Visual Notification for Online Orders

[terry3424]

Lots of old posts on poor/no notifications for online orders.  I run a busy and sometimes noisy restaurant.  Online orders come through (printer preferences are set to immediately print), but unless someone is standing near the printer/Square Stand, the order can go unnoticed and our 15 minute prep time can pass very quickly.  The email notification also occurs, but with a noticeable delay.  Tried changing the prep time to 30 minutes for insurance that we might not see the order immediately, but lost orders from customers that needed a shorter prep time (that we are perfectly capable of achieving).  Has Square considered a "visual" notification device such as a flashing light/strobe or even something as simple as a light bulb or "order received" sign that switches on when an order is received and not yet acknowledged?  It could be sold as an accessory and would likely be a good seller for Square as I am certain that my business is not alone in this frustrating situation.

[ryanwanner]

Hello @terry3424 !

I agree that something bigger for order alerts would be really helpful, but I can tell you that Square is definitely not the only provider facing this issue.

My recommendations for now...

-Place the printer in a spot that is very visible from all angles. Train the team to glance at it at a relatively regular pace.

-Crank the volume on the tablet in the stand. There is the iOS notification alert that will sound, albeit not that loud

-Download the Square POS app to your phone (and possibly your manager's phones) and log into the same account as your stand. You can configure the app to alert you to online orders. That way multiple devices are getting the order alerts.

-Consider investing in the Square KDS product or another KDS solution. You can put that tablet somewhere in your kitchen or expo station so that there is a visual indicator of a new order. The sound is still minimal, but at least there's another spot for the team to notice new orders.