How can you manage long lines during hotel check-in to provide efficient service?

The obvious answer is ‘have enough staff’ on duty. Can I suggest that all rooms staff and rooms management have stayed in the hotel as a paying customer. Get them to understand how it feels to pay (probably the most money hotels have ever charged). How it feels to of travelled often under duress by rail or road, attempting to park and struggle in with your bags to eventually find reception. The receptionist may well not assist you, may still be seated, may deal with you in an unfriendly transactional manner. Experience as a customer arriving with 8 people in a queue to check in with one member of staff dealing with them. Maybe a couple of hotel managers stood around in the background but not assisting etc (get my point)?.

Do not have any long lines to begin with. Lines and queueing is apparently very British. However even in Supermarkets, data is being collected on wait times and algorythms created to define the perfect or accepectable waiting time acording to the product or brand. It really depends on how you want to be seen, especially if your clients have been queueing in airpoirt lines. Pre check in - automatic key dispensing is great for budget, however if you are aspiring to sell yourself as offering personalised service, enough staffing must be at the forefront.

*Use all online tools to get as much information as you want, even the payment. * Set satellite areas to attend all guests, not only in one area, and spread the crowd around * When arriving guest just want to get to the room and do their paperwork later, allow them with the payment information submitted online already just to go to their room straight. * Offer something extra as a discount of free drinks for the guest to have all information ready before arrival. This will boost guest participation.

One of the best ways to reduce long lines during check-in is to anticipate the demand and prepare in advance. You can use data and analytics to forecast the arrival patterns and occupancy levels of your hotel, and adjust your staffing and resources accordingly. You can also pre-assign rooms and keys, and prepare welcome packets and invoices for your guests. This way, you can speed up the check-in process and avoid delays and errors.

Extensive check-in queues often result from group bookings or conference gatherings. Hence, establishing effective communication with the event organizer becomes pivotal to expedite the check-in process. Techniques like preregistration, pre-arranged keys, designated check-in zones, or even delivering keys during breaks or group meals can significantly streamline this. Equally essential in such scenarios is having a lobby host available to aid guests who may not be checking in immediately, along with an F&B attendant offering refreshing drinks during the wait. Furthermore, the presence of management isn't just beneficial for guests but also serves as support for the frontline staff.

Self-service options are the key for big hotels to reduce the workload of frontdesk employees during the rush hours. A good balance between technology and customer service is the key for this type of hotels to manage long lines and keep down the stress of employees to ensure a good service during all the shift.

Now a days, with the enhancement in the technology, we have self check in kiosks and mobile checkin options available on the hotel's app which considerably reduces the waiting time to ensure the guest can access their rooms without much delay for check in process to compete.

Offer Amenities: Provide amenities such as water, snacks, or seating for guests waiting in line. This can help to make the wait more comfortable and show guests that their comfort is a priority.

The hotel industry has now introduced a number of innovations that solve such issues, and one of these is?self check-in.?Whether it’s done through an app or at a kiosk in the hotel entrance, introducing self check in to your hotel can greatly improve the check-in process, guests satisfaction, and overall guests service experience and all this will lead to boost the net promoter score and hotel ranking

Train Staff: Provide training to front desk staff on efficient check-in procedures and customer service techniques. Well-trained staff can help to expedite the process and provide a positive experience for guests, even during busy times.

Every front office managers, should know his/her working time. Every front office employee must have an FTEs study done, for efficiency. With that done they will know exactly minute by minute what they do, and when to be deployed. As we all know, different time of the day, need more or less employees, doing specific jobs, in front or behind the desk. The success is to engage our Guests, and make them happy. In case of-groups check in, other measures are taken, which cannot be discussed here due to space constraint.

We all have seen sold outs and hotels being very busy during peak hours or holidays or at some major event / conference happening in the city! The key is to keep engaging with the guest and also to make them comfortable. In case of group check in or families, I generally request them to be comfortable in the coffee shop /in house restaurant and have some juice or coffee, meanwhile I manage other guests on priority and complete the other check in formalities and present the reg card for them to sign and handover of the keys

Prioritize Guests: Identify and prioritize guests who have reservations or are part of loyalty programs. This can help to ensure that these guests receive prompt attention, even during busy times.

Communicate Wait Times: If there is a long line, communicate estimated wait times to guests so that they are aware of the situation. Providing updates and managing expectations can help to minimize frustration.

Front office team should ensure that the guest offered assistance immediately or if a queue was present, the guest should positively acknowledged with hand or facial gestures within 30 seconds of approaching the desk

this situation we always have when there is a group . the best is planning and executing . Teams should be made to handle the group and FIT separately. We usually have group timings and rooming list before hand so its easy to identify rooms . block them and make keys so before the groups checks in half of the prep work is done. Same goes when there are FIT, reservation has to be strong to get the timings and then other department has to be informed and coordinated to give a hassle free service. In case of delays also there has to be a person interacting with guest , offer a tea coffee or a welcome drink to ensure that they are not left alone.

Some great practices to avoid long lines. -Separate counter for group to check in -Receiving IDs in advance -Preparing keys in advance -Proper rooming list with sharer -Reconfirmation of all check ins before arrival -Having proper information of arrival timings -If we know there is a situation of all guests coming together, create a little refreshment corner to let gets refresh themselves and keep them busy for few minutes. This will calm down guest and not everyone will rush for check in. -Luggage can be tagged and delivered later to all room -Proper guidance for guests to find room -If guests arriving at the time of lunch/dinner they can be send directly to dining area some of these are good practices done by hotels.

By applying lean principles to the check-in process, the hotel can eliminate or reduce manual tasks, minimize wait times. 1. Digital Pre-Check-In: Guests receive an email before arrival, allowing them to pre-check-in online, entering personal information and preferences in advance. 2. Automated Data Entry: The system automatically integrates pre-checked information, reducing manual data entry at the front desk. 3. Mobile Room Keys: Instead of physical keys, the hotel offers a mobile room key option through a dedicated app, enhancing convenience for guests. 4. Continuous Improvement: Regularly gather feedback from guests about the check-in process, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing changes to enhance efficiency.

Nowadays, with predictive technologies, you can provide more transparency and visibility between the Front-of-House and the Back-of-House, making sure that you better manage the flow of check-in for a given day. The main reason why lobbies are crowded is because most times, the Front desk agents have no idea of which rooms are clean and inspected in real time, and how long it will take for a specific room to be available for guests. Using an AI-powered Housekeeping platform like Optii, managers can prioritize the rooms that have check-out for the day, clean them early, while sharing the information with the Front desk via a neat and actionable dashboard, so they can clearly communicate with the guests about their check-in time.

Emotional Intelligence Front office employees should display appropriate body language a high level of confidence when carrying out his/her duties and employee should make every effort to meet the guest's requests or offer suitable alternatives by engaging the guest as individuals and personalize interactions with guests, and listen to the guests without interrupting, and give their undivided attention