Front Desk Sign-in Sheet Template: Tips and Tricks

Any forward-looking company needs a visitor sign-in system to make the guest management process more secure and efficient, and save time. However, some firms may not be able to afford the cost of visitor sign-in software. These businesses are not able to gain the benefits of digital reception and still stick to the old-fashioned paper-based procedure for visitor registration.  

If your firm does not have a visitor sign-in system and uses paper registration to keep tabs on visitors, we can still help you. This article provides you useful tips on how to design an informative and effective sign-in template for the front desk. Even though your guests may feel slightly disappointed at the absence of visitor sign-in software, you can still make your paper process convenient and comfortable for them. 

Make it Simple to Read and User-Friendly 

Place yourself in your visitors’ shoes and think about what they want: fast and efficient check-in and out. Don’t use artsy fonts but keep them simple and professional by choosing types like Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Arial. The font size should be large and easily readable. Give people plenty of space to write their names and other details keeping in mind that handwriting comes in various sizes and shapes. 

Ask Only Needed Information

You should ask basic information from your visitors such as name, visit date, name of the host, and time in/out. In addition, you can also request the guest’s company name, phone number, and email address. The implementation of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) law in the European Union had made companies more careful about the personal information they request. The GDPR states that enterprises can only ask for data that is limited, relevant, and adequate for the purpose it is needed. 

Your firm may be levied a penalty if it doesn’t meet the GDPR rules. Therefore, the need of the hour is to balance regulatory compliance with the requirement to collect visitor data for tracking analytics and audit trail. Get the help of experts to determine the information you need to collect during visitor registration.

Keep an Adequate Number of Sheets in Hand 

A business report reveals that 50% of corporate meetings in the US begin late. Long queues at the lobby can delay your meeting attendees and impact productivity. This is one of the reasons why your company should automate digital reception. 

However, if you can only afford paper, then ensure to keep a good number of sign-in sheets ready so that your receptionist can handle multiple visitors simultaneously and ensure they are not late for their meeting. Needless to say, you should also safely store and process all the sheets filled by the visitors. 

Pre-fill the Sheets if Possible 

You should try to pre-populate the visitor sign-in sheets with available information about the expected guests. This requires communication with your colleagues as you need to get information from them about any planned visits and meetings. This way you can obtain the names and details of all the expected guests, print the sign-in list, and keep it ready. 

This method benefits your visitors as they can view their names on the sheet and feel welcomed and invited. Plus, it’ll reduce the time required for the check-ins. 

Protect Your Guests’ Privacy 

Paper sign-in sheets do not protect your guests’ privacy as anybody can see the information on them. Your company may well run afoul of data privacy laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and GDPR if you are not careful with the data collected during visitor registration. 

Therefore, you need to have in place an efficient and fool-proof process to handle your visitor flow and data. This will help your corporation to pass data privacy audits as well as security inspections for different insurance policies. As mentioned earlier, seek assistance from legal experts to ensure your firm adheres to all data privacy regulations to be on the safe side. 

About piLOBI

It has become essential for companies to invest in a quality visitor sign-in system like piLOBI to make their visitor management process efficient, effective, and productive. The investment is worth the money as your firm stands to gain a lot from our simple yet competent visitor sign-in software. It can help to save valuable time for both your staff members and the visitors, and also create a great impression on the guests. Contact us today for more details on how to install our platform on your premises.