For any business, the reception area is key to success. It is the first that potential clients will see of your operations, and more importantly, it’s the area where they will be kept waiting. Any inefficiency here is likely to reflect poorly on the business as a whole. Because of this, it is essential that making your front desk as productive as possible is a key part of your business strategy. In this post, we’ll look at the top five ways to boost your front desk efficiency.
1. Time management
Time management is a crucial area for front desk efficiency. Visitors may need to sign in at any time of day, so without another solution, there would need to be a receptionist manning the front desk constantly. Staff and visitors may also want to sign in earlier or later than normal office hours, so traditionally this would mean receptionists working longer hours, or hiring an additional staff. Breaks and annual leave for the front desk staff also need to be considered. How will visitors sign in while the desk is unmanned? Is there a back up procedure for sickness or unavoidable lateness? This is where automation can help streamline the process at peak times or when the reception is unmanned.
2. Choosing the right staff
Your front desk team is the face of your company. They represent the business to visitors, set up meetings and events, and deal with incoming calls and enquiries. You will need someone cool, calm and collected. They will also need to be able to deal with any unexpected issues that arise. It is therefore vital that they are supported by the latest technology and systems. A digital sign in system can free up some of their time to focus on more important matters.
3. Telephony and communications
Telecommunications systems have always been a vital way to boost your front desk efficiency, and that remains true in 2024. While technology has evolved, the core needs remain the same. Your receptionists need an easy way to make, receive, and manage calls, as well as sending and receiving emails, and managing staff calendars. These days, integrated PC software can link up to your phone systems meaning all of this can be done in one place.
4. Flexibility
Another way to boost your front desk efficiency is to allow your receptionists a degree of discretion and flexibility. If receptionists are ‘chained’ to the front desk, then they are effectively doing a security job which could be better handled another way. Good receptionists will know when it is okay to leave their workstation temporarily to get an important task done and, by equal measure, when it is imperative to stay and keep the reception area manned.
6. Investing in technology
Ideal for reception areas with lots of visitors, or where front desks will be unmanned from time to time, a visitor management system is undoubtedly one of the top ways to boost your front desk efficiency. With a high-level of automation, they allow visitors to check-in for themselves without the need for paper-based sign in books, which often are not GDPR compliant. Efficiency is further enhanced by features such as photo ID which can be generated using a built in camera and printer. The best systems have cloud-based reporting functionality which allow senior executives to monitor their reception’s efficiency even when they are not in the office.
If you’re looking for a visitor management system that puts front desk efficiency first, VisiPoint is ideal. Get in touch with a member of our expert team for a free consultation.