Party state - seated, halfway finished, nearly finished, finished (iPad App)

Why is it important to use party states? Pary states are a way to help your host/hostess more efficiently run the front of the house. Often, especially during peak hours, your host/hostess will not know exactly what is happening on the floor. The color coded table states are a very effective tool in helping them decipher this. Many restaurants will even have multiple iPads running, with a manager or additional host out on the floor, updating table states.

There are 4 'table states' within Zomato Book:

1. Seated
   • A recently sat party will appear in blue.
2. Halfway finished
   • A halfway finished party will appear in orange. Restaurants commonly use this state when the party has received their main course.
3. Nearly finished
   • A nearly finished party will appear in green. Restaurants commonly use this state when the guest's check has been printed. 
4. Finished
   • A finished party will appear in grey. 

*Please note that these states are currently not customizable.

There are four ways to change the state of a table:

1. By clicking directly on a seated table, the table window will appear. Across the top, you'll have the option to select one of the 4 states. Once selected, be sure to hit 'done' at the top of the window.
2. By clicking on the party name (from the list to the left), the party window will appear. To the right, you'll see a rectangular button with the current state selected. Clicking here will open a drop down allowing you to choose another state. If you ever accidentally finish a party too early, here you'll be able to bring it back to a previous state.
3. [Advanced] - By quickly swiping right on a seated party, the table will change state in progression. Please ensure to use a quick, flicking movement, as otherwise you might accidentally move the table. Also, note that there is no backwards movement, so if you accidentally swipe too far, you'll need to click on the table and manually bring the table back to a previous state.
4. [Advanced] - By quickly flicking a seated party up (or down) while in any state, you will finish the party. The table will then turn grey, allowing you to seat a new party. You also might notice a small grey square inside the table. Each time a party is finished, a new square will be added, helping you keep count of the number of times the table has been flipped. At the end of each shift, this will reset. 

To learn how to 'cancel' a booking, or mark a party as 'no show,' please click here.

The importance of seating/finishing parties in real time: over time, Zomato Book will grow with your restaurant and provide you with very powerful data. This data will give you insights into your actual table turnovers (which are used to reflect availability and calculate wait time).