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To ensure guests feel welcome and the event starts on the right foot, having an organized and efficient check-in process is key. Here’s how to make check-in seamless:
Check-In:
BEFORE THE EVENT-
Pre-Event Email: Send an email to guests with a link to a pre-registration form from your auction system. They can provide their name, contact information, and credit card details securely. Be sure to emphasize that this will expedite their check-in process on the event day.
DAY OF THE EVENT-
Guest Arrival: As guests arrive, ask for their name to confirm their registration.
Confirm Payment Information: Verify that their credit card is on file. If it isn’t, politely ask them to provide one to streamline check-out later. This step ensures the payment process at the end of the night is quick and hassle-free.
Provide Event Materials: Once their information is confirmed, hand them the following:
- Table number: Let them know where they’ll be seated.
- Menu card (if applicable): This is to indicate their pre-selected meal for the servers.
- Bid paddles: Provide their bid paddle, which they will use during the live auction to place bids.
- Auction catalog (if applicable): Give them a catalog that lists all auction items, with descriptions, item numbers, and any special details.
Direct Guests to the Silent Auction Area: After receiving their materials, direct guests to the silent auction area, where they can begin browsing and bidding on items before the evening’s program starts.
Check-Out:
To streamline the check-out process and make it faster for guests to pick up their winnings, you can organize the items by bid number. This method eliminates the need to sort by individual items and reduces the congestion and wait time at check-out.
A great way to achieve this is by creating a large poster where volunteers can write down the names of the winning bidders next to each auction item. Guests can quickly scan the list to see if they’ve won, helping to keep traffic flowing smoothly.
For larger crowds or if privacy is a concern, you can opt for a bid number-only poster. Volunteers can simply mark or circle the winning bid numbers, so guests can check their own number to see if they’ve won. This discreet approach speeds up the process and reduces the need for direct inquiries at the check-out table.
Organize Auction Items by Bid Number During the Event:
To ensure a smooth check-out process, volunteers can begin organizing the winning auction items during the live auction. Once the silent auction ends and winners are confirmed, volunteers can immediately group the winning items by bid number in designated sections. This allows them to stay ahead and be ready by the time the event wraps up.
Set up areas for groups of bid numbers, like:
- Bid numbers 1–10
- Bid numbers 11–20
- Bid numbers 21–30, and so on.
Check-Out Process: After the live auction ends and guests are ready to check out, they will provide their bid number. Volunteers can quickly locate all of their winning items in the section that corresponds to their bid number.
- Volunteers confirm the items won through the auction system or bid sheet, ensure payment is processed, and hand over the grouped winnings to the bidder.
- Since the items have already been sorted during the live auction, this significantly reduces the time spent retrieving items.
Organize All Gift Certificates in a File Folder by Item Number
Gift certificates can be easily misplaced or overlooked during the check-out process if not properly organized. To avoid any confusion, create a dedicated file folder system where all gift certificates are sorted by item number. When a winner claims an item involving a gift certificate, volunteers can easily pull the corresponding certificate from the folder and give it to the guest. This system keeps certificates organized and ensures none are lost or forgotten at the end of the night.
Leave gift certificates in their folders and do not group with the other items. The auction system will notify volunteers when to retrieve a certificate during check-out.
Final Thoughts:
- Time-Saving for Volunteers: By sorting and organizing the items during the live auction, volunteers stay ahead of the game, and everything is ready when check-out begins.
- Quick and Easy Retrieval: With items grouped by bid number and gift certificates neatly stored in a file folder by item number, volunteers can easily find the correct section and hand over all of a guest’s winnings at once.
- Better Guest Experience: This efficient system minimizes the chaos at the end of the event and ensures guests can quickly collect their winnings without long wait times and a positive experience.