> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.eat-now.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# A day in the life

> How to run a normal service day with EatNow — from the pre-service briefing to seating guests and closing the day. The operational guide for floor and reception staff.

This guide walks your team through a **normal work day** with EatNow: what to check before you open, how to move guests through service, and what to clean up before you go home. It's written for the people on the floor — hosts, servers, and the manager running the pass.

If you only read one thing: **the status of every reservation is the single source of truth.** Keep statuses up to date as guests arrive, sit, and leave, and every other view (Cockpit, Planning, floor plan, stats) stays correct for the whole team in real time.

<Note>
  Everything below assumes you can already open the **Reservations** page and switch between its views (List, Floor plan, Planning, Cockpit) using the icons at the top-right. New to the views? Start with the [Cockpit](/cockpit) and [Planning](/planning/overview) guides.
</Note>

<Frame caption="The Reservations page on the day's date, with the view selector at the top-right.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/eatnow/WQCAvCvCcKXdQprp/images/screenshots/01-reservations-overview.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=WQCAvCvCcKXdQprp&q=85&s=18b84948326aec6ae8da99eb2a624186" alt="Reservations page overview for the day" width="1918" height="1300" data-path="images/screenshots/01-reservations-overview.png" />
</Frame>

***

## The three phases of a service

| Phase            | Goal                                      | Main view                              |
| ---------------- | ----------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| **Pre-service**  | Know what's coming, prepare the room      | Cockpit (Flow)                         |
| **During**       | Seat guests, keep statuses live           | Cockpit (Turn) / Planning / Floor plan |
| **Post-service** | Close every line, handle no-shows, review | List                                   |

***

## 1. Pre-service — the briefing

Do this **before the first guest arrives**, ideally during your team briefing.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Set the date and shifts">
    Open **Reservations** and confirm you're on **today's date**. Select the **shift(s)** you're about to run (lunch, dinner, or both). Every count you see afterwards reflects that selection.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Read the shape of the service in the Cockpit (Flow tab)">
    Switch to the [Cockpit](/cockpit) and open the **Flow** tab. Each 15-minute column shows how many reservations and covers land in that slot. In one glance you see your peaks, your quiet moments, and your biggest parties.

    <Frame caption="Cockpit Flow tab — spot the peak slots and big parties before service.">
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/eatnow/WQCAvCvCcKXdQprp/images/screenshots/02-cockpit-flow-briefing.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=WQCAvCvCcKXdQprp&q=85&s=0f0aea6f750aefdf22269257793c881f" alt="Cockpit Flow tab during the pre-service briefing" width="1906" height="1126" data-path="images/screenshots/02-cockpit-flow-briefing.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Spot the flags">
    On each card, a colored corner flags something that needs attention:

    | Corner color | Meaning                         | What to prepare                       |
    | ------------ | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
    | Magenta      | VIP customer                    | Brief the team, check the table       |
    | Yellow       | Allergies / dietary preferences | Alert the kitchen                     |
    | Blue         | A specific server is assigned   | Tell the server which table is theirs |

    Tap any card to open the full reservation and read the **allergies & comments** and **internal info**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Sanity-check statuses and tables">
    Make sure every reservation has a sensible status (most will be **Confirmed**) and — if you assign seats in advance — a table. Use the [Planning](/planning/overview) view or the floor plan to place big parties and resolve any conflicts now, not mid-rush.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  The Flow tab replaces the printed booking sheet. Everyone looking at it sees the same live picture — when reception adds a booking during the briefing, it appears immediately.
</Tip>

***

## 2. During service — keep it live

During the rush your job is simple: **move each reservation through its status as it happens.** This keeps the floor plan accurate, frees tables for walk-ins, and powers the late/overrun alerts.

The fastest way to change a status is straight from the grid:

* **Planning / Floor plan / Cockpit** — tap a reservation, then pick the next status from the quick-action menu. EatNow only offers the transitions that make sense from the current state.
* On **desktop**, you can also **right-click** a block in Planning for a fuller menu (cancel, refund, capture a card hold on no-show…).

The normal arc of a guest looks like this:

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart LR
  C[Confirmed] --> SU[Showed up]
  SU --> S[Seated]
  S --> D[Done]
```

| When this happens…                       | Set the status to…    |
| ---------------------------------------- | --------------------- |
| The party arrives at the door            | **Showed up**         |
| You sit them at their table              | **Seated**            |
| They arrive early and wait at the bar    | **Seated for drinks** |
| Only part of the group has arrived       | **Partially seated**  |
| They've paid and left, table is clearing | **Done**              |
| Their time passed and they never came    | **No-show**           |

<Note>
  You don't have to use every step. Many teams jump straight from **Confirmed → Seated** when the host walks the guest to the table. Use **Showed up** when there's a wait between the door and the table (e.g. the table isn't free yet).
</Note>

For exactly what each status means and when to use it, see [Reservation statuses](/operations/reservation-statuses).

### Watch the alerts

During service, switch the Cockpit to the **Turn** tab. It tells you **when each table will free up** and lights up tables that need attention:

* A **red border + red dot** means the seated party is overrunning their expected duration, **or** the next booking is late to be seated.
* The column header shows a badge counting how many tables in that slot are in alert.

This is what lets you confidently tell a walk-in "I'll have a table in 15 minutes."

### Add and edit on the fly

Bookings keep coming during service — by phone, walk-in, or online. To add one, tap **New reservation** (or the **+**), fill in the form, and save. To change a time, table, or party size on an existing booking, tap it open and edit. The whole [reservation form is documented field by field](/operations/reservation-form), and the [common scenarios](/operations/scenarios) page has step-by-step recipes for walk-ins, late guests, table moves, and more.

***

## 3. Post-service — close the day

Before you leave, make sure no reservation is left in an in-between state.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Close every open line">
    Switch to the **List** view for today. Any reservation still showing **Seated**, **Showed up**, or **Partially seated** is a guest the system thinks is still at the table. Mark each one **Done** (or the correct final status).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Handle no-shows honestly">
    Reservations that were never marked arrived should be set to **No-show**. This matters: it feeds the guest's history (repeat no-shows are worth knowing) and, if the booking had a **card hold or deposit**, marking **No-show** is what lets you capture or release it.

    <Warning>
      Don't leave a guest who didn't turn up as **Confirmed**. It distorts your covers, your stats, and the guest's profile — and you lose the chance to act on a deposit.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the day">
    The bottom stats bar (Covers / Upcoming / Seated) and the List view give you the day's totals. Use the [Export](/reservations/export) feature if you need the numbers in a spreadsheet for accounting or a manager report.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Mobile vs desktop

EatNow works on phone, tablet, and desktop. The data and statuses are identical everywhere; the **interaction** differs.

| Task                                          | Desktop                                      | Mobile / tablet                                          |
| --------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Switch views                                  | Icons at the top-right of Reservations       | View dropdown in the header                              |
| Change a status                               | Tap a block → quick-action menu              | Tap a block → quick-action menu                          |
| Fuller actions (cancel, refund, capture hold) | **Right-click** a block in Planning          | Tap → **See details** → act from the drawer              |
| Move a reservation                            | Long-press a block, drag to a new table/time | Long-press (you'll feel a vibration), then drag          |
| Scroll a time grid                            | Mouse / trackpad                             | Swipe horizontally (start on an empty cell, not a block) |
| Hover "pressure" tooltip                      | Hover the hours bar                          | *Not available* (no touch hover)                         |

**Tips for the floor on a phone or tablet:**

* The Cockpit and Planning grids **scroll horizontally** — swipe to move through the evening.
* To scroll the grid on mobile, **start your finger on an empty cell**. Starting on a reservation block arms a drag instead.
* Headers and the bottom stats bar stay **pinned** while you scroll, so your counters are always visible.
* A tablet on the host stand running the **Cockpit (Turn)** tab makes a great live "who's freeing up" screen for the whole team.

***

## FAQ

**Do I have to mark "Showed up" before "Seated"?**

No. If you walk a guest straight to their table, go directly to **Seated**. Use **Showed up** only when there's a gap between arrival and seating (for example, the table isn't ready yet).

**A change I made isn't showing on another device.**

It should appear within a second — every view reads the same live data. If it doesn't, check that the other device is on the **same date and shift selection**, then refresh.

**Why keep statuses up to date if service is already busy?**

Because every other tool depends on them: the floor plan frees the table, the Turn tab stops alerting, walk-in availability becomes accurate, and the end-of-day numbers are correct without any cleanup. A minute of status hygiene during service saves you a messy close.

**Where do I learn the meaning of each status?**

See the [Reservation statuses](/operations/reservation-statuses) guide — it documents the full lifecycle with a diagram and a "when to use it" for each one.