Troubleshooting: Orders or Notifications Delayed or Not Appearing
Diagnosing missing tickets, delayed chimes, and reconnecting WebSocket feeds during network interruptions.
Steps
Check connection indicator on the dashboard
Inspect the top right corner of the Waiter Dashboard (`/waiter`) or Kitchen Screen (`/kitchen`).
A small yellow or red banner indicates that the browser is temporarily disconnected from the restaurant’s live data feed. MesaFlow will automatically attempt to reconnect.
Refresh the browser tab
Perform a clean page refresh (pull-to-refresh on mobile, or F5 on desktop).
Refreshing re-establishes the secure WebSocket connection and immediately loads all current active tickets from the database.
Check local Wi-Fi and tablet sleep settings
Verify that the kitchen tablet or waiter phone is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network.
Wall-mounted kitchen tablets should have "Auto-Lock" or "Sleep" disabled in OS device settings so the display stays awake throughout service.
Verify audio volume for chimes
If visual orders arrive but audio chimes are silent, check the tablet volume.
Ensure the device is not muted or on "Do Not Disturb". Modern browsers also require at least one user tap on the screen after loading before web audio can play alerts.
What you should see
Live ticket updates and audible service notifications are restored.
Good to know
- Orders are never lost during brief Wi-Fi drops; they are safely stored on the server and will populate the moment connectivity resumes.
Related guides
- Logging In and Navigating the Waiter DashboardSigning in to MesaFlow, accessing the floor workspace at /waiter, and understanding the layout on phones and tablets.
- Managing Order Queues and Timing StatesUnderstanding order aging (New, Cooling, Critical), updating order statuses, and advancing tickets to completion.