Operations
How does a walk-in waitlist tell customers it is their turn?
A good waitlist answers the question before anyone asks it: the customer sees their place and wait on their own phone, the lobby TV calls their name, and a notification can reach them if they stepped out. Here is what each piece does, and where text messages fit.
The short answer
The customer scans a code and lands on a page that shows their place in line and a live wait. The page updates by itself, so nobody has to refresh it or call the shop.
When the team taps the next name on the Staff Screen, the customer’s page changes to show it is their turn, and the lobby TV announces them with a chime.
Customers who allow browser notifications, or who use the NextUp app, can also get a notification on their phone.
What each piece does
The phone page. It is the same link the customer opened at check-in. It shows how many people are ahead and the estimated wait, and it flips to “your turn” the moment they are called. No app to download.
The lobby TV. It shows who is up, who is next and the current wait, with a chime when someone is called. It suits the customer who stays in the room.
Phone notifications. A customer who allows notifications in the browser, or who uses the NextUp app, can be told even when the page is closed.
The Staff Screen. One tap calls the next person, and the phone page and the TV both follow. Nobody shouts names across the room.
Four ways a customer learns it is their turn
| The phone page | The customer, on their own phone | Nothing to download; it updates by itself |
|---|---|---|
| The lobby TV | Anyone in the room | A TV running the display; a chime plays when someone is called |
| Phone notifications | A customer who stepped out, even with the page closed | Browser notifications allowed, or the NextUp app |
| The Staff Screen | Your team | One tap on the next name; the phone page and TV follow |
What about text messages?
Text alerts switch on soon, once carrier verification finishes. Until then, the phone page, the TV chime and notifications do the job, and the line works without a single text.
When texts are on, NextUp Walk-in pays for each business’s first 500 texts every month, with a small per-text charge after that. See how notifications work for the current details.
Why a live page beats a text alone
A text says one thing once. A live page keeps the answer current: if the line moves faster or slower, the customer sees the new wait without asking.
It also gives the customer a way to leave. A person who can see they are fourth in line with a 25-minute wait can walk to the store next door and come back, which is a walk-in you kept instead of one you lost.
Estimate the wait for the next person who walks in
Slide the numbers to match a busy hour. The estimate is the same arithmetic a line uses to quote a wait.
- Wait for the next person
- 60 min
- Waiting right now
- 6
- Chairs working
- 3 30 min each
Hover or tab to a column for the numbers.
| Wait | |
|---|---|
| #1 | 0 min |
| #2 | 0 min |
| #3 | 0 min |
| #4 | 30 min |
| #5 | 30 min |
| #6 | 30 min |
| #7 | 60 min |
Example arithmetic: the wait for place N is the full rounds of service ahead of you. Real services vary, which is why a live line re-quotes.
Assumes every service takes the same time. A live line quotes from the real services booked, so it moves as the day does.
Habits that keep the call from being missed
The tools only work as well as the routine around them. A few small habits do most of the job.
- Call the next name promptly. The phone page and the TV change the moment you tap, so a delay at the Staff Screen is a delay for the customer.
- Tell people at check-in that the page on their phone will show when it is their turn, and that they can allow notifications if they step out.
- Keep the TV visible from the waiting seats, with the volume set so the chime carries without drowning out conversation.
- Give an honest wait. A customer who knows the wait can decide to leave and come back, which is a walk-in you keep.
Try it
Open the live demo line on your phone and join. Then watch the customer page change as the Staff Screen calls the next person.
The NextUp app does this on every plan, Free included. See the TV display, the door tablet, barbershops, pricing. There is also a Free plan: 1 location, 1 team member and 50 check-ins a month, and no card needed.
Questions
Does a waitlist app need to text customers?
No. A live page that shows each customer’s place and wait, plus a chime on the lobby TV, tells walk-ins when it is their turn. Phone notifications cover customers who step out.
Does the NextUp app send text messages today?
Text alerts switch on soon, once carrier verification finishes. Until then, customers see their turn on their phone page and the TV, and can get notifications from the browser or the NextUp app.
Do customers have to download an app?
No. Customers scan a code and use a web page. The NextUp app is optional.