POS interfaces: cashier, waiter, hall administrator and others — Paloma365 Classic (Windows POS)

This article covers Paloma365 Classic, the Windows POS application. An "interface" is the working mode the employee picks after signing in: cashier, waiter, sales mode, and so on. The interface determines which screen opens and which actions are available.

Overview

After the employee enters their code, the POS shows tiles with the interfaces assigned to that employee in the dashboard (and linked to this workstation). If only one interface is assigned, it opens right away with no selection screen. The tariffs tile is shown only when the tariff module is enabled.

Tile names come from the interface directory in the dashboard; the standard set is:

Interface	What it opens
Cashier	The cash screen: the shift's order list, "Start the shift"/"End the shift", payment, reports — see Sales and order handling
Waiter	The waiter's order list or the table map — which one depends on the point setting for using the table layout (see Hall layout and tables)
Sales mode	The sales screen (fast food/store): item entry and payment at once
Hall administrator	The cash screen in a limited mode (without shift and payment buttons)
Salon	The sales screen in beauty salon mode — see Beauty salon mode
Receipt registration	The master's receipt registration screen — see Beauty salon mode
Cook	The kitchen screen — see Kitchen screen
Tariffs	The object map with time-based tariffs — see Time tariffs and turnstile
Requests	Requests and delivery — see Requests and delivery
Packing	Packing and label printing — see Label printing and packing
Warehouse	Warehouse documents — see Warehouse documents on the POS
Courier	The sales screen for a courier
Analytics	The dashboard in an embedded window

Interfaces and the open shift

Most interfaces need an open shift. Without one, entry is allowed only into "Cashier", "Packing", "Warehouse" and "Courier". When the shift is closed:

• an employee who also has the "Cashier" interface is offered to open the shift and is then let into the chosen interface;
• an employee without the "Cashier" interface sees "Shift has not started!" — the shift must be opened by a cashier (see Signing in and opening a shift).

How the interfaces differ in practice

Each difference below is confirmed program behavior and shows up on the order/sales screen.

• Barcode item search on the order screen does not run in the "Cashier" and "Hall administrator" interfaces — scanning there does not add an item. In "Cashier" the customer selection button on the order view screen is also inactive. About scanners: Scales and barcodes.
• The additional offer (the recommended-items window at payment) is not shown in the "Waiter" and "Tariffs" interfaces — see Additional offer.
• After the pre-check (the order is printed) in the "Waiter", "Hall administrator" and "Tariffs" interfaces the order is locked: the editing panels are disabled and only the exit hotkey keeps working — see Hotkeys. A cashier can unlock the order via "Options" → "Unlock the order" (see The "Options" and "Filter" buttons).
• Waiter payment. By default the waiter does not see the "Pay" button — the cashier takes payment. When the point setting for waiters taking payment is enabled in the dashboard, the "Pay" button appears and the waiter (and the tariff operator) can pay an already printed order.
• Deferred orders (the order tabs on the sales screen) are available only in the "Sales mode" and "Salon" interfaces.
• Retail mode. With the "Retail" business type (POS settings, "Type of business") the "Sales mode" interface shows the "Start the shift" / "End the shift", "Return" and "Report" buttons directly on the sales screen — the store cashier does not have to switch to the "Cashier" interface.
• The hall administrator sees the order list without the "Start the shift", "X report", "Pay", "Cashbox" and "Prepayment" buttons, and their "Options" window has no "Return", "Receipt copy" or "Change the payment type".
• Salon: on the bill screen a master is selected instead of a table, and "Journal" and "Material" are available — details in Beauty salon mode.

Common problems

• The needed tile does not appear after login — the interface is not assigned to the employee in the dashboard, or the employee is not linked to this workstation. The tariffs tile requires the tariff module to be enabled.
• "Shift has not started!" — the chosen interface needs an open shift. Open it from the "Cashier" interface ("Start the shift").
• The POS opens a screen without asking for an interface — the employee has only one assigned interface; the selection screen is skipped in that case.
• The scanner does not add items — you are in the "Cashier" or "Hall administrator" interface, where barcode search on the order screen is disabled. Enter the order in a sales interface ("Sales mode", "Waiter", etc.).
• The waiter has no "Pay" button — enable the waiter payment setting for the point of sale in the dashboard and wait for synchronization.

FAQ

Can one employee have several interfaces?

Yes. They will then pick an interface tile after signing in; interfaces are assigned in the dashboard.

Why can't the waiter edit the order after the pre-check is printed?

It protects the order from changes after the guest has been given the preliminary bill. Changes become possible after the cashier unlocks the order ("Options" → "Unlock the order").

Which interface should a store choose?

"Sales mode" with the "Retail" business type: selling, refunds, opening/closing the shift and the report are all on one screen.

Will the tiles be renamed if I edit interface names in the dashboard?

Yes, tile captions come from the dashboard's interface directory, so on your POS they may differ from the standard names in the table above.