Frequently Asked Questions — SchoolAide Queue

Can a visitor join more than one queue at the same time?

No. If a visitor attempts to join while they already have an active ticket (Waiting, Calling, Serving, Recalled, or Held), they are automatically redirected to their existing ticket. This is checked based on session cookie and email address.

What happens to a ticket if the visitor doesn't come when called?

The counter staff can click No-Show to mark it as Missed. The ticket can be Recalled within 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, the background job ExpireMissedTickets automatically changes the status to Expired. Expired tickets cannot be recalled.

Can the display board work without internet if the WebSocket drops?

The display board automatically falls back to Server-Sent Events (SSE) streaming at /display/{token}/stream, which uses a standard HTTP connection and updates every ~10 seconds. This requires an HTTP connection to the server but does not require WebSocket support.

How does priority queuing work?

When a visitor selects a priority type, the system assigns a priority score: Normal=0, Scholarship=5, PWD/Senior/Pregnant=10, VIP=15. The queue is sorted by priority_score DESC, then issued_at ASC (older tickets of the same priority go first). Staff cannot manually choose who to call — the system picks the next ticket automatically.

Can multiple offices use the same display screen?

Yes. When creating a display screen, you select which offices it shows (via assigned_office_ids). A single TV can display the queue for multiple offices simultaneously.

What languages does TTS (Text-to-Speech) support?

TTS uses the browser's native Web Speech API. Supported languages depend on the browser and OS, but the system accepts any IETF language tag (e.g., en-US, fil-PH, tl-PH). The language is configured per display screen.

Are notification emails sent instantly?

Notifications are dispatched as queued jobs and are typically delivered within seconds. However, if the queue worker is down or overloaded, there may be a delay. You can monitor delivery in Admin → Notifications → Log.

Can I see the full history of a ticket?

Yes. Admin and queue managers can go to Admin → Tickets → {ticket ID} → Timeline to see every event in the ticket's lifecycle (issued, called, served, transferred, completed) with timestamps and staff information.

What happens to visitor data over time?

Visitor PII (name, email, session token) is anonymized on tickets older than 90 days by an automated scheduled command. Notification logs are deleted after 30 days. Audit logs are deleted after 1 year.

Can staff use a mobile phone as a kiosk?

Yes. The kiosk API (/api/kiosk/*) supports any device with a web browser or HTTP client. Dedicated kiosk apps can authenticate with a device token issued from Admin → Devices. The public queue join page is also mobile-responsive.

How do I reset the queue at end of day?

Go to Admin → Bulk Operations → End Queue Session. This cancels all waiting tickets and sets all counters to Offline. This action cannot be undone.