Smart Waitlist – Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
What is Smart Waitlist?
Smart Waitlist is an automated system that helps fill canceled appointment slots by offering them to patients who have later appointments scheduled. This improves schedule efficiency and gives patients opportunities to get earlier appointments.
How does Smart Waitlist work?
When a patient cancels an appointment within your configured timeframe, the system automatically identifies other patients with later appointments and offers them the earlier slot. Patients are contacted via text and/or email with the opportunity to reschedule.
Will patients be automatically moved to earlier appointments?
No, patients must actively accept the earlier appointment offer. Their original appointment remains scheduled until they confirm they want to move to the earlier slot.
Patient Experience
What happens if multiple patients try to accept the same earlier appointment?
The first patient to accept the appointment gets rescheduled to the earlier slot. Any patients who attempt to accept after the slot has been filled will receive an immediate message stating: “This appointment slot has already been filled. You will be notified if other earlier appointments become available. Your original appointment remains scheduled.”
How often will patients receive waitlist notifications?
The frequency of patient contact is configured in your Smart Waitlist settings and can be updated at any time. Patients will only be contacted once every [configured number] days to prevent message fatigue and maintain a professional communication standard.
Can patients opt out of the waitlist?
Yes, patients can be opted out of waitlist notifications. To opt a patient out of Smart Waitlist, a User must open the patient’s appointment within the CRM and uncheck the waitlist opt-in option.
Will patients lose their original appointment if they don’t respond to a waitlist offer?
No, patients keep their original appointment regardless of whether they respond to or accept a waitlist offer. Only accepting an earlier appointment will change their scheduled time.
Practice Management
Which appointments are eligible for waitlist offers?
Only appointments that meet your configured criteria for appointment type, provider, and location are eligible. You control these settings during initial setup.
How quickly are waitlist offers sent after a cancellation?
Waitlist offers are sent immediately after a qualifying cancellation occurs, provided the canceled appointment falls within your configured cancellation window.
Can we control how many patients are contacted at once?
Yes, you can configure batch sizes to control how many patients receive offers simultaneously. This prevents overwhelming your phone lines and allows time to assess responses before contacting additional patients.
What if no one accepts the waitlist offer?
The system will continue contacting eligible patients in batches until either someone accepts the appointment or all eligible patients have been contacted. The appointment slot remains available for regular booking if no waitlist patients accept.
Technical Questions
How are patients prioritized for waitlist offers?
You can choose to contact patients with either the furthest appointment dates first (giving maximum flexibility) or nearest appointment dates first (creating more urgency). This is configurable in your messaging preferences.
Can we customize the waitlist messages?
Yes, you can fully customize both text message and email notifications, including the email subject line and body content.
What happens if a patient’s contact information is outdated?
If messages fail to deliver due to outdated contact information, the system will move to the next eligible patient in the queue. It’s important to keep patient contact information current.
Can waitlist work with online scheduling?
Yes, if your practice uses online scheduling, the waitlist can be integrated in two ways: you can allow patients to self-opt in at the time of scheduling, or you can default all patients into the waitlist when their appointment meets your configured criteria (appointment type, provider, and location).
Troubleshooting
Why aren’t waitlist offers being sent?
Check that:
- The canceled appointment falls within your configured cancellation window
- There are eligible patients with appointments in your configured contact window
- The appointment type, provider, and location match your eligibility criteria
- Waitlist is activated in your settings
A patient says they didn’t receive a waitlist notification. What should I check?
Verify:
- The patient’s contact information is current
- They haven’t been contacted within the configured frequency limit
- Their appointment meets the eligibility criteria
- They haven’t opted out of waitlist communications
Can we see reports on waitlist activity?
Contact your CRM support team for information about available waitlist reporting features and analytics.
Best Practices
What are recommended settings for new practices?
Start with conservative settings such as:
- 2-5 day cancellation window
- 10-21 day patient contact window
- Small batch sizes (3-5 patients)
- 2-4 hour intervals between batches
- 5-day minimum between patient contacts
How can we maximize waitlist effectiveness?
- Keep patient contact information updated
- Use clear, professional messaging
- Set appropriate batch sizes for your call volume capacity
- Monitor and adjust settings based on response rates
- Train staff on how to handle waitlist-related patient calls
Should we inform patients about the waitlist when they schedule?
Yes, informing patients about waitlist opportunities during scheduling can increase participation and patient satisfaction. This also helps set expectations about potential earlier appointment offers.
For additional support or technical assistance, contact your CRM support team.
