Businesses across the country experience vastly different levels of foot traffic. From quiet local shops in remote villages to bustling theme parks welcoming thousands of visitors on warm days during school holidays, the range is extensive. In today’s blog post, we’ll focus on the latter category, exploring visitor management best practices for high-traffic businesses.
1. Peak Season Planning
Legoland Windsor, ranked as the UK’s most visited theme park, welcomed 2.4 million guests in 2023. This impressive figure translates to a substantial daily visitor count, especially considering that the park only operates from mid-March to early November, with additional special Christmas events.
Theme parks like Legoland excel at analysing peak seasons and planning accordingly. They recognise that winter months would be their quietest period if open year-round. Consequently, most parks close during this time, using it for major renovations and avoiding reliance on technology in harsh weather. They also adjust opening hours based on weather conditions and daylight, which influence visitor numbers. Finally, to boost attendance during slower periods, parks often offer ticket deals during off-peak times.
While this information may seem theme park-specific, it offers valuable lessons for businesses across industries in crowd control and peak periods. Anticipating and preparing for high-traffic times is crucial for smooth operations.
Begin by analysing historical data to predict busy periods and staff accordingly. This data-driven approach enables a flexible workforce strategy, including hiring part-time and seasonal employees to meet increased demand.
Following the theme park model, consider extending operating hours during peak seasons to distribute visitor flow and reduce congestion during traditional business hours. Additionally, implementing online reservation systems can help manage capacity and reduce on-site queues. This gives customers the option to plan their visits while allowing you to better control traffic flow throughout the day.
Visitor Management software can be a great tool to analyse your data and help determine your peak periods for both staff and guest check-in.
2. Queue Management
Efficient queue management can significantly enhance the visitor experience for high-traffic businesses.
Depending on your industry, consider implementing virtual queuing technology to allow guests to wait remotely, reducing physical lines and improving comfort.
Clear, multilingual signage is crucial for guiding visitors and tourists whilst managing expectations about wait times and processes.
To improve the waiting experience, provide entertainment or informational content in waiting areas. This could include videos about your products or services, depending on your business type.
Businesses seeking to minimise queues can benefit greatly from implementing a visitor management system. An efficient solution like VisiPoint streamlines the process, allowing staff to sign in and out instantly using RFID access cards. This eliminates long lines typically associated with traditional clock-in methods. Additionally, visitors can pre-register their details before arrival, significantly expediting the check-in process. By adopting such a system, companies can enhance operational efficiency and create a more welcoming environment for both employees and guests.
3. Streamlined Check-in Process
Minimising bottlenecks at entry points is crucial for managing high visitor traffic.
Install self-check-in kiosks to speed up the entry process, allowing visitors to register themselves quickly without staff assistance. One industry utilising check-in kiosks is the hotel industry, they have shifted toward a more tech-savvy approach offering guests more flexibility and minimising wait times at the front desk.
Develop a mobile app for pre-registration and contactless check-in, which not only speeds up the process but also reduces physical contact points. Utilise ID scanning technology to quickly verify and log visitor information, enhancing both speed and security. Implement comprehensive visitor management software to automate and streamline the entire check-in process, from initial registration to badge printing and host notification.
VisiPoint gives your visitors a great first impression and streamlined check-in. It allows users to pre-register their visitors and issue a QuickPass code which visitors can scan from their phone, to sign in efficiently, it will then notify the user that their guest has arrived.
4. Facility Layout
When working in a high-traffic environment, optimising your space to accommodate large crowds is crucial for effective visitor management.
Continue to conduct regular assessments of visitor movement patterns and optimise layouts accordingly. This might involve;
- Rearranging furniture
- Adjusting the placement of information desks
- Implementing a one-way system
- Adding additional entry and exit points
- Redesigning entire sections of your facility.
Design your facility so it can be easily reconfigured for different needs or busy periods, allowing you to adapt quickly to changing visitor patterns.
Visitor Management systems like VisiPoint can assist you with facility planning as admins can get instant insights from the real-time management dashboard to determine busier periods.
5. Emergency Preparedness
Safety is paramount for companies of all sizes, but high-traffic businesses face unique challenges in protecting and safeguarding a larger number of people. As visitor volumes increase, so does the complexity of maintaining effective safety measures. For these organisations, it’s crucial to implement robust safety protocols that can efficiently handle high volumes of visitors while ensuring comprehensive protection for everyone on the premises.
Develop and regularly update a comprehensive emergency response plan that accounts for various scenarios, from medical emergencies to fires. Conduct regular drills and training sessions on emergency procedures to ensure all staff members are prepared to act swiftly and effectively in a crisis. Have adequate crowd control equipment readily available to manage large groups of people quickly and safely if needed.
VisiPoint can be of major assistance in these types of events, providing users with up-to-date fire lists that are accessed in seconds and multiple individuals can work through a roll-call to check that each visitor is present and accounted for efficiently.
Conclusion
Effective visitor management in high-traffic businesses requires a multifaceted approach that combines strategic planning, technology integration, and a strong focus on customer experience and crowd control.
By implementing these visitor management best practices, businesses can ensure smooth operations during peak times, enhance visitor satisfaction, and maintain a safe environment for both visitors and staff.
VisiPoint stands out as a powerful solution for implementing these visitor management best practices, particularly for organisations experiencing high foot traffic. Our modern sign-in system efficiently manages both visitors and employees, addressing all five key areas discussed.
Ready to transform your visitor management process? Connect with our expert team today to explore how VisiPoint can streamline your operations and enhance security.