Running a calm queue
The habits that keep wait times accurate and customers happy. Read it once, then share it with your team.
Tip 1
Set up before your first customer
Waqti estimates waiting time from the services in each line. Ten minutes spent on setup saves a lot of “how long left?” at the counter.
- Add every service with its real duration, not the ideal one.
- Add each team member with a photo, so customers recognise who they're picking.
- Set opening hours so bookings only land when you're open.
- In Team, save each day's schedule (days off and breaks). Customers can only book days you've saved.
Tip 2
Put your QR code where people wait
Most people join the queue in the first few seconds after they walk in, or before they even arrive. Make the link impossible to miss.
- Open Queue and tap QR Code. Screenshot it to print for the door, or keep it on a tablet at the counter.
- Use Copy link for your Instagram bio, Google profile and WhatsApp.
Tip 3
Call next and mark no-shows right away
Wait times are calculated from what's actually happening on the board. If a finished customer is still shown as “in service”, everyone behind them sees a longer wait than they should.
- Tap Complete as soon as a customer leaves the chair.
- If someone doesn't show after being called, mark No-show and call the next person.
Tip 4
Pause a person, not the shop
Closing the whole shop turns away customers who'd happily wait for someone else. Pausing one column stops new people joining that line only.
- On the Queue board, tap Pause on that person's column.
- Use Move to… to send waiting customers to someone who's free.
Tip 5
Close the shop at the end of the day
When your last slot is taken, close the queue from the Queue page. Customers see the shop as closed instead of joining and being disappointed.
- Tap Close shop on the Queue page. Open it again tomorrow with one tap.
Tip 6
Check Analytics after a busy day
Pick any day to see how many people you served, the average wait, your busiest hour and the no-show rate, plus how each team member did.
- Compare the same weekday across a few weeks to spot your real rush hours.
- If no-shows are high on certain days, push customers toward bookings on those days.