Reception is the first place in your office building that impacts the impression on visitors. And you very well know the importance of first impressions. If the initial point of professional contact is good, you might enjoy a long-lasting relationship with the visitor. And it might enhance your business contacts and productivity. But, the reception is not safe like other corners of your office. It requires more security than other areas.

Why is it important to secure the reception area of your office?

The receptionist is the first person that visitors see when they enter your facility and she handles anything that comes through the front door. Without interacting with the receptionist, no visitors are allowed on the premises.

Meeting and greeting strangers every day comes with lots of challenges because the receptionist isn’t aware of the visitor’s behavior and intention. Every day, she has to juggle many tough responsibilities throughout each day.

Even if the visitor is a kind person, the situation can become unfavorable between the receptionist and visitor within a minute or two. The visitor might become threatful and scare the receptionist and other employees standing nearby. So, it’s important to secure your reception area.

Ways to secure your reception area

Train your receptionist as an aggressive first observer- The receptionist should be strong enough to defend herself. She should be trained properly to fight against the wrong or misbehaved visitors. She should be trained as an aggression first observer so that it’s easy for her to spot the indicators of emerging aggression. She will be in the state to guard against the threat of violence.

Use of high-tech security equipment- The reception area should be under the surveillance of CCTV cameras. The cameras should be installed in such a way that every corner of the reception area gets captured. Other than the cameras, there should be an automatic scanning machine and digital visitors’ log book.

Prepare a visitor policy- Based on the industry type, you should prepare a visitor policy. The policy should include everything related to the visitors. For example, the policy should clarify who in the office has the authority to approve office visitors, include information about which areas are open to guests, etc. Also, you should keep a record of visitors in the office at all times along with their identification proof.

Hire reception security personnel- Sometimes, the situation becomes worse and goes beyond the capability of the receptionist. It becomes impossible for her to handle the situation and control the visitors. To handle such situations, you should hire reception security personnel. Security personnel will not only handle the difficult situation but also look after many other things. He will keep an eye on every visitor on the office premises.

Other than this, you too should master the basics of security. You should learn to spot the different types of anger and ways to handle them peacefully. As an owner, you should step in and try to handle the situation from from-end.

Lastly, just remember that a good greeting at the reception will change the mindset of the visitors towards your office.