No queues at the door: 7 rules for fast, secure entry
The night is won or lost in the first five minutes, at the door. Seven practical rules to get more people in, in less time, without losing control.
The entrance is the first thing guests remember about the night. A slow, chaotic queue spoils the mood before they're even inside; a smooth entry makes people feel expected. Here are the rules that make the difference.
1. Separate the queues
One line for guests on the list with a QR code, one for tables and one for people paying at the door. Whoever has their QR ready gets in within seconds and isn't stuck behind someone still making up their mind.
2. The QR code should be ready before the door
Remind guests in the confirmation message to keep their QR code handy and their screen brightness up. It sounds like a detail, but it's where time is lost most often.
3. One scanner per entrance, linked to all the others
If you have several entrances, every staff phone must see in real time who has already come in through the others. It's the only way to stop the same QR code getting through twice.
4. Expect the signal to drop
In basements and packed clubs the connection comes and goes. The scanner must keep reading QR codes offline and sync the entries as soon as the signal is back.
5. Count who's inside, not just who came in
Recording exits too gives you the real number of people in the room: essential for staying within your licensed capacity and deciding when to open the door again.
6. Groups: let in whoever is there
If a QR code is valid for four people and two arrive, they should get in straight away; the other two come in later with the same code. No waiting on the pavement.
7. A log of everything
Who came in, at what time, through which entrance and on which list. If there's a dispute or an inspection, you have a precise answer, not a memory.
The Notturno door app does all this from your staff's phones. See how in the features section.
