Goodbye Pagers: Call Customers on Their Phones with Zaheb

October 16, 2026 · Cortex Solutions

Lost pagers and crowded counters? Learn how cafés, restaurants, clinics and pharmacies in Saudi Arabia can alert customers on their phones with a QR code and Zaheb.

At peak hour in any café or restaurant in the Kingdom, the same scenes repeat: customers standing at the counter waiting to hear their number, a staff member raising their voice over the noise, and pagers handed out only to get lost, run out of battery, or be left in a car. In clinics, pharmacies, and repair workshops it takes another form: a crowded waiting area, and a customer who does not know when their turn will come, so they stay glued to one spot and do not dare to step away.

These may look like small details, but they shape the final impression of your service. A customer may forget the taste of the coffee, but they will remember waiting a long time without knowing what was happening to their order.

The problem: waiting is a poor and costly experience

• Traditional pagers cost money to buy and maintain, get lost over time, and need constant charging and cleaning.
• Calling out orders confuses staff and gets lost in the crowd, so pickups are delayed, drinks go cold, and plates pile up on the counter.
• A waiting customer does not know the status of their order, so questions at the counter multiply and staff come under more pressure at the busiest times of day.
• The waiting time itself is a lost marketing opportunity: a customer looks around for long minutes without seeing an offer or a new product.

The solution: call customers on their own phones

The idea is simple: every customer today has a phone in hand, so why give them an extra device and then chase them to get it back? Instead of a pager, the customer gets a number on the receipt and a QR code. They scan it once, follow their order on their phone, and get an alert as soon as the order is ready. They can sit with friends or move around freely, and know exactly when to come and collect.

Waiting turns from an annoyance into an organized experience: staff call with one tap, the alert reaches the customer's hand, and the counter stays calm and tidy.

Zaheb by Cortex: call your customer without a pager

Zaheb is the customer-calling system from Cortex Solutions, designed to replace traditional pagers. These are its main features as presented on the product page:

• Phone alerts: the customer scans the QR code once and is notified when their order is ready.
• Staff dashboard: staff issue tickets, call customers, and close orders from one screen.
• Works standalone: Zaheb does not require a cashier system, so you can start right away whatever your current setup. With Cortex POS points of sale, calling becomes automatic.
• Ad space: show an offer or promotional campaign to customers while they wait, turning waiting minutes into a sales opportunity.

Who is Zaheb for?

According to the product page, Zaheb serves restaurants, cafés, clinics, pharmacies, workshops, and pickup points. Here is what that looks like in practice:

• Specialty café: instead of calling names over the crowd, the alert reaches the customer's phone as soon as their drink is ready.
• Quick-service restaurant: customers follow their order from their table, and crowding at the pickup area drops.
• Clinic or pharmacy: visitors know when their turn comes without standing next to the staff desk.
• Repair workshop: customers can wait somewhere comfortable and get an alert when their item is ready for pickup.
• Pickup points: clearer organization of handovers and less crowding at the window.

Practical steps to move away from pagers

• Map your current customer journey from order to pickup, and find where time is lost and where questions keep coming.
• Put a small sign at the counter telling customers to scan the code on their receipt to follow their order.
• Train staff on the dashboard: issuing the ticket, calling the customer, and closing the order after handover.
• Prepare content for the ad space in advance: a new product, a seasonal offer, or a loyalty program.
• If you use Cortex POS or plan to, take advantage of automatic calling to save staff a step.
• Track the results in the first weeks: has crowding at the counter dropped? Has customer feedback improved?

Why now?

Saudi customers today are used to following everything from their phones: delivery orders, appointments, and payments. When they walk into your shop, they expect the same experience. Businesses that offer an organized, modern waiting experience earn a better impression and longer loyalty, without a large investment in devices that get lost and break.

Get started with Zaheb

If you run a restaurant, café, clinic, pharmacy, or workshop and want to get rid of pagers and organize waiting, Zaheb was built for you. Learn more on the product page: https://cortex.sa/solutions/zaheb

To request a quote tailored to your business: https://cortex.sa/estimator