Meeting Check-In: QR Codes vs. Paper Sign-In Sheets
How networking groups take attendance, the trouble with paper sign-in sheets, and how QR check-in works for members and guests.
Updated Saturday, October 3
Attendance matters in a referral group. Members who show up build trust, and leaders need to know who is drifting away. But paper sign-in sheets make attendance hard to use.
The trouble with paper
- Someone has to type it up afterwards, and often nobody does
- Handwriting turns guest emails into guesses
- There's no easy way to see who has missed three meetings in a row
- Guests write their details on a sheet anyone can read
How QR check-in works
A screen (or a printed card on the table) shows a QR code. Members scan it with their phone camera and are checked in, usually with a single tap after the first time. Guests scan the same code and fill in a short form, and their details go straight to the chapter leader instead of onto a shared sheet.
A good system changes the code every few seconds, so a photo of it can't be used to check in from home, and it only works during the meeting.
What leaders get
- Attendance for each member over the last few meetings, with anyone who's missed several highlighted
- A guest list with contact details, ready for follow-up
- A live count on the screen as people arrive, which makes the room feel full
Keep a backup
Not everyone brings a phone. A leader should be able to check a member in by hand, and a printed sheet with the codes is useful when there's no screen.
Ecoferral includes check-in for every chapter: a rotating QR code on any screen, a printable sheet, and guest sign-in. See how it works for your group.
Questions
Do members need to install an app?
No. Scanning the code opens a web page; members can add it to their home screen if they like.
What about guests without a smartphone?
The leader can check anyone in by hand, and guests can also register online before the meeting.