Adding Walk-in Clients

Quickly check in walk-in clients to the Reception Board and get them into your shop's workflow.

Overview

Walk-in clients are tattoo enthusiasts who visit your shop without a scheduled appointment. The Reception Board makes it easy to add walk-ins, assign them to available artists, and track them through the same workflow as scheduled appointments. Walk-ins can be added by front desk staff or by clients themselves using the self-service kiosk.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Click "Add Walk-in" Button

1. Open the Reception Board (Dashboard > Shop > Front Desk)
2. Look for the "Add Walk-in" button in the top toolbar (right side)
3. Click the button to open the walk-in check-in form

Alternative: Walk-ins can check themselves in using your shop's kiosk. See "Self-Service Kiosk Check-in" section below.

Step 2: Enter Client Information

Fill out the walk-in form with the following required and optional fields:

Required fields:

• Name: Client's first and last name (e.g., "John Doe")
• Phone: Mobile number for SMS notifications (format: 555-555-0123)

Optional fields:

• Email: For email notifications and future communication
• Artist Preference: Select specific artist or choose "Next Available"
• Notes: Special requests, tattoo description, or other context

Form validation:

• Name must be at least 2 characters
• Phone must be valid US format (10 digits)
• Email must be valid format if provided

Step 3: Assign Artist

Choose how to assign the walk-in to an artist:

Option A: Specific Artist

1. Click the "Artist" dropdown in the form
2. Select the artist the client requested
3. System checks if artist is available (not currently in session)
4. If artist is busy, shows estimated wait time

Option B: Next Available

1. Select "Next Available" from artist dropdown
2. System automatically assigns to artist with shortest queue
3. Front desk can reassign later if needed

Option C: Leave Unassigned

1. Leave artist dropdown blank
2. Visit appears on board without artist assignment
3. Manually assign artist after consulting with team

Step 4: Add Notes (Optional)

Use the notes field to capture important context:

• "Wants small wrist tattoo, no appointment needed"
• "Interested in flash design #42 from gallery"
• "First-time client, nervous"
• "Friend of [regular client name]"

Best practices for notes:

• Keep notes concise (under 200 characters)
• Include tattoo style/size if known
• Flag special needs (accessibility, language barrier, etc.)
• Mention if client is price-shopping vs serious inquiry

Step 5: Submit and Check In

1. Review all entered information for accuracy
2. Click "Check In" button at bottom of form
3. Visit card appears in Arrived lane on Reception Board
4. Assigned artist receives notification (if artist was selected)
5. Client is now in your shop's workflow

After submission:

• Form closes automatically
• New visit card is visible on board
• Client can wait in lobby for their artist
• Front desk can reassign or update details as needed

Self-Service Kiosk Check-in

If your shop has the kiosk feature enabled, walk-in clients can check themselves in:

How Kiosk Check-in Works

1. Client approaches kiosk tablet/device in your lobby
2. Taps "Check In" button on kiosk screen
3. Enters their name, phone, and email (optional)
4. Selects artist preference or "No Preference"
5. Adds notes about what they want (optional)
6. Submits check-in
7. Receives confirmation code on screen (e.g., "ABC123")

Front Desk Verification

After kiosk check-in:

1. Visit appears in Arrived lane on Reception Board
2. Card shows kiosk check-in indicator (📱 icon)
3. Front desk staff should greet client and verify details
4. Confirm artist assignment or reassign if needed
5. Provide estimated wait time

Kiosk Rate Limiting

• Kiosks are rate-limited to prevent spam (5 check-ins per minute per device)
• If client gets "Too many check-ins" error, they should check in at front desk
• Error resets after 1 minute

Enabling Kiosk for Your Shop

1. Go to Settings > Kiosk Configuration
2. Toggle "Enable Self-Service Kiosk" to ON
3. Set kiosk-specific settings (require phone, require email, etc.)
4. Generate kiosk URL and display it on tablet/device

Guest Client Profile Creation

When you add a walk-in, Apprentice automatically handles client profile creation:

Automatic Profile Creation

• First-time walk-ins: System creates a guest client profile (is_guest = true)
• Returning clients: System matches by phone or email to existing profile
• Duplicate prevention: Won't create duplicate profiles if phone/email matches

Client Matching Logic

1. Email match: If email provided, searches for existing profile with that email
2. Phone match: If phone provided, searches for profile with that phone number
3. Create new: If no match found, creates new guest profile

Guest Profile Details

Guest profiles include:

• Name, phone, email (from walk-in form)
• is_guest = true flag (indicates walk-in created client)
• Artist-client relationship created automatically
• Visit history starts with this walk-in

Converting Guest to Full Client

When a guest books a full appointment or returns:

• Guest profile automatically converts to regular client
• No action needed from front desk
• Client can create account to access client portal

Walk-in vs Appointment Differences

Walk-in Characteristics

• No expected time: Walk-ins don't have scheduled arrival time
• Immediate status: Walk-ins start in Arrived lane (already waiting)
• Origin type: Tagged as walk_in origin (vs appointment)
• No prep workflow: Walk-ins skip pre-appointment preparation steps

Appointment Characteristics

• Expected time: Scheduled appointments have arrival time
• Pending status: Start in Pending lane until check-in
• Origin type: Tagged as appointment origin
• Prep workflow: May include consent forms, health questionnaire

Workflow Similarities

After check-in, walk-ins and appointments follow identical workflow:

• Same lane progression (Arrived → In Session → Completed)
• Same wait time tracking and SLA monitoring
• Same artist assignment and reassignment options
• Same notification system

Tips

• Ask qualifying questions: Before adding walk-in, ask if they want a tattoo today or just browsing
• Set wait time expectations: Inform walk-ins of estimated wait before check-in
• Prioritize appointments: Walk-ins fill gaps between scheduled appointments
• Use "Next Available" sparingly: Only use if all artists are equal candidates
• Capture phone number accurately: Critical for SMS notifications and future contact
• Add detailed notes: Helps artist prepare and speeds up consultation
• Verify spelling of name: Avoid embarrassing client by calling wrong name
• Offer to book appointment: If wait is long, offer to schedule future appointment instead

Common Issues

• Issue: Can't find "Add Walk-in" button

Solution: Ensure you're on the Reception Board page (Dashboard > Shop > Front Desk). Button is in top toolbar on the right side. If still not visible, check that you have front_desk or shop_admin role permissions.

• Issue: Form says "Invalid phone number"

Solution: Phone must be 10-digit US format. Valid examples: 5555550123, 555-555-0123, (555) 555-0123. Remove any international codes or extra characters.

• Issue: Walk-in appears in Pending lane instead of Arrived

Solution: Check the form settings - ensure you're using "Check In" button, not "Schedule Walk-in" (which creates pending visit). If walk-in is in Pending, manually check them in from that lane.

• Issue: Artist didn't receive notification

Solution: Verify artist is assigned on the visit card. Check artist's notification settings (they may have disabled arrival notifications). Artist can still see walk-in on their Artist Today console.

• Issue: Duplicate profiles created for returning walk-in

Solution: System should auto-match by phone/email. If duplicates occur, contact support to merge profiles. For future visits, search existing clients before adding new walk-in.

• Issue: Can't reassign walk-in after adding

Solution: Use the Reassign action on the visit card in Arrived lane. Click the card, then click "Reassign" button, select new artist, add reason/notes, and submit.

Updated on: 19/01/2026