Between 3–5 pm we live or die by our check-in flow; our best wins have been pre-arrival registration (photo ID + card pre-auth) and an at-counter ID scanner that cuts average time to about 90 seconds. What tools are you using to both move the line and defuse the usual friction — room-ready timing, deposit disputes, late arrivals — without sending anyone away unhappy?
We eased the 3–5 crunch with a virtual queue: guests scan a QR at the door, get an SMS with ‘ready in 12–18 min’ from PMS/housekeeping, and can tap to hold their place if they’re arriving late — deli tickets without the paper… Deposit friction dropped when we auto-text the preauth amount and bank release window immediately after the ID scan (we’re using https://www.canarytechnologies.com). Only catch is the ETA’s only as good as housekeeping updates; are you pushing readiness texts yet?