Press Release: Register Offices successfully trial contact-free check in for appointments

Five UK registration services have successfully trialled a new mobile-based check in process to reduce unnecessary contact within register offices prior to appointments.   

Accessible via a link provided within each visitor’s confirmation email, the new check in method allows visitors to register their arrival for their scheduled appointment directly from their mobile phone. This allows customers to bypass the traditional reception desk check in procedure before their appointment, reducing the potential spread of Coronavirus to staff and other visitors by simplifying the visitor journey.

After monitoring the performance of mobile check in within its first month live across all five services, the new process proved to have been well received by visitors, with approximately 60% of arrivals checked in via their mobile device and over 2,000 completed check ins through the channel over that same period.  

Other key findings included that 4 out of the 5 registration services studied had at least one week where mobile check ins were over 50%, and one participating service had recorded 70% of their check ins via mobile in a single week. 

The trial of contact-free check in had come at a challenging time for registration services, with the reopening of register offices post-lockdown coinciding with high levels of appointment demand from the backlog created since March. This has meant reopening services have been met with a surge of visitors to their register offices and increasing pressure has been placed on staff managing the unique circumstances. 

Example of using mobile check-in

Registration and Citizenship Manager, Renae Parkes, said this about how mobile check in was performing within Hackney’s register offices:

“Hackney Registration Services have truly benefited from introducing mobile self-check in, which within the first few weeks has been used by over 50% of our customers.

Due to the recent pandemic our usual reception team are all home working, which has meant that Registrars have had to keep making wasted visits to the reception area to see whether their customers had arrived.

Customers being able to check in for themselves has proved a real lifesaver and has meant customers can be called straight into the interview room upon arrival, providing an overall increased level of customer service.”

Stopford’s Sales and Marketing Manager, Scott Graham, had this to say over the promising early performance:

“The Stopford team and our registration partners are really encouraged by the figures from the early performance study. Seeing visitors adopt the new check in process so quickly really highlights a willingness among the public to be adaptive when alternatives are made available to them.

It’s also key to emphasise the human side of the data in showing that visitors are actively trying to minimise the spread of Coronavirus for the sake of others when they have the opportunity.”  

You can find out more about mobile check-in from the links below:

Stopford launch mobile check in for register offices:

https://stopford.com/introducing-mobile-check-in-for-agenda-for-registrars/

Stopford’s first month performance study into mobile check-in use:

https://stopford.com/mobile-check-in-first-month-performancestudy/