diff --git a/angular_app/js/controllers.js b/angular_app/js/controllers.js
index 8a50418..71e024a 100644
--- a/angular_app/js/controllers.js
+++ b/angular_app/js/controllers.js
@@ -508,6 +508,9 @@ eventManControllers.controller('EventTicketsCtrl', ['$scope', '$state', 'Event',
                     ticket_id: ticket._id
                 }, function() {
                     $scope._localRemoveTicket(ticket);
+                    var msg = $scope.buildTicketLabel(ticket);
+                    msg += ' successfully removed from event ' + $scope.event.title;
+                    toaster.pop({type: 'error', title: msg});
             });
         };
 
@@ -558,6 +561,9 @@ eventManControllers.controller('EventTicketsCtrl', ['$scope', '$state', 'Event',
                         // Close the Quick ticket modal.
                         $scope.$close();
                     }
+                    var msg = $scope.buildTicketLabel(ret_ticket);
+                    msg += ' successfully added to event ' + $scope.event.title;
+                    toaster.pop({type: 'success', title: msg});
                 }
             });
         };
@@ -600,9 +606,7 @@ eventManControllers.controller('EventTicketsCtrl', ['$scope', '$state', 'Event',
                     toaster.pop({type: 'info', title: 'ticket successfully updated'});
                 });
             } else {
-                $scope.addTicket($scope.ticket, function() {
-                    $scope.showAttendedMessage($scope.ticket, true);
-                });
+                $scope.addTicket($scope.ticket);
             }
         };
 
diff --git a/eventman_server.py b/eventman_server.py
index dd560ff..8cdf7a5 100755
--- a/eventman_server.py
+++ b/eventman_server.py
@@ -793,6 +793,10 @@ class EventsHandler(CollectionHandler):
         # Update an existing entry for a ticket registered at this event.
         self._clean_dict(data)
         uuid, arguments = self.uuid_arguments
+        _errorMessage = ''
+        if '_errorMessage' in arguments:
+            _errorMessage = arguments['_errorMessage']
+            del arguments['_errorMessage']
         query = dict([('tickets.%s' % k, v) for k, v in arguments.items()])
         query['_id'] = id_
         if ticket_id is not None:
@@ -811,13 +815,13 @@ class EventsHandler(CollectionHandler):
         matching_tickets = self._get_ticket_data(ticket_query, tickets, only_one=False)
         nr_matches = len(matching_tickets)
         if nr_matches > 1:
-            ret = {'error': True, 'message': 'more than one ticket matched', 'query': query,
+            ret = {'error': True, 'message': 'more than one ticket matched. %s' % _errorMessage, 'query': query,
                    'uuid': uuid, 'username': self.current_user_info.get('username', '')}
             self.send_ws_message('event/%s/tickets/updates' % id_, json.dumps(ret))
             self.set_status(400)
             return ret
         elif nr_matches == 0:
-            ret = {'error': True, 'message': 'no ticket matched', 'query': query,
+            ret = {'error': True, 'message': 'no ticket matched. %s' % _errorMessage, 'query': query,
                    'uuid': uuid, 'username': self.current_user_info.get('username', '')}
             self.send_ws_message('event/%s/tickets/updates' % id_, json.dumps(ret))
             self.set_status(400)
diff --git a/static/css/eventman.css b/static/css/eventman.css
index 1ae6e4e..4bb67c5 100644
--- a/static/css/eventman.css
+++ b/static/css/eventman.css
@@ -104,7 +104,10 @@ input[type=text].form-control, input[type=search].form-control {
     margin-bottom: 4px;
 }
 
-:not(.no-enter)#toast-container > div.ng-enter
-{
+:not(.no-enter)#toast-container > div.ng-enter {
     transition-duration: .1s;
 }
+
+:not(.no-leave)#toast-container > div.ng-leave {
+    transition-duration: .2s;
+}
diff --git a/tools/qrcode_reader.py b/tools/qrcode_reader.py
index b091d5a..ea04f94 100755
--- a/tools/qrcode_reader.py
+++ b/tools/qrcode_reader.py
@@ -60,16 +60,20 @@ class Connector():
             sys.exit(1)
 
     def checkin(self, code):
+        msg = 'scanning code %s: ' % code
         limit_field = self.cfg['event'].getint('limit_field')
         if limit_field:
             code = code[:limit_field]
-        checkin_url = self.checkin_url + '?' + urllib.parse.urlencode({cfg['event']['field']: code})
-        params = dict(self.cfg['actions'])
-        req = self.session.put(checkin_url, json=params)
+        params = {cfg['event']['field']: code, '_errorMessage': 'code: %s' % code}
+        checkin_url = self.checkin_url + '?' + urllib.parse.urlencode(params)
+        json = dict(self.cfg['actions'])
+        req = self.session.put(checkin_url, json=json)
         try:
             req.raise_for_status()
+            msg += 'ok'
         except requests.exceptions.HTTPError as ex:
-            print('error: %s' % req.json().get('message'))
+            msg += 'error: %s' % req.json().get('message')
+        print(msg)
         req.connection.close()
 
 
@@ -81,7 +85,7 @@ def scan(port):
             ser = serial.Serial(port=port, timeout=1)
             break
         except serial.serialutil.SerialException as ex:
-            if retry >= 10:
+            if retry >= 20:
                 print('unable to connect: %s' % ex)
                 sys.exit(2)
         time.sleep(1)
@@ -101,7 +105,6 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     connector = Connector(cfg)
     try:
         for code in scan(port=cfg['connection']['port']):
-            print('received code %s' % code)
             connector.checkin(code)
     except KeyboardInterrupt:
         print('exiting...')