Setting Up CellarPass Reservation Wait Lists

This article covers the steps required to set up wait lists associated with your reservation-based events.

Available to CellarPass Reservation subscribers is the ability to set up specific events and times to allow the capture of wait lists should your capacity be reached. There's numerous benefits to accepting guests on a wait lists as this is a great way to accommodate guests when there's last-minute cancellations, or you have recently staffed up to be able to handle more guests.

In order to accept wait lists, there's a few steps that you'll need to complete, then you'll want to become familiar with how wait list requests are received and processed. We cover the instructions on how to use the Reservation Wait List Manager here.

Step 1. Setting Up Events to Accept Wait List(s)
To complete these steps, you will need to have admin-level access.

1. Log into CellarPass by going to http://www.cellarpass.com/manage
2. From the left navigation menu, select Reservations.
3. From the Events submenu, select Create and Manage.
4. Locate the event that you wish to accept wait lists and click the Edit button on the left.
5. In the Event Editor window, click the Schedule tab, this looks like a calendar icon.
6. This will display the available times for the event. Now look for the Wait List field(s) to the right of capacity.
7. Enter the total number of guests (not number of parties) you will allow to be placed on the wait list.
8. Repeat these steps for the other time slots (if available)
9. Click the Save button when completed.
10. If you have other events that you would like to accept wait lists, repeat Steps 4 - 9.

Step 2. Testing Wait Lists
So that you are familiar with the wait list process from the guest's perspective, we recommend going through the same wait list request process.

1. Go to your website and locate the CellarPass booking engine.
2. To activate the wait list request feature, we recommend you select "today" for the search criteria.
3. You will now see the time slots that are available to be wait listed. These will appear with a red outlined button color.
4. Click one of the time slots to start the wait list request checkout process.
5. The next step is where the guest would log in, so log in with your CellarPass user account, if you are not already logged in.
6. Enter any Guest Notes you wish to save with the wait list record.
7. Complete the wait list request and you'll land on the Wait List Confirmation screen. This will include the date, time and event requested along with your party details and any Guest Notes.
8. Two emails will now be sent out; one to your Wait List Request email address and another will be sent to the Guest that requested to be added to the wait list.

About the Wait List Email Templates
There are two email templates that are only managed by CellarPass and cannot be modified by you. This is intentional to keep the wait list messaging clear and consistent across all properties to guests.

Receiving Wait List Request Notifications
If you would like to be notified each time a guest places a Reservation Wait List Request (online) you can receive a carbon copy of the email that they receive. The copy of this notification email is managed on the Location that is used by the Event. You will need to add an email address in order to receive it. You must have admin-level access to the CellarPass admin panel to make this change.

1. Log into CellarPass admin panel by going to https://www.cellarpass.com/manage
2. Select Settings from the left-hand menu.
3. Select Locations Manager from the sub menu.
4. Locate the Location that is being used by the Reservation event that you would like to receive notifications. Click Edit to the left of the Location.
5. Locate the Wait List Notification Email field and enter one email address (multiple emails are not supported)
6. Click Save button.
7. All new wait list requests processed online will be alerted and receive a copy of the request.

The Wait List Pending Email
This email is sent out as a confirmation of the guest's request. A copy will also be sent to the email address you have determined to be notified as a copy.

The Wait List Approved Email
When you choose to Approve a wait list request, you will select the amount of time the guest has to confirm their request, or it will subsequently cancel their request. This is designed to get guests to confirm quickly so that you can confirm others if the primary guest offered cannot attend. This will include a button that allows the guest to complete the booking process, following all of the related event's booking rules, MINUS the event's booking lead time. This is very important as you can approve a last-minute guest that is PAST your event's booking lead time. If your events need more prep time, we recommend not approving the wait list request.

The Wait List Canceled Email
This email is sent when you manually cancel a wait list request from the CellarPass backoffice. This will alert the guest that their request has been canceled.