Doorbell app that doesn't require any physical doorbell at all??

[annk]

I'm frankly not sure where to post this, so I'll start here.

I'm interested in whether or not there's a doorbell app for iOS that isn't connected to a physical doorbell at all. My situation is a group of practitioners (who together form a business) one one floor of a building that houses more than one business. The individual practitioners would like to each have his or her own physical doorbell connected to his/her individual office, but that's not possible. The building owner isn't interested in installing that many extra doorbells.

What I envision is an app that lets you set up a dashboard for your business, with the names of each practitioner and his/her room number. Clients see the dashboard on the app and click on a virtual doorbell, and the app rings on the practitioner's phone. This alerts the practitioner to go to the central (existing) door opener for that floor to let the client in.

Am I making sense? With an app like this, the practitioners wouldn't have to argue with the building owner about installing extra doorbells.

TBH I'm not completely sure this would work as I'm envisioning it. It would of course be possible to ask clients simply to call or message the practitioner. I'm thinking however that an app like this might seem more professional than simply texting the practitioner.

 

[creativecag]

I've not heard of an app that does what you're saying. As a web developer, I can say it's not all that difficult to set up a button on your website that initiates an automated text or phone call. I just don't know of an app that does it.

 

[PhightinPhils26]

If I am following correctly, I doubt something will work the way you want it to. One of the problems with your scenario is that in theory, anyone would be able to ring your "doorbell" from anywhere in the world.

By all means, don't let that be a detractor from trying to invent something like it.

 

[annk]

If I am following correctly, I doubt something will work the way you want it to. One of the problems with your scenario is that in theory, anyone would be able to ring your "doorbell" from anywhere in the world.

That's true, but we turn off sound and notifications on our phones when we're with clients, so it wouldn't be distracting.

 

[bransoj]

My daughters nursery has started using a virtual doorbell for picking them up. I have an app on my phone that allows me to press a button to say that i've arrived to collect her which only works when i'm in the vicinity of the nursery using GPS on my phone. When i am close enough the bell button is available. The only thing is i'm not sure how it works on the other end in terms of what they use to get the alert when i've pressed the button etc.

This is the website for the app - https://www.q-bell.com/#!/home

**Edit**
Read on the site a bit further and seems there is an app\website that they monitor the other end to see the alerts coming in from people pressing the "bell" outside.

There are 2 Q-Bell apps on the app store - which should I use?​

The Q-Bell Business app (blue logo) is used by businesses to monitor incoming rings to their doorbell.
The Q-Bell app (orange logo) is used by customers to ring the doorbell.

 

[creativecag]

If I am following correctly, I doubt something will work the way you want it to. One of the problems with your scenario is that in theory, anyone would be able to ring your "doorbell" from anywhere in the world.

By all means, don't let that be a detractor from trying to invent something like it.

My solution to this would be to only make the button available to scheduled visitors, so if their site has a way to schedule, they can log in and view their appt details and push the button on that page.

 

[Darth.Titan]

Sounds like you might be overcomplicating it. Look into wireless doorbells. A stick on button that transmits to a plugged in receiver and every practitioner could have their own doorbell, no installation required.

 

[annk]

Sounds like you might be overcomplicating it. Look into wireless doorbells. A stick on button that transmits to a plugged in receiver and every practitioner could have their own doorbell, no installation required.

Yes, I agree. We'd however have to get the building owner on board. And we're talking about something that transmits from street level to the sixth floor of a stone building.

 

[Darth.Titan]

Yes, I agree. We'd however have to get the building owner on board. And we're talking about something that transmits from street level to the sixth floor of a stone building.

Ah yes. That shoots holes in my solution. I was picturing the doorbells being used once you were on the office level, not from the ground floor.

 

[BrianBaughn]

I think an SMS message is probably the best idea. You could post the number to message for each office but also create a QR code for each that automatically generates a text message.

 

[Sweeperdk]

NFC tag that generates an sms to a specific number.

Could that not solve it?

 

[gwang73]

Our company and many others that I regularly visit use Envoy for invitations and virtual check ins. https://envoy.com

The app runs in the cloud and every customer will need to download the app to use it or they can put a virtual iPad as a check in station outside the front door. When a visitor arrives and checks in, it will notify the person by text, email and/or phone call that their visitor has arrived once they check in with the app.

The nice thing is that it will integrate into a lot of enterprise systems so they can also integrate into their appointment scheduler if they have one.

They may be able to set it up as a single company and list each practitioner as an employee and this way, they'd be able to split the cost of the service.