Control the Crazy

Being prepared saves headaches for you and your guests

Many businesses will ask an everyday, essential question: How many customers are coming in today and tonight?

How prepared are you for your customers on your busiest days? How do you know if you don’t have a solid reservation process?
It can be overwhelming trying to figure out the many challenges that pop up:
• How many walk-ins can you accept?
• Will guest arrival create a bottleneck effect?
• How are you going to check in the crowd and do you have enough staff to handle all the guests?
• Do you have an ample amount of food prepped?

Managing guest numbers, from pre-booked customers to walk-ins, and smoothly checking them in doesn’t have to be a massive headache every day; you just need the right tools to help you “control the crazy”, and an excellent online booking system, coupled with the best merchant service provider, will allow you to do just that. It will replace guesswork with pre-known information, which will help you be more prepared.

Allowing bookings of parties, events, and everything else in between will help you gauge how many people are coming in at specific times and on specific days so that you know beforehand how many staff members are needed, preventing overstaffing or understaffing.

Knowing how many guests will arrive will help you figure out staff numbers needed for the day and help you control when these pre-booked guests arrive while preventing bottlenecks at check-in. Some online software companies like Partywirks even allow you to check in guests via your account, which will help you save time when checking in guests. Nobody likes long lines and delays, so by doing metered arrivals at check-in, it will become a smoother process, and everyone will be happy.

Another advantage of having pre-booked customers is that it allows you to collect a deposit or the total amount, which helps quicken and simplify the check-in process; merchant services providers like FECFIN help with this step. During the booking process, you can collect all the event or party details, such as the birthday child’s name, age, T-shirt size, food they’ve paid for via the add-ons, etc. Since this information has been accurately recorded during the booking process, you can prepare and budget for the event or party, ensuring that the right amount of food and drink is ready and that any special requests have been taken care of. Ensuring that nothing has been overlooked guarantees that your guests will have a great time and will keep returning for more.

An online booking system like Partywirks, combined with FECFIN, help businesses master the ability to manage guest numbers effectively. A smoother check-in process and ensuring proper staffing and food preparation can help elevate your customers’ experience from ordinary to extraordinary. Every detail counts, and with the right strategies in place, your customers will have a memorable event and leave wanting to come back for more.

Monique Simpson
Marketing Manager at Partywirks