Guest requests and the front desk
How guests' requests at the kiosk reach your staff on WhatsApp, how to answer with otw, and the Guests at reception panel on the Front Desk page.
When a guest at the kiosk needs a person, your team hears about it on WhatsApp and on the Front Desk page.
Where each request goes
| The guest asks for | It becomes | Who is told |
|---|---|---|
| Towels, pillows, cleaning | A supply request for the room | Housekeeping, as for any supply request |
| Something broken | A maintenance ticket | Maintenance, as for any ticket |
| A taxi, a wake-up call, help at the desk | A request for the desk, with the time if given | Front desk staff on duty |
| Call someone | A call to the desk | Front desk staff on duty |
| ID to check, cash or a card to take, a key to hand over, luggage to keep | A step only a person can do | Front desk staff on duty |
| Emergency | An emergency alert | Everyone at the front desk and your managers, on duty or not |
Guests ask for things by talking to Ana. Ana tells the guest it is on its way.
The alert on WhatsApp starts with "Guest at reception" and ends with "Reply otw when you're on your way."
Answer from WhatsApp: otw
Send otw (or on my way) to the hotel's number.
otwtakes the oldest open request at the desk.- The kiosk then shows "Someone is on the way."
- If no guest is waiting, ChatBeds says so.
otw is for the owner, GM, front desk manager, receptionists and night auditors. See Commands.
If nobody answers
If no one answers a desk request within the minutes set in Settings → Reception (3 by default), your managers get an alert, once. The request then shows "the duty manager was told" on the Front Desk page.
Guests at reception, on the Front Desk page
When something is waiting, the Front Desk page shows a Guests at reception panel at the top. It updates by itself.
Each request shows what the guest asked, the room if known, and the time. The buttons depend on the request:
| Button | When it shows | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| On my way | A new request | The kiosk shows "Someone is on the way." |
| ID seen | A guest is showing their ID | Confirms the ID, so the check-in can finish |
| Cash taken / Card taken | A guest is paying at the desk | Type the amount first. Records the payment on the booking |
| Finish check-in | An assisted check-in is ready | Checks the guest in. Keys from your key-card system are made now |
| Make the key | A key to hand over | Asks your key-card system for a key, or another card |
| Key handed over | A key to hand over | Closes the request |
| Done | Any other request | Closes the request |
ID seen, Finish check-in and Make the key need a role that can check guests in. Cash taken and Card taken need a role that can take payments. See Roles and permissions.
The kiosk never shows staff names to guests. Guests only see that someone is on the way.
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