Cover Flow is a feature of the Olo Host app that provides a full view of guest count including walk-in, waitlist, call ahead, and reservation parties. Cover Flow also allows you to seamlessly manage your reservation book and availability from each shift directly within the Host App.
Skip To:
- Accessing Cover Flow
- Cover Flow Features
- Interface Overview
- Adding Availability Slots
- Booking a Party
- FAQs:
Accessing Cover Flow
To access your Cover Flow, click the menu button on the top left of your iPad screen. Right under Server Sections, select Cover Flow.
Cover Flow Features
Here are the controls and flexibility available within the Cover Flow view:
- See your book & projected covers. Block/add/edit inventory without switching views. Each update is automatically reflected online (e.g. for guests viewing your reservation booking form).
- NOTE: You can request that Engage Support removes the add/edit/block reservation functionality which limits reservations to view only within the Cover Flow interface.
- View both reservation & waitlist parties for a full picture of your guest traffic. This is done in 15 min increments (with two hours in view at all times).
- Manage how the book is stacked for each shift, avoid under/overbooking, and always have an accurate view of how the restaurant was sat (e.g. reservation party arrived and sat early).
- Book directly from the cover flow view (which also syncs with online availability).
- Handle phone requests quickly with details at-a-glance and guest name/phone entered in just a few taps (no manual entry of the reservation date/time, etc.).
- Ditch printed reports of visit notes. Flags next to each party indicate special requests/CRM details.
- Enable password protection so only managers can overbook blocked slots. To enable passcode protection, please submit a ticket to Engage Support.
- Historical View: by using the date picker within the Cover Flow view, you can now travel back in time to see a snapshot of any previous day's service. The calendar can go back 13 months.
Interface Overview
The view is broken down every 15 minutes and shows the total covers that will be sat at that time. This is predicted by either the quoted time for waitlist parties or the reservation time.
Each party will show the party type, whether it is a walk-in, reservation, or call ahead. As well as the origin of the party, either iPad, Web, or Dashboard.
- Total Covers: Total covers for the day
- To Be Seated: Total covers still waiting to be sat (includes waitlist, call ahead list, and reservations)
- Seated: Total covers currently seated
Once a party is sat the block color will change to blue, the same as the tables on the iPad. The colors will change accordingly based on the table's status update (if POS is integrated).
Adding Availability Slots
- Select the time slot you want to create inventory in and click on 'Create Party'
- Customize the party covers
- Click 'Save'
Booking a Party
To book a party via Cover Flow, tap on an empty slot and enter the party information just as if you were booking via the Create a Party flow from the Home screen. Click Save Changes to submit.
FAQs:
Do updates in the Dashboard update to the iPad in real-time?
Updates in the Dashboard can quickly be seen in the app when you refresh the screen. You don't need to reset the iPad cache if you go somewhere else on the iPad then back, then you'll see the changes.
Does copying reservation availability in the Dashboard to future dates affect already-booked reservations?
If you copy a reservation availability to a future date, reservations already-booked will not be affected nor will the template change based on already-booked reservations. Here's a couple hypotheticals to demonstrate:
- I make 3 slots available at 9:30 PM next Sunday. I have a reservation the Sunday after for 9:30 PM. If I use the "Schedule" button to copy next Sunday and apply it to Sunday after, I'll end up with 3 slots (i.e. matches next Sunday, not 3 from today + 1 reservation previously booked).
- I make 0 slots available at 9:30 PM next Sunday. I have a reservation the Sunday after at 9:30 PM. Copying next Sunday to the Sunday after will result in 0 slots available at 9:30 PM, but the reservation remains there.
Love the New Cover Flow?
Check out:
Grid View