A first-time customer just walked in, loved the shop, and wants to come back. This is the moment — get them in the system now and every future visit gets better for both of you. It takes about 30 seconds.
Creating the Account #
Tap the Customer button, then hit Create New in the Account Finder. (You might also land here naturally if you searched for someone and TORO came back empty — it’ll ask “Does this customer already have an account?” and offer to create one.)
Before creating anything, TORO checks for duplicates. If someone with that phone number already exists, you’ll know before you accidentally create a second profile.
Here’s what to fill in:
Required:
- First Name and Last Name
- Phone Number — 10 digits, no dashes or spaces. Just the numbers: 6105551234
Strongly recommended:
- Email — needed for email receipts and newsletters
- Date of Birth — this powers birthday rewards. If you skip it, TORO will gently remind you. Worth collecting.
Optional but useful:
- Instagram Handle — some shops track this for social engagement
- Locker Number — if your shop has lockers for regulars
- PIN — a 4-digit code the customer can use on the Customer Service Interface (your in-store kiosk)
- Notes — anything your team should know (“prefers mild blends,” “VIP guest of the owner”)
Tap OK and TORO generates an Account ID automatically. It combines the customer’s initials with the last 4 digits of their phone — so John Smith with phone ending in 1234 becomes “JS1234.” You don’t need to create or remember this yourself.
The account is immediately ready. You can attach it to the current transaction right away.
Account vs. Membership — What’s the Difference? #
An account is free. Every customer should have one. It tracks their purchases, earns rewards points, and lets you look them up by name or phone. No cost, no commitment.
A membership is an optional paid upgrade. Members get discount benefits on their purchases — the specifics depend on your store’s membership tiers. Not every customer needs one, but it’s a great upsell for regulars.
To set up a membership: select Create Member, pick the plan (Monthly or Annual), and the membership fee gets added to the current transaction. Once they pay, their member discounts activate immediately — even on that same purchase.
Getting Them on SMS #
If your store uses text message marketing (and you should), now’s the time to enroll them.
First, make sure their phone number is a mobile number, not a landline. Then tap Complete SMS Enrollment or Invite. TORO sends a welcome text, but the customer still has to opt in — you can’t do it for them. That’s not a TORO rule, it’s the law.
Their SMS status gets tracked on the account: Invited, Opted In, or Opted Out. You’ll always know where they stand.
A Few Things Worth Knowing #
Phone number is king. It’s how most lookups happen at the register. Name searches work fine, but “last 4 of your phone?” is faster and more reliable, especially with common names. Always collect the phone number.
You don’t need everything right now. If there’s a line behind them, grab the name and phone, create the account, and move on. Everything else can be filled in later — email, birthday, preferences. A partial account is infinitely better than no account.
Employees who are also customers need a mailing address and email on file. TORO uses these for payroll and tax documents.
Communication preferences can be dialed in per customer: how they want their receipt (printed, emailed, or texted), whether they get arrival notifications, and their SMS marketing opt-in status. Defaults work fine at creation — you can fine-tune later.
