Class bookings: waitlists, reminders and attendance

Every gym that runs group classes has the same three problems: classes fill up but half the people don't show, members on the waitlist never hear that a spot opened, and the trainer takes attendance on paper that then disappears. Bookings, waitlists and attendance depend on each other, so fixing them one at a time doesn't work. This post shows how GamGym connects the chain and which rules stay in the gym's hands.

Set up the weekly schedule once

You don't rewrite the timetable every week. Enter day, time and capacity in the weekly schedule once, and the system generates sessions up to 35 days ahead. Monday 19:00 pilates, 12 people: that line sits ready in the calendar for five weeks and members book it from the portal.

For one-offs like a holiday or a substitute trainer you edit only that session. When the gym cancels a class, everyone booked on it gets a notification.

The waitlist moves on its own

When a class is full, members join the waitlist. When someone cancels, the first person on the list is moved into the class automatically and notified. Nobody at the desk has to make calls.

Automatic promotion stops 60 minutes before the class. The reason is simple: someone who gets "a spot opened" half an hour before start probably can't make it, and the spot stays empty. Gyms can switch off the waitlist or auto-promotion if they want.

You set the cancellation and no-show rules

Members can cancel for free until 2 hours before class; the window is a gym setting. You also decide what happens on a late cancel or no-show: the credit is used up, a fee is charged, or nothing happens. A gym selling class packs and a gym selling unlimited memberships shouldn't be forced into the same rule.

There's one more automatic rule for people who keep booking and not turning up: 3 no-shows within 30 days blocks booking for 7 days. The gym can change those numbers. The aim is to stop classes that look full and run half empty.

Reminders and a roster for the trainer

Members with a booking get a reminder notification 120 minutes before class. For PT sessions there are three reminders: a day before, 2 hours before and 15 minutes before.

Trainers get something too. 90 minutes before class they receive the roster, so they know who's coming and how many before they arrive.

Attendance: the door takes it

The easiest roll call is the one nobody takes. Since entry and bookings share one system, when a member comes through the door with their QR code, attendance for that hour's class is marked automatically. We explain the door side in how QR entry works.

Trainers or the front desk can also mark attendance by hand, which you need if you don't use the door or if someone enters but skips class. When a class ends, unmarked bookings count as attended by default, so a trainer forgetting the roll call doesn't land a member with an unfair penalty. The gym can change that default as well.

Set capacity from the records

Most gyms pick a capacity number by looking at the size of the room. A better guide is the no-show rate. If a 12-person pilates class gets 12 bookings every week but 9 people turn up on average, either capacity can go to 14 or the no-show rule needs to get stricter. Which one is right depends on your style: a boutique studio doesn't want a crowd, a big gym doesn't want empty mats.

You can only make that call if attendance is recorded properly. With automatic marking at the door and the end-of-class default, you get a real attendance count for every class. After a month you can tell which hours are genuinely full and which are only full on paper. Dropping the empty slots and adding a second class at the busy hour means teaching more members for the same trainer cost.

Capacity slots for spaces without a class

Not every booking is a class. For gyms that want to cap the gym floor at peak hours there are capacity slots: you open a time slot like "18:00–19:00 gym floor, 40 people" and members reserve a place. Booking a slot doesn't use a class credit.

If the plan requires a booking, the door only opens up to 30 minutes before the booked time, and members without one are denied with a reason. The same setup works for small spaces like a sauna. It's the cleanest way to control your occupancy rate at peak times.

PT sessions on the same calendar

Personal training runs on the same engine. Time off is taken out of the trainer's weekly availability, leaving 30-minute free slots; members can book at least 2 hours ahead and up to 30 days out. During the session the trainer's screen shows an attendance code that changes every 30 seconds, and once the member scans it the session is recorded with both sides confirming. Independent trainers have a separate post.

Which plan includes it

Class schedules, capacity slots and PT are part of GamGym's Professional (6,999 TL a month plus VAT) and Chain plans. Starter has no classes or PT; it covers memberships, QR entry, online sales, programs and accounting. Plan details are on the for gyms page, and the topic-by-topic comparison with spreadsheets and other setups is in Why GamGym?.

To start, leave the cancellation window at 2 hours and the no-show rule on "credit is used", then adjust both after looking at the first month's no-show numbers.