Table QR stands: a setup and testing checklist

Before you put a QR stand on every table, set up one table properly. Check it with a place setting, a drink and a phone. That small rehearsal catches problems that are easy to miss on an empty tabletop.

Give the stand a clear purpose

A customer should know what a code opens before scanning it. A Google review stand is a feedback prompt. Keep it visually separate from codes used for menus, ordering or payment so someone looking for lunch does not open a review page by mistake.

Use the product’s printed wording as the guide. If the stand says feedback, configure it for feedback. Avoid placing several different codes together with no clear explanation of which one does what.

Test the table as it will actually be used

Lay out plates, glasses, cutlery and any menu holders. Then place the stand where those items will not cover it. It should be visible to a seated guest without blocking conversation across a small table.

Try it from more than one seat. A code facing the aisle can be obvious to staff and awkward for everyone sitting down. On larger tables, choose a position guests can reach safely without leaning over drinks or another person’s meal.

Check scanning distance and reflections

Open a phone’s camera and frame the whole code, leaving some space around its edges. Move the phone slightly closer or farther away until it focuses. If a ceiling light or window reflects over the print, adjust the stand and repeat the check.

Test during ordinary service lighting as well as daylight. A table beside a window and a table in a darker corner can behave differently. Keep the QR face clean and uncovered; decorations should not overlap the code.

Follow the link all the way through

Do not stop when the phone recognises the QR. Open the link and confirm the business name and destination. If you have multiple locations, check each location’s stands against its own listing before distributing them.

For an NFC + QR product, test both routes separately. NFC needs a compatible phone and the reading position varies by handset. The QR route gives guests another way to open the page using their camera. Neither route automatically writes a review.

Keep service comfortable

A table stand can remain available without a member of staff hovering over it. If you mention it, use a brief invitation to share honest feedback and then give guests space. Let people finish eating and choose whether they want to respond.

For a tabletop feedback prompt, the Google Review NFC + QR Stand includes both options. Check the individual product description when choosing other formats: not every NFC item has a printed QR code.

A quick opening checklist

• The stand is stable and has room beside the place setting.
• The wording faces guests and the code is unobstructed.
• Glare does not hide the printed face.
• Both tap and scan routes have been tested where provided.
• The link opens the correct business destination.
• Staff can explain what the stand does in one sentence.

Start with a few tables, observe whether guests have trouble finding or using the code, and adjust the placement before extending the setup. For ideas about the wider service flow, see our guide to review tap points in cafés.

Lifestyle images show illustrative settings. QR codes pictured are samples; your configured code is specific to your business.