Visitor Type Handling Policy Worksheet
A one-page policy sheet with a row for every kind of person who comes through your lobby, defining how each is checked in, verified, announced to their host, badged, escorted, signed out, and how long their record is kept.
Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.
A front desk runs smoothly when the receptionist never has to guess. The question is rarely how to sign in a scheduled client; it is what to do with the elevator technician who arrives unannounced, the courier who refuses to wait, the candidate who is early, and the employee's spouse dropping off a forgotten laptop. This worksheet gives each visitor type its own row so those decisions are made once, in writing, and applied the same way by whoever is at the desk. The example rows show a common set of rules for a small or mid-sized office. Replace them with your own, and delete any visitor type you do not see.
Fill it in before you configure a sign-in system, because the rows become your visitor types, your notification rules, and your badge templates. Our articles on contractor and delivery sign-ins, on when to print visitor badges instead of using handwritten stickers, and on what a visitor log should capture for compliance audits explain the trade-offs behind each column, and the Lobby Kiosk Peak Hour Sizing Planner in our Tools section helps decide whether the busiest types need a second tablet. Keep the finished sheet at the desk and review it whenever a visitor type keeps needing an exception.
| Visitor type | Sign-in and identity check | Host notification | Badge and escort | Sign-out and record retention | Owner and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Client or prospect | Pre-registered by the host when possible; name, company, and host on the tablet; no ID check unless the visit involves restricted areas | Text and email to the host at sign-in; front desk alerted if no response within Your figure minutes | Printed badge with name, company, host, and date; escorted by the host at all times | Tap out at the tablet or auto sign-out at close of business; record kept Your period | Front desk lead: Your name |
| Job candidate | Pre-registered by the recruiter; name and host only, no company field required | Alert to the recruiter and the interviewer; reception offers a seat and water | Printed badge marked Candidate; escorted to and from the interview room | Signed out by the interviewer; record kept for the hiring file period set by HR | Recruiting contact: Your name |
| Contractor with tools | Name, company, and host; photo ID checked against the work order; safety briefing and any permit acknowledged on the tablet before entry | Alert to the facilities contact who booked the work, plus a copy to reception | Distinctive contractor badge; escorted to the work area, then unescorted only in the zones listed on the permit | Must sign out and return the badge; record kept for the contract or insurance period, Your period | Facilities: Your name |
| Courier or food delivery | No full sign-in; package logged with carrier, recipient, and time at a drop-off station or by reception | Recipient notified by chat or email that a package is at the desk | No badge; does not pass the lobby | No sign-out; package log kept Your period | Reception: Your name |
| Vendor or sales rep | Name, company, and host required; walk-ins without a scheduled host are not admitted past the lobby | Alert to the named host only; reception does not page other staff on the visitor's behalf | Printed badge; escorted by the host | Tap out at the tablet; record kept Your period | Front desk lead: Your name |
| Auditor or inspector | Name, agency or firm, and credential checked; NDA or confidentiality notice accepted if required by your policy | Alert to the executive sponsor and the compliance or office manager | Printed badge marked Auditor; escorted at all times, with a named staff member assigned for the day | Signed out by the escort; record kept for the audit retention period, Your period | Compliance or office manager: Your name |
| Employee guest (family or friend) | Name and the employee they are visiting; no company field | Text to the employee; guest waits in the lobby until met | Guest badge; escorted by the employee, no access to work areas beyond common space | Tap out; record kept for a short period, Your period | Reception: Your name |
| Temporary or agency staff | Name and agency on first day; ID checked and onboarding forms completed; issued a temporary staff credential rather than a visitor record after that | Alert to the hiring manager on the first day only | Temporary staff badge valid for the assignment dates; unescorted within permitted areas | Daily sign-in and sign-out for the live roster; record kept with HR records | HR and hiring manager: Your names |
| Event or training attendee | Bulk pre-registered from the attendee list; name and organization confirmed at a dedicated tablet or a second sign-in station | No per-person host alert; the event organizer receives a running count | Attendee badge printed in advance or on arrival; group escorted to the room, then confined to the event space | Group signed out by the organizer at the end; record kept Your period | Event organizer: Your name |
| After-hours visitor | Admitted only if pre-registered and expected by a staff member on site; ID checked by that staff member | The on-site staff member is the host and is alerted directly; security or building management notified if your lease requires it | Printed badge if the printer is on, otherwise a written badge; escorted at all times | Signed out by the host before leaving together; record kept Your period | On-site host: Your name |
https://lobbysignr.com/templates/visitor-type-handling-policy-worksheet/Use it in your business, share it with your team, or link to it from your own site.
Also from LobbySignr
- Digital Visitor Sign-In Rollout Checklist: A step-by-step checklist for an office manager replacing the paper visitor book with tablet sign-in, covering policy decisions, data and privacy, hardware, host notifications, the evacuation roster, staff training, and launch week.
- Free calculators