Walk-in queue and waitlist glossary

A

• Actual wait

  Actual wait is the real time a customer spends between joining the line and being called, measured after the fact rather than predicted.

• Appointment vs walk-in

  An appointment reserves a specific time in advance, while a walk-in arrives without booking and is served in line order when a team member is free.

B

• Booth rent

  Booth rent is a fixed amount an independent stylist, barber or artist pays a shop owner to use a chair or station, instead of splitting each service with the owner.

C

• Call-up

  A call-up is the moment a business tells the next waiting customer that it is their turn, by voice, a screen, a message or all three.

• Check-in

  Check-in is the step where a customer tells the business they are here and gets a place in line, on paper, at a tablet, or by scanning a code with their phone.

• Cleaning log

  A cleaning log is a dated record that shows when each cleaning task in a shop was done, kept so an owner can show inspectors that routines are followed.

• Client record

  A client record is the file a business keeps on one customer, with their contact details, visit history, preferences and notes, so every team member starts with the same facts.

• Customer feedback and reviews

  Customer feedback is what people tell a business about a visit, privately through a rating or comment, and reviews are the public version posted on sites like Google.

D

• Deposit and no-show fee

  A deposit is money taken when a booking is made to hold the time, and a no-show fee is a charge if the customer does not come and has not cancelled.

• Door tablet

  A door tablet is a tablet mounted at a shop entrance that lets arriving customers add themselves to the waitlist without staff help.

F

• Family ticket

  A family ticket is a single check-in that adds several people to the line at once, such as a parent and kids, so one person does the joining for the group.

• First-come, first-served

  First-come, first-served is a rule that serves customers strictly in the order they arrived, also known as first in, first out (FIFO).

H

• Hybrid scheduling

  Hybrid scheduling is running booked appointments and walk-in service from the same team and the same hours, so neither blocks the other.

K

• Kiosk mode

  Kiosk mode locks a device to a single screen so the public can use one function, such as checking in, without reaching anything else on the device.

L

• Late arrival grace period

  A late arrival grace period is the short window a business waits for a called or booked customer before treating them as a no-show and moving on.

N

• No-show

  A no-show is a customer who was booked, or who was called from the line, and never arrives, leaving the time unused without a cancellation.

P

• Peak hour

  A peak hour is a period when the number of arriving customers is highest compared with the rest of the day, producing the longest lines and waits.

• Priority queue

  A priority queue is a line where some customers are served ahead of others who arrived earlier because of an agreed rule, such as urgency, membership or a short service.

Q

• QR code check-in

  QR code check-in lets a customer scan a printed code with their phone camera to join a waitlist, with no app to install and no paper to sign.

• Queue management system

  A queue management system is software, sometimes with screens and kiosks, that organizes customers waiting for service, shows their place and estimates their wait.

S

• Service-based wait estimate

  A service-based wait estimate predicts the wait by adding up how long each waiting customer chosen services will take, rather than using one average for everyone.

• Still coming? prompt

  A Still coming? prompt is a check sent to a waiting customer to confirm they are still on their way, so people who left do not clog the line.

T

• Throughput

  Throughput is the number of customers a business finishes serving in a given period, such as haircuts completed per hour or cars washed per day.

• Turn system (rotation)

  A turn system is a rule for deciding which team member takes the next walk-in, usually a rotation so each person gets an equal share of the customers who come in.

• Turn time (service time)

  Turn time is how long one customer occupies a chair or station from start to finish, and it drives how many people a business can serve and how long others wait.

V

• Virtual queue

  A virtual queue is a line that exists in software rather than in physical space, so customers hold a place and can wait anywhere until it is their turn.

• Virtual waitlist

  A virtual waitlist is a digital list of customers waiting for service, where each person joins from their phone and is notified of their turn.

W

• Wait time estimate

  A wait time estimate is the prediction of how long a customer will wait before being served, shown when they join and updated as the line moves.

• Waiting room display (TV)

  A waiting room display is a screen in the lobby that shows who is being called and who is next, so customers know their turn without staff announcing it.

• Waiver (consent form)

  A waiver is a signed form in which a customer acknowledges risks or gives consent before a service, commonly used in tattoo, piercing, spa and pet care.

• Walk-in queue

  A walk-in queue is the ordered line of customers who arrived without an appointment and are waiting to be served by the next available team member.

• Walk-out

  A walk-out is a customer who arrives or joins the line and then leaves before being served, usually because the wait looked or felt too long.