We don’t think about the good experiences we have as much as we do about the bad ones.
For example, checking into hotels, gyms, salons, restaurants, even tattoo parlors. If that first moment of your arrival to use the space is clunky, inconvenient, or unpleasant, you will remember. But if it’s a great experience, you will probably move on and enjoy the reason you’re there in the first place.
The same should be true at a coworking space, where members want to check-in in a way that is easy, friendly, personalized, and efficient. When it works well, they’ll feel good about the whole experience of being a member. When it works poorly, they might not even want to be a member at all.
With some simple tactics, every coworking experience can become one where each member receives the same generous level of hospitality every time they visit their workspace. But your space is unique, and your needs for cowork check-in reflect that. SoiIn this blog post, we'll provide options on how to deliver delightful and consistent check-ins that leave members feeling valued — and excited — to return again the next day, week, month, and year.
Coworking spaces are all about community. So a front desk staff member or receptionist can play an integral role in fostering that sense of belonging and welcoming members each day. An ideal receptionist would be friendly and smart, with a commitment to delivering a cowork check-in process that allows members to come and go seamlessly.
This person should be approachable, with the ability and willingness to answer questions from both new and experienced members. Furthermore, they'll need interpersonal skills in order to maintain relationships with coworking members and make them feel at home in their coworking space. This person should have a powerful combination of personal and technical skills, because they will need to manually enter data about members who arrive and when.
It can be tempting to post your community manager at your front door. After all, this is the person whose responsibility it is to foster member experience and oversee the operations of the space. But the front desk isn’t the best place for this person, who should be out and about among your members, moving around and interacting. By humanizing the check-in experience, your members can feel connected to the space and your friendly community.
In addition to a genuine community, coworking spaces also want to offer convenience. That’s why self check-in is a preferred method — it allows your members to quickly and conveniently access your coworking space.
For self check-in, you need software and hardware. For example, Coworks has a front desk experience that runs on tablets placed at your entrance. Members can check-in and go right to work. And visitors can enter their information, sending automatic notifications to the people in the space they are visiting. They can even sign up for a tour on the spot, or if they’ve booked a tour, let the community manager know.
Ideally, you would customize the software members use to match your coworking space brand, as you can with Coworks.
Of course, the most convenient way to enter a building is through an unlocked door. But security is critical, and you want to protect the members of your coworking community as well as the space itself.
Door access control systems from providers such as Kisi, Salto, or Brivo, help you provide convenience and security.
But it’s not just about letting members come and go. You don’t want to have redundant systems and slow people down as they use a fob, a code, or a mobile app to open a door and access the space then have to stop and check-in.
Rather, make sure your access control system integrates with your coworking space management software. For example, with Coworks, when members use their Salto or Kisi access, they are automatically checked into your space.
Occupancy
Knowing your workplace occupancy can help you evaluate and reorganize to boost efficiency. When certain high-traffic areas become crowded while other space remains unused, that's a sign it's time for reconfiguration. With the right data insights on hand, like simply knowing who is utilizing which spaces at what times of day or week — you have all the information needed to optimize your workspace dynamics in order to maximize productivity.
Understand variable traffic times
The data that your cowork check-in software offers includes the arrival times of all your members and visitors.
So if your data shows that Monday afternoons are quiet but Tuesday mornings are a traffic jam, you can act on that data. Perhaps you add programming like yoga or special amenities like donuts on Monday mornings to make it a more appealing time to be in the space. Or maybe you reconfigure the desks on Tuesdays to offer more seating options.
Get demographic data
Dig even deeper into your user data with your check-in platform, and get a sense for the makeup of your members and when they’re using your space most.
Are more working parents leaving the space just before the school day ends? Maybe offer childcare solutions or find a partner to solve that need. Is there a higher concentration of artists using your space on the weekends? Use that information to shape events where they can showcase their work.
Create a feed of news leads for your space
Your cowork check-in software should not only capture members who come into the space, but people who aren’t members yet. Perhaps they are visiting a member, or attending an event at your location. The are prospects that you can capture in your CRM, such as the leads database in Coworks, and then automate outreach with nurturing marketing activities.
The right coworking space management software can make all the difference in the experience your members have as they check-in and use your space. Coworks covers all the functions you need — from tracking members coming and going, setting different access levels for team members and guests, as well as integrations so you can use other features of your choice.
With Coworks, you will be able to create a delightful check-in experience with just the right mix of tech automation and personal touches. Learn more about our space management solution.