The first 10 minutes of a front desk shift set the tone for everything that follows. Get them right, and the rest of the day runs on rails. Get them wrong, and your team spends the whole shift putting out fires.
After working with over 200 hotel properties across India, we've noticed a pattern. The front desks that run smoothly aren't the ones with the biggest teams or the fanciest lobbies. They're the ones with a routine. A simple, repeatable, 10-minute checklist that every shift starts with.
Here's what it looks like.
Minute 1-2: Check the Arrivals Board
Before anything else, open your PMS and look at today's arrivals. How many check-ins are expected? Are any VIPs or repeat guests arriving? Are there any special requests noted, like early check-in, extra pillows, or a specific floor preference?
With Reservista, this takes one glance. The dashboard shows you a live arrivals feed with guest preferences surfaced automatically. No clicking through five screens. No hunting in spreadsheets.
Pro Tip
Flag any arrivals scheduled before 2 PM. If rooms aren't ready yet, you can proactively inform the guest instead of scrambling when they show up.
Minute 3-4: Review Departures and Room Status
Next, look at today's departures. Who is checking out? Has anyone extended? Are there rooms that should be vacant by noon but haven't been released yet?
Cross-reference this with housekeeping status. If a departing guest is in room 305 and a new arrival is booked into the same room at 3 PM, housekeeping needs to know. In Reservista, the housekeeping board updates in real time, so your team already sees this. But the morning check ensures nothing slips through.
Minute 5-6: Scan Open Folios and Unsettled Bills
Are there any guests with outstanding charges that haven't been posted to their folio? Did last night's restaurant close out properly? Are there any disputed charges from the previous shift?
This two-minute scan prevents the most common check-out delays. When a guest is ready to leave and discovers an unexpected charge, it creates friction. Catching it early means a smooth departure.
"The morning routine cut our checkout disputes by 80%. We catch billing issues at 9 AM instead of discovering them at noon when the guest is in a hurry."
Aditya Sharma, GM, The Palms Boutique Resort, Goa
Minute 7-8: Check Night Audit Summary
Did the night audit complete successfully? Are the numbers balanced? Were there any rate discrepancies or room-type mismatches flagged? A quick glance at the night audit summary tells you if yesterday closed cleanly or if there are loose ends to tie up before the day gets busy.
Minute 9-10: Brief Your Team
The last two minutes are the most important. Share what you've just learned with anyone coming on shift. VIP arrivals. Rooms that need priority cleaning. Any issues from the night before. This doesn't need to be a formal meeting. A quick, standing huddle at the desk works perfectly.
The point isn't to micromanage. It's to make sure everyone starts the shift with the same picture. No surprises, no "I didn't know about that."
The Bottom Line
Ten minutes of preparation saves hours of firefighting. The best front desks in India aren't the ones with the most staff. They're the ones where every shift starts with clarity, confidence, and a shared understanding of what the day holds.
Reservista PMS is built to make this routine effortless. One dashboard. One glance. Everything you need to start the shift right. If your current system makes this harder than it should be, see what Reservista can do for you.
