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Cancellation list

Keep a list of people who'd like an earlier slot, and text them when someone cancels.

When nobody's free at a time that suits, your receptionist can offer to put the person on a cancellation list. When a booking is cancelled, the freed slot is texted to the first people on the list who fit.

How people join

  1. If none of the available times suit, your receptionist asks: "Shall I add you to the list so we can text you if a slot comes up?"
  2. It needs their full name, a UK mobile, whether mornings, afternoons or any time suits, and optionally a date they need it by.
  3. They only join after saying yes to being texted.
  4. If they're texting you from that mobile, they join straight away.
  5. If they gave the number on a call or in the website chat, it could be anyone's. Its owner gets one text: "reply JOIN to join our cancellation list". They join when they reply JOIN, within 24 hours.

People stay on the list until the date they gave, or 60 days at most.

When a slot frees up

  • The slot is offered to the people who joined first and whose times fit. Who gets each freed slot: The first person who fits, The first three who fit (first to reply gets it) (the default) or The first five who fit.
  • They can reply YES to take it. It's booked straight away and they get a confirmation with the reference. If someone else got there first, they're told it's gone and stay on the list.
  • A NO keeps them on the list. An offer lasts three hours.
  • Slots less than an hour away aren't offered. Each freed slot is offered once.
  • The person who cancelled isn't offered their own slot back.

Your message

Message default: "Hi {first}, a slot has come up at {business} on {day} at {time}. {how}"

You can use {first}, {name}, {business}, {day}, {time}, {phone} and {how}. {how} becomes "Reply YES to take it, or call..." with your number. If Text messages is off, it becomes "Call... to take it" instead.

What you need

  • Bookings taken by your receptionist.
  • Texts from your number set up in Settings > Phone line.
  • The Text messages plugin on, set to send from your number. People need it to reply JOIN and YES. Without it, nobody can join the list.

Setting it up

  1. Switch the plugin on from the Plugins page (see Plugins overview).
  2. Choose Who gets each freed slot and check the Message.
  3. Press Save and test.
  4. Press Show the list to see who's on it, with their times and end date. You can remove anyone from there.

STOP and sender

  • Anyone who replies STOP gets no more offers. Replying START turns texts back on.
  • The default message doesn't say "Reply STOP". The text asking people to reply JOIN doesn't either, but the reply that confirms they've joined does.
  • Offers come from your number when Text messages is set to Your number, so people can reply. If texts come from your business name, people can't reply.

Read Texts and opt-outs for the full picture.

What it costs

Free. Your phone provider charges for each text on your own account with them.

Privacy

The list holds each person's name, mobile and preferred times. Offers go to their mobile through your phone provider. People come off the list when they book, or when their date passes.

Limits

  • UK mobiles only.
  • Offers are only sent between 8am and 9pm.
  • Up to 300 people on the list.
  • Someone who takes a slot by text is booked under the name they gave when they joined.

Still stuck? Write to hello@callscovered.ai with your business name and what you were trying to do, and a person will reply.