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Waitlist Management

Learn how to manage the waitlist effectively, match clients to available slots, and fill cancellations quickly.

Praxi waitlist showing clients waiting for available appointments

Overview​

The waitlist helps you:

FunctionBenefit
Track waiting clientsKnow who is waiting
Fill cancellationsMinimise lost revenue
Prioritise appropriatelyUrgent cases first
Automate notificationsSave time contacting clients

Accessing the Waitlist​

From Navigation​

  1. Go to Calendar → Waitlist
  2. Or press Cmd/Ctrl + K and type "waitlist"

From Appointments​

When cancelling:

  1. Cancel the appointment
  2. Prompt appears: "Check waitlist?"
  3. Click to see matching clients

Adding Clients to Waitlist​

During Booking Attempt​

When no suitable time available:

  1. Attempt to book
  2. No availability shown
  3. Click Add to Waitlist
  4. Confirm preferences
  5. Client receives confirmation

Manual Addition​

For phone enquiries:

  1. Go to Waitlist → Add Client
  2. Search or create client
  3. Set their preferences
  4. Save to waitlist

From Client Profile​

  1. Open client profile
  2. Click Add to Waitlist
  3. Set preferences
  4. Confirm

Waitlist Preferences​

Practitioner Preference​

OptionMeaning
Specific practitionerOnly this person
Any availableFlexible on practitioner
Preferred, but flexibleTry first, then others

Time Preferences​

OptionNotes
Any timeMaximum flexibility
Mornings onlyBefore 12pm
Afternoons only12pm-5pm
Specific daysSelect available days
Specific timesExact windows

Service Type​

Select what they need:

  • Initial consultation
  • Standard session
  • Extended session
  • Assessment
  • Telehealth OK

Notice Required​

How much advance notice:

OptionTypical Use
Same day OKVery flexible
24 hoursStandard
48 hoursNeeds to arrange
1 weekLimited flexibility

Urgency Levels​

Each waitlist entry has an urgency level that determines its priority and maximum wait time.

LevelMaximum WaitExamples
Crisis1 dayImmediate clinical need
Very Urgent7 daysAcute symptoms, high risk
Urgent14 daysDeteriorating condition
Priority30 daysImportant but stable
Routine90 daysStandard new client, follow-up
Risk-Based Escalation

If a client has a critical risk level, their urgency is automatically escalated to Crisis. Clients with a high risk level are escalated to at least Urgent. This ensures clinical safety is prioritised.

Uniqueness​

A client can only have one active waitlist entry per appointment type and practitioner combination. If you try to add a duplicate, you will be prompted to edit the existing entry instead.

Viewing the Waitlist​

Waitlist Dashboard​

ColumnInformation
ClientName and contact
Waiting sinceDate added
PriorityUrgency level
PreferencesPractitioner, times
ContactPhone/email
StatusActive, offered, etc.

Filtering​

Filter the waitlist by:

  • Practitioner preference
  • Priority level
  • Wait time
  • Service type
  • Availability preferences

Sorting​

Sort by:

  • Priority (urgent first)
  • Wait time (longest first)
  • Date added (newest/oldest)
  • Client name

Filling Cancellations​

When a Cancellation Occurs​

  1. Appointment cancelled
  2. System prompts: "Check waitlist?"
  3. Matching clients shown
  4. Ordered by priority and fit

Automatic Matching​

Praxi uses a scoring algorithm to rank waitlist matches. The algorithm considers:

  • Urgency level -- Crisis and very urgent clients are prioritised first
  • Risk level -- Clients with higher clinical risk are ranked above others
  • Practitioner preference -- Matches to the client's preferred practitioner
  • Day and time preferences -- Fits the client's available windows
  • Flexibility score -- Higher flexibility scores improve match ranking
  • Wait duration -- Clients who have waited longer rank higher (FIFO tiebreaker)
  • Therapeutic relationship -- Existing practitioner-client relationships are weighted

Contacting Clients​

Option 1: Automatic notification

  1. Click Offer Slot
  2. Client receives SMS/email
  3. They confirm or decline
  4. Track response

Option 2: Manual call

  1. Note client's phone number
  2. Call them
  3. Offer the slot
  4. Book if accepted
  5. Update waitlist status

Client portal offers​

Clients with portal access can accept or decline waitlist offers in the portal under Appointments (waitlist offers), without a phone call. Staff still see the same offered / accepted / declined status on the waitlist dashboard. The native Client Portal app surfaces the same offers.

Client Response Tracking​

StatusMeaning
OfferedSlot sent, awaiting response
AcceptedClient confirmed
DeclinedClient can't make it
ExpiredNo response in time
BookedSuccessfully scheduled

Automation Features​

Automatic Notifications​

Configure notification preferences from the Waitlist page using the settings panel. Enable auto-notifications, set the notification method (SMS, email), set the response window, and configure follow-up behaviour.

Waitlist Alerts​

Get notified when:

  • Slot matches waitlist client
  • Client responds to offer
  • Priority client waiting too long
  • Waitlist grows past threshold

Response Timeouts​

If client doesn't respond:

  1. Set timeout period (e.g., 4 hours)
  2. After timeout, moves to next client
  3. Original client can still call

Managing the Waitlist​

Regular Review​

Daily:

  • Check urgent priorities
  • Review new additions
  • Process responses

Weekly:

  • Check long waiters
  • Update priorities
  • Contact stale entries

Contacting Long Waiters​

For clients waiting 4+ weeks:

  1. Call to check in
  2. Confirm still interested
  3. Update preferences if changed
  4. Offer alternative practitioners
  5. Remove if no longer needed

Removing from Waitlist​

When to remove:

ReasonAction
BookedAutomatic removal
No longer neededManual removal
Can't contactAfter 3 attempts
Found elsewhereManual removal

To remove:

  1. Find on waitlist
  2. Click Remove
  3. Select reason
  4. Confirm

Waitlist Scripts​

Adding to Waitlist (Phone)​

"I don't have availability at those times, but I can add you to our waitlist. If something opens up, we'll contact you right away. Would that be helpful?"

Offering a Slot (Phone)​

"Hi [Name], this is [Your Name] from [Practice]. We've had a cancellation and have an appointment available on [Day] at [Time] with [Practitioner]. Would you like to take it?"

Following Up (Long Wait)​

"Hi [Name], I'm calling from [Practice]. You've been on our waitlist for a while and I wanted to check in. Are you still looking for an appointment?"

Reporting​

Waitlist Reports​

ReportShows
Current waitlistAll waiting clients
Average wait timeHow long clients wait
Fill rate% of cancellations filled
Priority distributionBreakdown by priority

Generating Reports​

  1. Go to Reports → Waitlist
  2. Select report type
  3. Choose date range
  4. Generate

Using Data​

Waitlist data helps with:

  • Identifying capacity needs
  • Justifying new staff
  • Improving client experience
  • Planning leave coverage

Best Practices​

Adding Clients​

  1. Gather all preferences - More info = better matches
  2. Set realistic expectations - Don't over-promise
  3. Assess priority accurately - Be consistent
  4. Confirm contact details - Need to reach them

Filling Slots​

  1. Act quickly - Cancellations need fast action
  2. Start with priority - Urgent first
  3. Use multiple channels - SMS and call
  4. Track responses - Know who's been contacted
  5. Have backups - Multiple potential clients

Maintenance​

  1. Regular review - Keep list current
  2. Contact long waiters - Monthly check-in
  3. Remove stale entries - Keep list active
  4. Update priorities - Circumstances change

Troubleshooting​

No Matches for Cancellation​

  1. Expand search criteria
  2. Check all practitioners
  3. Consider time flexibility
  4. Call high-priority clients directly

Client Not Responding​

  1. Try different contact method
  2. Leave voicemail
  3. Send follow-up email
  4. Move to next client after timeout

Waitlist Too Long​

  1. Review for inactive entries
  2. Contact long-waiting clients
  3. Consider alternative practitioners
  4. Escalate to practice manager

Waitlist Analytics​

The waitlist includes built-in analytics covering:

  • Summary counts -- Total, active, notified, booked, expired, cancelled
  • By urgency -- Breakdown across all five urgency levels
  • By practitioner -- Wait counts and average wait days per practitioner
  • Performance metrics -- Average and median wait days, conversion rate, and time to conversion
  • Portal adoption -- Percentage of waitlisted clients with portal access and intake completion rates

Access analytics from the Waitlist page or from Reports.

CSV Export​

You can export the waitlist to CSV for offline review or reporting. Use the Export button on the waitlist page and select a date range.

Map View​

The waitlist includes a map view that shows waitlisted clients and practice locations on a map. This helps identify geographic clusters and match clients to the most convenient location. Access the map view from the Map tab on the waitlist page.

Estimated Wait Time​

Before adding a client to the waitlist, you can check the estimated wait time based on the selected urgency level, practitioner, and appointment type. This helps set realistic expectations with the client. The estimate is shown in the waitlist form and on the waitlist dashboard.

Batch Notifications​

Select multiple waitlist entries and send notifications in bulk when multiple slots open at once. Click Batch Notify on the waitlist page, select the entries, compose an optional custom message, and send.

Permissions​

ActionRequired Permission
View waitlistAppointments view or waitlist manage
Add to waitlistAppointments create or waitlist manage
Edit waitlist entriesAppointments edit or waitlist manage
Cancel/remove entriesAppointments cancel or waitlist manage
Delete entriesAppointments delete or waitlist manage
Offer slots and bookAppointments create or waitlist manage
Privacy Reminder

When contacting waitlisted clients, be mindful of privacy. Do not leave detailed voicemail messages that mention the nature of the appointment. A simple "calling from [Practice Name] about an available appointment" is appropriate.

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