choose to build small exhibits in their lobbies that proudly and professionally display the company’s history and values. Additionally, some facilities will display the company’s mission, charity involvements, or even pictures of key members of the staff. All of these efforts to create a rich environment in your lobby lead to customers, vendors, and the community at large feeling that your brand is purposeful, organized, and a leader in your industry.