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How does Waitwhile identify a customer
How does Waitwhile identify a customer

Learn how waitwhile identifies a repeat customer

Christina Kokkinou avatar
Written by Christina Kokkinou
Updated over 2 weeks ago

In Waitwhile, customers are identified using a combination of unique parameters that help businesses track visits, manage waitlists, and provide personalized service.

Key parameters that identify a customer

  1. Phone Number (Primary Identifier)

    • The phone number is the most common and unique identifier in Waitwhile.

    • It allows businesses to track returning customers and send SMS updates.

    • If a customer joins a waitlist with the same phone number, Waitwhile recognizes them as a returning visitor.

  2. Email Address (Secondary Identifier)

    • Email addresses help businesses track customers who may not provide a phone number.

    • Used for appointment confirmations, follow-ups, and marketing campaigns.

  3. Customer ID

    • Waitwhile assigns a unique external customer ID for each customer based on past interactions.

    • This ID is linked to their contact details, allowing businesses to track visit frequency and preferences.

Example customer records

Example 1:

John Smith makes an appointment using his phone number & email on Tuesday.

John Smith makes another appointment using just his phone number on Friday.

✅ John Smith will be recognized as a repeat customer by his phone number.

Example 2:

Harper Henderson joins a waitlist using her phone number & email on Friday.

Harper Henderson joins a waitlist using her husbands phone number & her email on Sunday.

❌ Harper Henderson will be recorded as unique customers with 2 different customers IDs as their phone numbers do not match even though the email address does

Example 3:

Sally Sue joins the waitlist using her email address on Monday.

Sally Sue joins the waitlist using her phone number on Wednesday.

❌ Sally Sue will be recorded as unique customers with 2 different customers IDs.

Example 2:
Tammy Tarr joins the waitlist using her email address on Wednesday.

Tammy's husband joins the waitlist using Tammy's email address on Thursday.

⚠️ Tammy Tarr will be recognized as a repeat customer by her email address, but her customer ID will be appended with the most recent name that was used.

Warning: As long as the visit is created with the same phone number, customers should be merged under the same customer ID regardless of name. However, adding a phone number to a visit after its creation does not merge it with previous visits.


Have additional questions or need assistance? Reach out to us via chat or at support@waitwhile.com

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