Set up classes to appear on the wait list when sold out


Classes will only appear on the wait list when the following conditions are met:

  • The Class Start date is in the future or today.
  • The available retail quantity for the class is 0.
  • The class is active.
  • The wait list is enabled on the Event level (not the event instance level). 


When a class sells out, change your website registration links to say "Sold out; sign up for wait list," and change the class registration URL to the Wait List URL. By default, the wait list will load all classes which are sold out and have the wait list enabled.


A customization we could make is to set up the wait list so it can be prefilled with a particular class. That way each class would have a unique wait list URL, which you would update on your website when a class sells out. Contact support@gameflow.design if you'd like to add this to your project. 


Check the Class Roster Report for a class to see all students who have registered or have a wait list offer pending. 



The PatronManager wait list workflow

All these steps happen automatically in PatronManager. No action is needed from an admin. 


When a student signs up for the wait list, they are included in the class roster with status "Waitlisted."


When a spot opens up in the class, PatronManager sends the student an email with a wait list offer and a link to pay the class balance. The student has 24 hours to pay and confirm their spot in the class. 


If the student registers, their status changes to "Registered" and they receive the class confirmation email. 


If the student does not register, they are removed from the wait list and sent the "Wait List Registration Canceled" email. The student can rejoin the wait list if they are still interested.  


PatronManager emails the next student on the wait list with a wait list offer. 



Manually reorder the wait list in PatronManager

 If left to automation, the wait list offer will trigger when inventory is added based on the oldest value for the Timestamp_for_Wait_List_Sort_Order field on the Class Registration Item - when the Class Registration Item isn't registered yet.


So the way around this is to do a manual registration of the wait list order before inventory is released, which a PatronManager admin can do.  This field is editable, but the safest option is to do a manual registration and balance payment. Here's how:


  1. Change the Registration Item detail from Waitlisted to Registered.  Inventory will go negative without triggering the next wait list offer.
  2. On the order, this should set a Balance due and activate the admin balance payment.
  3. Process the Admin Balance payment or send the customer the Public Balance Payment link to pay the balance on the order.
  4. Confirm that Order status gets updated to Complete after payment.
  5. Adjust inventory if there are remaining seats, which will trigger the next available wait list offer only if you have a positive value for remaining inventory.



Correcting Orders if a Wait List Offer is Sent Accidentally

  1. Deactivate the Event Instance or Event.  This will suppress the sending of Wait List offers.
  2. Save the Order Registration status from Wait List Offer Pending to Offer Waitlisted.  This will prevent the recipient from paying their balance and accepting the spot.  
  3. Erase the Wait List Offer Sent to allow the system to resent a Wait List offer again to this order.
  4. Make sure the Timestamp for Wait List Sort Order is still correct - this order should still be next in line.
  5. Adjust Event inventory to 0.  Save. (Do not attempt to activate the event or event instance until you've confirmed that retail quantity equals 0).
  6. Reactivate the Event Instance. Save.
  7. Now that the Event Instance is active, Adjust the event inventory again to an appropriate amount.  This will trigger a wait list offer.