How to Show Queue Numbers on a TV with Voice Calling

Calls by voice are easy to miss in a busy room, and calling over a microphone pulls staff away from their work. A token display with automatic voice calling solves both, and it can run on an ordinary TV.

Ways to call queue numbers

• Call out loud or over a microphone. Cheap, but tiring and easy to miss.
• Caller software on a PC. Needs a computer that stays on next to a speaker.
• A queue machine with a token display. Complete, but the hardware has to be bought and installed.
• A web-based queue app in the TV’s browser. The TV you already have becomes the display and the speaker.

Steps with the TV you have

1. Get a TV that can open a browser. A smart TV with a browser, or a regular TV connected to a laptop or another device.
2. Connect the TV to the queue. In WaitYa, open the TV display address in the TV’s browser, then enter the 6-character code from the dashboard. See Setting up a TV display and turning on sound.
3. Turn on the sound. Browsers only allow sound after a button is pressed, so press any button on the remote once.
4. Call from a phone or tablet. Each call fills the TV screen and is read aloud, with where to go.

Tips for calls people can hear

• Set the TV volume so it reaches the farthest seat.
• Use clear destination words, such as Room 2 or Counter 3, so customers go to the right place.
• Put the TV where the waiting area can see it, since the number also shows large on screen.
• Check the TV has an English voice. If the TV’s browser has no voice for the language, the number still shows and the chime still plays, but it isn’t read aloud.

What it costs

Token display systems with voice are usually sold as hardware or a paid subscription. With WaitYa, the TV display, voice calling, and the queue itself are part of the free core features.