Add a Guest Manually

Most guests appear in the registry automatically — via the POS, online orders, or the booking system. But sometimes you need to add someone manually: a corporate client calling in, a regular who never books online, or a VIP you want on file before they even visit.

When do you need to add a guest manually?

• Corporate client calls to book an event — you want the profile ready before booking
• Regular always pays cash and won't leave a number at the till, but agrees to be in the registry
• Guest you met off-premise (industry contact) you want to invite to events
• Occasional transfer from an old CRM before Vendion (point-wise — bulk import via CSV is future work)

Step by step:

1. Go to Marketing → Guests
2. Click New Guest in the top right
3. Fill in the form (see field guide below)
4. Click Save guest

Field guide:

The phone number is critical

Vendion uses the phone number as the primary key for auto-matching. When the guest later:

• Pays at the POS and gives the same number
• Books a table online with the same number
• Places an online order

...the system automatically links the activity to the manual profile you created. No duplicates, no lost visit history.

The number is normalized, but format matters: +46701234567 and 070-123 45 67 will NOT match today. Be consistent — we recommend +46701234567 (international) or 0701234567 (no hyphens). Improved phone number normalization is planned for Q3 2026.

Consent and messaging — how it works

Vendion uses a soft opt-in model for guests you add yourself or who buy from you: SMS and email consent are on by default. The idea is that you can stay in touch with your own guests — but always respecting their wishes. Two safeguards are built in:

• An unsubscribe link in every message — the guest can say no at any time (SMS STOP, email unsubscribe). Sending then stops automatically.
• You can untick right away — if the guest says they don't want SMS or newsletters, untick the box at registration.

Always respect the guest's wishes:

• If the guest says "don't send me anything" → untick both boxes.
• Vendion automatically saves a timestamp for consent status, and the guest can always unsubscribe themselves.
• Only send what's relevant to the guest's relationship with your restaurant.

Your responsibility: as a restaurant you're responsible for making sure your messaging complies with GDPR and marketing law. Soft opt-in suits your own guests with clear unsubscribe — if you're unsure whether a particular send is okay, check with your own legal advisor.

Birthday — an underrated gold mine

If the guest gives you their birthday (plus email/SMS consent), the preset birthday automation activates automatically: 1 day before, a birthday SMS with an offer goes out ("Bubbly on us when you celebrate with us!"). It's one of the highest-converting automations — industry data suggests 18–25% of recipients book within 30 days.

Notes — internal staff notes

Notes are only visible to staff, never to the guest. Use them for:

• Allergies and dietary restrictions ("Gluten intolerant — avoid bread basket")
• Preferences ("Always wants the window table", "Drinks Amarone")
• Social notes ("His wife is Anna", "Birthday every September — whole party")
• VIP handling ("Personal contact — reach Mikael directly for bookings")

After saving

When you click Save, the guest is created and appears immediately in the Guest Registry. You can then:

• Open the profile and add more tags later
• Watch the profile auto-fill when the guest makes their first visit
• Use the guest in segments ("Has tag: Corporate") and campaigns

Common pitfalls

• Forgetting the phone number → no auto-match → duplicates appear
• Sending to a guest who has unsubscribed → always respect a no
• Inconsistent phone formats → match fails → history is split
• Forgetting to check if the guest already exists → always search by phone/name first