Operator guide
Managing operator messages
Use the messages inbox to read customer/provider conversations, respond to threads, accept or decline F&B/service partner invitations, and view booking context while replying.
Inbox threads
Provider requests
F&B invitations
Booking context
Messages page · /operator/messages
Messages nav badge — the operator nav can show the total unread count for messages.
Left sidebar — shows all message threads, latest preview, type chips, unread badges, and time since latest message.
Right detail pane — shows the selected thread, special invitation panel when needed, message bubbles, reply box, and booking context.
Auto refresh — the thread list refreshes every 30 seconds to check for new messages.
Read state — selecting a thread marks its unread count as read locally.
Best use: Use this page as the operator’s communication hub for customer questions, provider requests, and F&B collaboration messages.
What you see
F&B Invitation
From Harbour Kitchen
🚢 Invitation for: Lady Sapphire
Menu items offered
✓ Accept & add to boat Decline
Harbour Kitchen
Hi, we can provide canapés for this vessel.
4m ago
Thanks, I’ll review it now.
just now
Messages page · Thread list sidebar
Header unread badge — total unread messages across all threads.
Sender name — shows who the latest conversation is from.
Time ago — shows how recent the latest message is, such as just now, 4m ago, 2h ago, or 3d ago.
Subject — uses the thread subject when available, otherwise falls back to message type such as F&B Invitation or F&B Request.
Preview — one-line latest message preview with ellipsis if long.
Active thread — highlighted blue with a left border when selected.
Unread thread — light background and a “new” badge showing unread count.
Messages page · Type chips
General message — normal conversation with no special chip or action panel.
F&B Invitation — provider offers menu items for one of your boats. Shows an invitation panel with accept/decline actions.
Join Request — provider requests to be added to your boat as a service partner. Shows profile link and accept/decline actions.
F&B Request — operator food and beverage request thread.
Accepted / Declined state — settled invitation/request threads change their chip and panel status after action.
Thread type chips
F&B Invitation Provider offers menu items
Join Request Provider asks to join boat partner pool
F&B Request Operator F&B request
✓ Accepted Invitation already accepted
Declined Invitation declined
Messages page · Empty states
No messages yet — shown in the sidebar when there are no threads.
Select a message — shown in the detail pane before a thread is selected.
Loading state — spinner appears when the selected thread’s messages are loading.
No selected thread
✉
Select a message to read it
Messages page · Thread detail pane
Title — shows the subject, or a fallback title based on message type.
From — shows who started or last represents the thread sender.
Special panel — appears above messages for F&B invitations and provider requests.
Messages area — shows all messages in the selected thread.
Reply bar — always at the bottom of the thread detail when a thread is selected.
Booking context — appears when the subject contains a booking reference that can be loaded.
Detail pane layout
CHR-YWVTLW
From Customer Rick Leung
Rick Leung
Hi, can I confirm the catering items?
15m ago
Yes, I can check the booking now.
10m ago
Messages page · F&B and provider invitation panels
F&B invitation — shows the boat name and menu items being offered by the provider.
Accept & add to boat — accepts the invitation and adds menu items to the boat.
Decline — declines the invitation after confirmation.
Provider request — explains that a provider wants to be added as a service partner for your boat.
View profile — opens the provider profile in a new tab so the operator can review them before accepting.
Settled status — after accepting or declining, the panel shows “You accepted this invitation” or “You declined this invitation”.
Important: Accepting may add provider/menu items to the boat. Review the offer carefully before clicking accept.
F&B invitation panel
🚢 Invitation for: Lady Sapphire
Menu items offered
✓ Accept & add to boat Decline
Provider request panel
Sydney DJ Co is requesting to be added to your boat as a service partner.
View Sydney DJ Co's profile ↗
✓ Accept & add to boat Decline
Accepted / declined states
✓ You accepted this invitation
✗ You declined this invitation
Messages page · Message bubbles
Incoming messages — grey bubble aligned left. Sender name appears above the bubble.
Your messages — blue bubble aligned right.
Time ago — each message shows relative time below the bubble.
Long text — preserved with line breaks and wrapped inside the bubble.
Remove — each message has a remove button below it.
Bubble examples
Customer
Can we move pickup to Circular Quay?
8m ago
Remove
Yes, I’ll check if the vessel can support that location.
6m ago
Remove
Messages page · Reply box
Write a reply — type into the textarea at the bottom of the conversation.
Send button — disabled until there is text.
Enter to send — pressing Enter sends the message.
Shift + Enter — creates a new line without sending.
Optimistic append — after successful send, the message appears immediately as an operator message.
Tip: Keep replies clear and action-based. Operators can use the booking context below the reply box when discussing a booking.
Messages page · Remove message
Remove button — shown under each message bubble.
Confirmation — the browser asks “Remove this message?” before deleting.
After remove — the message disappears from the current thread view.
Warning: Remove only messages that should not remain visible in the operator conversation history.
Remove button location
Provider
This message can be removed if needed.
20m ago
Remove
Confirmation: The system asks for confirmation before sending the delete request.
Messages page · Booking context panel
Auto-detection — if the subject contains a reference like CHR-YWVTLW, the page tries to load that booking.
Loading booking — a collapsed panel appears while booking details load.
Expandable panel — click the Booking row to expand or collapse the context panel.
Key details — vessel, booking status, guests, date, time, and boarding location.
Items on booking — active F&B/menu items show with line totals.
Useful for replies: Operators can answer customer/provider questions without opening the full booking page.
Collapsed context toggle
Booking — CHR-YWVTLW ▼ Expanded booking context
Board at
King Street Wharf
Items on this booking
Gourmet Canapé $500.00
Silver Canapé $500.00
Messages page · Unread and refresh behaviour
Total unread — calculated by adding unread counts from every thread.
Operator nav unread — passed to the operator nav so the Messages tab can display unread count.
Thread unread badge — each thread shows its own “new” badge when unread_count is above zero.
Select to read — opening a thread sets that thread’s unread count to zero in local state.
Polling — the page refreshes the thread list every 30 seconds.
Unread count examples
Messages
7
Customer 1m ago
Booking question
Can you confirm the pickup point?
4 new
Auto-refresh: The list checks for new threads every 30 seconds.
Messages page · Responsive layout
Desktop — two-column layout: thread list on the left, conversation on the right.
Mobile — changes to one column. Thread list appears above the detail pane.
Sidebar height — on mobile, the thread list is capped so the conversation still remains usable.
Reply bar — remains at the bottom of the selected thread pane.
Mobile stacked layout
F&B Invitation
From Harbour Kitchen
Harbour Kitchen
Can we add these items?
4m ago