01
Telephone communication
Telephone calls made it possible for two people to communicate while being physically separated.
REMOTE RECEPTION & HUMAN PRESENCE
What Happens When Nobody Is Sitting at the Reception Desk?
A visitor walks into a building and approaches the reception area. There is a screen, but no receptionist behind the desk. That does not necessarily mean the reception is unattended. The receptionist may simply be somewhere else.
Video communication can connect a visitor in one location with a receptionist, employee or specialist in another, creating a form of remote human presence for reception areas, offices and visitor service points.
Human + digital
Combine self-service visitor technology with live video assistance
when a real person is needed.
European reception & kiosk technology since 2001
Selected organizations using Teleportel solutions across European government, public-sector, corporate and institutional environments.
REMOTE HUMAN PRESENCE
From conference calls to a receptionist who can be somewhere else
Communication technology was originally used to bring people into the same conversation without requiring them to be in the same room. Remote reception applies that principle to a physical visitor experience.
02
Conference calling
Conference calls extended remote communication to several participants without requiring a shared meeting room.
03
Video communication
Video added visual interaction, allowing people to see who they are speaking with during a remote conversation.
04
Remote presence
Instead of bringing people into a virtual meeting, video can bring a remote person into a physical reception area.
REMOTE RECEPTION DESK
A reception desk without an on-site receptionist
Many organizations operate smaller offices, satellite locations, business centres, industrial sites, healthcare facilities and other buildings where having a full-time receptionist at every location can be difficult to justify.
Traditionally, an organization might leave the desk unattended, ask visitors to call a telephone number, use a sign-in book or install a self-service visitor system.
Remote video reception creates another possibility: a visitor can approach a reception kiosk or screen and establish a live connection with a receptionist who is working somewhere else.
- Welcome visitors through live video
- Support multiple offices remotely
- Answer visitor questions face-to-face
- Combine human help with self-service
- Assist sites with variable visitor traffic
- Provide help without permanent on-site staffing
INSTALLATIONS
View our solutionsA visitor kiosk that fits your space
HARDWARE OPTIONS
Complete touchscreen solutions
Combine Teleportel software with the touchscreen format that best matches your reception environment and visitor management process.
BY SECTOR
Visitor experiences for different environments
Reception requirements vary by location. Digital visitor management can support the way guests, patients, contractors and other visitors arrive in different environments.
HOLOGRAPHICAL REALITY™
Why the In-Wall™ feels different from a conventional video screen
Teleportel's patented 3D Holographical Reality™ is designed around presence rather than simply displaying a remote video feed. The receptionist appears life-sized and in 3D, with aligned eye contact, while the camera and screen remain outside the visitor's view.
The effect is intentionally different from ordinary 2D displays and from consumer “3D TV” concepts that require goggles. No glasses are needed. The objective is an immersive, authentic interaction in which the person on the other side feels much closer to being in the same room.
The sound is also positioned so that it seems to come from the person rather than from an obvious loudspeaker, reinforcing the overall sense of presence.
More About Holographical Reality™
IN-WALL™ EXAMPLES
3D reception kiosks customized for different environments
Teleportel In-Wall™ installations can be adapted around the architecture, reception workflow, branding and peripheral equipment required at each site.
HUMAN + AUTOMATION
Does a reception screen replace a receptionist?
Not really. A screen is an interface. What matters is what happens on the other side of it.
Self-service when it makes sense
Routine visitor steps can be handled digitally, including registration, instructions and basic arrival information.
A real person when help is needed
When a visitor has a question or needs assistance, live video can bring a receptionist or employee directly into the interaction.
One connected visitor journey
Digital automation and human assistance can work together rather than forcing organizations to choose one or the other.
The result is not necessarily a replacement for human reception. It is a different way of delivering human reception.
FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION
When remote communication still feels personal
Telephone communication is efficient, but it removes much of the visual interaction that happens during a face-to-face conversation.
With video, the visitor can see who they are speaking to and the remote receptionist can see the visitor. This can make the interaction feel more immediate and personal.
For someone visiting an unfamiliar location, having a visible person available to answer questions and provide guidance can also be more reassuring than interacting only with an anonymous automated system.
This is why video communication can be useful beyond traditional meetings: it can support situations where people need to communicate across distance while maintaining human interaction.
REMOTE RECEPTION TECHNOLOGY
What can a remote reception system include?
A remote reception setup can combine live video with visitor management technology so the conversation becomes part of the complete arrival journey.
Live video reception
Connect visitors with a receptionist, employee or specialist in another office, building or city.
Visitor registration
Collect visitor information digitally as part of the arrival and reception process.
Pre-registration
Support expected visitors whose details or appointment information are known before they arrive.
Notifications
Help inform the appropriate employee, department or host when a visitor requires attention.
QR codes
Use QR-based interactions where they form part of the configured visitor journey.
Badge printing
Incorporate visitor identification or badge printing into the broader reception workflow.
Access control
Connect the reception experience with access-related processes where appropriate for the environment.
Appointment information
Use appointment or calendar information to support expected arrivals and visitor assistance.
Self-service information
Provide useful instructions and routine information before transferring the visitor to a person when necessary.
MULTI-SITE REMOTE RECEPTION
When a receptionist does not need to be on-site
Remote reception can be practical when an organization needs human visitor assistance but does not need someone permanently stationed at every reception desk.
01
Multiple offices
One reception team can potentially support visitors across several locations rather than being physically stationed at each site.
02
Occasionally staffed sites
Remote assistance can help visitors at locations where employees are only physically present at certain times.
03
Variable visitor traffic
Sites that do not require continuous reception can combine live assistance with self-service options.
04
Information & service points
The same remote-presence concept can support customer service desks, information points and similar environments.
BEYOND VIDEO CONFERENCING
Remote presence is more than just a conference call
Free conference call services and video meeting platforms can be useful for meetings, but the underlying communication concept can go much further.
The traditional question
“Which free conference call platform should we use?”
The broader question
“How can we connect people when they are not physically in the same
place?”
Sometimes the answer is an audio call. Sometimes it is a video meeting. And sometimes it is a visitor standing in a reception area and speaking directly to a real person on the other side of a screen.
REMOTE PRESENCE
From remote communication to remote human presence
One of the more interesting developments in communication technology is the gradual disappearance of the boundary between physical and remote interaction.
A person does not necessarily have to be physically present in a building to interact with someone who is there.
Video can make a remote receptionist visible. A kiosk or touchscreen can provide the physical point of interaction. Software can manage routine steps around the conversation.
Together, these technologies can turn remote communication into a practical visitor experience.
See Remote Reception Examples
REMOTE RECEPTION EXPLAINED
What is remote reception?
Remote reception is an approach to visitor assistance in which a receptionist, employee or specialist can communicate with a visitor from another location, typically through live video. A reception kiosk, touchscreen or video terminal provides the physical point of interaction, while visitor management software can support routine tasks such as registration, notifications and arrival information.
Who is it for?
Organizations with offices, satellite locations, reception areas or service points where permanent on-site staffing may not always be practical.
How does it work?
The visitor uses a kiosk or screen to access information, complete routine steps or connect through live video with a remote person.
Is it fully automated?
It does not have to be. Remote reception can combine automated visitor processes with real human assistance.
Where is the receptionist?
The receptionist can work from another office, another building or another location while remaining available to visitors through video.
What happens when visitors need help?
A visitor can be connected to a person who can answer questions, provide guidance and assist with the reception interaction.
Can it support several locations?
The remote-reception model can be useful for organizations looking to provide human assistance across multiple reception points.
Remote reception brings together the physical and digital visitor experience: the receptionist can be remote while the interaction still feels local.
REMOTE HUMAN PRESENCE
Discover how remote video reception can work in a real business environment
Teleportel explores ways to connect people across locations through digital and video-based reception solutions. Combine digital self-service with human interaction and decide when routine visitor processes should be automated and when a real person should become involved.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about remote reception
Quick answers about remote reception, video reception systems, reception kiosks and remote human assistance.
What is a remote receptionist?
A remote receptionist is a receptionist or employee who assists visitors without being physically located at the same reception desk. Video communication can allow the visitor and receptionist to see and speak with each other from different locations.
How does a remote reception system work?
A visitor typically approaches a reception kiosk, touchscreen or video terminal. The system can provide information or support routine visitor steps and, when human assistance is needed, connect the visitor with a remote receptionist through live video.
Does remote reception replace a receptionist?
Not necessarily. The screen or kiosk is simply the interface. Remote reception can keep a real person involved while allowing that person to work from another location. Routine processes can also be handled digitally where appropriate.
What can a remote reception kiosk do?
Depending on the setup, a reception kiosk can provide information, support visitor registration or pre-registration, use QR codes, support notifications, badge printing, access-related processes and appointment information, and provide a point for live video communication.
Can one receptionist support multiple locations?
Remote reception can be useful for companies with several offices because a reception team can potentially assist visitors at more than one location without having someone permanently stationed at every reception desk.
Where can remote reception be useful?
Possible environments include smaller offices, satellite locations, business centres, industrial sites, healthcare facilities, information points and buildings where visitor traffic changes throughout the day.
What is the difference between video conferencing and remote reception?
Video conferencing normally brings remote participants together for a meeting. Remote reception uses similar video communication technology for a different purpose: bringing a remote person into a physical visitor or reception interaction.
Can remote reception combine automation with human assistance?
Yes. Routine visitor processes can be handled digitally while questions or situations that require communication can be directed to a receptionist, employee or specialist through live video.