Offer the slot in waves. A workflow in GoHighLevel texts the first few patients on the list, waits ten minutes, checks whether the slot is taken, and texts the next wave if it is not. The bottom line: speed matters, but so does fit, so the list should be matched to the slot's length and type, and the first yes should win.
Why waves, not one by one
The ADA Health Policy Institute's poll, reported by Becker's Dental, found that 82.7 percent of dentists cited late cancellations and no shows as a top barrier to full schedules. Calling the list one patient at a time takes the front desk through the same morning that the chair sits empty. Offering the slot to several at once, with a first to accept rule, shortens the wait. Our cancellation guide covers marking the visit canceled. This one covers who gets offered the slot and in what order.
Who is on the list, and in what order
| Priority | Who | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patients with a dental problem who asked for a sooner visit, if the slot length fits | Clinical need |
| 2 | Patients with accepted, unscheduled treatment that matches the slot | Moves treatment forward |
| 3 | Patients who asked for earlier recall visits | Fills hygiene time |
| 4 | Everyone else on the ASAP list | Fills remaining time |
Match the slot before the offer goes out. A 30 minute hygiene opening should not be offered to a patient who needs 90 minutes. Add the length to the list criteria or tags.
The waves
| Time | Step |
|---|---|
| 0 minutes | Text the top 3 on the matching list, with a one time booking link for the slot |
| 10 minutes | If the slot is open, text the next 5 |
| 20 minutes | If the slot is open, text the next 10, and create a front desk task |
| 30 minutes | If still open, stop the offer and release the slot to the schedule |
| On acceptance | Tell the others the slot is taken, and confirm to the winner |
Build it in GoHighLevel
HighLevel help center pages describe the Appointment Status trigger as firing when an appointment is created or its status changes, with statuses New, Confirmed, Cancelled, Showed Up, No Show, and Invalid, and with filters for calendar, calendar group, tag, user, and who made the change (customer, user, or API). The Update Appointment Status action can set the same statuses from inside a workflow. A third party agency guide adds that Appointment Status is now the main appointment trigger and the older Customer Booked Appointment trigger is being phased out, so use Appointment Status for new builds.
A third party guide describes a Smart List as a saved filter on contact data, and GoHighLevel's actions list includes Wait steps, If/Else branches, and the one time booking link.
- Build the waitlist as tags on contacts: ASAP list, plus a tag for slot length, such as 30 min or 60 min.
- Build a workflow with the Appointment Status trigger set to Cancelled for a visit less than 48 hours away.
- Add the first wave: pick the first 3 on a Smart List that matches the length, and send each a one time booking link.
- Add a Wait of 10 minutes and an If/Else on whether the slot has a new booking.
- Repeat for waves two and three, and add a front desk task at 20 minutes.
- Use Stop on Response so a patient who replies is routed to staff, and tag everyone offered a slot so nobody gets two offers at once.
Worked example
For example, if a practice has 20 last minute cancellations a month and fills 8 from the list in waves, that recovers 8 chair slots (20 times 0.4). Done by phone, the front desk fills fewer because the third call often comes after the slot is gone.
Mistakes to avoid
- Offering a long slot to a short visit patient. Match the length.
- One patient at a time. The slot sits empty.
- No tag for who was offered. Patients get duplicate offers.
- A list without consent. Patients must opt in to offers.
How this was handled before
The front desk kept an ASAP list on paper and called one patient at a time. The slot often went empty before the third call. Offering a slot in waves keeps the speed of a text and the fit of a coordinator's judgment.
What to measure after launch
Track cancellations, offers sent, slots filled, minutes to fill, and wrong length offers. Prune the list quarterly and ask patients if they still want to be on it.
Check before you switch it on
US text messages sent from a standard 10 digit number need A2P 10DLC registration. The HighLevel support portal says registration is required for texts to US recipients from 10 digit long code numbers and that toll free numbers do not require it. HighLevel's opt in guidelines also say a person cannot be forced to agree to text messages in order to submit a form, so keep the consent box optional. One compliance guide separates informational texts, which need documented consent, from marketing texts, which need prior express written consent. Ask your attorney which category your reminders fall into. Have the office manager approve the priority rules and the privacy officer approve the offer text. This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
Why offer the slot in waves?
Offering to several patients at once with a first to accept link fills the chair faster than calling one at a time.
Who should be offered a slot first?
Patients with a dental problem who asked for a sooner visit, then patients with accepted treatment, then recall patients.
Can GoHighLevel pause between waves?
Its workflow builder includes Wait steps and If/Else branches.
Ready to try it yourself? Start a GoHighLevel account here.
You can also see this in action in our GoHighLevel capabilities demo.