Waitlist refers to a system used to manage guests who are waiting for a table when the restaurant is at capacity. When guests arrive and there are no available tables, they can add their names to the waitlist. The restaurant then seats them as tables become free, often notifying them via a text message or by calling their name.
To manually add a guest to the waitlist:
- Login to your Table Management account.
- Click the "+" or "Reserve" button located at the top left of the screen.
- If the guest is already in your database, search for their details. If not, click "+ Add new guest" to enter their information. This step is optional; you can save the reservation without guest details.
- Check the box for "Waitlist."
- Complete the following fields:
Date: The date of the waitlist
Time: The time the guest was added to the waitlist.
Preference: Select any preferences, if applicable.
Covers: Number of guests.
Duration: Expected duration of the reservation.
Table: Specific table, if desired.
Status: This will automatically display as "Waitlist" once the waitlist box is checked.
Wait Est: The estimated wait time for the guest, based on the start time selected above.
Other fields, including Comments, Tags, Employee, and Notes, are optional and not mandatory. - Then click "Create Reservation" to continue.
This reservation will appear in the Waitlist tab. When a table is ready, you can notify the guest by clicking the "Table Ready" icon at the bottom. This will send an SMS or email to the guest if their details are available.
Finally, when you're ready to seat the guest, click "Seat Reservation." This will move the reservation from the waitlist tab to the reservation tab.
Note: It's important to note that when a new waitlist entry is created, an SMS is automatically triggered to your guest with their estimated wait time.