Waitlist and Table Management
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      How to Use Your Waitlist & Table Management App: Never Lose Walk-Ins Again

      Manage reservations and walk-ins with ease! It used to be tough… Over-quote wait times & customers leave. Underestimate… they’ll be unhappy. Now, know exactly how many walk-ins you can take, which tables will be available and when!

       

      Contents

      WATCH: How to Use Your Waitlist & Table Management App

       

      How to Get Started

      1. Log into your SpotHopper account and navigate to the 'Waitlist & Tables App' tab. 
      2. Then select 'Open Application in Browser' within the middle of your screen.
      3. Add your restaurant's name and your host's name in the "Basic Info" window. This info will be used in text notifications that you can send to your customers.

      4. Create your initial floor plan by selecting the "Edit Floor Plan" button on the left sidebar.
        1. Drag and drop your tables. Set their number and choose their capacity. 

        2. After you've created a table, you can rotate and delete it by tapping the icons next to table as seen below:

        3. Be sure to name each of your 'Rooms' that you want to manage within the app so that your hosts know exactly where they're seating customers in-house.



      5. After creating your floor plan, double check your "Settings" - tap the bottom icon on the left sidebar. Here you can change your standard SMS template that will be sent to customers.

      You've prepared the basics for the Waitlist app and are ready to start managing the floor!

       

      How to Use Waitlist 

      After selecting the "Waitlist" icon, second from the top of the left sidebar, you can do a number of things related to managing your customers at the door.

      1. The Basics

      • Add customers to the waitlist by tapping the orange "+" icon at the top of the "Waitlist" submenu. 
      • The “Add Party” form will appear where all fields are mandatory, including the phone number - it is useful to send a text message to customers when their table is ready.

      • Overview your parties on the waitlist, including their "party size" and total waiting time from when they were initially added to the waitlist. 

      2. Managing Your Waitlist

      • To the left of the label "Send Table is ready Text" is a button for activating/deactivating the automatic sending of text messages when tables are ready. By keeping this activated, customers will have a smooth experience when being seated. 

      • After choosing "Select Table" within an individual party, you can select which table you'd like to seat them. Pulsating tables outlined in purple highlight the free tables within a room.


         

          • Assigned Table - one that has been assigned, but not yet seated. The elapsed time at the bottom is how much time has passed since the customer was notified that their table is ready. 

          • Seated table - one that is currently seated, and not free. The elapsed time at the bottom is how much time has passed since the party was seated.

      • After notifying a customer that their table is ready, you have the ability to text them further information. Use this feature to maintain close communication about updates regarding their reservation. Select the "Text Party" button to type an SMS for the customer.

      How to Use SpotHopper Reservations within the Waitlist Management App

      • Navigate to the "Reservations" icon in the middle of the left sidebar.

      • See all the reservations that have been entered via your SpotHopper app from the "Reservations" submenu. View when customers' reservations are scheduled for as well as their party's personal information.
      • Click on a reservation and you’ll be shown an expanded menu with additional options and information for that entry. 

      • By clicking on the arrow next to the "Details" label, see a detailed view of all information related to the reservation. 

      • Know which parties on the "Waitlist" submenu to prioritize by quickly identifying customers who made a reservation through SpotHopper via the reservation logo: 

      Wondering how you can see information that has been updated between the Waitlist App and the SpotHopper platform?

      Information updated on a customer's reservation from within SpotHopper's platform will update immediately once you close and reopen the Waitlist App. 

      Searching Within the App

      Search all reservations, waitlist entries, or currently occupied tables, by tapping the magnifying glass icon in the bar at the top right of the app. Enter the desired term in the text field - e.g. the customer's name, their email, phone number.

      You’ll be shown all entries that match your search term - whether it's a currently seated customer, a customer on the waitlist, or a customer who has a SpotHopper reservation for a future date.

       

      Conclusion

      No more paper and pen reservations!
      View and manage reservations calendar 24/7 from anywhere, including your cell.

      Manage your tables and waitlists with ease!
      And make it simple for your hosts to manage bookings. Never miss out on customers, even when you’re busy!

      By properly using the waitlist app, your host will stay out of the weeds and be able to offer customers the best service!

      Make managing busy nights a breeze! Eliminate chaos, overcrowding, frustrated hosts. Simply text guests when their table is ready! Accommodate every walk-in …and add their info to your database!