The waitlist feature lets you offer clients the option to book a spot on a class even when it's fully booked. The client then joins the class as a waitlist participant.
Note: This feature is available for open classes and course classes. Clients can join the waitlist when paying with credits, entries, memberships, credit/debit card (Stripe), or PayPal.
The waitlist works with different payment methods, each behaving slightly differently:
Credits and entries — the amount is held as a "deposit" on the client's account until the class starts.
Memberships — the client joins the waitlist without any additional charges.
Credit/debit card (Stripe) or PayPal — the payment is collected immediately. The order shows a status of "Paid" with a "waitlist" tag.
The client is added to the waitlist and waits in a queue for a spot to open up.
What Happens When a Spot Becomes Available?
The waitlist operates on a FIFO (First In, First Out) basis:
First Vacancy: The first client on the waitlist is offered the available spot.
Subsequent Vacancies: The second client on the waitlist is offered the next available spot, and so on.
Zenamu handles this fully automatically. When a spot opens up, the client at the top of the waitlist is moved in, notified via email, and the previously held deposit is fully charged from their account.
What If No Spot Opens Up?
If no spot opens up and the class starts:
Credits and entries — the held amount is automatically returned to the client’s account.
Memberships — the membership remains active without any change.
Card (Stripe) and PayPal — the payment is automatically refunded and the order is cancelled. Both a payment receipt and a cancellation receipt are generated.
Setup
You can enable the waitlist in Settings > Class Booking > Waitlist.
What If I Just Want to Notify Clients About an Available Spot?
Zenamu offers a feature called "Watchdog". It lets clients sign up for email notifications when a spot opens up on a class. However, if the waitlist is enabled, waitlisted clients get priority and the watchdog doesn't send an email.
The notification email is only sent when there are no waitlist participants in the queue.
Once a spot opens and there's no one on the waitlist, the email is sent and the spot is filled on a first-come, first-served basis -- whoever books first gets the spot.
FAQ
A spot opened up but the waitlisted client wasn't moved in. Why?
Automatic waitlist assignment works with credits, entries, memberships, card payments (Stripe), and PayPal. If the client used bank transfer or on-site payment, the system cannot automatically process the booking, and the spot may not be filled from the waitlist.
Also, if the client's pass or membership expired between joining the waitlist and the spot opening up, the system won't be able to complete the booking automatically.
Can I manually move a waitlisted client into the class?
Yes. Open the class detail, find the client in the waitlist section, and manually confirm their booking.