Delay Send
Core Product: Aloha Table Service
Complimentary Products: No
Separate License Required? No
Other References: Aloha Table Service Reference Guide, Aloha Table Service Report Guide, Aloha Table Service Screen Designer Guide
View/Download/Print: Delay Send Feature Focus Guide - HKS305
About Delay Send
The Hold button that appears as one of the standard buttons on the Aloha® Table Service order entry screen allows you to place one or more items on hold without ordering them (sending them to the kitchen). The items appear in pink text in the guest check window, and the table icon blinks on the Working with Tables (WWT) screen or a floor plan in use, alerting you that at least one item is on hold. You can return to the guest check and manually take the items off hold either by ordering or deleting the held items. Ordered items appear in black text in the guest check window.
Scenario: Standard Hold Button Functionality: When ordering, a guest shows interest in a slice of pie, and you know there is only one slice of the dessert left. Add a slice of pie to the guest check and place it on hold. The item appears in pink text in the guest check window. Return to the guest check later and either manually release the pie or delete it from the guest check, based on the decision of the guest.
Note: The system temporarily removes held items from inventory but held items do not print on the chit or guest check.
You can enhance the functionality of the standard Hold button by enabling the automatic release of held items, known as the Delay Send functionality. Held items release to the kitchen based on the number of minutes you enter at the time you place them on hold, eliminating the need to manually take the items off hold.
Scenario: Enhanced Hold Button Functionality: When ordering, a guest shows interest in a slice of pie, and you know there is only one slice of the dessert left. Add a slice of pie to the guest check and place it on hold. When you touch the Hold button, a screen appears allowing you to specify the number of minutes to hold the item before automatically releasing it to the kitchen. Should the guest decide they do not want the slice of pie, return to the guest check before the item automatically releases to the kitchen, select and delete the item.
For more advanced functionality, such as providing a Hold button with a preset length of time to hold items, or to provide multiple Hold buttons configured with different increments of time (10 Minutes, 20 Minutes, 30 Minutes), you can replace the standard Hold button with one or more custom Hold buttons configured to meet your needs.
Scenario: Custom Hold Button Functionality: When ordering, guests who are dining in want to take an order home with them for a family member who was unable to dine out with them. They want you to wait and prepare the items so that they are ready just before they leave. Add the 'to go' items to the guest check and touch the custom Hold button that is preset to automatically release in 20 minutes. If you determine the guests need more time, return to the guest check before the held items automatically release to the kitchen, select the items, and reset the hold time.
Reference: While Delay Send is useful as a standalone feature, it also works in conjunction with Course Ordering. Refer to the Course Ordering Feature Focus Guide - HKS312 for how you can integrate these two features.
Configuring Delay Send
- Enabling and defining delay send functionality
- Adding preset hold buttons to a custom panel
- Activating custom panel
- Refreshing POS data
Using Delay Send
Learn how to perform procedures related to delay send.
Troubleshooting Delay Send
Learn possible solutions to problems you may encounter with delay send.