We ran this migration in real time, timestamped every step, and wrote it down. Total time: 9 minutes 42 seconds. Total cost on day one: $0 (14-day free trial, no card required).

If your front desk runs on a clipboard today and you want to switch this week, follow the steps below in order. If you have done a SaaS setup before, you can finish faster than we did.

What you need before you start

  1. The iPad (or any tablet) already in your office. A 2018+ iPad works. A Chromebook works. A Surface works.
  2. A wall mount, a counter stand, or just a flat surface. Not strictly required for day one.
  3. A small printer for badges if you want them. Optional; we will skip this in the 10-minute walkthrough.
  4. Your front-desk staff list (names and email). You will paste this in.

That is all. No new hardware, no IT ticket, no admin password to your network beyond the wifi the tablet already uses.

The 10-minute walkthrough

Minute 0 to 1: Sign up

Go to checkiniq.com/#signup. Enter your name, organization, and email. No card. Pick your tenant slug (this becomes your subdomain, like yourcommunity.checkiniq.com).

Minute 1 to 2: Confirm email

Click the link. You are logged into the staff console.

Minute 2 to 4: Add your hosts

Paste in the names and emails of the staff who will receive host notifications. Bulk paste is supported.

Minute 4 to 6: Configure the kiosk

Pick your welcome message, your logo, your required fields. Defaults are sane. If you want to require a phone number, check the box. If you do not, leave it.

Minute 6 to 8: Open the kiosk on the iPad

From the iPad's browser, navigate to your kiosk URL. Tap "enter kiosk mode." Set a 4-digit PIN to exit kiosk mode. That is the lock screen.

Minute 8 to 9: Test a check-in

Walk up to the kiosk as if you are a visitor. Tap "I have an appointment" or "I am here to see someone." Pick a host. Type your name. Hit submit. The host gets a text or email (test it on a colleague). Done.

Minute 9 to 10: Print the QR code

From the staff console, generate the visitor QR. Print it. Tape it to the wall next to the kiosk. Visitors with phones can scan and check in without touching the iPad. Useful in flu season; required by some clinics.

That is it. Front desk is digital. Clipboard goes in a drawer or in the recycling bin.

What happens on Monday morning

Your receptionist shows up to a working iPad kiosk. The first visitor scans the QR or taps the screen. The host gets a notification. The visitor's name is on the live roster. The clipboard is no longer in use.

You did not break anything. You did not need to call IT. You did not pay anything.

If at the end of 14 days you do not want to keep CheckinIQ, the trial ends and the kiosk stops accepting check-ins. You can go back to a clipboard. We are not holding any data hostage; your export is yours.

What about the data on the old clipboard?

Three options:

  1. Shred it. Most paper visitor logs have no retention obligation if there is no contractual or regulatory reason to keep them.
  2. Scan it. If you want a historical record, scan the pages to PDF and store in your document management system.
  3. Import it. CheckinIQ accepts CSV imports of historical visitor data. If you want the last 12 months of paper logs in the digital audit trail, type or scan-and-OCR the data into a CSV and import.

Most SMBs go with option 1 or 2.

Frequently asked questions

What if our front desk doesn't have wifi?

Use the iPad's cellular plan if it has one, or run a small mobile hotspot. The kiosk needs internet to push host notifications.

Can the kiosk work offline?

Brief outages are fine; check-ins queue and sync when connectivity returns. Long outages will limit notifications until connectivity returns.

Do visitors need an app?

No. The kiosk runs in the browser. Visitors who want to check in from their phone scan the QR; no app install.

What if our front desk staff hates change?

This is real. The 10-minute setup is short by design. Onboarding the staff is a conversation, not a training session. Try the trial for two weeks; if your staff prefers paper, you go back. Most do not go back.

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