The use of the Customer Queue is optional and not all retail stores will have a need to use the feature. Using the Customer Queue can be beneficial for managing your customer inflow, especially during high-traffic periods. At peak times there may be more customers than there are registers available and retailers generally serve customers in the order in which they arrived. A queue can be immensely helpful in managing the flow of customers.
Store personnel are also able to monitor the queue, see how many people are currently queued, how long they have been waiting, and the average wait time. Being able to quickly see if additional registers are available when the queue is long is beneficial. On busy days like 420 (April 20), for example, having an effective and accurate queue can have a positive impact on your overall sales operations.
Customer Queue Feature
To use the Customer Queue, it must first be enabled from Store Settings.
To use the ID Check-In feature, Customer Queue must be enabled, and the system must be connected to a 2D barcode scanner, which is required to scan the PDF-417 barcode on the back of state-issued ID cards (driver's license).
Enabling the Customer Queue
Go to Settings > General
Scroll down to the Customer Management section and enable the Customer Queue toggle switch.
A store can have both the Anonymous Customers and Customer Queue settings enabled at the same time. The process for adding a customer is slightly different.
Add a Customer to the Queue
Navigate to the Customers Screen.
Select the customer from the list, use the search box, or if you have ID scanning enabled, click on ID Check In to scan the customer's ID.
Once the customer has been found, click Check In.
The customer is now in the queue.
Add an Anonymous Customer to the Queue
From the Customers page, click on the Quick Add button to add an anonymous customer.
In the Enter Name box, enter a name that can be used to identify the customer when you are ready to check them in. It can be a pseudonym, for example, a first name and a last initial. Do not enter the full name, you want just enough to identify them when you are ready to start their order. Then press Save Customer.
In the queue, “Anonymous” will be appended to the name you entered.
Using the Customer Queue
The customer queue can be accessed from two locations and will work the same in both locations. You can use the queue from the Home Screen or from the Cashier Home page. Each customer in the queue will display their name, whether they are a Rec or Med customer, and how long they have been in the queue.
Starting an Order when Using Customer Queue
To start an order for a customer, make sure that you are on an open register.
Select the customer from the Customer list and press Start Order.
Customers are listed in numeric order, on a first-in first-out basis (the lower the number, the earlier they arrived, and the longer the wait).
The system allows the budtender to select any customer from the list, regardless of the order.
Remove a Customer from the Customer Queue
To remove a customer from the queue, select the customer's name, and then press the X from Queue button from the Customer view panel on the right.
Move a Customer to the Top of the Customer Queue
To move a customer to the top of the queue (to be first in line), select the customer, click the kebob menu, and select Move to Top of Queue.
As noted above, you can start an order for any customer in the queue, regardless of their position in the queue. It is not required to move them to the top of the queue first.
Clearing the Customer Queue
If you need to clear the entire clear, press the Remove all from Queue button.
It will prompt you to confirm that this is what you want to do.
Refresh the Customer Queue
When a budtender in on the Home screen or Cashier Home page viewing the queue, it will update every 5 seconds.
To manually refresh the queue, click the Refresh Queue button at the top right of the Customer Queue.
FAQ
Q: While a customer can be moved to the top of the queue, can the order of the queue be changed?
A: The queue cannot be re-ordered. The options are, one, a customer can be moved to the top of the queue; two, you can start an order for any customer in the queue, regardless of their position in the queue.
Q: If a budtender has an open order, and goes back to the queue, can they edit the queue?
A: When a budtender has an open order with the customer, they cannot edit the queue.