How the Waitlist works

1. One screen, two tabs

Waitlist is one screen, reachable from the "Waitlist" item under Guests in the sidebar. It's a single list of everyone waiting for a table, split into two tabs depending on how they joined.

2. Waiting now: parties at the door tonight

For a party that has actually turned up without a booking. A host adds their name, mobile number, party size and a quoted wait, right from this screen.

• If a table is free right now, Seat now puts them straight at a table (or marks them seated without one), instead of texting them at all.
• Table ready texts the guest the moment a table opens up. There's no link to click, because the table is already theirs, they just need to come back in.
• This only ever sends by text, and texts come from Venue Growth up. On other plans Table ready is switched off, but the party still shows here, you'll just need to go and get them yourself.
• Remove takes a party off the list, for a no-show or a guest who leaves.

3. Future dates: guests who joined online

A guest joins this tab themselves, from your own booking page. When they pick a date and every table is taken, they can leave their name, email, phone, a preferred time window and a note, no extra step for you.

• Nothing is held for them. Joining the waitlist is not a booking, and no table is set aside.
• When a table frees up, you can offer it to a matching guest from this tab or from the Reservations screen, or it can go out automatically to everyone whose request matches the freed table's size, date and time.
• The offer is first come, first served. Whoever books through the link first gets the table. Everyone else who tries after still sees the ordinary message that the slot has just gone.