It is a familiar scenario – a visitor arrives at the reception desk and is asked to write their name in the visitors book, the name of the company they represent, who they are there to see, and their time of arrival. They will also need to sign out when they leave for security and fire safety purposes.
Visitors books and guest books have been around for centuries and serve different purposes depending on the business. A hotel guest book gives guests the opportunity to provide feedback on their stay and can be an interesting read for future guests. Other businesses need to keep track of their visitors and may use the information gathered in the visitors book to follow up on leads and contacts; however, there are some drawbacks to relying on the visitors book on the reception desk.
Drawbacks of hand-written logs
The risk of losing your data is increased if you are relying on one copy. The data can be transferred manually onto a spreadsheet, of course, but this is labour intensive and time-consuming. Entering data manually also opens the process up to errors, as interpreting some visitors’ handwriting is not easy.
GDPR
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been a major headache for businesses that are still trying to make sure they are compliant. It requires businesses to ask for consent to store any data that visitors provide, which isn’t easy if you are relying on a manual visitors book to track your data. A digital checkbox enables visitors to decide whether to consent without feeling any pressure. The ICO provides a full guide to GDPR and what it means.
Switching to a digital visitors staff signing in book
A digital visitor management system cuts through these problems. It is quick, legible, and the data can be stored in the cloud. Visitor apps can be used on any device and can be integrated with printers to produce temporary passes that enable visitors to enter and leave the building. GDPR-compliant solutions offered by vendors such as https://www.ofec.co.uk/web-and-software-development-services/digital-visitors-and-staff-signing-in-book.aspx can solve data storage issues.
Not only does a digital signing in system offer a streamlined experience for your visitors but also it can be customised to display your brand and logos. With data security is a hot topic, it is wise to consider an upgrade.