Queueing is now available!
This feature is an add-on; to activate, contact your Booxi representative.
This feature requires a Head Office account; to obtain this, you must be subscribed to the Essential, Standard or Custom plan.
What is queueing?
Queueing refers to a system that manages the order and flow of customers waiting to be served; its purpose is to help you organize customer demand in a structured and efficient way.
Queueing will be especially useful to you if you frequently handle high foot traffic. Such environments typically include the following:
Retail stores offering walk-in services
Salons & spas with flexible appointment slots
etc.
What is unique about our queueing feature?
Our queueing system goes beyond the limitations of first-come, first-served models. Instead of rigidly serving clients in order of arrival, it intelligently considers the service each client needs and the real-time availability of staff members qualified to provide it. This allows the system to match clients with the right staff at the right time—so someone who arrives later may be served sooner if the match is right. The result is a faster, more efficient experience that reduces idle time, optimizes staff productivity, and keeps the flow of service smooth and responsive throughout the day.
Benefits of queueing
Improve Customer Experience
Eliminate the need for your clients to wait in physical lines. Clients can track their wait time in real time, so they can use that time productively instead of standing in line.
Keep Customers Informed
Automatically notify customers with updates about their estimated wait time and when it’s their turn.
Streamline Operations
Empower your staff to manage queues in real time and respond dynamically to customer flow.
Reduce bottlenecks and improve overall operational efficiency by optimizing how customers are served.
Increase Staff Efficiency
Allow your team to plan ahead more effectively and allocate resources based on real-time demand.
Alternative to Appointment Scheduling
Let your clients join a live queue instead of booking fixed appointments—ideal for last-minute visits or walk-ins.
Boost Customer Engagement
Create more touchpoints with customers during their wait, building engagement and loyalty.
Make Data-Driven Decisions
Collect and analyze valuable data such as queue lengths, average wait times, peak hours, and service durations.
How is queueing Different from a Waitlist?
A queue is structured and follows a predictable order for same-day availability, whereas a waitlist is longer-term and doesn’t necessarily guarantee the next available spot in a strict sequence.
For example, in a retail store:
Queueing: A walk-in customer checks in, gets a queue number, and waits for their turn.
Waitlist: A customer signs up for an appointment in advance and is contacted when a spot becomes available.
See here for additional information:
| Queueing | Waitlist |
Order | Dynamic sequencing (see note here) | Not always sequential; can be prioritized |
Use Case | Immediate service (e.g. walk-in clinics, retail counters) | Future availability (e.g. event registration) |
Timeframe | Same-day | Long-term; no fixed timeframe |
Customer Expectation | Knows their position and expected wait time | Waits for an open spot but may not know exact timing |
How to create/configure a queue
First, you must create at least one queue service. To do so, go to the "Services" tab and follow the usual service creation process, making sure to select "Queue" as the booking type:
Once complete, navigate to the "Calendar" tab, click the schedule icon in the top left corner, then select "Queueing."
Enter your queue settings:
Date [read-only, set to the current day]
Start/end time
Personnel
Select the personnel that will offer services for the entirety of the queue duration.
*Note: Only staff members that are assigned to services of type "Queue" can be chosen.
Once your settings are configured, make sure to save your changes.
How to add a client to a queue
To manually add a client to the queue, click the "Add to Queue" button in the top right of the screen:
Service: Choose the service to be offered; only services of type "Queue" will be displayed.
*Note: the service cannot be edited once the client has been added to the queue.
Estimated duration [read-only]. The service's duration (Services > Service details).
Price [read-only]. The service's price (Services > Service details).
Queue Details
Estimated Wait Time (in minutes) [read-only]. See here to learn how wait time is calculated.
Estimated Service Time [read-only]: the estimated time at which the service will be offered (based on the estimated wait time).
*Note: When a client is added to the queue, they will receive an email containing their estimated wait time and approximate service time and/or an SMS (if chosen) containing a link to the tracking page. This information is also displayed in the queue list, so you can share it with the client right away if desired.
Client Details
First Name and Last Name
Mobile number (mandatory if "Send SMS reminder" box is checked)
Phone number
Send SMS reminder (checkbox)
Email (mandatory if "Send email reminder" box is checked)
Send email reminder (checkbox)
Additional Request (visible to the client)
Ex: "Mrs. Johnson would like perfume samples before she leaves."
Quick note
This section can be used to record any details that may be helpful for yourself or fellow staff members. Ex: "Client is wearing a red scarf and blue blouse."
*Note: This note is not visible to clients.
Once complete, make sure to save.
Queue actions
How to assign a Staff member to a queue booking
When you are ready to service a client, assign a staff member to their queue booking.
Right-click a queue booking, then select "Assign personnel".
*Note: it is possible to change the assigned personnel of an ongoing booking. The booking will be shown in the booking history of the staff member that was assigned at the time the booking was completed.
You will only be able to assign staff members that are currently available. Staff members are considered unavailable if they are assigned to an ongoing queue booking or a scheduled appointment/group event, or have a busy time slot.
How to edit a queue booking
Right-click a queue booking, then select "Edit".
The following elements can be edited:
Client
Email/SMS reminder checkboxes
Additional request from client (visible to client)
Quick note
Bookings with status "Cancelled" or "Completed" are not editable.
How to remove a client from a queue (i.e. cancel a queue booking)
Right-click a queue booking, then select "Cancel". The client will be immediately notified.
How to unassign a staff member from a booking
Right-click a queue booking, then select "Unassign Personnel". The booking status will change to "Waiting" (or "Client arrived" if previously set).
Queue detail summary
To quickly see a queue booking's details, simply hover over it.
Queue List View
Queue statistics are displayed at the top of the queue schedule view. These include:
Clients served: the number of clients served so far today (i.e. whose queue booking status is "Completed")
Queue total: the number of clients currently in the queue (includes all clients, regardless of their booking's status)
Staff available: the number of staff members that are not currently serving a client (*Note: only staff members who are assigned to the queue are considered)
More detailed queue statistics can be found by clicking the statistics button shown here:
Wait time (i.e. the amount of time between when a client joins the queue and when a staff member is assigned to their booking)
Min: the shortest wait time from among today's queue bookings
Max: the longest wait time from among today's queue bookings
Average: the average queue wait time
Service duration (only considers queue bookings with status "Completed")
Min: the shortest service duration from among today's queue bookings; measures the time between when a service started and when it was completed.
Max: the longest service duration from among today's queue bookings; measures the time between when a service started and when it was completed.
Average: the average service duration.
Total today
Bookings: total number of queue bookings
Clients served: total number of clients served (i.e. whose queue booking status is "Completed")
No-show: total number of queue bookings with status "No-show"
The queue list view contains the following columns:
#: the client's current position in the queue
Status
See queue statuses for more info.
Booking ID: the queue's unique identifier
Duration: the service's estimated duration, unless the booking is completed, in which case it will reflect the actual service duration.
Time: estimated remaining wait time
Personnel
The name of the staff member currently assigned to the booking.
Service: the name of the service being offered
Client Name
Client Phone
Client Email
You may reorder (i.e. drag/drop) and resize the columns as you see fit.
Queue settings (Business Booking Rules)
Queue settings can only be edited if all current queue bookings are either completed or cancelled, and the end time has passed (i.e. the queue is inactive).
Enable Queue
Enable to activate the queue feature. Once enabled, the queueing option will be shown in the Calendar tab, and you'll be able to add clients to a daily queue.
Show Client Position
Enable to display the client's current queue position in the tracking page.
Show Estimated Wait Time
Enable to display the client's wait time in the tracking page.
Queue reminder notification
Enable to send a message to clients, reminding them of their upcoming queue booking.
Queue reminder Notification Delay
Specify the amount of time before the estimated service time the reminder notification should be sent.
Confirm Client Presence
Enable to ask clients to confirm their presence in the queue reminder notification.
Auto-Cancel if Presence Not Confirmed
Enable to require clients to confirm their presence in the queue reminder notification. If the client does not confirm their presence within the allotted delay), they will be removed from the queue. Once a client confirms, their booking status will change to "Confirmed".
Specify how much time a client has to confirm their presence before they are automatically removed from the queue.
Your Turn notification
Enable to send a message to clients before their estimated service time, notifying them of their upcoming turn.
Your Turn Notification Delay
Specify the amount of time before the estimated service time that the notification is sent.
How it works : Queue flow overview
The client arrives at your store or calls your business, asking to be served.
A staff member offers to add the client to the queue, informing them of the estimated wait time and/or their position should they choose to join.
The client accepts; they provide you the required information (name, reminder preferences, email address and/or phone number, etc.).
A staff member manually adds the client to the queue, informing them of the estimated wait time and/or their position in the queue.
The queue instance status is set to "Waiting".
The client receives a queue confirmation email and/or SMS containing a link to the tracking page which displays the live-updated queue information (see here for details).
[If "Queue Reminder Notification" is enabled] a reminder notification is sent to the client.
[If "Confirm client presence" and "Auto-Cancel if Presence Not Confirmed" are enabled]
The client confirms their presence within the allotted delay. The queue booking status is set to "Confirmed".
*Note: If the client does not confirm their presence within the allotted delay, they will be removed from the queue. In this case, the queue booking status will be set to "Cancelled"; the system will automatically open a new queue slot and update the position and wait time for all clients in the queue.
[If "Your Turn Notification" is enabled] The client receives a notification, informing them that it is their turn to be served.
The client presents themselves at your store; a staff member assigns a staff to the client's queue booking. The queue booking status is set to "In progress".
The client is served; a 'Your turn' notification is sent to the next client in the queue (depending on the delay specified in the Booking Rules).
Once the service is over, the appointment is completed manually by a staff member; the queue booking status is set to "Completed". The appointment is added to the assigned staff member's calendar, and can be accessed from the client's booking history.
The client receives a thank you message.
*Note: clients may leave the queue at any time; if they do, the queue booking status is set to "Cancelled". When this happens, the system will automatically open a new queue slot and update the position and wait time for all clients in the queue.
How to edit a queue
Select the queue config icon at the top left of the screen:
You can edit the following elements of a queue:
Start time
*Note: You cannot edit the start time if there are any ongoing bookings.
End time
You may remove staff members from the queue once created; any ongoing queue booking currently being served by the removed staff member will not be affected.
It is not possible to create multiple queues in the same day; however, if this is your goal, simply extend the current queue by editing its end time.
Queue statuses
Status | Description |
Waiting | The client is in the queue, but is not necessarily in the store. Applied when a client is added to the queue by a staff member, and the booking has not yet been assigned to a staff member, and the client has not (yet) confirmed their presence. |
Confirmed* | [*Only applies if "Client confirm presence" is enabled] The client confirmed their presence; applied when the client confirms their presence in the tracking page. |
Client Arrived | The client is present in the store, but the service has not yet started; applied when a staff member sets the status manually. |
In Progress | The queue booking is ongoing (i.e. the client is being served); applied when a staff member is assigned to a booking. |
No-Show | The client did not show up to their booking; applied when a staff member sets the status manually.
*Note: can be applied with or without presence confirmation, but only applies if "Auto-Cancel if Presence Not Confirmed" is disabled; if it's enabled, its status will be set to ‘Cancelled’. |
Cancelled | The queue booking was cancelled; applied when a client leaves the queue, or when a staff member manually cancels the booking, or when a client does not confirm their presence within the allotted delay (see "Auto-Cancel if Presence Not Confirmed"). |
Completed | The service was successfully provided to the client and is now complete; applied when a staff member sets the status manually. |
Tracking page
All queue emails and SMS sent to your clients contains a link to the tracking page, which displays live-updated queue information:
Current queue position (hidden if “Show Client Position" is disabled)
Estimated wait time (hidden if “Show Estimated Wait time" is disabled)
"Confirm presence" button (hidden if "Confirm client presence" is disabled)
Clients can leave the queue from the tracking page.
Notes
Services offered via queue will be added to the client's booking history ("Clients" tab > {select a client} > Booking history)
Deactivating the Queueing feature will not affect the queue booking information displayed in the client booking history.
Limitations
Clients must be added to the queue manually by a staff member.
The queue is used for same-day services only.
Queueing supports the tracking page v3, not v2.
Clients are not permitted to edit their queue booking.
Online payment is not supported at the moment.
FAQ
Q: "How is the estimated wait time calculated?"
The estimated wait time takes into account multiple factors, including:
Staff availability (i.e. a staff member is considered unavailable if they are assigned to an ongoing queue booking or a scheduled appointment/group event, or have a busy time slot)
The services that each staff member offers
The service chosen by the client
The amount of people ahead of the client
The average service duration
etc.
Q: "What happens to bookings once the queue end time has been reached?"
Existing bookings are unaffected.