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Working with the Waitlist

10 minutes

Tutorial 2.3: Working with the Waitlist

Introduction

When your salon is fully booked, the waitlist helps you track customers who want appointments. This tutorial shows you how to add customers to the waitlist, record their preferences, and convert waitlist entries into confirmed appointments when slots become available.

Who this is for: Owner, Admin, Manager, Staff, Receptionist What you'll learn:

  • Navigate the dedicated waitlist page
  • Add customers to the waitlist
  • Record service and staff preferences
  • Set priority levels
  • View, filter, and manage waitlist entries
  • Convert waitlist entries to appointments
  • Update entry status and notes

Time to complete: 10 minutes

Prerequisites

  • Complete Tutorial 2.2 (booking appointments)
  • Customer must exist in the system before adding to the waitlist
  • Understanding of your salon's services and staff

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Access the Waitlist

The waitlist has its own dedicated section in the sidebar:

  1. Click Waitlist in the sidebar navigation (below Appointments)
  2. The Waitlist index page displays all entries in a searchable, filterable table

Waitlist Index Features:

  • Search by customer name, email, or phone
  • Filter by status (Active, Contacted, Converted, Cancelled, Expired)
  • Filter by priority (High, Normal, Low)
  • Filter by service
  • Click any row to view full entry details

Alternative Access:

  • From the Appointments calendar, you can also view active waitlist entries in the left panel's Waitlist tab
  • Entries in this panel can be dragged onto the calendar to create appointments

Step 2: Add a Customer to the Waitlist

When a customer requests an appointment but no slots are available:

  1. Click Add to Waitlist button on the Waitlist index page
  2. The waitlist form opens with three sections

Section 1: Customer & Service

Field Required Description
Customer Yes Search and select the customer
Service No The service they're requesting
Preferred Staff No If they want a specific team member

Section 2: Scheduling Preferences

Field Required Description
Preferred Date No When they'd like to come in
Preferred Time No Options: Anytime, Morning, Afternoon, Evening
Priority Yes High Priority, Normal, or Low Priority
Contact Preference No Options: Any method, Phone, SMS, Email

Section 3: Notes

Field Description
Customer Notes Special requests, preferences visible to customer
Internal Notes Staff-only notes (e.g., "flexible on dates but needs Saturday")
  1. Click Add to Waitlist to save

Step 3: Set Priority Levels

Priority determines the order in which customers appear on the waitlist:

Priority When to Use
High Priority Urgent need, VIP customer, or long-waiting customer
Normal Standard waitlist request
Low Priority Very flexible customer, no rush

High-priority entries appear at the top of the waitlist.

Step 4: View and Filter Waitlist Entries

The Waitlist index page provides powerful filtering options:

Search:

  • Type in the search box to find entries by customer name, email, or phone

Filters:

Filter Options
Status All Statuses, Active, Contacted, Converted, Cancelled, Expired
Priority All Priorities, High, Normal, Low
Service All Services, or select a specific service

Clear Filters:

  • Click Clear Filters to reset all filters and show all entries

Step 5: View Waitlist Entry Details

Click on any row in the waitlist table to view the full entry details:

Entry Detail Page Shows:

  • Status badge and priority level
  • Customer information with contact links (phone, email)
  • Service and preferred staff
  • Scheduling preferences (date, time range, contact preference)
  • Entry details (created date, contacted date, etc.)
  • Notes section (customer notes and internal staff notes)

Quick Actions from Detail Page:

  • Mark Contacted - Record that you've reached out to the customer
  • Convert to Appointment - Create an appointment from this entry
  • Edit - Update entry details
  • Cancel - Cancel the waitlist entry

Step 6: Edit Waitlist Entry Details

To update a waitlist entry:

  1. Click on the entry to view details
  2. Click Edit button
  3. Update any fields including:
    • Customer & Service selections
    • Scheduling preferences
    • Priority level
    • Status (Active, Contacted, Cancelled, Expired)
    • Contact preference
    • Customer and internal notes
  4. Click Update Waitlist Entry to save

Note: The Status field allows you to manually change the entry status. The "Converted" status is automatically set when you convert to an appointment.

Step 7: Update Notes Inline

On the entry detail page, you can quickly edit notes without going to the full edit form:

  1. In the Notes section, click Add or Edit
  2. Update Customer Notes and/or Internal Notes
  3. Click Save to save changes
  4. Click the X to cancel without saving

Step 8: Convert a Waitlist Entry to an Appointment

When a slot becomes available, you can convert a waitlist entry into an appointment:

Method 1: From the Entry Detail Page

  1. Open the waitlist entry detail page
  2. Click Convert to Appointment
  3. The appointment creation form opens with customer and service pre-filled
  4. Adjust time and confirm details
  5. Save the appointment

Method 2: Drag and Drop from Calendar

  1. Navigate to Appointments in the sidebar
  2. In Today view, look at the Waitlist tab in the left panel
  3. Click and hold a waitlist entry card
  4. Drag it onto the calendar to the desired time slot
  5. The appointment creation form opens pre-filled
  6. Confirm details and save

The waitlist entry is automatically marked as Converted when the appointment is created.

Step 9: Mark Entry as Contacted

When you reach out to a waitlisted customer:

  1. Open the waitlist entry detail page
  2. Click Mark Contacted
  3. The status changes to Contacted

This helps track which customers you've already tried to reach when slots open up.

Step 10: Cancel a Waitlist Entry

If a customer no longer needs to be on the waitlist:

  1. Open the waitlist entry detail page
  2. Click Cancel
  3. Confirm the cancellation
  4. The entry is marked as Cancelled

Note: You cannot cancel an entry that has already been converted to an appointment.

Waitlist Entry Statuses

Status Description
Active Waiting for an appointment slot
Contacted Staff has reached out to the customer
Converted Successfully converted to an appointment
Cancelled Entry was cancelled
Expired Entry expired without action

Common Pitfalls

"I can't find a customer to add to the waitlist"

Customers must exist in the system before being added to the waitlist. Create the customer via Customers > Add Customer first.

"I can't find a waitlist entry"

Use the search and filter options on the Waitlist index page. Check if the entry has been converted or cancelled by selecting different status filters.

"I dragged a waitlist entry but nothing happened"

You need to drag it onto a specific time slot on the calendar grid. The entry won't convert if dropped outside the calendar area.

"Customer says they've been waiting but I can't find them"

Search by customer name on the Waitlist page. They might already be marked as Contacted, Converted, or Cancelled. Check all status filters.

"I can't change the status to Converted"

The Converted status is set automatically when you convert to an appointment. Use the Convert to Appointment button instead.

Tips and Best Practices

  1. Record specific preferences - "Afternoons only" or "After 3pm" is more useful than just "Afternoon"
  2. Use priority consistently - Reserve High Priority for genuine urgency or VIP customers
  3. Set contact preference - Know whether to call, text, or email before reaching out
  4. Add internal notes - Record details like "can do last-minute bookings" for quick reference
  5. Check the waitlist when cancellations occur - Make it part of your cancellation workflow
  6. Keep the waitlist current - Regularly review and clean up old entries
  7. Use filters to focus - Filter by "Active" status to see only pending entries

Related Tutorials

  • Tutorial 2.1: Managing Your Appointment Calendar - Understanding the calendar
  • Tutorial 2.2: Booking and Managing Appointments - Creating appointments

Frequently Asked Questions

Can customers add themselves to the waitlist?

Currently, the waitlist is managed internally by staff. Customers contact the salon to be added.

How long should customers stay on the waitlist?

Review entries regularly. Consider contacting customers after 2-3 weeks to confirm they still want to wait.

What's the difference between "Contacted" and "Converted"?

Contacted means you've reached out to the customer about a slot. Converted means they accepted and an appointment was created.

Can I edit a waitlist entry after creating it?

Yes, click on the entry in the table, then click Edit to update preferences, priority, status, or notes.

Why can't I cancel a converted entry?

Once a waitlist entry becomes an appointment, the appointment record takes over. You would cancel the appointment instead.

How do I handle VIP customers?

Set their priority to High Priority so they appear at the top of the waitlist. You can also add notes about their VIP status.

Where do I find the waitlist?

Click Waitlist in the sidebar navigation. It's located below Appointments.

Last Updated: January 2026