In this article, you will find everything you need to know about Guest Search: what it is, how it works, and how to use it from anywhere in ZenchefOS.
Summary
1. What is Guest Search and why use it?
2. How to open Guest Search
What you need to know
Guest Search is now part of the global search in ZenchefOS. You can find any guest — by name, email, or phone number — from any screen, without navigating to the guest list first. The search is powered by a new dedicated engine built to handle large guest databases reliably and quickly.
1. What is Guest Search and why use it?
Search your entire guest database from anywhere in ZenchefOS, in seconds.
Previously, finding a guest required navigating to the dedicated guest list screen — and for restaurants with large databases, search was slow or sometimes failed entirely. Guest Search solves both problems: it works from any screen, and it's fast regardless of how many guests are in your database. Your guest profiles, booking history, tags, and notes are all unchanged.
2. How to open Guest Search?
Guest Search is available from any screen — no settings to configure.
On desktop:
• Click the loop icon in the left sidebar
• Press CMD+K (Mac) or CTRL+K (Windows)
On iOS and Android:
- tap the search bar at the top of any screen.
Type a guest's name, email address, or phone number. Results appear within seconds.
3. Troubleshooting & FAQs
Troubleshooting
• No results for a guest I know exists — Make sure you're searching by the exact name, email, or phone number stored on the guest profile. Partial phone numbers may not return results. If the guest was added very recently, wait a few minutes for the record to sync.
• Search results appear in a different order on page 2 — The first page of results is ordered by most recent booking date. If you scroll to a second page, ordering may differ while a full system rollout is being completed. This is expected and will be resolved in an upcoming update.
FAQ
• Does this replace the guest list screen? — No. The guest list screen with filters and columns is still available. Guest Search in the global search is a fast lookup tool — ideal when you need to pull up a guest quickly without leaving your current screen.
• Can I search by partial name? — Yes. You can type part of a first name, last name, or both (in any order) and the search will return matching guests.
• Is this available to all my staff? — Yes. Any team member with ZenchefOS access can use Guest Search. No additional permissions required.
• What if CMD+K doesn't work? — Check that no other application is capturing the shortcut. You can also click the loop icon in the left sidebar.
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