Call-waiter requests
What this is for
A guest who's scanned the QR code on their table can tap to call a waiter. The request appears on your floor screen against that table, so someone goes over instead of the guest trying to catch an eye.
It replaces the raised hand — quietly, and without a guest ever feeling ignored.
Where requests show up
Go to Waiter Requests. You'll see:
- Active Waiter Requests — everything open right now, with the table it came from.
- A count, so a manager can see at a glance whether the floor is keeping up.
Requests are shown by area, so a waiter working the terrace watches the terrace and isn't distracted by the main floor. An area with nothing outstanding says so plainly.
Clearing a request
- Go to the table.
- Come back and select Mark Attended.
That's the whole workflow. Do it Later leaves it in the queue and is there for the case where you've seen it but can't go yet — it doesn't clear the request.
Mark it attended after you've been, not when you see it. The queue is only useful if it reflects the floor.
Using it well
- Watch it on the floor, not from the office. The screen is designed for a tablet at a station or a phone in an apron.
- Assign waiters to areas so each person has an obvious patch. See Tables and seating.
- A queue that never empties is a staffing signal, not a software problem. Requests pile up on the same table when nobody owns that section.
- Tell guests it exists. Most won't look for it. A line on the table talker — "tap the code to call us" — does more than any setting.
Good to know
- Requests come from the customer site, so they need the table's QR code to be working. See QR codes for tables.
- A request is tied to a table, not a guest or an order. A table with no open order can still call for service — that's usually someone wanting to order.
- Requests are cleared by staff, never automatically. Nothing disappears while you're not looking.