GymMaster Gym Software Manual

Member Managed Waitlists

When a space in a full class becomes available, GymMaster tells the members on the waitlist. The member books the space. GymMaster does not book them into the class.

Go to Settings > Advanced Configuration > Class Bookings and tick Enable member managed waitlists.

Blog Post: https://www.gymmaster.com/blog/more-targeted-waitlist-system/


How it Works

  • When a space becomes available, GymMaster sends a message to the first member on the waitlist
  • The member books the space in the Member Portal or the GymMaster Member App
  • If the space is still available after a wait time, GymMaster sends a message to the next member on the waitlist
  • The first member to book gets the space
  • Members who do not book stay on the waitlist. They get a message again when the next space becomes available
  • Other members cannot book the space while GymMaster sends messages. The class shows as full to them
  • GymMaster stops sending messages at the Waitlist Cutoff time set on the class. After this time, any member can book the space

Staff can still add a member from the waitlist into the class. Use Add next to the member in the class waitlist.

How This is Different From the Old System

In the old system, GymMaster automatically booked the next member on the waitlist into the class when a space became available.

The new system prevents these problems;

  • Members were booked into classes that they did not want to go to any more. For example, they forgot to remove themselves from the waitlist
  • Members were booked into classes and did not know. For example, GymMaster booked them into an early class while they were asleep, and they saw the email too late

Frequently Asked Questions (Staff)

How are members told about the space?

  • GymMaster sends an email
  • GymMaster also sends a push notification if the member uses the GymMaster Member App
  • If the member does not use the app, GymMaster can send an SMS instead. Contact GymMaster Support to turn on SMS messages

When does GymMaster send a message to the next member?

GymMaster waits between messages. The wait time gets shorter as the class gets closer, so the space is not left empty;

  • Bookings close in 4 days or more - 6 hours
  • Bookings close in 1 day to 4 days - 4 hours
  • Bookings close in 12 hours to 1 day - 1 hour
  • Bookings close in 2 hours to 12 hours - 30 minutes
  • Bookings close in 2 hours or less - 5 minutes

Bookings close at the Waitlist Cutoff time set on the class. Contact GymMaster Support if you want a fixed wait time.

How the wait time is calculated

  • GymMaster checks the waitlist each minute
  • At each check, GymMaster finds the wait time from how long it is until bookings close
  • When the time since the last message is more than the wait time, GymMaster sends a message to the next member
  • The wait time can get shorter while a member waits. This occurs when bookings close gets nearer and the wait time changes to a shorter band
  • Each message can arrive up to 1 minute late, because GymMaster checks each minute
  • The minimum wait time is 5 minutes. When Automatically remove from waitlist is on, the minimum wait time is 10 minutes

Examples

A class starts on Saturday at 9:00 am. The Waitlist Cutoff is 2 hours, so bookings close on Saturday at 7:00 am. Anna is first on the waitlist and Ben is second.

^ A space becomes available ^ Time until bookings close ^ Anna gets a message ^ Ben gets a message (if Anna does not book) ^ | Monday 7:00 am | 5 days | Monday 7:00 am | Monday 1:00 pm (6 hours) | | Thursday 9:00 am | 1 day 22 hours | Thursday 9:00 am | Thursday 1:00 pm (4 hours) | | Friday 12:00 pm | 19 hours | Friday 12:00 pm | Friday 1:00 pm (1 hour) | | Friday 10:00 pm | 9 hours | Friday 10:00 pm | Friday 10:30 pm (30 minutes) | | Saturday 6:00 am | 1 hour | Saturday 6:00 am | Saturday 6:05 am (5 minutes) | | Tuesday 5:00 am | 4 days 2 hours | Tuesday 5:00 am | Tuesday 9:00 am (4 hours, see below) |

In the last example, the wait time is 6 hours when Anna gets her message. At Tuesday 7:00 am, bookings close in less than 4 days, so the wait time changes to 4 hours. Ben gets his message 4 hours after Anna.

When Automatically remove from waitlist is on, the Saturday 6:00 am example changes. Ben gets his message at 6:10 am (10 minutes), and GymMaster removes Anna from the waitlist.

When more than one space is available, GymMaster sends one message each minute until there is a message for each space. When Automatically remove from waitlist is off, GymMaster still waits between messages.

What happens when a member does not book in time?

The member can still book the space, if it is still available. If another member booked the space first, the member keeps their place on the waitlist. They get a message again when the next space becomes available.

Some clubs want each message to be a timed offer for one member only. When this option is on, GymMaster removes the member from the waitlist when it sends a message to the next member. The minimum wait time is then 10 minutes. Contact GymMaster Support to turn this on.

Can members be booked in automatically, like the old system?

Yes. When Allow automatically joining class is ticked, members can tick Automatically claim available space when they join the waitlist. GymMaster then books them into the class when a space becomes available for them. The member agrees to take responsibility for classes they miss.

GymMaster sends the member a message to book the space themselves if it cannot book them automatically. For example;

  • The class starts in less than 24 hours
  • The booking costs more than the member agreed to pay
  • The time is after the Waitlist Cutoff time set on the class

Can I stop messages at night?

Yes. GymMaster can stop sending messages between two times each day. The default times are 10:00 pm to 7:00 am. Contact GymMaster Support to turn this on or change the times.

During these times;

  • GymMaster does not send emails, app push notifications or SMS messages
  • GymMaster does not automatically book members who ticked Automatically claim available space
  • GymMaster keeps the free space for the waitlist. Other members cannot book it
  • When the stop time ends, GymMaster sends messages to the waitlist

Example: A class starts at 6:00 am. The Waitlist Cutoff is 2 hours, so bookings close at 4:00 am. A member cancels at midnight. The stop time is 10:00 pm to 7:00 am.

  • GymMaster does not send messages to the waitlist, because it is midnight
  • Nobody can book the space until 4:00 am, because GymMaster keeps it for the waitlist
  • At 4:00 am, the Waitlist Cutoff time is reached. GymMaster stops keeping the space for the waitlist. Any member can then book it, if the class still takes bookings
  • At 7:00 am, the class has started, so GymMaster does not send messages

For early classes, set the stop time to end before the Waitlist Cutoff time. If you do not, GymMaster cannot send messages to the waitlist for these classes.

If you turn this off, GymMaster sends messages at night, and SMS messages can arrive at night.

Can I change the messages?

Yes. Go to Settings > Advanced Configuration > Class Bookings. Under Enable member managed waitlists, choose the email and app push notification templates.


Frequently Asked Questions (Members)

My friend got a message, but I did not get one. Why?

GymMaster sends messages in the order that members joined the waitlist. If your place on the waitlist is lower, other members get a message before you.

I got a message, but I could not book the class. Why?

Another member booked the space first. The first member to book gets the space. If your place on the waitlist is higher, you get a message sooner and have more time to book.