Waitlist Refill Log
A class by class log for recording each cancellation, how deep the waitlist was, how the spot was offered, how long the refill took, and whether the refill actually showed up.
Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.
You cannot tell whether a waitlist is working from the feeling at the front desk. This log records every spot that opened in a full class: when the cancellation landed, how many people were waiting, how the spot was offered, how long it took to fill, and what happened on the day. Keep it for a few weeks before any change to build a baseline, then keep going after launch and compare the two periods by class format and time slot. The pattern usually shows that a few classes and a few times of day account for most of the empty spots, which is what lets you fix the policy narrowly.
The example rows show how to fill it in and are only illustrations, not benchmarks; replace them with your own entries. Weekly totals for cancellations per class and the share you managed to refill can go straight into the Late Cancellation Revenue Leak Calculator (/tools/late-cancel-revenue-leak/). The waitlist depth column feeds the Class Waitlist Depth Planner (/tools/waitlist-depth-planner/), and once you have a month of entries under automation the Waitlist Refill ROI Calculator (/tools/waitlist-refill-roi/) will show whether the numbers hold up. The guide (/guide/) explains how to read the results.
| Class and start time | Cancel notice before class | Waitlist depth | Refill method | Time to refill | Outcome | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 2026-09-08, 6:00 am strength | About 40 min | 6 | Manual text from desk | Not filled | Spot stayed empty | Desk was checking people in, list never worked |
| Tue 2026-09-08, 5:30 pm cycle | About 3 hr | 9 | Manual call | Your figure | Filled, attended | Third person on the list picked up |
| Wed 2026-09-09, 12:15 pm yoga | About 2 hr | 3 | Auto-add next member | Instant | Filled, refill no-showed | Member never saw the booking |
| Thu 2026-09-10, 7:00 pm HIIT | Inside the cutoff | 7 | Broadcast to whole list | Your figure | Filled, attended | Two members replied yes, one had to be turned away |
| Sat 2026-09-12, 9:00 am reformer | About 1 hr | 5 | Manual text from desk | Not filled | Spot stayed empty | Saturday rush, no one at the desk free |
| Sun 2026-09-13, 10:30 am barre | About 5 hr | 2 | Manual text from desk | Your figure | Filled, attended | Short list, first person accepted |
| Tue 2026-10-06, 6:00 am strength | About 40 min | 8 | Timed SMS offer | Your figure | Filled, attended | First week under automation, second offer accepted |
| Tue 2026-10-06, 5:30 pm cycle | Inside the cutoff | 10 | Timed SMS offer | Your figure | Filled, attended | First person on the list accepted within the window |
| Wed 2026-10-07, 12:15 pm yoga | About 25 min | 4 | Timed SMS offer | Not filled | Offers stopped, spot stayed empty | Cancellation landed after the offer cutoff |
| Thu 2026-10-08, 7:00 pm HIIT | About 2 hr | 7 | Timed SMS offer | Your figure | Filled, refill no-showed | Accepted, then did not arrive; flag for the fairness review |
| Sat 2026-10-10, 9:00 am reformer | About 4 hr | 6 | Timed SMS offer | Your figure | Filled, attended | Roster updated on its own, desk did nothing |
| Your class and time | Minutes or hours before start | People waiting when the spot opened | Manual / Auto-add / Broadcast / Timed offer | Minutes from opening to booking | Filled and attended / Filled and no-showed / Stayed empty | Who accepted, what broke, what to change |
https://seatmend.com/templates/waitlist-refill-log-worksheet/Use it in your business, share it with your team, or link to it from your own site.
Also from SeatMend
- Waitlist Automation Launch Checklist: A step by step checklist for studios and gyms switching on an automated waitlist, from measuring the late cancellation problem to reviewing the first weeks of refills.
- Free calculators