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 Add guest in the top right
3. Fill in the form (see field guide below)
4. Save

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 — GDPR and PUL

This is critical. Both SMS consent and email consent must be an active choice by the guest. You must NOT tick the boxes for the guest "just in case". Legal position (GDPR art. 6.1a + PUL):

• Consent must be specific, informed, and freely given
• You must be able to prove when consent was given — Vendion automatically saves a timestamp when you tick the box
• The guest can withdraw consent at any time (SMS STOP, email unsubscribe, or you manually unticking)

When is it OK to tick?

• Guest explicitly says "yes, you may send me SMS/newsletter"
• You have a signed consent form (digital or paper)
• Guest ticked the box themselves previously (online booking, POS checkout)

When is it NOT OK?

• Guest didn't mention messaging — don't tick
• "Everyone does it" — no, explicit per-channel consent is required (SMS ≠ email)
• You plan to send "just once" — no, no consent = no send

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
• Ticking consent without asking → GDPR violation → potential fines
• Inconsistent phone formats → match fails → history is split
• Forgetting to check if the guest already exists → always search by phone/name first