How to create waitlists
To create Waitlists start by visiting the Waitlist App on the left-hand user menu. To create a Waitlist click "Create Waitlist". Start by naming your waitlist. Save the waitlist and it will be added to the page. Check the default settings before proceeding. The first option, Number of Guests in Party sets whether to record a number of guests for each entry. In some cases each party will always be just on person and the waitlist will not need this data to be asked for. The next option, Waitlist is Public sets whether or not the waitlist appears when individuals text in to get the waitlists list. The next option, Show Average Wait Time sets whether to show the calculated average wait time on both the admin's Waillists page as well as in the waitlists list sent to customers. The last setting, Send Guests Number to Text-ins determines whether or not an image of a number should be sent to those who add themselves to the waitlist. This setting allows you to confirm that the person responding to the name called is indeed the same person who texted in. When enabled, the first customer will receive an image of the guest number "T1" and the number will increment until a new day starts.
Now that your waitlist is setup you can start adding parties and parties can start texting in. To add a party manually, type the name in the "add name" box and click the green button. Each row has 3 buttons. The buttons provide the following actions: Check-in Party, Notify Party, Seat Party, and Remove Party. Each row can be moved up or down by dragging the icon on the left-side of the row. Check-in Party simple highlights the icon so that you can mark that a party is on the premisis. Notify Party sends the customer a text letting them know that their number on the waitlist has been called. Seat Party will mark the party as seated and remove the row from the waitlist. Remove Party will remove the party from the waitlist. For the automated average wait time the system calculates the time from the party being added to the list to the time they are seated. A party that is never seated, but instead removed, is not calculated in the average wait time.
Customers can add themselves to your waitlists by texting "YOURCODE WAITLISTS" to 2626-00-2626. If you have only one waitlist the system will ask the customer for the name they wish to put on the list. They are encouraged to use the format of first name last initial. When they reply with their name the system will move them to the next step. If Number of Guests in Party is enabled they will then be texted and asked how many people are in their party. Onve they reply they will receive a confimation that they have been added to the waitlist. If Number of Guests in Party is not enabled this step is simply skipped. If you have more than one active public waitlist the customer will be sent a numbered list of waitlists and will be asked to first choose the waitlist they want to be added to before the previously explained steps are taken. Customers are instructed that they may remove themselves from waitlists by replying REMOVE. If the customer is on more than one waitlist they will be presented a list of waitlists and asked to reply with the number representing the list they wish to be removed from. When multiple lists are presented an additional option of replying X to be removed from all waitlists is added. Waitlists restrict one unique phone number instance per waitlist to prevent a customer from adding themselves to the list more than once.