innkeeping: Aren't checks for deposits a pain?

[MRCALLHN@aol.com]

   We are finding more and more people wanting to send checks as a deposit
(fear of credit card fraud???). While I know that this saves a small
percentage on credit card interest we prefer to have the money deposited 
(via
credit card) at the time of reservation. It seems that people never send a
check within a week as they say they are going to. Meanwhile we're 
passing up
reservations while waiting for the check which we hope will come. Then 
when
it doesn't come we have to track them down at work or at home or wait for
them to answer their messages and then call us back. . . and then wait 
again
for them to send the check.
   Have any of you found a good way to deal with checks as a deposit?