Monday morning at a boarding kennel. Three families arrive at once, each with a dog pulling on the lead. One owner needs to update their emergency contact. Another has never dropped off before and wants to talk through every detail. A third is running late for work and just wants to hand over the dog and go. Meanwhile, the phone is ringing.
This is what a poor check-in process looks like, and most kennels experience some version of it every school holiday. The problem isn't the clients — it's the system. Or rather, the lack of one. Here's how to fix it.
Do the paperwork before they arrive
The single biggest improvement most kennels can make to their check-in process costs nothing: collect all the information you need before the client arrives, not when they're standing at your counter.
Every boarding client should receive a link to a digital pre-check-in form as part of their booking confirmation. This form captures everything: emergency contact, vet details, feeding instructions, medication requirements, behavioural notes, vaccination upload, and — critically — a signed copy of your terms and waiver. All of this should be completed and submitted before the day of arrival.
When the client arrives with their dog, there's nothing to fill in, nothing to sign, and no information gathering. You know who they are, you know the dog's requirements, and you can focus entirely on getting the dog settled. The whole arrival process takes two minutes instead of fifteen.
This sounds obvious, but fewer than half of kennels in the UK consistently collect pre-arrival information digitally. The rest are still handing over clipboards and pens at the counter.
Structure your check-in window
If you accept drop-offs any time between 8am and 12pm, you'll inevitably get four families arriving at once. Instead, assign check-in slots — 15-minute windows for each booking. Clients pick their slot when they book, and your morning becomes a sequence of manageable individual arrivals rather than a mob.
Clients generally accept scheduled check-in times without complaint, especially when you explain the reason: it means their dog gets proper attention during intake rather than being rushed through while staff handle a queue. Frame it as a better experience for the pet, which it genuinely is.
The same principle applies to checkout. A lunchtime rush of families all collecting at 12pm creates the same chaos. An allocated collection window — even just morning vs. afternoon — spreads the load and makes it easier to have the dog ready, clean and calm when the owner arrives.
Handle payment before checkout, not during it
Collecting payment at checkout creates two problems. First, it requires a member of staff at the counter running transactions while other families are waiting. Second, it creates the possibility of a difficult moment if an invoice turns out to be higher than expected and the client disputes it on the spot, in your reception, in front of other clients.
The cleaner approach: email the invoice the evening before collection. Give the client overnight to review it, query it privately, and settle it online before they arrive. When they walk in, they're just there to collect their dog. There's no transaction to process, no awkward moments, and checkout takes minutes.
For regular clients, you can set up card-on-file billing that charges automatically at checkout without requiring the client to do anything. This is particularly useful for frequent daycare clients — they never have to think about payment, and neither do you.
"We moved to pre-paid invoices and our checkout time dropped from an average of eight minutes per client to under two. The queue on Friday afternoons disappeared almost overnight."
— Kennel owner, County Cork
Create a clear arrival briefing for new clients
First-time clients need more than returning clients. They have questions, they're anxious about leaving their dog, and they want reassurance. This is entirely reasonable — but it shouldn't hold up a queue.
Handle new client onboarding as a separate, scheduled conversation. When a first-time client books, offer them a 10-minute arrival slot slightly earlier than the standard check-in time. Use that window specifically to walk them through your facility, introduce them to their dog's carer, and address questions. Then the actual handover takes no longer than any other client.
A short "what to expect" email or video sent before the first stay also pre-answers the most common questions: what time can I call for an update, will my dog have his own run, what happens if he doesn't eat. Handling these before arrival means the conversation on the day is calmer and shorter.
Use technology at the desk, not paper
If your check-in process still involves pulling out a paper file, handwriting anything, or flipping through a booking diary, you're creating unnecessary friction. A tablet or screen showing the day's arrivals, each with a pre-populated client record, transforms the experience.
Staff can see at a glance who's booked to arrive, flag anything that needs attention (an expired vaccination, a new feeding note from the client, a medication reminder), and check the dog in with a single tap. No hunting for files. No transcribing handwritten forms into a computer later.
This is especially valuable during peak periods — Christmas, Easter, summer — when you may be handling twice your normal intake volume with the same staff. A streamlined digital check-in doesn't slow down under pressure the way a paper system does.
Build a consistent checkout experience
Checkout should be as smooth as check-in. A dog returned to its owner should be clean, calm, and ready. The handover should include a brief verbal update — how the dog ate, whether they settled, anything of note — and then the client leaves happy.
What ruins a good checkout: a delay because the dog hasn't been bathed yet, an invoice surprise, or staff who are too busy handling arrivals to bring the dog out promptly. All of these are scheduling and process problems, not staff quality problems. Fix the process and the experience improves automatically.
KennelBooker handles the whole flow: pre-arrival digital forms via PawCheck, scheduled check-in slots, automated invoicing before collection, and a live dashboard showing who's expected in and out each day. If your check-in mornings are currently chaotic, you can have the full system running within a week.