If you’ve ever been on a package holiday, you’ll have probably seen it.
By a minute to nine, they’re all stood poolside, towels in hand. And as soon as the hotel staff blow the whistle, the mad dash to grab the best sun loungers begins. It’s treated like it’s The Most Important Thing In The World, when in reality everyone involved just looks a bit daft – especially when the arguments inevitably kick off.
It’s bizarre to think that many companies still operate the same way when it comes to meeting room booking. Whether it’s people block-booking rooms weeks in advance, bosses waltzing in and claiming supremacy, or shared Google Calendars being tampered with (yes, really!), getting the right meeting room at the right time can be a dog-eat-dog experience…
…well, at least it is without a proper, professional set-up in place.
And that’s where a visitor management system comes in.
How does a visitor management system work?
A visitor management system is a piece of software that oversees…
- Meetings
- Meeting room bookings
- Arriving visitors
- And more from a single platform
It can ensure that facilities are maximized through easier and more efficient management, adds clarity to the booking and scheduling processes, and make visitors’ experiences run as smoothly as possible from arrival to departure.
How is it beneficial to your meetings?
By the visitor management system removing the possibility of clashes or being bumped out of the way, you and your workforce can rest assured that if they need a meeting room at 10am, it’ll be ready for them at 10am. It can also allocate the right size of meeting room to suit the nature of the meeting and the number of people involved, so that big conference rooms don’t get wasted on two or three people.
The most integrated systems also incorporate the ability to book in special requirements for individual meetings. So, for example, if you need video conferencing to talk to remote colleagues, or catering for a lunchtime meeting, you can make those requests as part of your booking on the system.
That way, your meeting room bookings are always perfectly set up and equipped with exactly what you need, exactly when you need it.
How is it beneficial to your workforce?
Having a visitor management system in place removes much of the stress from the whole meeting room booking experience. It can also give every single employee the simple, unified means to make bookings any time – and if the system incorporates a mobile app or Outlook integration, from anywhere, too.
And it’s not just those booking the meetings that gain – think about your administrative and front-of-house staff.
35% of people still use a receptionist or a PA to book meeting spaces, according to Condeco research.
Haven’t they got enough to do without trying to squeeze meetings into times and places that suit everyone involved?
A visitor management system not only relieves them of this burden, but makes it far easier for them to check visitors in and out, print visitor passes, and oversee who is or isn’t in the building at any given time.
How is it beneficial to your wider business?
The best visitor management systems have the flexibility to work the way you work. So whether you want your workforce to have the freedom to book directly, or you still want an admin to handle requests and allocate appropriate rooms, the choice is yours.
When you have your system up and running, complete with digital screens that display bookings by each meeting room door, your business can look more organised, dynamic and professional.
And in a competitive world where ‘the little things’ often matter, these extra touches give you a better chance of impressing clients, turning interest into leads, and maybe even turning leads into sales.
All this can happen at the right time, in the right place, with the minimum of hassle, in a cost-effective way that maximizes your return on investment. And certainly without the need to be up at the crack of dawn with your beach towel at the ready.