Last-minute cancellations: the alert that gets your free slot filled¶
A last-minute cancellation is not just an annoyance: it is revenue evaporating. If a client cancels the 4pm session at 9 in the morning and you find out at 3:45pm, that slot is gone. If you find out at 9:02, you have seven hours to fill it.
Wably alerts you at the exact moment the appointment opens up, with everything you need to put it back on the market in thirty seconds.
How Wably's cancellation alert works¶
When a client cancels or moves an appointment while talking to the AI assistant on WhatsApp, Wably checks how far away the freed-up slot is. If it falls inside the window you have chosen, an email goes out to your address immediately.
The email contains:
- The type of event, marked with a clear label: Cancelled or Moved.
- The slot that has opened up, with an indication of how soon it is ("in less than an hour", "in about 5 hours").
- The client's name and the service that had been booked.
- If the appointment was moved rather than cancelled, the new date and time it was rebooked for.
- A "Message on WhatsApp" button, which opens the chat directly so you can contact whoever might take that place.
If several slots open up at the same time, you receive a single email collecting them all, ordered by time.
The notice window: 24, 48 or 72 hours¶
Not every cancellation is urgent. If a client cancels ten days ahead, the calendar reorganises itself. If they cancel for tomorrow morning, the game is played out over the next few hours.
That is why the alert only fires for appointments that fall inside a window you decide:
- 24 hours: you only get the alert for genuinely last-minute cancellations.
- 48 hours: the default setting, the compromise that works for most practices.
- 72 hours: if you work with a full calendar and need more time to get back to your waiting list.
The window can be changed from the dashboard Home, at any time, with no technical support.
Why it matters, in revenue terms¶
Do the maths on your own price list. A practice that loses two slots a month to cancellations discovered too late, on an average session of 50 euros, leaves 100 euros a month on the table, 1,200 euros a year. Filling even half of them pays for the subscription and then some.
The point is not technological, it is about timing. You do not need a system that tells you at the end of the day what happened: you need a system that tells you while you can still do something about it. The waiting list you keep in your head, or in your WhatsApp contacts, is already there. All that is missing is the signal telling you when to use it.
How it differs from reminders¶
These are two different features, working at two opposite moments:
| Automatic reminders | Cancellation alerts and free slots | |
|---|---|---|
| When | The day before the appointment | The instant the appointment falls through |
| To whom | To the client, on WhatsApp | To you, by email |
| What it is for | Stopping the client from forgetting | Recovering the slot that opened up |
| Effect | Fewer absences | Fewer gaps in the calendar |
The automatic reminder prevents, the cancellation alert recovers. Together they cover the entire life cycle of an appointment at risk.
What you have to do to turn it on¶
Nothing complicated: the cancellation alert is on by default on the plans that include it. If you want to change the time window or switch it off entirely, the toggle is on the Home of your dashboard.
The emails go to your account address, they are in English if your practice is set up in English, and every message contains the link to turn the feature off if you change your mind.
Cancellation alerts are included in the Standard plan. The plan details are on the plans and pricing page.
Frequently asked questions about cancellation alerts¶
Does the alert also arrive if I cancel from the calendar myself?¶
The alert is designed for changes that come from clients through the AI assistant on WhatsApp, that is, the ones you risk not seeing straight away because you are with a client. Changes you make yourself on the calendar are ones you already know about.
Do I get an email for every single cancellation?¶
If several slots open up close together, Wably groups them into a single email ordered by time, so it does not fill up your inbox.
Can I get the alert on WhatsApp instead of by email?¶
For now the alert travels by email, because that is the channel where you have a history and can find the information again later. Inside the email there is still the button that takes you straight to WhatsApp to act.
What happens if I turn the alert off?¶
The AI assistant carries on handling cancellations and changes as normal, and your calendar stays up to date. You simply do not get the immediate notification. You will still find the same information in the evening daily summary.
Do I need to configure anything the first time?¶
No. The feature is on by default with a 48-hour window. If that suits you, there is nothing to touch.