Pen and paper is one of the biggest cause for mistakes in our industry. I’ve seen venues not let in high profile guests who would have spent thousands inside the door all because one person didn’t know who they were. I’ve seen guest list lines get bottlenecked as the host sifts through pages to try to find the name that was written down. I’ve seen VIP tables double booked because it wasn’t documented correctly. I’ve also seen people who were told they were on the list get turned away because they weren’t added before the list got printed.
None of these things should happen anymore, and it’s costing your venue thousands of dollars as a result.
That’s why it’s time to retire the old pen & paper and upgrade to a digital system that’ll bring in even more revenue opportunities. Here are 4 main benefits from going digital.
1. Increase Efficiency
You’re able to streamline your lines when you have a digital, centralized list. Plus, it’s a lot easier for your staff to handle. All they have to do is either scan the guests’ QR code or search for their name, mark them as arrived, and then they’re on to the next guest. No more sifting through pages of paper. Now guests are inside and spending more money at the bar to drive up your bar sales.
2. Collect Guest Information
With pen and paper, it was next to impossible to collect and track your guest list information. Even if you kept that piece of paper, did you ever look back at it to understand the data? Now you’re able to with ease. A digital system keeps track of your guest list, general admission, ticketing, and reservation status automatically so you don’t have to cross-reference your list at the end of the night. Plus, you’ll know exactly how many people checked in and which promoter, staff member, or marketing campaign brought them in the first place.
3. Understand Guest Habits
Most systems do the mere task of checking people in. The best ones are those that sync with other areas of your venue to present wholistic, individual guest data. This then allows you to better understand who your guests are from a demographic level, but also what their habits and preferences are. What types of beverages do they order? How much do they spend once inside your venue? Do they only come on big event nights; Friday nights; every weekend night? These answers help you to give each guest a more personal experience, allows you to better market to them to keep them coming back, and even gives you the power to upsell them once they arrive. This is the type of activity that grows your club’s revenue while improving their experience — a win-win for all.
4. Get Staff on Same Page
With a digital system, each staff member can have their own login and add guests as requests come in. These guests appear on your list in real-time, so there’s never that awkward moment of someone thinking they were on when they never got added. Plus, this removes the need for staff to email or text in their list to make sure their guests get added — they have the ability of doing it themselves and knowing that their guests got on. It’s smoother and has less room for error.
Pen and paper can’t provide anything to you other than simply crossing off names when guests arrive. In 2017, it’s time to retire paper, move over to a digital system, and see the benefits it has on your club’s performance.
