A great reception desk and checkin team:
Make a guest feel more important than the computer, with immediate and direct eye contact. The clerk's manner is personal, engaging, and efficient
Offers not a vague "How are you?," but a hospitable greeting: "Welcome/Good evening/So nice to have you here/It's a pleasure"
Is candid about room placement and noise issues (A converted smoking room? Fresh paint? A dog/kids/honeymooners next door?)
Is discreet. The guest's name and (horrors!) room number should never be spoken
If there is an issue, either during checkin or once the guest has seen the room, the front desk should be willing and eager to solve the problem, no questions asked