Notification when prep is complete?

[DelC]

We are using Square for Restaurants Plus running the app on an iPad in our bar and a KDS in prep mode upstairs in our kitchen - but unless the staff are watching the KDS app in expo mode in the bar, they have no idea when an order is ready.

I've hunted high and low but I can seem to find any way to get a notification (audible or via iOS push) when the kitchen staff mark an order as complete.

Does anyone know if this is possible? It seem ridiculous that there's be not notification for a food order being ready.

[k_atie]

Hey @DelC, welcome to the Seller Community! I can see that this is your first post with us. 

At the moment, it is not possible to have the KDS send out a notification when the order is ready. This would be considered a feature request. 

I can see why this would be useful though. I'll share your feedback with our product team so that they can work towards improving Square for Restaurants to better answer your business needs. 

Let me know if you have any other questions. 

[Sam_400º]

So in effect like a digital service bell at the pass? 

This is a really good point that I've never considered as in my head it doesn't serve a purpose (noise/pop up/whatever - I don't want any waiting staff looking/focusing on an iPad!). When I've got waiting staff in use (just a van so only when I've done takeovers etc) I've use the standard bell/shout or button pagers. 

What would be your workflow if there was an order marked as in progress (this is what happens in the background of the KDS - although we both know it gets hit when the order is made)? 

I can thing of one work around - but it would use a printer at the bar and feels like a backwards step when you've moved to the kds! 

[DelC]

Hey @Sam_400º - our kitchen is upstairs in the pub (which can be pretty noisy), so we can't hear a bell from the kitchen when a food order is ready. In the main bar we have terminals and an iPad which runs both our Shopify for restaurants POS and the KDS  app in expo mode.  Food is delivered from the kitchen to the bar in a dumb waiter.

So ideally I'd like it to be automated so that when the kitchen mark an order as complete, either of the apps running on the POS gets a notification that the order is ready so they know to go pick it up from the dumb waiter.

Just an iOS push notification would suffice.  Right now we are using a walkie talkie which is a waste of everyones time when things are busy.

I don't think theres even an "In Progress" status for the Square KDS - from what I can see, orders can only be marked as complete.  In Progress would be handy too.

[Sam_400º]

@DelC when you mark them off at the kitchen they'd get marked as in progress, that's what shows the little circle on the FoH KDS. 

The only work around would be an Epson Printer at the bar with a buzzer, then set the kitchen KDS to print when the order is marked as in progress - triggering the buzzer on the printer at the bar. 

No idea if you can set the buzzer without printing a ticket - hence it feeling like a backwards step from the KDS. Also I appreciate the suggestion of extra hardware for a software solution is a bit pants, but it's the only thing I can think of that would work in the real world right now. The reason I mention the Epson one specifically is because all the star buzzers only work in the same way as a till draw action with no extra controls. The Epson one I've got can be configures to do it every print etc and has an onboard volume. If this is something you'd look at I'm happy to dig into the options on mine if you've got any questions. 

I know the Square team do work on all the requests and feedback, just be realistic that this couldn't be something that hits as an update in any short term even if it makes it all the way to the top of the lists. While reading your post it seems totally logical it's actually the first time I've seen it mentioned as a request!