Bookings
Walk-in Check-in
Last updated 19 May 2026
Walk-in Check-in
Customers self-check-in via a public web page. They pick a service and stylist, leave their name and phone, and join your live queue. Staff manage the queue inside the calendar's Queue + Diary view and start the next service with one tap. The customer at position 1 gets an automatic SMS when their turn comes up.
Where to find it — Web: Customer URL is
your-slug.openchairpro.com/walk-in. Staff queue lives in Calendar → Queue + Diary view (press5). Settings at Settings → Walk-in check-in.
TL;DR
- Public web page where customers self-check-in. No app, no login, no friction.
- Single venue-wide FIFO queue. Operators see waiting + in-service rails alongside the calendar.
- Available on FREE — no PRO requirement.
- "You're up next" SMS fires automatically when a customer's position hits 1.
- Web-only for staff (Calendar → Queue + Diary). Customer fill is mobile-friendly.
Turning it on
- Open Settings → Walk-in check-in.
- Toggle Accept walk-ins on.
- Tick the eligible services customers can self-book for. At least one required. Use Apply suggested for {industry} to one-click the typical walk-in services for your venue type.
- Save.
You now have two shareable URLs:
- Customer link — what customers use on their own phone (
/your-slug/walk-in). Copy, download QR as PNG, or print directly. - Counter iPad link — same URL with
?kiosk=1for an iPad you keep at reception. Stripped-down chrome, no navigation away. Copy / QR / print available separately.
Tip
Print the QR and stick it on the counter, mirror, or window. Customers scan with their phone camera and land directly on the check-in page.
Owner-only. Managers and stylists can use the queue but can't enable or disable walk-ins.
The customer flow
Customer hits the public URL or scans your QR code. Three-step wizard:
- Choose a service — cards show each walk-in-eligible service with name, duration, price. A header shows "{N} people waiting" or "No one waiting right now."
- Choose a stylist — "Next available" card pinned first, then per-staff cards with photo + plain-text wait estimate ("Free now" / "~12 min wait"). If everyone's equally busy, the per-staff list collapses behind a disclosure.
- Leave name and mobile — phone is required (used for the up-next SMS and queue recovery).
On submit, the customer sees a live status card showing their position, status, and wait estimate. The card refreshes every 15 seconds. They can leave and come back — the URL stores their queue ID so refreshes restore the status.
The vocabulary adapts to your industry. A barber shop says "Choose a barber"; a clinic says "Choose a technician"; a hair salon says "Choose a stylist". This is automatic based on your venue's industry setting.
The operator flow (Calendar → Queue + Diary)
Open the calendar and switch to Queue + Diary view (press 5). The view shows your day diary on the left and the walk-in queue rail on the right (web only). The rail polls every 15 seconds.
Two sections in the rail:
- Waiting — numbered position, customer name, service, requested stylist, wait estimate. Inline Play icon to start service.
- In service — no position number; shows started-at time.
Click any row to open the Edit walk-in sheet:
- Edit name and phone inline.
- Change the service or requested stylist.
- Start service — confirms in a dialog, then creates a confirmed booking (
source: "walk-in"), removes them from waiting, adds to In service. If the customer chose "Next available," you pick the stylist here. - No-show — marks as no-show, removes from queue.
- Cancel — removes from queue.
After any transition (start, no-show, cancel), the queue compacts — remaining waiting positions renumber from 1 with no gaps.
"You're up next" SMS
When a customer's position becomes 1 (next to be served), the system fires a one-off SMS:
"Hi {name}! You're up next at {venue name}. Head back now. ~{N} min wait. {link}"
Eligibility:
- Status is
waiting - Position is
1 - They've already received the check-in confirmation SMS (proves the phone works)
- The up-next SMS hasn't been sent for this queue entry yet
The fire is server-side and synchronous-after-commit on whatever transition caused them to land at position 1 (start service of someone else, no-show, cancel). It runs outside the parent transaction so SMS latency doesn't hold row locks.
The customer link in the SMS deep-links back to the same live status page they saw at check-in.
Settings reference
| Setting | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Accept walk-ins | Settings → Walk-in check-in | Master on/off toggle. When off, the public page shows "Walk-ins aren't available right now." |
| Eligible services | Same page | Multi-select of services customers can pick. Required when toggle is on. |
| Apply suggested for {industry} | Same page | One-click to pre-tick the typical walk-in services for your industry (e.g. barber: cuts and beard trims; nails: manicures and pedicures). Colour services are deliberately excluded everywhere. |
| Customer link / QR / print | Same page | The public URL plus a 1024×1024 QR code, downloadable as PNG or print-friendly. |
| Counter iPad link / QR / print | Same page | The same URL with ?kiosk=1 flag for kiosk-mode framing. |
Who can use this
| Capability | Owner | Manager | Stylist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enable / disable walk-ins | Yes | No | No |
| Edit eligible services | Yes | No | No |
| View queue in Calendar | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Start service / no-show / cancel | Yes | Yes | Yes (own bookings) |
| Access settings page | Yes | No | No |
Mobile
- Customer side: the public page is mobile-responsive and works in any browser. Most customers will check in from their own phone.
- Operator side: not yet available on mobile. Queue management is web-only. Use the iPad sidebar to access the calendar's Queue + Diary view on a tablet at reception.
Common mistakes
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| Public URL shows "Walk-ins aren't available right now" | Master toggle is off. Open Settings → Walk-in check-in and turn it on. |
| Public URL shows "No walk-in services available" | At least one eligible service must be ticked. |
| Customer says they didn't get the check-in confirmation SMS | Check Engage Activity Feed for the SMS status. The most common cause is a phone-number typo; try editing the queue entry. |
| Up-next SMS didn't fire | The system fires it once per queue entry. If the customer was already at position 1 and you transitioned them (e.g. started someone else, then they bumped back to 1 a second time), the SMS won't refire. |
| Queue view isn't in the calendar | The Queue + Diary view only appears when walk-ins are enabled. Turn the toggle on and reload the calendar. |
| Started service for the wrong customer | The created booking can be deleted from the calendar like any other booking. The walk-in queue row stays in the In service section as an audit anchor. |
| Walk-in customer never showed up | Mark them as No-show from the rail. The queue compacts and the next person moves to position 1, triggering their up-next SMS if eligible. |
What's not supported
- Mobile operator queue management — web-only. Phase 2 work.
- Hours-of-day restriction — none. Toggle is the only operational lever.
- Walk-in cap / auto-close when full — no maximum queue size.
- Per-staff opt-out — toggle is venue-wide; staff can't individually opt out of walk-ins.
- Customer link inside the storefront booking page — the walk-in URL is reachable only by direct link or QR. There's deliberately no "Walk in now" button on the main storefront.
FAQ
Do I need PRO for walk-in check-in?
No. Walk-in check-in is on every plan including FREE. Turn it on from Settings → Walk-in check-in.
Where does the customer go to check in?
A public page at /your-slug/walk-in. The settings page gives you a copy-able link and two QR codes (customer link + counter-iPad kiosk mode) you can print or share.
How does the 'you're up next' SMS work?
When a customer's queue position becomes 1 (next to be served), the system fires a one-off SMS within seconds. The message includes a deep link to their queue status. It only fires once per queue entry.
Can staff manage walk-ins from mobile?
Not yet — operator queue management is web-only via the calendar's Queue + Diary view. Mobile operator support is planned for a future phase. The customer side is fully mobile-friendly via the public web link.
Does check-in have hours-of-day restrictions?
No. When the master toggle is on, walk-ins are accepted any time the page loads. If you need to stop accepting walk-ins at end-of-day, switch the master toggle off.
What's the difference between the customer link and the counter iPad link?
Same URL underneath. The counter link adds ?kiosk=1 which strips navigation chrome so a customer using an iPad at reception can't browse away from the check-in page. Use the customer link in posters and shares; use the counter link on the kiosk iPad.