A long line outside can look like proof that your venue is the place to be. It also brings problems: complaints from neighbours, people giving up and going somewhere else, guests who arrive cold and annoyed, and door staff spending the night on crowd control instead of hospitality. The good news is that the line doesn’t have to be a physical one.
Most people don’t leave a line because it’s long. They leave because they can’t tell how long it is. Standing in the cold with no idea whether it’s ten minutes or an hour is what sends a group to the bar down the street. A line that guests can see from their phone, with their place in it, keeps them interested and keeps them nearby.
A virtual line works like this:
Your door staff see the same line on a phone or tablet: who’s next, how big each group is and how long they’ve been waiting.
Most venues already have more than one line: general admission, a guest list, maybe table or patio service. Treat them as separate lines with their own order, so a guest-list arrival doesn’t jump ahead of people who have been waiting for general entry, and your staff can call from each line at the right pace.
When a guest joins, show them how many people are ahead of them and keep it updated. People accept a long wait far better than an unknown one. If the night is unusually busy, say so on the sign or in your social posts, and let guests decide.
The line and your capacity are connected. If you let people in faster than others leave, you end up over your limit or turning away people who already waited. Counting who comes in and who leaves at the door keeps the line honest. See our guide on counting capacity at the door.
QMyTurn gives bars and nightclubs a QR code line, text messages when it’s a guest’s turn, separate lines for entry, guest list or patio, and a door screen that tracks how many people are inside against your capacity. See QMyTurn for bars and nightclubs, or start a free 30-day trial.