A gap in the day, closed with one question
A day fills in the order the phone rang, so an hour is sometimes left between two visits that nobody gets to book. Appointomat asks the patient booked later that day whether they would rather come in earlier - and only ever asks.
When nobody on the waiting list accepts the freed hour, the patient booked afterward gets asked whether they would rather come in earlier. One tap, and the day ends earlier.
How it works
Three rules, and the product is the rules: always an ask, always earlier, and a limit shared with the waiting list.
Two triggers, one rule
A gap opens two ways: when somebody cancels, and simply because the day filled in that shape. Both are checked - a cancellation right away, the rest of the day in the background - and either way the ask is the same.
Always earlier
An offer only ever proposes a time earlier than the one the patient already holds, so saying yes gives them time back and saying no changes nothing.
Changed only on a yes
A link with a deadline, and nothing changes in the calendar until the patient opens it and confirms. Silence does not count as agreement - the hour simply stays where it was.
The same message limit as the waiting list
A gap-closing ask counts against the same weekly limit as a waiting-list offer, so a patient never gets more texts just because two different mechanisms happen to reach them.
You switch it on in Settings
It is its own switch in Settings, off by default and independent of the waiting list - asking an already-booked patient to change their time is a different decision from offering a free hour to somebody waiting.
If the patient does not answer by the deadline, the visit stays exactly where it was booked.
Questions
How is this different from the waiting list?
The waiting list offers a freed hour to somebody waiting for a visit. Gap-closing asks somebody who already has a booking whether they would rather come in earlier the same day. Two different questions to two different groups, but the same send mechanism and the same per-patient message limit.
Can a patient be moved without agreeing?
No. The calendar only changes once the patient opens the link and confirms - the same path a patient goes through when they reschedule themselves.
How do I turn this on?
In Settings, on the practice tab. It is off by default.
Start with your own week
Create an account, enter your working hours, and decide when new patients may book. The first 30 days are free, with no card.