Desk check-in: the simplest fix for no-shows

Every office that introduces desk booking eventually sees the same pattern: the booking system says the office is full, but walk around at 10:30 and a third of the desks are empty. People book ahead in good faith, then plans change and nobody cancels.

How check-in works

With check-in, a booking has to be confirmed on the day, within a window your administrators choose, for example between 07:00 and 10:00. People confirm with one tap on the dashboard or from a push reminder. If nobody checks in by the deadline, the desk is released and becomes available to anyone who needs it.

Choosing the window

• Start time: early enough for your first arrivals, such as 07:00 or 08:00.
• Deadline: late enough to cover a delayed train, early enough that a released desk is still useful. 10:00 works for most teams.
• Reminders: a push or email reminder shortly before the deadline catches people who simply forgot.

When to switch it off

Check-in is not right for every organisation. If your office is rarely full, or most desks are assigned to the same people every week, it adds a step without adding value. In Booking Desks administrators can switch check-in off entirely, and a desk booked on behalf of a colleague is checked in automatically, so a colleague who has not signed in yet does not lose it at the deadline.