Calculator
How much time do repeat questions cost your front desk?
Each question only takes a minute. That's the problem: nobody counts the minutes.
Quick answer
Multiply the repeat questions you get each day by the minutes each one takes, then by the days you're open. 40 repeat questions a day at 1.5 minutes each, six days a week, is 6 hours a week: about 26 hours a month and 312 hours a year, or 39 full working days.
"Where's the restroom?" takes ten seconds to answer. But the person answering had to stop restocking, look up from the screen or leave the customer they were serving, and then get back into it. Do that a hundred times a day and it's a job.
This calculator adds it up.
Front desk time calculator
6 hours a week
That's 60 minutes a day answering the same questions.
About 26 hours a month and 312 hours a year, or 39 full 8-hour work days.
Count the whole interruption, from the moment someone stops what they're doing until they're back at it, not just the answer.
{hours} hour a week
{hours} hours a week
That's {minutes} minutes a day answering the same questions.
About {month} hours a month and {year} hours a year, or {days} full 8-hour work days.
Enter your questions per day and the minutes each one takes.
How to fill it in
- Customer questions a day: all the questions your front desk answers on a normal day, at the counter and on the phone. Our tally sheet makes counting easy.
- Share that are repeats: questions with the same answer for everyone, like hours, directions, Wi-Fi and prices you've published. Half is a common starting guess; your tally will tell you.
- Minutes per question: the full interruption, including walking over and getting back to what you were doing.
- Days open a week: the days someone is answering.
Three examples
These are illustrations, not benchmarks. Your own numbers matter more.
| Business | Questions a day | Repeats | Minutes each | Days open | Hours a week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small café | 60 | 60% | 1 | 7 | 4.2 |
| Pharmacy | 150 | 40% | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Boutique hotel | 120 | 50% | 2 | 7 | 14 |
Fourteen hours a week is more than a third of a full-time job, spent saying the same things in the same order.
What the number doesn't show
The calculator counts the questions that got answered. It can't count the customers who looked around, saw everyone busy and left, or the tourist who didn't ask because they didn't share your language. Those are often worth more than the minutes.
How to win the time back
- Sign the top fiveRestrooms, Wi-Fi, payment and hours. A sign answers without anyone stopping.
- Put the basics onlineHours, location and your FAQ on your website and map listings, so fewer people need to ask.
- Hand the rest to an AI receptionistAn assistant on the counter answers routine questions out loud, in the customer's language, while your team keeps working.
Hand the repeats to Kioskly AI
- Start with your top questionsAnswer them in setup, by typing or talking.
- Put it where the questions happenAn iPhone or iPad at the counter, the entrance or the lobby.
- See what it took off your plateThe home screen shows how many customers it helped and which new questions came up.
Customer
What's the Wi-Fi password?
Kioskly
The Wi-Fi is CafeGuest and the password is on the menu board above the counter.
Frequently asked questions
How do I count questions without a tally sheet?
Ask everyone at the front desk to make a mark on a sticky note each time they answer a routine question, for two or three normal days. Rough numbers are fine; the calculator is about the order of magnitude.
Should I include phone calls?
Yes, if the same person answers both. A question on the phone interrupts the work just as much as one at the counter.
Why hours and not money?
Hours are what your team actually feels. If you want a money figure, multiply the hours by what an hour of your team's time costs you.