Front Desk Guide
This guide covers the day-to-day operation of the PoolMMS Front Desk panel — signing members in and out, handling guests, recording band tests, and managing the attendance view.
Overview
The Front Desk panel is a separate interface from the Admin panel, designed to run on a dedicated device at the entrance to your facility. It is optimized for speed: most sign-ins happen with a single card scan.
To access the Front Desk, log in at https://poolmms.com/gohome and click Front Desk in the bottom of the admin sidebar. Your account must have the Front Desk or Admin role to access it.
Tip: For best results, use the Front Desk on a dedicated tablet or computer that stays logged in at the entrance. The scan box is automatically focused on every page load so card scans are captured immediately without clicking.
The Front Desk Layout
The Front Desk has three main areas:
Top bar — contains the clock, a live weather display (based on your club's zip code), the scan/search input box, and quick-access buttons for Band Tests and Sign In Guests.
Main panel (left) — shows the current attendance list: everyone currently signed in today, with their name, type, time in, and a Sign Out button. This list auto-refreshes every few seconds.
Signing Members In and Out
By Card Scan
The primary method. When a member presents their ID card (physical card, Apple Wallet pass, or Google Wallet pass), scan or type the card ID into the scan box at the top of the screen and press Enter or click Go.
- If the card is valid and the member is active, they are signed in immediately. A confirmation toast appears at the bottom of the screen and their member info loads in the right sidebar.
- If the member is already signed in, they are signed out. A confirmation toast appears.
- If there is an error, a red alert appears in the center of the screen and an audible error beep plays.
Card IDs always start with % followed by your club's slug and a short alphanumeric code (e.g. %MAPLECSC-AB12C).
By Name Search
If a member does not have their card, type their last name into the scan box and press Enter or click Go. A search results table appears showing all active members matching that last name. Click Sign In or Sign Out next to the correct person.
You can also click a family name in the search results to filter the list to all members of that family, which is useful for signing in an entire family at once.
Sign-In Errors
| Error | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Invalid ID Card, please rescan | The card ID format was not recognized. Try scanning again. |
| [Name] is not an active member. Page a manager. | The member's account is inactive — their season registration has not been completed or their membership was deactivated. |
| [Name] has been banned. Refuse entry. Contact a manager. | The guest has been flagged as banned in the system. |
| Unknown Error | An unexpected condition occurred. Contact support if it persists. |
Age Flag
If a member is younger than your club's configured Flag Age, a yellow warning alert appears in the center of the screen after they sign in, showing their name and current age. This is a reminder that the member may need adult supervision. The sign-in is not blocked — the alert is informational only.
Clicking a Member in the Attendance List
Clicking any member row in the attendance list loads their information in the right sidebar without signing them in or out. This is useful for looking up a member's details mid-shift.
The Attendance List
The main panel shows two views:
Home (Currently In) — shows only members and guests currently on premises. Updates automatically every few seconds. Each row shows name, type, time in, and a Sign Out button. Signing someone out from this view requires confirmation.
All Today — shows every sign-in event for the day, including people who have already signed out. Accessible via the All Today button in the right sidebar or the top bar. Columns include name, type, whether they are currently in, time in, and time out. This view also has a Sign Out All button that signs out every currently-present person at once — use with care at the end of the day.
Signing In Guests
Guests are visitors who are not members. Click Sign In Guests in the top bar (or the SI Guest button in the right sidebar) to open the guest panel.
Returning Guest
Click Sign In Returning Guest and search by last name. The results table shows matching guests with their current-season visit count. Select the correct guest and click Sign In. If the guest should be affiliated with a member's family, select the family from the Sign in with Family dropdown before signing them in.
First-Time Guest
Click Sign In First-Time Guest. Fill in:
- First Name (required)
- Last Name (required)
- Email (required — must be a valid, non-disposable email address)
- Phone Number (optional)
Click Create. The guest record is saved and you are taken to the search results for their last name, where you can sign them in.
Guest visit counts are tracked from the Guest Visit Count Start Date set in Admin → Settings. This date is reset each season as part of the season changeover process.
Band Tests
Band tests track whether a member or guest has passed a swim competency test. This is typically used to determine which areas of the pool a person is permitted to use.
Band Tests open in a separate window. Click Band Tests in the top bar to open the search.
Recording a Band Test
- Click Band Tests in the top bar
- Search by last name — results include both members and guests
- Click View/Issue Band next to the correct person
- Review their existing band test history on the person's band test page
- Click Issue a new band
- Fill in:
- Issuer — the name of the lifeguard or staff member giving the test (required)
- Passed — check this if the person passed
- Notes — any restrictions or details (e.g. "Shallow end only", "No diving well") — optional, 255 character limit
- Click Save
The result is recorded and displayed in the person's band test history. Each entry shows who issued it, the pass/fail result, the date, and any notes.
Viewing Band Test History
From the band test search, click View/Issue Band next to any person to see all of their recorded tests. The most recent result is shown in the search results table as "Passed," "Failed," or "Never Taken."
If your club requires members to re-take band tests each season, an admin can revoke all band passes at the start of the season via Settings → End/Start of Season Actions → Deactivate ALL Bands.
Member Photos
Member photos appear in the right sidebar whenever a member's info is loaded. If a member does not have a photo on file, a placeholder is shown.
To add or update a photo for a member, click Take A Photo in the member info panel. This opens a camera window. The photo must be square and under 5MB.
Member photos can also be managed from the Admin panel under Members.
Family Notes
Each family has a notes field visible in the member info sidebar, below the family information. This is a free-text field that front desk staff can read and edit during a shift.
Common uses include tracking guest pass usage, recording special instructions, or noting anything that should be visible to staff when that family checks in.
To edit notes, click the Edit (pencil) icon next to the Notes field. Type your changes and click Save Notes. Notes are shared across all members of the same family.
If your club uses Family Notes exclusively for something that resets each season (like guest pass counts), an admin can clear all notes at once via Settings → End/Start of Season Actions → Delete ALL Front Desk Family Notes. This is permanent and cannot be undone.
Sign In Groups
Sign In Groups allow the front desk to track attendance separately for specific groups — for example, a summer camp, a birthday party, or a swim lesson block — without mixing them into the general attendance count.
Groups are created by an admin in Settings → Sign In Groups. Once created, they appear in the Front Desk settings.
Selecting a Sign In Group
Click Settings in the right sidebar. Under Sign In Groups, click Select next to the group you want to activate. The currently active group is shown with a green "Selected" indicator.
Once a group is active, all new sign-ins are recorded under that group. The attendance count at the top of the screen shows the count for the active group only.
To return to normal (all-pool) tracking, go back to Settings and select None.
The All Today view shows group labels next to any sign-ins that belong to a different group than the one currently selected, so you can always see the full picture.
Settings
Click Settings in the right sidebar to access front desk settings for your session.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Account Center | Edit your PoolMMS account (name, email, password) |
| Switch Organization | Switch to a different organization your account is affiliated with |
| Find an Organization | Search for and affiliate with a new organization |
| Logout | Sign out of PoolMMS |
| Sign In Groups | Select which sign in group is active for this session |
Settings are per-session and stored as a browser cookie. If you close the browser and reopen it, you may need to reselect your sign in group.
End-of-Day Checklist
At the end of each day or shift:
- Use All Today → Sign Out All to sign out anyone still marked as present, if needed.
- Verify the attendance count looks correct before closing.
- The Front Desk day resets automatically at midnight — no manual action is required to start a new day.
Accessing the Front Desk Without an Admin Account
Staff who only need front desk access do not need Admin access. An admin can invite them as a Front Desk role user. Front Desk users see only the Front Desk panel — they cannot access member data, settings, imports, or reports in the Admin panel.
See the new club setup guide for instructions on inviting users and assigning roles.