Use cases / Manage waitlists

A spot opens up - and it's filled again within minutes

The situation

Friday evening, you're fully booked - and at 5 p.m. a guest cancels their 6:30 p.m. reservation. Now the phone calls begin: the paper waitlist sits next to the register, you dial three numbers, nobody picks up, voicemail kicks in. In the end, the spot stays empty, even though a dozen people would have loved to come.

How SmartChat solves it

With SmartChat, that scrap of paper becomes a real waitlist on WhatsApp. When a spot opens up, you send one message to everyone who's waiting - whoever replies first gets it. Instead of ten phone calls, it takes you one minute, and because WhatsApp messages have a 98% open rate, practically everyone sees your offer right away.

Set up in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Build your waitlist: People sign up through your landing page or the QR code at the counter - with double opt-in, GDPR-compliant.

  2. 2

    Prepare your message: Set up a template for open spots where all you have to fill in is the date and time.

  3. 3

    Announce the open spot: As soon as someone cancels, your message goes out to everyone waiting - the fastest reply wins the spot.

Best suited for

RestaurantsHair salonsPhysical therapy practicesBeauty salonsTattoo studiosDriving schools

Womit du das umsetzt

FAQs

What happens when several people reply at the same time?

You see every reply with a timestamp in your inbox and give the spot to whoever replied first. Send the others a short, friendly message and keep them on the list.

Are we even allowed to message people on the waitlist?

Yes, as long as they signed up beforehand. With SmartChat, every signup runs through a double opt-in - so your waitlist is GDPR-compliant and every contact has given explicit consent.

How quickly can I set up a waitlist like this?

SmartChat is ready to go in under 60 seconds: create your landing page, put up the QR code, done. You can send your first message to the waitlist that same day.

What does sending the messages cost?

Meta bills the actual WhatsApp fees directly to you, and SmartChat adds no markup. Plans start at 299 euros a month - with unlimited contacts.

Start for free today

Enter your website - your WhatsApp marketing is live in under 60 seconds.

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