Pickup Management: Check-In & Checkout

Overview: The Two-Step Process

Pickup day involves two main tracking steps, each with its own dedicated page in the system:

Part 1: Grower Check-In

The grower check-in page (/orders/checkin) helps you verify that growers have delivered what they promised. Access it from your admin dashboard.

When to Use Grower Check-In

Use this page at the start of pickup day when:

• Growers are dropping off their products
• You want to verify deliveries match the orders
• You need to identify missing items before packing customer orders
• Multiple growers are delivering and you need to track who's arrived

How Grower Check-In Works

1. Navigate to Check-In Page
   • Go to /orders/checkin or access it from your admin dashboard
   • You'll see dropdowns for pickup location (if enabled) and grower selection
2. Select the Grower
   • Choose the grower who's currently delivering from the "What Grower" dropdown
   • The page displays their contact info (name, phone) for quick communication
   • If your market uses multiple pickup locations, select the location first
3. Review Their Harvest Summary
   • You'll see cards showing each product the grower should deliver
   • Each card displays: Product name, unit, and total quantity needed
   • Example: "Tomatoes (lb) - 45" means 45 lbs of tomatoes across all orders
4. Mark Items as Delivered
   • As the grower drops off each product, click "Mark as Here"
   • The card turns green to show it's been verified
   • Click "Reset" if you marked something by mistake
5. Handle Missing Items
   • Below the harvest summary, you'll see individual order line items
   • If a grower didn't bring something, click "Mark One Missing" on that order item
   • The item turns yellow (partial) or red (fully missing) to flag the issue
   • This tracks which specific customer orders are affected by the missing product

Understanding the Check-In Display

What Happens When You Mark Items Missing

When you mark an item as missing during check-in:

• The system tracks which customer orders are affected
• The missing amount will be deducted from the grower's future sales balance
• You'll need to handle the customer impact during checkout (refund or substitute)
• The order item shows as yellow/red so you know not to pack it

Part 2: Customer Checkout

The customer checkout page (/orders/checkout) helps you pack orders, track pickups, and process payments. This is where most of your pickup day work happens.

When to Use Customer Checkout

Use this page throughout pickup day to:

• Pack customer orders one by one
• Track which items have been put in each customer's box/bag
• Handle missing items, substitutions, and refunds
• Mark orders as complete when customers arrive
• Process payment (which happens at pickup, not when order was placed)

How Customer Checkout Works

1. Navigate to Checkout Page
   • Go to /orders/checkout or access it from your admin dashboard
   • Select your pickup location if you use multiple locations
2. See the Orders List
   • You'll see two sections: "Unpaid Orders" and "Paid Orders"
   • Unpaid orders show customers who need to pick up (most of pickup day)
   • Paid orders show completed pickups (moves here after you mark them complete)
3. Select a Customer Order
   • Click on a customer's name from the unpaid orders list
   • Their order details appear, showing every item they ordered with quantity and price
4. Pack the Order (Item by Item)
   • For each item in the order, you'll see a "✓ Pack One" button
   • As you put each item in their box/bag, click "✓ Pack One"
   • The button updates to show progress: "✓ Pack One (1/3 packed)" if they ordered 3
   • Keep clicking until all items are packed
5. Handle Missing or Problem Items
   • If an item is missing (grower didn't deliver it), click "Missing" or "Missing + Refund"
   • "Missing" tracks it but keeps the charge (if you're substituting)
   • "Missing + Refund" tracks it AND removes the charge from their total
   • The system will deduct the missing item's cost from the grower's future balance
6. Mark Order as Complete
   • Once everything is packed and the customer arrives, review the order total
   • Check the order status indicators at the top of the order details
   • When "✓ Order is Packed" shows (all items accounted for), you can mark it complete
   • Click the final "Mark Complete" or "Customer Picked Up" action
   • This is when payment is charged (if using Stripe)

Understanding Order Status Indicators

At the top of each order's detail view, you'll see status indicators that update as you work:

Packing Buttons Explained

Complete Pickup Day Workflow

Here's how a typical pickup day flows when using both tools:

After Pickups: Review and Process Adjustments

At the end of pickup day, you need to review and process any refunds and grower chargebacks that occurred. This is critical for proper accounting.

Step 1: Review Customer Refunds Page

The refunds page shows items queued up for customer account refunds. These are for customers who have already paid in person (not pending Stripe charges).

1. Navigate to the refunds page from your admin dashboard
2. Review all queued refunds:
   • Which customers are getting refunds
   • What items were refunded
   • Total refund amounts
3. Make any additional adjustments if needed:
   • You can adjust amounts before processing
   • Add notes for your records
   • Verify everything looks correct
4. Process the refunds - money goes to customer account balances
5. Customers can use these credits on their next order

Step 2: Review Grower Chargeback Page

The grower chargeback page shows items that growers were paid for but didn't deliver. How you handle this depends on your market's payment policy.

1. Navigate to the grower chargeback page from your admin dashboard
2. Review all chargebacks:
   • Which growers have chargebacks
   • What items weren't delivered
   • Total chargeback amounts per grower
3. Apply chargebacks based on your payment policy:
   • If you pay growers at dropoff: Apply chargebacks to their account balance - will be deducted from future sales
   • If you pay growers the following week: Use these numbers when calculating what to pay them (they don't get paid for items they didn't deliver)
4. Document and communicate with growers about chargebacks if needed

Common Scenarios and Solutions

Best Practices for Smooth Pickups

Before Pickup Day

• Review orders in advance: Check for unusually large orders or potential issues
• Confirm with growers: Make sure they know what they need to deliver
• Prepare workspace: Have packing materials, labels, tables ready
• Charge devices: If using tablet/phone for checkout, charge it fully

During Grower Check-In

• Check in growers immediately: Don't wait until everyone arrives - check each as they come
• Verify quantities visually: Do a quick eyeball check that amounts seem right
• Mark missing items promptly: Better to know about problems early
• Note quality issues: If something looks questionable, decide how to handle before packing

During Customer Checkout

• Pack multiple orders ahead: Don't wait for customers to arrive - pack several orders before pickup window
• Label packed orders clearly: Use customer names or order numbers so you can find them quickly
• Use the packing buttons: Click "✓ Pack One" for each item as you pack to maintain accuracy
• Verify totals: Check the order total before marking complete
• Mark complete when they're leaving: Process payment as they're picking up, not before they arrive

Communication Tips

• Notify affected customers early: If items are missing, text/call them before they arrive
• Explain substitutions: If you're swapping items, get customer approval
• Set expectations: Tell customers pickup window times clearly
• Thank growers and customers: Personal touches make a difference

Troubleshooting