Leveraging Aloha Takeout phone number for Aloha Kitchen text paging
With the growing number of people using cell phones, restaurants now find value in sending text messages to guests to notify them when their order is ready. This eliminates the need for expensive, upfront investments in physical restaurant pagers that often 'walk away,' requiring replacement. AK integrates with HME Wireless, which provides wireless paging communication tools for sending a text message to a guest when their order is ready. At the time you fully bump the order in AK, the system sends a text message to the guest, referencing either the guest name or check name, or both. Note: You must use Aloha Kitchen v16.1 or later.
Reference: Refer to the Aloha Kitchen HME Wireless Text Paging Feature Focus Guide - HKS367 for complete information on configuring and sending a text message to guests when their order is ready.
Leveraging the ATO phone number for AK text paging without integration
Without ATO and AK integration, or when ATO is not installed, you must ask the guest their mobile phone number each time and manually name the order in Aloha Quick Service or tab in Aloha Table Service with the number. When you bump the order in AK, the system automatically sends a text to the guest, letting them know their order is ready.
Leveraging the ATO phone number for AK text paging with integration
With ATO and AK integration, you do not name the order in Aloha Quick Service or Table Service and AK uses the mobile phone number captured in ATO as the number to send the text to the guest for every order associated with that guest record. If you do not capture the mobile phone number in ATO, no text page is sent, regardless if you name the order in Quick Service or Table Service.
To send a text message when integrating with Aloha Takeout:
- Start an order in Aloha Takeout. It the guest is not already entered into the system, the guest record appears.
- Enter the required information for the guest, including the mobile phone number.
- When you are done, touch OK.
- Navigate to Aloha Quick Service or Table Service and enter items for the check.
- Tender the order, as normal. Based on configuration, the guest name or check number, or both, appears as the name of the order on the video cell in AK.
- In AK, bump the order from an expo screen. The system sends the text, such as 'Order 80 is ready for pickup,' to the guest, letting the guest know their order is ready.