Waitlist & Cancellation Fill

Keep the chair full by automatically matching cancellations to waitlisted patients before the slot goes to waste.

22 hrs
Time saved/month
9
Companies have mapped
Map This Automation

About This Automation

When a patient cancels a dental appointment, the front desk must manually search a waitlist and contact multiple patients to fill the slot. This process is slow, error-prone, and often leaves operatories empty.

Automation instantly matches cancelled slots to waitlist patients, sends SMS offers, and confirms appointments without staff intervention. Open slots are filled faster and more consistently.

Key features
Match cancelled appointments to waitlist patients by treatment type, preferred dentist, and time preference
Send automated SMS offers to top candidates and track responses in real time
Confirm appointment details and update the schedule once a patient accepts
Escalate to staff if no candidate accepts within a set timeframe
Log all outcomes for reporting and waitlist performance tracking

How The Automation Works

The full workflow, from trigger to completion.

1. Cancellation Detectedtrigger

A cancellation is logged in the schedule system. The automation platform detects the event and extracts appointment details (time, date, treatment type, dentist).

2. Query Waitlist

The automation queries the waitlist spreadsheet to find patients matching the cancelled appointment criteria (treatment type, preferred dentist, availability window).

3. Rank Candidates

The automation ranks matching waitlist patients by priority (date added, preferred time match, treatment urgency) and selects the top 3 candidates.

4. Send Offer via SMS

The automation sends an SMS to the first candidate with the open appointment details and a link to confirm or decline within 2 hours.

5. Patient Confirmed?

The automation waits for a response. If the patient confirms within 2 hours, the flow proceeds to booking. If no response or decline, the next candidate is contacted.

6. Update Schedule

Once confirmed, the automation updates the schedule system with the new patient and removes them from the waitlist.

7. Send Confirmation

The automation sends a confirmation email with appointment details, reminders, and any pre-visit instructions.

8. Log Outcome

The automation records the fill outcome (filled, time to fill, candidate rank) in a tracking log for reporting and continuous improvement.

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1

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2

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3

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4

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Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know before mapping this process.

This template is a starting point based on how other businesses handle this type of work. When you map your process, you describe exactly how your team does it and the automation is built around your workflow, not a generic template.

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Estimated Time Saving
22hrs/month
Process pain:7.8/10
Mapped by:9 Companies

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