Staff Companion App | React Native (Expo)
Overview
As part of our end-to-end work on the Turnkey Receptionist platform, we designed and developed a mobile app tailored specifically for staff members—the people responsible for managing customer communication behind the scenes.
Unlike the web dashboard, which is full-featured and admin-oriented, this mobile app was intentionally focused and lightweight. Built using React Native with Expo, the app gives staff members fast access to essential controls and status information—without the friction of logging in each time.
The Problem
Turnkey’s original mobile attempt suffered from inconsistencies between Android and iOS versions and limited functionality. As a result, it wasn’t adopted by staff in the field. Most relied solely on emails and SMS alerts, making communication fragmented.
We were brought in to rebuild the mobile experience from scratch with the following goals:
- Provide staff with a unified, fast, and trustworthy mobile interface
- Eliminate the need for repeated logins
- Simplify the app experience by cutting noise and focusing on just what users need
- Offer consistency across platforms using a single codebase
Our Solution
Cross-Platform Foundation
We built the new mobile app using React Native with Expo, allowing us to:
- Ship to both iOS and Android stores from a single codebase
- Use Expo’s tooling for faster testing, iteration, and OTA (over-the-air) updates
- Simplify build and distribution, speeding up delivery
The app was published to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, ensuring accessibility across the board.
Focused Feature Set
This app wasn’t designed to replicate the full dashboard—it was meant to be the one place staff check during their day. We built a minimal yet reliable set of features:
- View assigned task statuses and service settings
- Get notified via email and SMS for key events (push notifications coming soon)
- Modify basic preferences from within the app
- Seamless experience with no login required for active sessions
The backend API integration was purposefully kept minimal, reducing the risk of complexity or error.
“We removed everything that wasn’t absolutely necessary. What remained was a clean, confident user experience.”
UX Simplicity That Builds Trust
Because the app’s operations were so fast (saving actions within milliseconds), early testers were unsure if anything had actually happened. To build trust, we added subtle loading and confirmation screens—ensuring users received visual feedback even when backend operations were nearly instant.
This small change greatly improved user confidence and satisfaction.
Technical Highlights
- Built in React Native + Expo Go
- Secure and optimized for both iOS and Android
- No offline support or push notifications yet, but structured for easy rollout
- API-light architecture to reduce network dependency
- Deployed through official app stores, not just internal use
Outcomes
- Higher adoption among staff roles who previously relied on scattered alerts
- Faster interactions with the system due to session persistence and lightweight screens
- Reduced support queries related to notification confusion or task tracking
- Better overall perception of the platform’s reliability and professionalism
“With a focused mobile companion, staff were finally able to engage with the platform on the go—and trust that it would just work.”
Summary
The Turnkey Receptionist mobile app is a clean, reliable companion for remote staff—designed to do just one job well. By stripping out distractions and leaning into the strengths of cross-platform development, we delivered a practical, polished app that boosted usage, speed, and staff satisfaction.
Need a mobile companion app for your SaaS platform? [Let’s talk.]
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