Recipe No. 26 · Scheduling
No-show waitlist backfill
When an appointment is cancelled, text the next people on a waitlist to offer the slot.
- Plan needed
- Make: Core from $12/mo per Axis Consulting; a free tier may cover low volume. Check your plan.
- Est. SMS cost
- Via Twilio: ~$0.0083 per US text segment plus carrier fees, and $1.15/mo per local number (Oct 2026). Other SMS apps price differently, so check your plan.
- TriggerMake
- Step 2Google Sheets 'Search Rows' on waitlist for…
- Step 3Twilio 'Send SMS'
- Step 4Staff confirm the booking manually from…
- Step 5Test with dummy data, then turn it on and…
Ingredients
- Google Calendar or booking tool
- Google Sheets waitlist
- Make.com
- Twilio
Editor-reviewedLast checked 2026-10-16v1.0.0 · Free
Steps reviewed against current tool UIs by the editor; not yet run end-to-end in a live account. Time saved is an estimate; results vary. Costs from Axis Consulting and Twilio pricing; check current pricing.
SMS rules: only text people who gave you their number for this purpose, identify your business, and include “Reply STOP to opt out”. US business texting needs A2P 10DLC registration.
Method
- Make: Google Calendar 'Watch Events' (cancelled) or booking tool webhook.
- Google Sheets 'Search Rows' on waitlist for matching day/provider, sort by date added, limit 3.
- Twilio 'Send SMS': 'A slot opened {time}. Reply YES to book; first reply gets it.'
- Staff confirm the booking manually from replies.
- Test with dummy data, then turn it on and review results for the first week.