This year has continued to be a year of transition and hardship for many businesses across our country. The pandemic has pushed many businesses to grow and adapt in ways they never imagined they would. During the Spring, many businesses were forced to close their doors by local and state mandates to aid in slowing the spread of the coronavirus. This change prompted many businesses to adopt new ways to provide services for their clients and customers.
Businesses that, in the past, conducted most of their business face to face have made several changes to adapt to the new environment. Those changes have included:
* Adapting services to reduce foot traffic
* Establishing barricades and safety shields to reduce the spread of the virus
* Requiring face masks
* Encouraging patrons to socially distance
The Virtual Receptionist
Some schools, colleges, and businesses are finding the use of a virtual receptionist can help. The virtual receptionist can provide a way to qualify patrons or employees before they enter the premises. All of this is done without face to face contact – keeping the process safe for everyone.
As seen in the video a virtual receptionist can verify who is entering the facility.
Employee and Member Access
Artificial Intelligence is at the core of the virtual receptionist. When an employee reports for duty the virtual assistant can identify the employee and grant access based on a database of the workforce. The employee database is created manually by entering employee information and a photo of the employee in their profile. The virtual receptionist is able to store up to 30,000 entries. This provides a contactless method for an organization to manage employees or members coming and going throughout the day.
Additionally, many virtual receptionist devices can be integrated into existing building infrastructure including automatic doors or turnstiles. This can provide an extra layer of security for sensitive areas.
Covid Compliance
Many want to verify that their store or workplace is safe for customers and clients alike. Many times we rely on self-diagnosis of systems and temperature. Some have chosen to task security with taking temperatures and surveying those who need to enter. However, while this extra effort is good, it is not possible to safely distance and take another person’s temperature with a temporal thermometer.
This is one area where the virtual receptionist excels. In addition to scanning a face to determine if a member is active and should be admitted the AI can also verify if a face mask is being worn and check their body temperature. All without any interaction with other individuals.
Security and Privacy
A conversation about facial recognition would not be complete without looking into the privacy issues involved. When speaking specifically about the GoSafe by OneScreen, the device setup can be configured in multiple ways. In the case of an organization that wants to grant access only to members or employees, the system can be designed to recognize faces, match those faces to a database of members, and then grant or deny access. Several systems can be networked together and report to a central computer hosting the database. Reports can be generated for each member and those reports can include scan time, temperature, photo, and if the member was wearing a face mask.
In places where privacy is a concern, the GoSafe can be configured to only check body temperature and verify if a face mask is worn. The unit can be set up as a standalone scanner and not connected to a network or any other devices. In this configuration, no data is stored, including scan time, photos, or temperatures. The scanner simply provides a pass or fail based on body temperature and face mask.
In all, a virtual assistant can provide a safe and effective means to safeguard schools, houses of worship, stores and shop, and many other organizations during this uncertain time. In addition, the virtual assistant can provide a sense of security, letting your employees and patrons know that their safety and health are important to you.