Waitlists settings, explained
The Double Opt-in for Waitlists feature enhances the waitlist process, ensuring smooth class attendance and maximizing studio revenue.
What is Double Opt-in for Waitlists?
Double Opt-in for Waitlists gives your clients the opportunity to confirm or decline a spot in a class via SMS. When a spot becomes available, the system automatically sends a text to the first person on the waitlist, asking them to confirm their attendance. If they decline or do not respond within a specified time frame, the system moves on to the next person on the waitlist until the spot is filled.
Double Opt-in requires the SMS Messaging app which can be activated in Apps & Integrations > App store.
How Does it Work?
You can access and customize your waitlist settings under Settings > Waitlist settings. Here, you'll find three options for managing your waitlists:
First come, first serve: This is the default setting where the top person on the waitlist is moved into the class automatically when a spot opens up.
Double opt-in: With this setting, clients receive an automatic text asking them to confirm or decline the spot. If declined or not confirmed within the allotted time, the system moves to the next person on the list.
Fastest fingers first: All clients on the waitlist receive a text when a spot opens up, and the first person to accept is added to the class.
Enhancements for Waitlist Cutoff Times
We also offer the ability to enable "fastest fingers first" after the waitlist cutoff time. With this feature enabled, an automatic text is sent to the entire waitlist, filling the spot with the first person to confirm.
What happens if everyone in the waitlist has been notified but no one confirms?
The waitlist double opt-in function ensures that users confirm their interest in booking. If all waitlisted customers fail to respond within the allocated time frame, the process ends without looping back to the initial person. Instead, it remains inactive until the next booking is canceled.
If someone is booked on several waitlists, how does the feature know which class the customer is willing to accept?
The waitlist double opt-in function uses a numerical system so that, if a customer is waitlisted for two sessions, they will receive two different prompts if an opening occurs in both classes. To differentiate them, one prompt will ask the customer to reply with 1 to accept, whereas the other will require the customer to reply with 11 to accept. Same applies to declining.
Add someone to a class waitlist
You can do this from Point of Sale or a Class Details page.
From POS
From POS, you'll see the following message if the class has the waitlist enabled.
Click 'Add to cart' and you'll see a waitlist tag attached. Next choose payment method below, and
Next, choose payment method below for the would be charge if they end up making into class.
From a class page
In the class details page, you'll see the following message if the class is full.
By adding someone in, you'll be presented with this pop up that gives you two options: override the class capacity or add to the waitlist. Choose the wait list option.
Set Waitlist Cut-Off Times for Classes
Sometimes customers are added to a class from the waitlist at the last minute. This makes it difficult for them to make it to class on time.
Here's how to ensure they have enough time to make it in, every time.
Set a Cut-Off time
Click Classes > Schedule > edit the individual class or series, using the drop down menu to the right.
Click 'Enable waitlist' and choose the cutoff time.
Ex. 60 minutes would stop waitlisters from being added into class automatically and notified 1 hour ahead of the class start time, ensuring everyone had at least an hour heads up, if not more.
Reorder a class's waitlist signups
You can now move customers up in a waitlist. This helps in a number of different instances such as:
Someone is at the studio waiting vs. others on the list who are not there physically
Someone asked to be added to the waitlist for an upcoming class but you forgot to do it at that moment and now 3 additional people have signed up ahead of them.
To rearrange the order of waitlist signups,
head to a class details page > click Waitlist > then drag the signups to their new position
To enable a waitlist for a class, from a Class Details page, click Actions > Edit this class > scroll to Enable Waitlist.
Why was my class overbooked?
Classes can sometimes end up overbooked when:
A staff member has overridden the waitlist capacity
A customer has been transferred into the class. When transferring a member from a different class, the max capacity settings for the new class are overridden, which may cause the class to end up overbooked.
Why wasn't a waitlistee added after someone cancelled?
If the cancellation took place after the cutoff time, this will result in no-one being added. Cutoff times are designed to give waitlistees enough time to make it into class.
Filter out Waitlist Texts from your Inbox; Choose when waitlist messages can fire
Filter Out Waitlist Messages from your Inbox
To filter out waitlist messages from your inbox, de-select the Transactional message type from your Filters Menu. To see this menu, click Home > Inbox > Filters.
Set the window for when waitlist messages can go out
Control when your waitlist requests will start firing to customers via Settings > Waitlist settings > Additional Settings > Uptime settings.
Note that if you have 'fastest fingers first' or 'double opt-in' as your waitlist option, no one will receive messages in the off hours that you set.