The waiting list: how to fill every freed-up spot

Why you need a waiting list

• Every freed-up spot is revenue you would otherwise lose. A full class looks like a success, but if two people cancel at the last minute and nobody takes their spots, you are effectively running a half-empty class. We worked out what that costs you per month in the article on no-shows.
• No more “message me if a spot opens up”. Without a list, people message you directly, and you have to remember who, for which class and in what order. With a waiting list, clients sign up themselves and there’s nothing for you to remember.
• A better client experience. Instead of “sorry, it’s full”, the client gets a chance. People who have once got into a class from the waiting list usually book again.
• A demand signal. If the same class has people waiting week after week, that’s the clearest sign it’s time to add another class at the same or a neighbouring time.

Two ways a waiting list can work

Most booking systems use one of two models. The difference looks small, but in practice it is huge.

Model 1: “In order” (the classic queue)

The first person on the list gets the spot — either they are booked in automatically, or they get an invitation with a set amount of time to confirm. If they don’t confirm, the invitation moves on to the second person, then to the third.

It sounds fair, but it creates real problems:

• You commit people who may no longer be able to come. Someone joined the waiting list on Sunday. On Tuesday at 17:05 they’re at work, in the car or have already made other plans. If the system books them in automatically, they either have to rush to the studio or become a no-show.
• The spot is left hanging while it waits for a reply. If the first person has 30 minutes to confirm and the second another 30, then with a cancellation an hour before the class the spot practically never reaches the third.
• The later the cancellation, the worse it works. And late cancellations are exactly when you need the waiting list most.

Model 2: “Everyone at once, first come first served”

When a spot opens up, everyone on the list is notified at the same time. Whoever can come and taps “Book” first gets the spot. The others simply see that the class is full again and stay on the list for the next opening.

• Nobody is committed. The notification is an invitation, not an obligation. If you can’t make it, you simply don’t respond — no awkwardness, no explanations.
• The spot fills in minutes, not hours. There’s no chain of waiting for confirmations. Even with a cancellation an hour before the class, there’s almost always someone nearby who can come.
• The spot goes to someone who will actually show up. Only a person who has actively decided to come right now books it — not someone who signed up out of habit three days ago.

That’s exactly why we chose the second model in Click and Fit. The purpose of the waiting list isn’t to “line people up” but to make sure the spot doesn’t stay empty — and that the person who comes to the studio really wants to train.

How it works for the client

1. The class is full. Instead of a booking button, the client sees the option to join the waiting list and confirms with one click.
2. Someone cancels. Everyone on the list receives a push notification on their phone and an email: “A spot just opened up! Hurry and book it.”
3. The client opens the link from the notification and sees the class with a booking button — if the spot is still free.
4. The first to book gets the spot. If someone else was faster, the client sees that there are no free spots again and stays on the list.
5. They can leave the list at any time with the “Remove me from the waiting list” button if their plans have changed.

Tip: encourage your clients to turn on phone notifications when they join the waiting list. Email reaches everyone, but a push notification arrives instantly — and when the first to book wins, seconds matter.

How it works for you

The short answer: you don’t do anything. Everything happens automatically. But here’s what you see and what you can do:

• A “Waiting list” tab in every class. When you open a class in the calendar, next to “Bookings” and “Check-in” you also see its waiting list.
• Adding people to the list manually. If a client calls you about a full class, you can add them straight to the waiting list using the “Add” button in the class itself. To receive push notifications, the client must have joined a waiting list on the platform themselves at least once.
• Cancellation alerts. You can choose for yourself or the instructor to receive a push notification or email whenever someone cancels a booking — so you stay in the loop without having to do anything.
• The waiting list in your statistics. In the detailed statistics for each class you can see the fill rate and the number of people waiting. To learn more about how to read these numbers, see the article 5 numbers every trainer should track every month.

How to get the most out of your waiting list

• Tell your clients the waiting list exists. One sentence on Instagram or in the message with your booking link: “If the class is full, join the waiting list — you’ll get a notification if a spot opens up.”
• Encourage early cancellations. Click and Fit reminds clients to cancel at least 2 hours before the start. The earlier a spot frees up, the better the chance that someone on the waiting list will take it.
• Make cancelling easy. Clients cancel with one click from their profile. A person who finds it easy to cancel will cancel — instead of just not showing up.
• Watch your waiting list as a signal. If a class has been full 4 weeks in a row, the system will suggest adding more classes. If there are people waiting as well — listen to it.

Frequently asked questions

Isn’t it unfair to the person who joined the list first? At first glance — maybe. In practice, “in order” penalises exactly that person: if they don’t see the invitation in time, they lose the spot anyway, and if they’re booked in automatically, they end up committed to a class they may no longer have time for. With “first come first served”, everyone has an equal chance at the moment the spot actually becomes free.

What happens if two people tap almost at the same time? The spot goes to the booking that was made first. The second person sees that the class is full again and stays on the list.

What if two spots open up? Everyone on the waiting list is still notified, and the first two people to book get the spots.

Do I have to approve bookings from the waiting list? The same rules apply as for any booking for that activity. If you have turned on manual approval for new clients, a new client coming from the waiting list will also wait for your approval.

Do clients need an app? No. Joining the waiting list and booking both happen in the browser. For push notifications, the client just needs to allow them in their phone’s browser; the email arrives regardless.

Conclusion

A good waiting list doesn’t line people up — it fills spots. By notifying everyone at the same time and giving the spot to the first person who can come, we don’t force anyone to rush to the studio because of someone else’s cancellation, and the freed-up spot is filled within minutes.

In Click and Fit, the waiting list works from day one, with no extra setup. If you haven’t started yet, see how to set up your profile in about 8 minutes in the guide to your first booking. The first month is free, with no commitment.