A gym class booking system that keeps classes full
A spin class with three empty bikes and a waiting list of five people is a booking problem, not a demand problem. When a cancellation doesn't reach the next person, everyone loses.
Where it hurts
Running classes off a WhatsApp group or a sign-up sheet works right up until it doesn't. People book and don't come, someone drops out and the spot goes to nobody, and you're forever counting heads and messaging round to fill gaps.
The waiting list is where it really hurts. Someone cancels an hour before, the place stays empty, and the person who'd have jumped at it never hears. That's a paying spot lost and a member who'd have been happy left out.
And the admin lands on you or an instructor who'd rather be teaching. Chasing payments, tracking who's in, remembering who's on a class pass and who's pay-as-you-go. It eats a chunk of every week on something that should run itself.
What I'd build
I'd set up a booking system built for classes, something like TeamUp, so members book their own spot, see what's full, and join a waiting list when a class is booked out. When someone cancels, the next person on the list gets offered the place automatically, and a cancellation window means late drop-outs still free the spot in time. Passes, memberships and drop-in payments run through Stripe, reminders cut the ghosting, and every session has a clear register. On top of that I'd add a small AI step that reads the week's bookings and flags what the register won't tell you at a glance: the member who's quietly stopped coming, the class that's always half-empty on a Tuesday, with a friendly check-in message drafted for you to send or bin.
What changes
- Members book their own spot and see what's full
- Waiting lists fill cancellations automatically
- Passes, memberships and drop-ins handled in one place
- Fading members flagged weekly, with a check-in drafted for you to send
Related fixes
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