A waitlist for what's full or not open yet

A full calendar shouldn't mean a lost customer. A waitlist takes the name of everyone you can't serve today, along with what they're waiting for, so you have a list ready when spots open. It suits a fully booked class, a product in the works, or a season that hasn't started.

When to use it

• The spring schedule doesn't open until February, but people are asking now.
• A new product isn't ready and you want to gauge interest before making a batch.
• Your childcare, tutoring or therapy practice has no openings this term.
• A sold-out event might get cancellations.

What a good one includes

• What they're joining the list for, and when it might open. Vague promises turn into follow-up questions.
• A dropdown of options if you have more than one service, so you can contact the right people first.
• An email, and a phone number if a text is how you'd tell them.
• A sentence on how you'll use their details, which also makes people more willing to share them.
• A note box, for detail like 'mornings only'.

Make one by saying what you need

Text it, type it or say it, the way you'd tell a colleague:

Waitlist for Cedar Hill Tutoring's fall maths groups: Grade 6, Grade 7 or Grade 8, ask for a phone number, we open bookings August 15.

Questions

Does the page tell people when a spot opens?

No. Their details come to you as replies, and you contact them. That keeps you in control of who hears first.

Is it fair to go in order of sign-up?

It's the simplest rule to explain. If you use a different one, such as priority for existing customers, say so on the page.