Making Visitor Management Cost-Effective

Making visitor management cost-effective has been a challenge in recent years. Traffic to physical offices has decreased, but the expectations for a professional visitor experience are as high as ever. Providing consistent, high-quality, and accurate instructions can be challenging with receptionist turnover. Automating these processes has played a significant role in helping organizations address these problems. But are these tools cost-effective?

Choosing A Cost-Effective Visitor Management Solution

There are three major approaches to lobby solutions that don’t compromise professionalism. 

The first is the traditional approach of maintaining your existing lobby staff. According to ZipRecruiter, the average Receptionist salary for 2024 is over $36,000. However, depending on your organization’s size and hours, multiple Receptionists may be needed to fill this role, easily doubling or tripling costs per office. That doesn’t include additional costs, such as training and onboarding.

The second option is partially automating your lobby using a simple tablet-based visitor management system. These systems can typically automate check-in-related processes. They are great tools for reducing pressure on front-desk staff and potentially even reducing the number of hires needed. However, the cost savings are restricted as simple tablet-based visitor management systems require at least one person to maintain a professional lobby with visitor greetings, provide guidance, and connect visitors with team members.

The third option is to utilize a fully automated visitor management system. These large-scale kiosks operate independently in your lobby, reducing or eliminating the need for lobby staff. An on-screen virtual receptionist greets visitors as they enter the building and provides consistent guidance on your visitor processes. These systems automate check-in and can quickly connect visitors to on-site or remote team members using face-to-face video calls. While these systems have a higher up-front cost than simple tablet-based visitor management systems, they offer the highest savings potential and value. Even if your team chooses to continue with dedicated front staff, your costs can be reduced significantly by allowing remote receptionists to service multiple locations.

Prioritizing Your Visitor Experience 

Ultimately, the solution you choose needs to offer a professional lobby. Underserving your clients and understaffing your lobby can significantly impact their trust in your business, resulting in revenue loss.

Choosing the right solution is key to making visitor management cost-effective without compromise. Ensure your organization chooses a solution that prioritizes the visitor experience.

Learn more about what a visitor management system can do on our features page.