Ask for a phone number only when it serves a clear purpose in the order, such as notifying a guest that pickup is ready. Explain that purpose beside the request. If staff can call an order number instead, let the guest continue without entering a phone number and explain how they will know when their food is ready.
Before choosing the wording, decide who can see the number, where it appears, and what happens after a declined request. Then ask the kiosk provider to demonstrate that workflow. A polite prompt is not enough if the number remains visible to the next guest or appears on a screen facing the dining room.
Choose the notification method first
Start with the service manager or owner who is responsible for pickup. That person should decide whether the restaurant actually needs a contact number at the kiosk and what staff will do when a guest does not provide one. The person responsible for configuring the kiosk should then check whether the selected process can be set up as intended.
Service conditions matter. In a small dining room, calling an order number may be practical. In a noisy food hall or a restaurant where guests wait outside, a message may be more useful. Even then, guests who cannot or do not want to receive a message need a way to collect their food.
Keep the purpose narrow and understandable. A prompt such as “Enter your mobile number for an order-ready message, or skip and listen for your order number” tells the guest what to expect. Use it only if both paths actually work. If the system sends a different type of notification, or skipping is not available, the wording and workflow must reflect that.
Do not treat a number collected for an order update as permission for unrelated marketing. Ask the provider how separate choices are presented and recorded if the restaurant also wants to offer marketing messages. The guest should be able to understand which choice relates to the current order.
The restaurant kiosk page describes browsing, customization and order review. For contact collection, ask for a demonstration of the particular prompt, notification and staff screens you intend to use; those details depend on the setup.
Map the number through the order
Follow the number from entry to pickup rather than reviewing the first screen alone. Give each step an owner: the service manager owns the guest-facing process, the kiosk administrator owns the configuration, and the shift lead owns the staff procedure. The provider should explain what the software can display and configure.
The following worksheet is hypothetical. A counter-service restaurant wants to offer an order-ready message, while allowing guests to decline and listen for a printed order number. The owner is deciding whether to adopt that workflow. The table records the intended behavior, not a claim that a particular kiosk provides it.
| Step and owner | Purpose and guest choice | Visibility to check | Decision requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry: kiosk administrator | Explain the ready-message purpose; offer a skip choice. | The guest can see the entry; check whether the prompt exposes digits to people nearby. | Guests can understand and decline the request. |
| Order handoff: shift lead | Staff prepare the order whether or not a number was entered. | Check the order view and any kitchen or counter display for contact details. | Only staff who need contact information can access it; public-facing screens do not show it. |
| Ready for pickup: service manager | Use the message route for a guest who chose it; call the order number for a guest who skipped. | Check what is shown on a pickup display, ticket or receipt. | Staff can identify the order without announcing a phone number. |
| Next order: kiosk administrator | Return the kiosk to a fresh guest session. | Check the next guest's start screen and any back navigation. | The prior guest's number and order details are not visible. |
Use the last column as a set of requirements to demonstrate. If a ticket must show contact information for staff, decide where it will be printed and kept. A ticket on a public pickup shelf creates a different exposure from an order view behind the counter. Ask whether a number can be hidden, shortened or omitted in each location; do not assume every display can be configured separately.
Also ask what happens when an order is canceled, restarted or interrupted. A guest may walk away before finishing. The service manager needs a practical way to return the device to a fresh session without relying on the next guest to clear the screen.
Compare the workable approaches
There is no single best prompt for every restaurant. Compare the complete service path, including staff effort and any extra charges, before settling on one of these approaches.
Optional number with a non-message fallback
This is the hypothetical owner's preferred approach because staff can call order numbers and guests do not have to share a number to order. It adds a choice to the kiosk and requires staff to follow two pickup paths. Ask whether the skip control can be configured, whether the order still reaches staff without a number, and how the chosen notification method appears on the order.
Request a written quote for notification-related charges and any configuration or hardware work. Compare those amounts with the effort of calling orders. A quoted message charge alone is not the all-in operating cost: staff time, equipment, installation and exception handling may also matter.
No phone number at the kiosk
Calling an order number or using a suitable pickup display removes contact-number entry from that part of the workflow. It can be simpler for guests who do not want to provide a number, but staff must keep the pickup process clear and audible or visible. Ask whether the kiosk and order screens can omit the phone field and what identifier staff will use instead.
This approach may not suit guests waiting beyond hearing range. The manager should decide where guests can wait, how staff will find an uncollected order, and what help is available to someone who cannot hear an announcement or see a display.
Required number for notifications
A required field may suit a service model only if the operator has decided that every kiosk order genuinely needs that contact route. It can also prevent a guest without a usable number from completing the kiosk flow. Before choosing it, ask the provider whether the field is mandatory, what staff can see, and whether a staffed ordering alternative is available.
For the hypothetical restaurant, a required field does not meet the owner's decision: a non-message pickup route is available, and the owner wants guests to be able to decline. If optional entry cannot be configured, the owner should compare no-number ordering with a staffed fallback rather than describe a required field as optional.
Review the wider equipment and staffing costs too. The kiosk break-even guide can help frame the buying decision, while the restaurant POS system is relevant when checking what order information staff need at the counter. Ask how the specific screens and devices in your quote work together.
Run a safe pass-or-fail check
Before signing off, have the service manager and a shift lead walk through the agreed requirements with the provider. Use a demonstration or isolated training setup with hypothetical order data. Confirm that notifications are disabled and no real guest message, payment or courier dispatch can occur. Use a provider-supplied test value rather than a real person's contact number.
- Decline the number. Start an order and choose the skip option. Pass if the guest can continue through the intended order flow and the screen explains the non-message pickup method. Fail if the field blocks progress or the alternative is unclear.
- Check the staff view. Open the simulated order as staff. Pass if the order can be identified and prepared without a phone number. Check that any public-facing display or practice ticket uses the agreed identifier rather than contact details.
- Enter a test value on a separate order. Observe the prompt, order review and staff views. Pass if the value appears only where the restaurant has decided it is needed and the stated notification choice is clear. Do not send a message.
- Become the next guest. Finish or reset the simulated session, then approach the kiosk as a new user. Check the start screen and available back navigation. Pass if the previous order and test value are not visible. Repeat after abandoning an unfinished order.
- Record the result. Note the device and screen checked, the setting used, what each role could see, and any failure. Avoid capturing real guest information in notes or screenshots.
A failed check is a buying decision, not just a wording problem. Ask whether a setting or a different display arrangement can meet the requirement, then repeat the simulation. If it cannot, use a process staff can reliably carry out: for example, direct guests who decline to a staffed register, or remove kiosk number collection and call order identifiers instead. Train the shift lead on the fallback and put clear directions near the kiosk.
Only after the simulated checks pass should the manager consider a live service pilot. Set a limited period, brief staff, and monitor whether guests understand the choice and can find their orders. Any real notification in that pilot belongs to the normal live workflow, not the practice scenarios above. Stop and use the staffed fallback if the process does not work as intended.
Next, write down your required prompt, visibility rules and fallback. Compare them with your current process, review the kiosk documentation, and ask Fleksa to demonstrate the applicable capabilities on the configuration you are considering.
Frequently asked questions
Should every kiosk order require a phone number?
Not necessarily. If staff can reliably use an order identifier for pickup, an optional number or no-number flow may fit better. Check that the chosen alternative works for guests and staff before configuring the prompt.
What should the kiosk say when requesting a number?
State the actual purpose and the available choice in plain language. If guests can skip the request, explain how they will receive or collect the order instead. Do not promise a notification or skip option the setup cannot deliver.
How can I check whether the next guest sees the previous number?
In a safe demonstration setup, enter a provider-supplied test value, finish or abandon the simulated order, and start again as a new guest. Check the start screen and back navigation without sending a real message or taking a payment.
