Table alerts for a time that is full

What a table alert is

A table alert is the other half of the waiting list: a guest who wants a time, on a coming day, that is already full. If a table for their party opens inside the window they chose, they get an email with a link to book it. It is first come, first served: nothing is held for anyone, and the first guest to book takes the table.

Guests ask from your booking page: when the time they want is full, it offers Tell me if a table opens. They choose a window of up to four hours that day and, the first time, confirm their email before the alert starts. The guest’s side is explained separately.

What you see

The alerts for the night on screen are in the waiting list, under Waiting on a time, by the time asked for, with the name and the party size; one the guest still has to confirm says Waiting for the guest to confirm under the name. They are also on the bar under the Floor map and the Calendar, as chips with a small clock.

Open one to see where it stands, such as Waiting for the guest to confirm, Watching for a table, Told a table opened or Could not be told, and how many emails it can still send. The guest’s email address shows only on a tablet in Office mode, never on a Service tablet.

Add one for a caller

1. On the service screen, go to the night they want, open the waiting list and press + beside Waiting now.
2. Under Waiting for, choose A time that is taken.
3. Fill in Name, Party, Phone and Email, and the time under From: the hour that follows it is watched.
4. Press Add to the list. The alert starts at once, with no confirmation email, since your team has spoken to the guest; a short email tells them it is on, with a link to see or cancel it. If the guest once pressed Stop table alerts in an alert email, it waits instead: they are emailed to confirm it, and it shows Waiting for the guest to confirm until they do.

Party keeps to the party sizes guests can book online: an alert is for a table your booking page sells.

When a table opens

The guest gets an email saying a table has opened, with a Book this table button. Guests with a tag marked Priority for table alerts are emailed at once; everyone else after the head start you set (5 minutes unless you change it). An alert sends three emails at most, at least half an hour apart, and never two for the same opening.

When the guest books a time inside their window, the alert ends by itself. To book for them yourself, open the alert and press Book them…, or drag its chip onto a table: the booking form opens with their details and their time, and they leave the list once the booking is made. Remove stops an alert, after asking.

Switch alerts on

Table alerts are off until you switch them on with Offer table alerts on the booking page, in Settings › Guests & lists, where Head start for priority guests (minutes) is set too. While they are off, the booking page does not offer them, and none can be added from the waiting list.