Ah, the paper logbook. Seems pretty innocuous, and usually not something you ever really think about or pay much attention to.
But what about that time you needed to find out who checked in at 2:50 p.m. on Aug. 13, 2021? Nearly impossible and super frustrating. No one has that kind of time.
Allow us, if you will, to suggest an alternative: a digital check-in system, most commonly known as a visitor management system (VMS).
With a VMS like The Receptionist for iPad, any type of visitor can check in digitally on a tablet in your lobby, receiving dock, employee back door, or any other entrance in your building.
When we say “visitor,” we mean:
- Customers or clients – When they visit an employee contact in your office, an alert will automatically be sent to their contact via text message, email, or a Slack or Teams message.
- Delivery drivers – Drivers can select their delivery company (i.e., UPS, FedEx) and even indicate which employee the package is for, sending an alert to that person and keeping your lobby free of all that clutter.
- Contractors – If you have visitors who provide services like cleaning, plumbing, electrical, and more, you can have them check in, print them a badge, and point them in the right direction.
- Employees – With the Employee Button, you can use the system like a time clock, creating an easily accessible log of who arrived at and departed work and at what time.
Why a Digital Visit Log?
All of the information you collect from and about your visitors needs to go somewhere. A feature of The Receptionist for iPad is a digital visit log that allows administrators to see and export visitor data from any date or time while keeping it out of sight from wandering eyes.
Here are four reasons you should break up with your paper logbook and switch to a VMS that features a digital visit log.
Audits are Heading Your Way
Many businesses answer to a governing body of some type, whether it’s at the local, state, or federal level. So for many organizations, regardless of size, there’s always the possibility of an audit.
For other businesses, adhering to compliance standards (like ITAR, for example) can mean additional revenue and business opportunities. But it also means regular audits are a part of the gig.
If auditors do come calling, you may be asked to find information about past visitors. This can be difficult to manage if all of that data is stored in paper binders that are filed away in a cabinet.
With a digital visit log, you can search for and export data from any date and time, as well as any information you collected from the visitors. The amount of data you extract from your visit log depends on your needs in the moment.
Storing and exporting data this way is also a significant time-saver — customers have told us they’ve saved more than two hours during audits now that they no longer have to sift through paper logbooks. Instead, you can quickly produce any required reports, hand them over, and get back to business as usual.
Security Breaches Happen
There are individuals out there we call “bad actors,” or visitors with intent to harm your business in various ways, usually by finding and taking unattended data, like passwords, records, visit logs, sensitive company information, or more. This is far more insidious than stealing toilet paper or staplers. Armed with the information they find lying around your office, they could inflict many different types of damage, including gaining access to important files, programs you use, or trade secrets.
On occasion, employees within the business have been inadvertently responsible for security issues. In one case, a medical office was fined $400,000 after they disposed of HIPAA-protected paperwork in a dumpster on a windy day, resulting in more than 1,500 patients having their personal medical data – including diagnoses, treatment plans, and medication lists – exposed. And this isn’t the only case where sensitive data has been compromised.
Depending on how much information you collect from visitors in your paper logbook, these bad actors may gain access to a lot of sensitive information, leaving your company at risk for fines, lost business, poor reputation, and more.
A digital visit log, by contrast, is protected by passwords and user permissions. Only employees of the admin’s choosing can have access to certain parts of the visit log. Just make sure your password isn’t “password” (or any variation thereof).
Filing Cabinet Space is Limited
With many businesses moving to smaller office spaces thanks to hybrid or remote work, there’s less space for traditional office furniture like filing cabinets. And if you’re storing paper logbooks, those cabinets fill up quickly. Depending on how long you’re required to retain these types of records, you may find yourself frequently trying to find more room for the logbooks as they fill up.
Obviously, a digital visit log doesn’t take up physical space, other than the computer or mobile device you use to access it. Another check in the “pro” column for digital visit logs!
Visitors Like a Modern Vibe
When visitors walk in and are asked to sign a paper logbook, they may get the impression that your business is stuck in the 20th century. While this isn’t the end of the world, it might leave them wondering if all your other processes, like billing and customer service, will be outdated as well.
Whether we want to admit it or not, many of us tend to trust a business more when it incorporates technology meant to streamline processes. Millennials famously dislike talking to strangers (and often their friends) on the phone or at a front desk, so when there’s an option to complete a task like scheduling an appointment or checking in for said appointment without interacting with a human, they’re generally pretty happy. (Source: the millennial author of this article.)
Why it Matters
Visitors expect a company will protect their sensitive information. If your business fails to meet that expectation, it could cost you.
The Receptionist for iPad’s digital visit log is easy to navigate and learn. It saves you time and effort, increasing efficiency in your daily operations.
Watch a walk-through of the visit log here.
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