System and method for managing a waiting list using internet-based customer check-in

Abstract

A system can provide for management of a waiting list of customers at a business location for services from a no-appointment, first listed-first served business. A waiting list can be displayed on a user interface that communicates with a processor. The processor can receive customer information from an internet-based customer check-in system through which customer's check-in to the waiting list at a location remote from the business location. The user interface can display the waiting list including information regarding both customers that check-in through the internet-based check-in system and customers that check in manually at the business location giving priority temporal waiting list priority based on a time of check-in for each customer, and can display a dynamically updated calculated estimated wait time for each customer on the waiting list.

1 . A system for managing a waiting list of customers for services from a no-appointment, first listed-first served business, comprising:
 a user interface adapted to display a no-appointment waiting list of customers waiting for a service having no appointed time at which the service will occur at a business location and a service list of customers currently receiving a service at the business location, the business location being a no appointment, first listed-first served business providing at least some services to customers in temporal order of the customers being placed on the waiting list;   a computer processor operably connected to the user interface located at the business location and to an internet-based customer check-in system that enables customers to check-in to the waiting list at a location remote from the business location, the computer processor adapted to:
 receive customer information from the internet-based customer check-in system from customers checking in for the waiting list through the internet-based customer check-in system; 
 receive customer information manually entered at the business location from customers checking into the waiting list at the business location; 
 display on the user interface customers that check-in to the waiting list through the internet-based customer check-in system along with customers that check-in to the waiting list at the business location together in a common waiting list giving priority temporal waiting list order to the customers at a time of check-in of each customer; 
 display on the user interface a dynamically updated calculated estimated wait time for each customer on the waiting list; 
 remove customers from the waiting list and add those customers to the service list when the customers begin receiving services; and 
 remove customers from the service list after the services for those customers are completed. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further adapted to calculate and the user interface is adapted to display an overall estimated waiting time for a next customer to check-in for the waiting list. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the customers that check-in for the waiting list through the internet-based check-in system and the customers that check-in for the waiting list at the business location are separately designated on the user interface by the check-in method used by the respective customers. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface is further adapted to display a type of service requested along with each customer listed on the waiting list. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further adapted to receive through the user interface a confirmation of the customer information received from the internet-based check-in system when the corresponding customers arrive at the business location. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the dynamically updated estimated wait time is calculated based on historical data of services performed at the business location. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the historical data includes historical data of specific employees of the business location. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer processor is further adapted to track which employees of the business location are available to perform services at a given time. 
     
     
         9 . A system for managing a waiting list of customers for services from a no-appointment, first listed-first served business, comprising:
 a user interface adapted to display a no-appointment waiting list of customers waiting for a service having no appointed time at which the service will occur at a business, the business being a no appointment, first listed-first served business providing at least some services to customers in temporal order of the customers being placed on the waiting list;   a computer processor operably connected to the user interface located at a location of the business and to an internet-based customer check-in system that enables customers to check-in to the waiting list at a location remote from the business location, the computer processor adapted to:
 receive customer information from the internet-based customer check-in system from customers checking in for the waiting list through the internet-based customer check-in system; 
 display customers on the waiting list giving priority temporal waiting list order to the customers at a time of check-in of each customer; and 
 display a dynamically updated calculated estimated wait time for each customer on the waiting list. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the computer processor is further adapted to:
 receive customer information manually entered at the business location from customers checking into the waiting list at the business location;   display customers that check-in to the waiting list through the internet-based customer check-in system along with customers that check-in to the waiting list at the business location together on the waiting list.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is further adapted to calculate and the user interface adapted to display an overall estimated waiting time for a next customer to check-in for the waiting list. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the user interface is further adapted to display a type of service requested along with each customer listed on the waiting list. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is further adapted to receive through the user interface a confirmation of the customer information received from the internet-based check-in system when the corresponding customers arrive at the business location. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the dynamically updated estimated wait time is calculated based on historical data of services performed at the business location. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the historical data includes historical data of specific employees of the business location. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the computer processor is further adapted to track which employees of the business location are available to perform services at a given time. 
     
     
         17 . A method, comprising:
 providing a waiting list management system for managing a waiting list of customers for services at a business location of a no-appointment, first listed-first served business that provides at least some services to customers in temporal order of the customers being placed on the waiting list, wherein the system is adapted to:
 receive customer information from a customer check-in system from customers checking in for the waiting list through an internet-based customer check-in system; 
 receive customer information manually entered at the business location from customers checking into the waiting list at the business location; 
 display on a user interface customers that check-in to the waiting list through the internet-based customer check-in system along with customers that check-in to the waiting list at the business location together in a common waiting list giving priority temporal waiting list order to the customers at a time of check-in of each customer; 
 display on the user interface a dynamically updated calculated estimated wait time for each customer on the waiting list. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the system is further adapted to:
 remove customers from the waiting list and add those customers to a service list when the customers begin receiving services; and   remove customers from the service list after the services for those customers are completed.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the dynamically updated estimated wait time is calculated based on historical data of services performed at the business location. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the historical data includes historical data of specific employees of the business location.