A queue ticket machine alternative for clinics and service desks

· 2 min read

The classic setup for a municipal office, clinic or bank branch is a ticket kiosk at the door and a display on the wall. It works, but it comes with hardware to install and maintain, paper rolls to replace, and a waiting room full of people watching a screen so they don't miss their number.

What the kiosk doesn't solve

A paper ticket tells visitors their number, not how long they'll wait. So they stay in the hall. In a busy office that means crowded seating, frustrated visitors and staff fielding questions instead of serving people. Adding a second building or a temporary service point means buying another kiosk.

Taking a number on the phone

With a phone-based queue, the QR code is on the attendant's screen or printed on the wall. Visitors scan it and get a number in the browser; there's no app to install and nothing to sign up for. They follow their place live, see an estimated wait, and can step outside or run an errand. When they're called, their phone buzzes and the screen turns green.

For offices with several desks, counters mode runs one queue served by several counters. Each attendant taps "Call next", and the visitor learns which counter to go to at the moment they're called.

No personal data required

Visitors aren't asked for a name or phone number. They get a number, and nothing else is collected. Statistics are counts only: visitors served, average wait and busy hours, exportable as CSV.

Practical details

  • No hardware. A tablet or phone with a browser at each desk is enough.
  • Nobody is left out. The attendant adds visitors without a smartphone with one tap and tells them their number.
  • Opening hours. Joins can be limited to set hours and paused when a desk closes early.
  • No-shows don't hold up the line. Drop them with one tap, or let them drop automatically after an arrival time limit.
  • Separate services. Create a queue for each service or building, each with its own address and QR code.
  • Public status page. Each service point appears on the map with its own page, so people can check how busy it is before coming.

Cost

The first 1000 tickets are free, and after that you buy one-time packages; there's no subscription. For municipalities with several service points, get in touch about yearly pricing. See the service desk queue page for more.