Waiting list - settings and handling
From version 2.12.5RC1
Activate the waiting list function
If you would like to use the waiting list function in the frontend, you first have to activate the function at OSG Seminar Manager > Options > Extensions:
Important note:
If you let overbook a course, there is no waiting list shown although you have activated it.
To overbook a course you have made following setting at Options > Tab:General > Calculation of current capacity: No calculation.
Frontend procedure
There are two use cases in which the user gets to access the waiting list in the frontend:
1. The course is fully booked.
2. The user wants to book more places than available.
If the course is fully booked, the user will already see in the course table, that the course is fully booked. At the same place, a link will be shown that lets the user access the waiting list.
If a course is not yet fully booked, but the user wants to book more places than still available, the user is also pointed to the waiting list. The user can then book all applicants to the waiting list or book the course with a lesser number of applicants.
Please note: the requirement for the display of the view above is following: at the course detail view the actual capacity is shown. (Options > Tab:Misc > Section:Courses) If the capacity is not shown then the applicant gets a notice at the end of the of the registration process: Your booking could not be received. The number of places booked is larger than the number of free places.
If a user wants to apply to the waiting list, he first has to fill out the application form. After that, the user has to confirm the form with the button "Register for waiting list": If you have activated the booking overview, the next page will be the booking overview. In this case, the button "Add to waiting list now" is used to finally confirm the application. To make it clearer to the user, we recommend to rename the first button to "Go on to confirmation page", for example.
The user will receive an automated email that he has applied for the waiting list.
Options in the backend
Email templates for email confirmation to waiting list
You can customize the template for the email confirmation that the user receives when he applies for the waiting list. At Settings > Tab Default Email Templates, you also find the template for the waiting list confirmation.
New application states
Using the waiting list, there are two new application states that are used for this purpose, waiting list and awaiting response respectively. You can see the applications with such as waiting list just like other bookings in the backend.
As soon as there are free places, a person on the waiting list can be informed via email using the backend, or otherwise (e.g. via phone), that there is a free place the user can apply for. If there is not yet a confirmation from the user, the status of the application can be set to "avaiting response". This status makes the application count for the computation of free places.
If the user confirms his application, the status can still be changed manually in the backend:
Changing the states and sending email confirmation with invoice
If the state of an application is changed from waiting list or awaiting response to another state like submitted, pending or paid, you are asked if you would like to create an invoice (Prerequisite: The option Options > Create invoices is set to YES).
If you click "Cancel", no email is sent and no invoice is created. If you click "OK", a email will always been sent. If the invoice is attached to the email, depends on if the option Options > Attach to booking confirmation is set.
If the option Options > Create invoices is set to NO, there will never be sent emails if the status of an application is changed from waiting list or awaiting response to another state like submitted or pending or paid. If you want to send an email, you have to do this manually from the backend.
IMPORTANT NOTE: IMPACT OF THE STATUS ON THE FREE PLACES
If an application hat the status „waiting list“, this application does not reduce the number of free places for a course. An application with the Status „awaiting response“ does count as a booking in regard to the course places. Counting the free places for a course is done in relation to the global settings as before.
Special case: Move up from waiting list if there are less places free than needed
If a waiting list application has for example two applicants, but only one place is free, you may want to set one applicant to be booked to the course and one still on the waiting list. This is only possible, if you have installed the plugin "Manual booking and invoice". To download this plugin, you will need to have a fee required OSG Seminar Manager Premium Membership.
For this, you have to copy the booking to the same course. The status will automatically be set to "canceled", the copied one stays on the status. You have to set the canceled application to status "waiting list" and edit it (e.g. set the number of applicants to "1"). The copied application also has to be edited accordingly.