How to Configure Front Desk in Odoo 18

Pinnacle Law Group is a 45-attorney firm spread across three floors of a downtown Chicago high-rise. Before Odoo 18, their visitor process was a paper sign-in binder at the lobby desk. The receptionist, DeAnna, would write down the visitor's name, call the attorney's extension, and hope someone picked up. When nobody answered, she paged them over the intercom, which disrupted every meeting on the floor. Clients sitting in the lobby had no idea if their attorney even knew they had arrived. Partners who were running between courthouses missed visitors entirely because the paper binder stayed at the front desk. During busy days — especially quarterly board meetings — DeAnna was juggling 15 to 20 visitors, handwriting names, and trying to remember who wanted coffee and who was still waiting.

When the firm's operations director, Marcus, set up Odoo 18's Front Desk module, the lobby changed overnight. They mounted two tablets: one on the 12th floor for client meetings and one on the 14th floor for the corporate practice group. Visitors check in by tapping their name and selecting their host attorney. Odoo sends the attorney an instant notification via Discuss, email, or SMS. The beverage menu pops up so the visitor can request a cappuccino before they even sit down. DeAnna still greets people — she is the face of the firm — but she no longer chases down attorneys or scribbles in a binder. This guide covers every configuration step.

Front Desk Module Overview

The Front Desk module in Odoo 18 is built around four main menu areas. When you open the module, the dashboard shows all your stations in a Kanban view with real-time status indicators.

Configuring Drinks

The drink menu appears to visitors during check-in if you enable the "Offer Drinks" option on the station. Configure your beverage list first so it is ready when you set up stations.

Click New to add a drink. Here is what Pinnacle configured:

Pinnacle's full drink menu:

Seq | Drink Name        | Notify
----|-------------------|-------------------
 1  | Cappuccino        | DeAnna, Kitchen
 2  | Espresso          | DeAnna, Kitchen
 3  | Green Tea         | DeAnna, Kitchen
 4  | Sparkling Water   | DeAnna, Kitchen
 5  | Fresh Orange Juice| DeAnna, Kitchen

Creating a Front Desk Station

A station represents one physical check-in point. Each station has its own kiosk URL, settings, and theme. Pinnacle created two stations — here is how the 12th floor station was configured:

General Settings

Options Tab

Authenticate Guest Settings

Turn on Authenticate Guest to collect additional information from visitors during check-in. Each field can be set to Required, Optional, or None:

The Visitor Check-In Flow

Here is what a client experiences when they arrive at Pinnacle's 12th floor lobby and use the kiosk tablet:

Managing Visitors and Check-Out

The Visitors list shows every person currently checked in or recently checked out. Each row displays:

When the meeting ends, the host or receptionist opens the visitor record, clicks Check-Out, and optionally marks Drink Served if the beverage was delivered. The Message tab lets you add notes about the visit — Pinnacle uses this for internal notes like "NDA signed" or "Needs parking validation." The status changes to Checked-Out.

Best Practices from Pinnacle

Summary