Receptionists are on the front lines.

Regardless of their organization or industry, receptionists deal with dozens, up to thousands of people each day. Not only are they tasked with admin and clerical work, they have to make sure that the visitor’s experience starts right.

One wrong step can lead to a whole calendar of problems.

So, to make sure that receptionists are doing their best on the front lines, they should be equipped with the best tools. These include their training, stationary, and especially their software.

The world of receptionist software has expanded greatly since the turn of the century. No longer are they Rolodex-style databases, but advanced solutions that utilize automation, cloud storage, and more.

Finding the Right Software

How do you know what receptionist software is fit for you?

Start with examining your role. List your regular tasks and identify the ideal guest experience for your organization.

Your chosen software should alleviate the hassle of these tasks. Your time and energy are precious resources that are better spent performing other duties well. Visitors will appreciate a clerk who communicates with them rather than one who focuses on the paperwork.

• Visitor management software can cut down on queues and long waiting times by simplifying sign-in and sign-out processes.
• Calendar applications eliminate the potential for scheduling conflicts with their appointment and booking features.
• Online communication channels make interacting with clients, tenants, and visitors much easier.

Next, have a look at the tools already at play. Your software will either replace them or have to integrate with them.

• Physical delivery logbooks can be phased out since logging is a core feature of most package management systems.
• Many documents are still delivered and signed physically, but digital copies are excellent for distribution and editing.

A key thing to consider is that your new solutions shouldn’t cause new problems. If you need to go to great lengths to get your tools to interact, or if you end up ignoring major parts of the software—it’s not a fit.

So, what are these solutions? (Spoiler: there’s a lot of managing.)

Visitor Management

Visitor Management Systems (VMS) are broad-ranged solutions, but they tend to serve two main functions:

• Facilitating guest entry. A VMS automates or streamlines sign-in, registration, identity verification, visitor badge printing, host notification, and more.
• Monitoring guests. A VMS ensures that guests are at the right place at the right time. When paired with access control systems, they can even limit what parts of the property visitors enter.

At the bare minimum, a VMS replaces visitor logbooks. It utilizes a cloud storage database containing prior and expected guest information to quickly verify the purpose of their visit. Companies and offices may use their VMS to monitor employee clock-in and clock-out.

Other, more advanced options introduce quality-of-life and security compliance-related features. During registration, the VMS can present guests with digital security questionnaires and NDAs. Depending on the region, a VMS may be certified with different security and data standards. Here are a few:

• US: California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
• UK: Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018)
• EU: General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• Canada: Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
• Australia: Australian Privacy Act 1988

Here are some of the key players in the market:

• VisiPoint is a one-stop solution that emphasizes access and communication. They include ID badge generation and rapid evacuation notices. (Contact them for consultation.)
• Honeywell Forge is a powerhouse that focuses on a tailored experience. It has various features from customized registration flows to digital document signing. (You can request a demo.)

Customer Relationship Management

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems focus on your organization’s clientele. They can track customer data, communication history (with the company), and general preferences.

There is a bit of overlap with a VMS since both let you easily identify customers and determine the purpose of their visit.

• Property managers use real estate CRM to manage tenant information and provide additional services like processing maintenance requests and issues in a consolidated way.
• Banks use CRMs to segregate their customer data and ensure that marketing aligns with the needs of the specific consumer.
• Law firms use legal CRM to disseminate cases to lawyers and document case files and evidence.
• Educational institutions use CRM to manage admissions and interact with their constituents (students, alumni, professors, and other stakeholders).

CRMs are usually at home with the sales, accounts, and customer service teams, but clerks can use them to bring the reception service beyond the waiting room.

For the front desk, CRMs can be used to both personalize the visit and prepare the other teams.

The key lies in knowing their preferences and history. Your welcoming process may change if this is the customer’s first visit or if they are a regular presence at the company. The guests may have information or inquiries that would be important for the marketing or customer service teams to know later on.

• Salesforce has been innovating its CRM systems since 1999. Their strength lies in an ecosystem of handy solutions, like Slack. (You can start a free trial.)
• For those on a tight budget, HubSpot offers free solutions for many priority tasks like live chat software and marketing pipeline management.

Calendar Management

It goes without saying that calendar management is an essential aspect of the front desk.

From hotels to co-working spaces, receptionists balance the schedules of hundreds of people and rooms. Access to the itineraries of their organization’s members (even rooms and event spaces) is mandatory when making appointments.

In addition, many calendar software feature automated notifications and appointment settings.

Some even let the guests handle the appointment setting themselves, with limited access to the organization or person’s schedule. Think of patients booking check-ups or clients seeking consults with their lawyers. Hotels especially have some form of self-service booking.

• If your organization is already immersed in Google Workspace or if you’re looking for a free option, then Google Calendar can work well. It highlights accessibility, allowing editing from different devices and integration with native calendar apps.
• If your organization is subscribed to Microsoft Office, Outlook is the way to go. Outlook is deeply integrated into the Microsoft 365 system. You can access emails, contacts, to-do lists, and Office products all from one screen.

Parcel Management

Receptionists handle not just people and rooms but also deliveries. It’s only natural that your coworkers will need to order supplies or receive mail from people off-property.

Making sure that items get to where they need to go in an office space or residential property falls under parcel or package management. If your system isn’t optimized, however, the front desk will be overwhelmed trying to sign in items and get them collected. The last thing you want is a cluttered desk where it takes ages to find a package.

Your ideal software should automate things like reading shipping labels and notifying recipients of their deliveries.

• PackageX reframes mailroom management as “building logistics.” They focus on offering package solutions that integrate with the needs of building managers. (You can request a demo.)
• Parcel Tracker lets you customize your package experience according to the needs of your organization. From setting custom notifications to advanced analytics, dozens of tasks can be accomplished with a few simple clicks. (You can start a free trial.)

Communication Channels

While taking care of everything at the front, you need to maintain contact with everyone behind the scenes. Keep your fellow organization members in the loop, especially when they have appointments or pending deliveries.

The same goes for digital affairs. Some organizations, like small-scale businesses and clinics, rely on the receptionist to organize online meetings and seminars.

A good communications channel lets you easily contact others—through video or phone calls, instant messages, or group chats.

• Slack (a product of Salesforce) is a comprehensive digital workspace that aims to make teamwork seamless. You can quickly create channels or groups of people according to a department or a certain project. You can also speak to others in real-time via huddles, create to-do lists, write notes, and more.
• Zoom found its footing in video calls and has grown into a powerful app for collaboration. It houses its own calendar and scheduling features that integrate with many other applications. And, its video calls are augmented with whiteboards, clipping, generated summaries, and so on.

Document Organization

An underrated part of a receptionist’s work is document management. Even in the digital world, they handle visitor log sheets, security questionnaires, IDs, NDAs, billings, etc. Think of medical records for a clinic’s patients, case files in a law firm, or schematics for an R&D division.

The ideal software stores all of these files in a secure manner that remains accessible to you and the relevant parties.

• If your organization uses Apple devices, then you already have access to iCloud. The biggest advantage here is the ability to securely sync your photos, notes, and files across your registered devices. Making backups is a breeze. (You start with 5GB for free.)
• DropBox focuses on collaboration, allowing you to work on documents and other projects with your coworkers. You can edit photos, sign documents, and monitor who has access to what files.

Using Your Tools Correctly

While there are dozens of tools on the market, the journey doesn’t stop with getting them. You must know how to use them well.

So, as you scour the market for the tools fit for you, think about what you’ll do with them:

1. Know your organization. Research the front desk standards and best practices for your industry. Cross-reference these findings with your organization’s needs and circumstances.
2. Dive into the demos. Experiment with the options by starting free trials and requesting demos. Don’t skimp out.
   1. Try simulating scenarios you frequently encounter and internalize how the software lets you handle these situations.
3. Identify support networks. Many of these solutions have official customer service channels, but it will help you in the long run to find informal spaces for advice or ideas. Look at website forums or video channels that cover the product.
4. Take advantage of the training resources. Look into the webinars, guides, and tutorials so that you know the tools inside and out.
5. Lastly, get feedback! An external perspective—be it from your peers or guests—is critical in improving your quality of work.

Making Reception an Experience

Receptionists have a tricky job. They have to welcome guests and make sure they’re headed to the right place at the right time, with the right people, all while maintaining the organization’s image and security. The better we can equip you to do your job well, the better it will be for everyone.

Parcel Tracker is a powerful tool ready to make the delivery side of the front desk much easier. Sign up for a free trial to see for yourself.