3 Visitor Check-In Mistakes Hospitals and Schools Must Avoid

Businesses across industry verticals greet at least a handful of visitors every single day. Some may be regulars with familiar faces and scheduled visits, whereas others have an unfamiliar visage (sometimes even unsettling).

Two institutions that welcome hundreds or thousands of visitors through their gates daily are hospitals and schools. These include regular staff members, patients/students, maintenance staff, suppliers, and so on.

Though even these institutions thrive on the philosophy of delivering a positive and customer-friendly reception, certain mistakes can be costly. In other words, guest management mistakes can not only create a bad impression but also jeopardize security.

This article will discuss three visitor check-in mistakes that healthcare facilities and schools must avoid.

Failure to Adhere to a Single Entrance

Most hospitals and schools have more than one entrance simply because they are large institutions. These may include a few emergency exits as well (depending on the building’s capacity/size).

While this appears conducive for easy visitor movements in and out of the building, it’s risky from a safety standpoint. Hospitals or schools that do not adhere to a single main entrance put themselves at a higher risk when compared to those that funnel visitors to a single entry point.

One secure way to make this happen is through a robust visitor management system (VMS). Using this software, it becomes easy to automate the check-in/sign-in process administered at a single entrance. This would also include keeping a separate entrance for employees.

In case an institution cannot confine itself to one entry point, it can invest in an enterprise-level visitor management system. Such systems have multiple network station facilities to monitor and manage entry/exit across different entrances.

Not Collecting Visitor Data

In many cases, institutions are relying on manual processes to manage visitor check-ins and data documentation. This way, the chances of recording incorrect data increase. It also makes the entire process more cumbersome.

Furthermore, some hospitals or schools running on manual processes do not collect crucial visitor information (especially for one-time guests). It’s important to remember that minor carelessness can quickly become a costly blunder. 

Such organizations are not only putting sensitive information at risk but also the lives of those under their care (patients and children). To prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing sensitive information, institutions must gather visitor info. 

This way, visitors can granted access to designated areas only. The best way to unburden staff members is to implement a digitized guest management solution.

According to Greetly, organizations can record visitor information, including their full name, purpose of visit, date and time of arrival, estimated time of departure, etc. Existing physical security systems can integrated with the software to amplify safety measures.

Some institutions issue custom digitized visitor badges which allow them access to high-risk areas. Besides making certain areas off-limits, these badges also track visitor locations within the premises (providing regular status updates to the relevant personnel).

Granting Unexpected Visitors Access to the Premises

Hospitals and schools receive a gargantuan volume of visitors daily. It means a good number of these guests will be unexpected visitors. Though this makes a concrete walk-in policy mandatory, many institutions do not have one yet.

Efforts must not be concentrated solely on maintaining a calm and professional demeanor for unannounced visitors. The security team must have some plan in place to handle such walk-ins. A possible solution is using QR codes at the entrance as a self-sign-in process.

Once this process is over using the visitor’s phone, they can granted access to the building. Alternatively, institutions can use their guest management software to offer contactless pre-registration capabilities.

This way, the entire process is streamline, the security team notified of incoming guests, and the front desk can plan for their arrival. When guests arrive, the staff at the lobby can direct them to the relevant personnel or room. 

In any case, it is unwise to grant visitors access to any part of the premises (without a walk-in policy).

Final Thoughts

Visitor check-in and management systems are no longer a novel tech solution, even for hospitals and schools. The software’s market value is expected to become $3 billion by 2028. 

However, its implementation in these institutions is not taking place at a desirable rate. Many continue to open their gates to guests, unsuspecting of their motives and purpose of visit.

Even if we keep the security aspect aside for a moment, digitized guest management makes it easier to handle customer data. In organizations where data managed in huge volumes, this benefit alone must persuade them to make a switch.