Pagers for pickup

With a pager, guests don't have to wait at the pickup counter listening for their number: they take a device with them when they order, and the kitchen calls them as soon as their meal is ready. For this to work, the kitchen has to know which pager belongs to which order. This guide shows how the pager number gets onto the kitchen ticket at the kiosk and at the Sales Point.

How it works

1. The guest orders at the kiosk or at the Sales Point and receives a pager.

2. The pager's number is assigned to the order, ideally by scanning.

3. The kitchen sees the pager number on the kitchen ticket.

4. When the meal is ready, the kitchen triggers the pager with that number on the pager system, and the guest collects.

Triggering the pager itself happens on the pager system; bessa makes sure the right number reaches the kitchen.

Prepare the pagers: attach a code

Every pager carries a number. Stick that number onto the pager as a barcode as well, either an EAN or a QR code. A scan transfers the number without errors; typing it in makes swapped digits easy, and the guest then waits for a call that never comes.

The codes must be:

• Unique across the business: The Sales Point looks up a scanned code among the articles' product numbers, and the same Sales Point also reads voucher and customer card codes. A pager code must therefore not match any other code you scan at the Sales Point.

• From a range of their own: Pick a range nothing else uses, e.g. 900001 to 900030 for 30 pagers.

• Not in GS1 format: Don't use codes with the length and structure of a GS1 barcode such as EAN-8 or EAN-13. Such codes can coincide with manufacturer codes, and the Sales Point reads certain GS1 prefixes as labels carrying weight, price or quantity. Which GS1 codes the Sales Point evaluates is described under Articles in the Product number field.

• At least three characters long: The Sales Point does not treat shorter codes as a scan.

• Digits only: With letters, the scanner's keyboard layout must match the Sales Point's; digit-only codes are not affected.

The settings the scanner needs are described in Set up barcode and NFC scanners.

At the kiosk: pager number as pickup code

For pagers at an ordering kiosk you need the bessa Gastro Kiosk. The self-service kiosk, i.e. the bessa Kassa in kiosk mode, has no dedicated step for the pager number.

At the bessa Gastro Kiosk, the pager number becomes a mandatory step of the order:

1. In bessa Manager, open the order settings and, in the Pickup number section, turn on Let the customer choose the pickup number.

2. The kiosk then asks for the pickup number with every order. The guest takes a pager and scans its code with the kiosk terminal's scanner; the number then appears in the input field. If the code can't be read, the guest can also type the number in.

3. The bessa Connector passes the order on to the Sales Point with this number as the pickup code. The Sales Point prints it on the kitchen ticket, so the kitchen knows which pager to trigger.

If the guest pays at the counter instead of at the kiosk, you'll find the order at the Sales Point under Open Orders by the same pickup code, see Online orders.

At the Sales Point: assign a pager

Staff can also hand out pagers in table service or at the counter. The waiter assigns the pager while entering the order, and the number appears on the kitchen ticket. To do this, create each pager as an article of type Info, e.g. "Pager 7". An Info article has no price and appears only on the kitchen ticket, not on the guest's invoice, see Article types. There are two ways to assign it.

Option 1: scan the pager

Enter the number of the attached code in the Info article's Product number field, see Articles. The waiter enters the order and then scans the pager. The pager article is then in the cart with the dishes and on the kitchen ticket.

This way is fast and free of typing errors. It suits businesses where every order gets exactly one pager.

Option 2: pager as an article option

Create an article option "Pager", add the pager articles as its choices and assign the option to the articles prepared in the kitchen. Set the price to Free, see Article options. When such an article is entered, the Sales Point asks for the pager, and the waiter picks it from the list.

Because the Sales Point asks for every article, the waiter decides per dish:

• One pager for everything: They choose the same pager for every dish; the guest is called once.

• Several pagers: If preparation times differ a lot, such as fries and a pizza from the oven, they hand out a second pager for the pizza. The guest then collects whatever is ready.

An article can have several article options, so the pager group sits next to groups such as "Sauce" or "Side". More on this in Build-your-own products.

Which way fits?

Kiosk and Sales Point can be combined: at the kiosk the pager reaches the kitchen ticket as the pickup code, at the counter as an Info article. Use the same set of pagers with the same numbers for both.

Frequently asked questions

Does the guest see the pager number on their invoice? Not at the Sales Point: the pager is an Info article and appears only on the kitchen ticket. At the bessa Gastro Kiosk, the pager number is the order's pickup code.

Does bessa trigger the pager? No. bessa brings the pager number to the kitchen; the pager is triggered on the pager system.

Can I use pagers with the self-service kiosk? No. The mandatory step for the pager number exists only at the bessa Gastro Kiosk. A comparison of both solutions is in Self-service kiosk next to the Sales Point.

What happens if a pager code matches a voucher? The Sales Point then can't tell what is meant. Give pagers a number range of their own that no article, voucher or customer card uses.

Related topics

• Plan the order flow

• Counter sales with pickup number and order monitor

• Self-service kiosk next to the Sales Point

• Set up barcode and NFC scanners