How to recognize regulars without a notebook: what jelo.hr tracks and how staff uses the data

During a season with four waiters in rotation, no one knows the guest at table 4 has visited eight times. What does the system track from the booking, how does it categorize guests into new, regular, and VIP, and what does the staff see on the tablet?

A restaurant owner knows about twenty faces by heart. In July, when four waiters rotate through shifts—two of whom are seasonal—no one at the bar knows that the couple at table 4 has visited eight times this year and always orders the same bottle of Malvazija. A reservation notebook doesn't remember this; it only records names and guest counts, not history. This text describes what the jelo.hr system tracks about a guest automatically and what staff can do with that information during a shift.

What is tracked automatically

Every reservation that arrives via the restaurant's website, a jelo.hr profile, or is entered by staff after a phone call opens a guest profile. With each subsequent visit, the same profile is updated, collecting:

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• contact info and reservation history, including visit dates
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• number of visits, counted automatically by the system
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• total spending across all visits and average spend per visit
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• notes and preferences entered by staff: nut allergy, table away from speakers, birthday in August
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Based on the number of visits and spending, the system categorizes every guest into one of three groups: new, regular, or VIP. The owner doesn't do this manually; they find it ready in the regulars overview, with the number of visits and basic preferences next to each name.

Three guest groups and how to handle them

Categorization only matters if each group is treated differently. Here is how restaurants using the system operate:

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1. New guest. The goal is a second visit. The guest receives a booking confirmation and a reminder a day before, and after the visit, an email invitation to leave a Google review with a direct link to your profile. Staff at the table don't need to ask for anything.
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2. Regular guest. The goal is to make visits a habit. This is where the loyalty program works with a clear threshold, for example, a free dessert after the fifth visit; both the guest and staff can see in the profile how many visits remain until the reward.
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3. VIP guest. The goal is to ensure they never go elsewhere. VIP guests get what money can't buy: their favorite table, a Saturday 8 PM slot when everything is fully booked, or an invitation to a new menu tasting before it's public.
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Discounts on the total bill are not worth it for any group. They don't change guest behavior, and margins drop with every visit.

What staff sees before the guest sits down

Profile data is only valuable if the waiter sees it the moment the guest walks in. In jelo.hr, staff have a list of upcoming reservations on a tablet, featuring the guest's name, number of people, table, and notes. When the 8 PM reservation approaches, the waiter sees it's a guest with an allergy who prefers a window table and seats them there—no questions asked and no need to check with the kitchen.

The Pro+ plan includes a physical tablet configured for the venue and separate access for staff: employees track reservations and tables but cannot enter the Admin area with prices and settings. Setup is described on the staff access page. New reservations hit the tablet instantly, so a guest never arrives with a confirmation that no one on the shift has seen.

When a guest stops coming

Without records, a guest who visited every two weeks and then disappeared is only noticed when a staff member happens to remember they haven't seen them in a while. With records, the last visit date is visible in the profile. A practical rule: once a month, open the VIP and regular guest list and see who hasn't been in for more than sixty days. Don't send these people a mass blast; send a short personal message inviting them to the seasonal menu. The list is short, so it takes only thirty minutes.

Ownership of that list is also important. When a guest books through a portal, their data stays with the portal. Quandoo announced it is ceasing operations and that the service was available until September 30, 2026 (notice on quandoo.de, September 2026); restaurants that managed guests through it for years now have to build that history from scratch. Records in jelo.hr belong to your restaurant and your reservations.

Costs and how to start

Guest records, categorization, and rewards are part of the Pro plan at €59 per month. Pro+ at €99 per month adds the venue tablet, staff access, and priority support. There is a one-time activation fee of €99, covering system setup, website, reservation configuration, and email notifications. There are no per-guest commissions, the subscription lasts at least six months, and you can use all Pro plan features for the first seven days without entering a card. For comparison, Eat App charges $69 per month for their cheapest Lite plan with annual payment, or $99 per month with monthly payment (restaurant.eatapp.co/pricing, September 2026).

To start, simply process reservations through the system and have staff add a note whenever relevant. In three months, your list of regulars will be more accurate than the memory of any shift member. If you want to see how the guest overview would look for your venue, reach out via contact.