Telling a guest their table is ready
What this covers
Letting a waiting guest know, and what they actually receive. Needs permission to update bookings, which all roles have.
Sending it
On the Waitlist page, use the notify action on the entry. Tabledoo records that they have been told — so a colleague does not call them twice — and sends the message.
What the guest receives
Both an email and a text message, depending on which channels you have switched on in Property Settings → Notifications, and on the guest having an email address and a mobile number.
Tabledoo picks between two different wordings automatically, based on how close the entry's time is:
| If the time is | They get |
|---|---|
| Close, or already passed | A "come now" message. Email subject: Your table is ready at [your restaurant]. Text: "Hi Maria, your table for 2 at The Golden Fork is ready now. Please come to the host stand or call …" |
| Still a while away | A "we can fit you in" message. Email subject: A table has opened up at [your restaurant]. Text: "Hi Maria, a table for 2 has opened up at The Golden Fork on Saturday at 20:30. Please call … to confirm." |
This matters. Telling somebody expecting Saturday that their table is "ready now" would send them to your door on Thursday.
What counts as "close"
A setting called the waitlist ready window, which starts at 60 minutes. Anything inside that window — or already past — gets the "come now" wording. Change it in Property Settings → Restaurant; see Booking rules reference.
If nothing seems to arrive
- Does the guest have the right contact details? No mobile number means no text. Open their profile and check.
- Is that message type switched on? Email and text are toggled separately in Notification settings.
- Do you have text credits? At zero credits the text is skipped and the email still goes — nothing fails loudly. See How SMS credits work.
- Has the guest opted out of texts? That flag is respected everywhere. See Guests who opt out.
The full checklist is in A guest didn't get their message.
Closing the entry afterwards
- They arrive → seat them with Quick Seat.
- They have gone → No Show.
- They cannot make it → Cancel.
Good to know
- Notifying does not hold the table. It is a message, not a booking. If somebody else needs that table before your guest reappears, it is still available — seat whoever arrives first.
- Texts are the reliable channel for a guest who is standing outside or walking back. Email is fine for a cancellation slot days away.
- Give them a deadline in person if you can — "we'll hold it for ten minutes" — because the message itself does not set one.