Troubleshooting: Table Functions

Having issues with table functions or covers/pax? Find solutions to common problems below.

Common Issues#

Problem: Covers Are Not Saving#

Symptoms:

• Enter covers/pax but they don’t save
• Guest count shows 0 or wrong number
• Reports show incorrect covers data

Solution:

Check Set Covers button setup:

1. Go to Keyboard Setup in HQ
2. Verify Set Covers button exists on keyboard
3. Check button’s On Click action is set to “Set Covers/Pax”
4. Ensure button is visible on till screen
5. Save keyboard if changes made

Test the button:

1. Start a test table sale
2. Press Set Covers button
3. Adjust number with + and –
4. Press Set Covers to confirm
5. Verify number appears on order view

Check automatic prompt settings:

1. Go to Organisation Settings > Tables
2. Verify “Require Prompting for Covers/Pax” is ticked
3. Check “Default Covers/Pax” has a number
4. Save if changes made

Problem: Table Sales Are Not Shared Between Tills#

Symptoms:

• Save table on Till 1
• Can’t see or open table on Till 2
• Tables appear separate on each till
• Missing sales or orders

Solution:

Verify Device Mesh is active and connected:

Check connection status:

1. On each till, go to Settings
2. Look for Device Mesh or Network settings
3. Verify status shows “Connected” or “Active”
4. Check all tills are on same network

Test connection:

1. Save table on Till 1
2. Immediately check Till 2
3. Table should appear within seconds
4. If not appearing, troubleshoot network/mesh connection

Common causes:

• Tills on different networks
• Device Mesh disabled
• Firewall blocking communication
• Network connectivity issues

✅ Best practice: Ensure stable network connection for all tills.

Problem: Multiple Kitchen Dockets Print for Same Table#

Symptoms:

• Same order prints multiple times
• Kitchen receives duplicate tickets
• Wasted paper and confusion

Solution:

Confirm only one till is saving the table:

Table sales can only be open on one till at a time (except when using method 2 for multi-till orders).

Check which method you’re using:

Method 1 (Standard):

• One till has table open
• Other tills cannot open simultaneously
• Prevents duplicate printing
• ✅ Use this method normally

Method 2 (Multi-till orders):

• Multiple tills can take orders for same table
• May print multiple kitchen dockets
• Expected behavior for this method
• Only use when specifically needed

Verify staff process:

1. Train staff to open table on one till only
2. Complete all orders on that till
3. Save table before switching tills
4. Other till can then open for new orders

Problem: Cannot Merge a Table#

Symptoms:

• Trying to merge tables
• Error message or merge won’t complete
• Items don’t transfer

Solution:

Ensure destination table exists and is valid:

For moving to unused table:

1. Enter unused table number
2. Confirmation box appears
3. Press Move to apply
4. Table number changes, items preserved

For merging with existing table:

1. Enter existing table number
2. System detects table exists
3. Confirmation box shows merge warning
4. Press Merge to transfer items
5. Customer data does NOT transfer (notes, name, etc.)

Common issues:

Issue: Table number doesn’t exist

• Verify table number is valid
• Check table numbering scheme
• Ensure table is set up in system

Issue: Table already open on another till

• Close table on other till first
• OR wait for it to be saved
• Then try merge again

Issue: Conflicting active sale data

• Destination table may have unsaved changes
• Finalize or save destination table first
• Then attempt merge

Problem: Covers Not Prompting Automatically#

Symptoms:

• Set up automatic prompts
• Prompt doesn’t appear when opening table
• Have to manually enter covers each time

Solution:

Verify settings are correct:

1. Go to Organisation Settings > Tables
2. Check “Require Prompting for Covers/Pax” is ticked
3. Verify “Default Covers/Pax” has a value
4. Save settings
5. Allow a few seconds for tills to sync

Test on all tills:

1. Start new table sale on each till
2. Prompt should appear automatically
3. If not on specific till, restart that till app

Important notes:

⚠️ Prompt only appears once per table

• Shows when first opening/adding table number
• To change covers later, use Set Covers button
• This is normal behavior

✅ Best practice: Make entering covers part of opening routine.

Problem: Table Interaction Tracking Not Working#

Symptoms:

• Set up interaction tracking
• Timer not showing on tables
• Can’t tell when staff last interacted

Solution:

Enable Table Interaction Tracking:

1. Go to Organisation Settings > Tables (or Till Settings > Tables)
2. Find “Table Interaction Tracking” setting
3. Enable tracking
4. Set interaction threshold time
5. Save settings

How it works:

• Tracks time since last staff interaction
• Resets when: adding products, payments, or pressing interaction button
• Timer shows after threshold passes
• Helps identify tables needing attention

Test:

1. Open a table
2. Don’t interact for longer than threshold
3. Timer should appear
4. Add item or press interaction button to reset

Problem: The cover prompt doesn’t appear when I open a table#

Why this happens: The “Require Prompting for Covers/Pax” setting isn’t enabled.

Fix it:

1. Go to Organisation Settings > Tables
2. Tick “Require Prompting for Covers/Pax”
3. Save and sync your tills

I can’t adjust covers after the initial prompt#

Why this happens: The automatic prompt only works once per table (by design).

Fix it: Use the Set Covers button on your keyboard or update via the Floor Map instead. You can change covers as many times as needed with these methods.

The wrong number of covers appears by default#

Why this happens: Your Default Covers setting doesn’t match your typical party size.

Fix it:

1. Go to Organisation Settings > Tables
2. Change the “Default Covers/Pax” to your most common party size
3. Save the setting

💡 Tip: Review your typical party sizes for a week, then set the default to the most common number.

Covers aren’t syncing across my tills#

Why this happens: Your till might be offline or settings haven’t synced yet.

Fix it:

1. Check your internet connection
2. Wait 1-2 minutes for sync to complete
3. Restart the till if needed
4. Contact support if the issue persists

Q: Can I change covers multiple times during service?#

A: Yes!

Use the Set Covers button or Floor Map to adjust anytime.

How:

1. Press Set Covers button
2. Adjust count with + and –
3. Press Set Covers to confirm

The automatic prompt only appears once, but the button works anytime.

Q: What if I forget to enter covers?#

A: Sale uses default covers number (usually 1-2).

Impact:

• Affects reporting accuracy
• Average spend per guest may be wrong
• Forecasting data less reliable

✅ Best practice: Make entering covers part of table opening routine.

Q: Can I record covers for takeaway or counter sales?#

A: No.

Covers only apply to table service to track dine-in patterns.

Use cases for covers:

• ✅ Table service / dine-in
• ❌ Takeaway orders
• ❌ Counter sales
• ❌ Drive-through

Q: Can more than one till take orders for the same table?#

A: Only with method 2 of saving tables.

Standard method (Method 1):

• One till at a time
• Other tills cannot open simultaneously
• Prevents conflicts

Multi-till method (Method 2):

• Multiple tills can take orders
• May print multiple dockets
• Use only when specifically needed

Q: How do I know a table needs attention?#

A: Enable Table Interaction Tracking.

How it works:

• Set interaction threshold (e.g., 15 minutes)
• Timer starts when table opened
• After threshold, timer shows time since last interaction
• Resets when staff interacts with table

Interactions that reset timer:

• Adding products
• Processing payments
• Pressing interaction button

Q: How do I transfer a table without losing items?#

A: Use Move or Merge depending on destination.

For unused table (Move):

1. Enter unused table number
2. Press Move in confirmation
3. Items and customer info transfer

For occupied table (Merge):

1. Enter existing table number
2. Press Merge in confirmation
3. Items transfer
4. Customer info does NOT transfer

✅ Best practice: Double-check table number before confirming.

Still Having Issues?#

If your problem isn’t listed here:

1. Check the full guide for Table Functions for detailed instructions
2. Verify Device Mesh is connected for table sharing
3. Check keyboard has Set Covers button assigned
4. Test on different till to isolate device-specific issues
5. Contact Paimnt support for assistance