Manage Pending & In-Service Requests (on-premise)

Customers who are waiting for service, are displayed in the waiting list (also known as pending service requests). When a new check-in request is added to a queue, the members of that queue receive a desktop alert, and chime notification. 

An administrator may also set-up email and/or SMS notifications for each queue member. The administrator may also enable text paging for the customer, allowing the customer to receive a text page on their mobile phone, when called for service.

Notifications

LobbyCentral uses several methods to notify users when a customer checks-in or is over-due.

Customer Text Notification

An administrator may enable C ustomer Text Paging in System Options, to send a text page to the customer's mobile phone when they are selected from the wait queue. To text the customer, the user must check the box Send Text Notification, and enter the customer's mobile number, and mobile provider during check-in.

When the customer is selected in the wait queue, a text message will be sent to their mobile phone, "FRM: < Company Name>MSG: We are ready to assist you! Please report to <Employee Name>."

Note: If a customer's mobile provider is not included in the drop-down selection, please contact [email protected]. 

Pending Service Requests

Edit a Pending Request

1. In pending service requests, click the Edit Service Request icon, to the right of the customer's elapsed wait time.
2. Make desired changes.
3. Click Submit.

Note: You may only edit a request if you are the original creator or have Supervisor or Admin rights. 

View a Pending Request

A user may view a check-in request without removing it from the wait queue. To do this, click on the  View Request icon to the right of the customer's elapsed Wait Time. The View Request screen displays the check-in information for the customer, without transferring the request to In-Service. 

When the user is finished viewing the request, click Ok, to close the  View Record window. The user may also click Abandon Request to remove the check-in request from the queue.

Abandon a Pending Request

If a user needs to delete a pending request from the wait queue, the user may  abandon the request by clicking on the View Request icon, and clicking Abandon Request, in the lower right corner of the window. Type the reason for abandoning the request, then click the Abandon Request button.

Note: Abandoning a request does not delete it from the system. It simply closes the record and marks it as Abandoned. Abandoned requests may be tracked in Report Manager.

First-One In, First-One Out

Once a user takes a request from the queue, all users' displays refresh automatically to show that the request is In-Service. If the administrator has enforced FIFO (first-one in, first-one out), the user must take the next waiting request, unless:

• a customer is assigned to the user, in which case, the user would need to take the next assigned customer in line.
• the next waiting customer is assigned to another user.

Take a Pending Request

1. Select a queue from the Queues list, to view pending customer requests.
2. Take the request, by clicking the customer’s name.
3. After taking a request, the next action will depend on how the administrator has configured LobbyCentral.

For example: In a medical office, the user selects the patient's name from pending requests. The name is moved from pending to In-Service status, and the patient is taken from the lobby to the examination room to be assisted by the doctor. When the patient's service has been completed, the user opens the Work Record window from the In-Service list, and the patient is checked out. Call-out Numbers

If your organization adheres to compliance policies, such as HIPPA, which require a customer's information to remain private, the system administrator may enable  Generate and Present Call-Out Number, in Administration > Web Kiosk Settings. This feature generates a number for the customer upon completing check-in and may be displayed on the QMonitor in place of the customer's name, allowing the customer's identity to remain anonymous from other patrons in the lobby. 

If using the Generate and Present Call-Out Number feature, the administrator must enable it in Web Kiosk General Settings, whether using a kiosk for check-in, or not. User assisted check-in still requires the option to be enabled, in order to create a number for the customer. 

The display settings for QMonitor further allow for privatization by allowing the administrator to choose how customer information is displayed. See Using QMonitor (on-premise) for more information about display settings.

Check-Out Window

The check-out window displays the details of the request and is used to close, transfer, or abandon the request.

Duplicate Customer Record Warning 

When checking out (closing) a customer, LobbyCentral will check for customer records that match the current customer's name. If multiple records are found, a warning message is displayed in the check-out window ( as shown below). This warning is designed to help maintain accurate data.

Request Details

This section of the request record displays the basic details of the request, including custom fields and a text field to enter closing comments.

Customer Data

The Customer Data section of the request record displays the customer's personal data, such as name, date of birth, address, etc. The user may also modify or add information to the customer profile by clicking on  Update Customer Data, from inside the request record.

If duplicate customer records have been found by LobbyCentral, they will be displayed in this area, along with the customer ID, number of check-ins, and any comments left by the user.

Help Card

The help card displays the long description of the service selected, and may be disabled in System Options, by an administrator.

Visit History

Displays the customer’s previous visits including services provided, the employee/user who assisted the customer, and user comments.

Product Interest

The Product Interest section is used to keep track of additional products or services that were offered to the customer. Also known as Cross-Sell, you can indicate which items were offered to the customer, as well as select the customer's response, and additional comments.

The Product Interest items, column choices, and the comments can be customized in Administration. You can also change the title from "Product Interest" to a description of your choosing.

Note: If administrator has disabled Item Tracking in System Options, this section will not appear in the Request Record.

Prioritize Customer by Original Check-In Time

LobbyCentral has the ability to prioritize a customer who is being transferred to another queue, by the customer's original check-in time. An administrator must enable this option in System Options before it is available.

The original check-in time will be used when the user chooses the option  Close and New Check-In. The original check-in time WILL NOT be stored in the new request. It is a temporary value that is erased when the ticket is closed out.

Example:

John checks into the Permits queue:

Original Time In: 10:00 am

Time In: 10:00 am

Time Seen: 10:15 am

Time Out: 10:30 am

John is then transferred to the Cashier queue:

Original Time In: 10:00 am

Time In: 10:30 am

Time Seen: 10:45 am

Time Out: 10:55 am

When creating the New Request, be sure to check the box,  "Prioritize this check-in using original time in."

John will queue according to his ORIGINAL time in (if system option is on). So, his time in is 10:00 am, not 10:30 am. The customer's name will display a (P) in front of it, allowing the user to see that this customer has been placed back in the queue according to his original check-in time.

Prioritized customers will appear in reporting the following way.

Example:

Request ID #1

John Q Customer

Time In: 10:00 am

Time Seen: 10:15 am

Time Out: 10:30 am

Wait Time: 15 minutes

Service Time: 15 minutes

Request ID #2

John Q Customer

Time In:  10:30 am

Time Seen: 10:45 am

Time Out: 10:55 am

Wait Time: 15 minutes

Service Time: 10 minutes

Notice that request ID #2 is the time into the second queue, and not the original check-in time. 

Add Service(s) to a Request

If more than one service is provided during the customer's current visit, the user can create added services to the request, to provide for more accurate reporting. When a new service is added to the work record, the time the new service  Start time is recorded, as well as the End time.

Add a Service

1. In the Request Details section of the request, or Check-Out window, click the Add New Service link displayed below the Service(s) Description column.
2. Select the service to add, from the drop-down menu.
3. Click Submit.

Note: Time tracking for added services can be disabled in Administration. If time tracking is disabled, the added services will appear without Time Start and End columns.