The No-Show Recovery Agent

1. 1 Pick a niche where slots are valuable and compliance is light.
   Specifics

   Check their booking tool first. Some already auto-text the waitlist (Vagaro's waitlist modes, Weave's Waitlist for dental). If they use it, skip them or offer to set it up and run it. Your best prospects book in Google Calendar, a basic tool, or by phone.

   Recommendation: run your first two pilots with salons or med-spas to learn the workflow with light compliance.

   Move to dental or physio once you have a HIPAA-ready setup. See niche comparison and compliance checklist in Details.

2. 2 Set up the waitlist sheet.
   Specifics

   A Google Sheet with two tabs: Waitlist and Refills.

   Waitlist columns:

   first_name | phone_e164 | preferred_days | preferred_times | max_notice_minutes | opted_in_at | opt_in_source | status (active/paused/STOP) | last_offered_at

   Only rows with opted_in_at filled and status = active may ever be texted.

   Refills columns: date, chair, slot time, duration, filled_by_first_name, minutes_to_fill, fee.

3. 3 Build the n8n workflow: Calendar to Claude to Twilio.
   Specifics

   1. Cancel
   2. Waitlist sheet
   3. Claude drafts
   4. Staff approves
   5. Twilio texts

   1. Trigger: Google Calendar "Event Cancelled" node, or a Webhook from the booking tool. Capture chair/provider, start, end, duration. Do not store treatment details.
   2. Function "Is this refillable?": skip if it starts in under 60 minutes, is outside business hours, or was already handled (dedupe on event ID).
   3. Read Waitlist: filter status = active, an opt-in present, and last_offered_at more than 24 hours ago.
   4. Pre-score candidates on day/time match and notice window. Keep the top 5.
   5. Claude: rank and draft using the prompt in Copy-paste prompts. Output is JSON.
   6. Approval: Slack "Send and wait for approval" or an email with Approve/Skip links. A human approves every send.
   7. Twilio: send SMS to the top 3, staggered 60 to 90 seconds apart. Write last_offered_at back to the sheet.
   8. Inbound webhook: YES and still open locks the slot and confirms. YES and already filled sends the "already filled" text. STOP sets status to STOP. Anything else goes to the front desk.
   9. Notify the others: "Slot filled, thanks!" to anyone offered who hasn't replied.
   10. Log a row in Refills: date, chair, slot time, duration, filled_by_first_name, minutes_to_fill, fee.
   11. Monthly: a scheduled workflow sums the month's Refills, drafts a Stripe invoice and emails a one-page report.

   Full diagram: see Architecture in Details.

4. 4 Add the Claude prompt and validate its JSON.
   Specifics

   The prompt picks the 3 best candidates and drafts a short, PHI-free SMS for each, returned as JSON.

   Validate the JSON in a Code node before anything reaches the approval step. If it fails to parse, fall back to the slot-open template.

   The full prompt is in Copy-paste prompts below.

5. 5 Connect Twilio and check the compliance list.
   Specifics

   • Open a Twilio account, buy a local number, and register the business as an A2P 10DLC brand plus one campaign. Approval can take up to about a week.
   • Twilio handles STOP and HELP automatically. Mirror STOP in your sheet too.
   • Send only during business hours in the recipient's local time, at most one offer text per person per day.

   Full checklist: see Compliance in Details before you send a single text.

6. 6 Test it on your own phone before anyone else sees it.
   Specifics

   • Build the workflow against a test calendar and a test sheet. Use your own phone as the "patient".
   • Add the Claude ranking step, the approval step and the inbound YES/STOP handling.
   • Test a double-YES race: two people reply YES at once, only the first should lock the slot.
7. 7 List 20 businesses, then send the cold email or walk in.
   Specifics

   • Search Google Maps for "dentist", "hair salon" or "med spa" plus your city. Keep businesses with 4.5+ stars, 100+ reviews and online booking.
   • Note the booking tool behind their "Book" link. Skip anyone whose tool already texts the waitlist automatically (see step 1).
   • Use the cold email, walk-in script and pilot offer in Copy-paste prompts below.
8. 8 Run a free 14-day pilot, then bill per refill.
   Specifics

   What you set up: waitlist opt-in (a QR code at the front desk plus a link), cancellation detection, the approval button, texts and a weekly report.

   What the owner does: approve texts, and tell waitlist patients or clients about the opt-in.

   Cost during the pilot: $0. After the pilot: a fee per refilled slot, cancel anytime.

   Success metric: refilled slots and minutes to fill, reported every Friday.

   After 2 to 3 happy pilots, turn them into case studies using real numbers only, then raise the setup fee and move to the next niche.

Copy-paste prompts & texts

Every card below copies in full, even the ones shown clipped.

You are a scheduling assistant for {business_name}. A {duration}-minute slot opened
on {day} at {time}. Here are up to 5 waitlist candidates who have opted in to texts:
{candidates_json}   // first_name, preferred_days, preferred_times, max_notice_minutes

Rules:
- Pick the 3 best matches by day/time preference and notice window. Never invent people.
- Write ONE SMS under 160 characters per person, friendly and plain.
- Mention only the business name, day, time and duration. NO health, treatment,
  service type, price or personal details.
- End with: "Reply YES to book or NO to pass. Reply STOP to opt out."
Return JSON: {"picks":[{"first_name":"","phone_ref":"","reason":"","sms":""}]}

Hi {first}, a {duration}-min spot just opened at {business} today at {time}. Want it? Reply YES to book or NO to pass. Reply STOP to opt out.

You're booked at {business} for {day} {time}. See you then! Need to change it? Call {phone}.

Thanks {first}! That {time} spot was just taken. We'll text you the next one that fits. Reply STOP to opt out.

{business}: You're on our waitlist. We'll text when an earlier spot opens (max 1 text/day). Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to opt out.

You're unsubscribed from {business} waitlist texts. No more messages will be sent.

Subject: Filling your last-minute cancellations

Hi {name}, I build a small tool that texts your opt-in waitlist the moment a slot is cancelled. Your front desk taps "approve", the first "YES" gets the chair, and it's logged automatically.

I'm offering a free 14-day pilot to 3 {city} businesses. You only pay if it refills a slot after the pilot ({price} per refill). Worth a 10-minute call this week?

{your name} · {phone}

"Quick question: when someone cancels same-day, what happens to that slot? Most places call down a list by hand. I set up a text system that offers the slot to your opted-in waitlist in about a minute, and your team approves every message. Can I show you a 2-minute demo on my phone?"

What I set up: waitlist opt-in (a QR code at the front desk plus a link), cancellation detection, approval button, texts and a weekly report.
What you do: approve texts, and tell waitlist patients/clients about the opt-in.
Cost during the pilot: $0. After the pilot: {price} per refilled slot, cancel anytime.
Success metric: refilled slots and minutes to fill, reported every Friday.

Week | Cancellations detected | Offers sent | Slots refilled | Fill rate | Avg minutes to fill | Est. value recovered (ESTIMATE) | Fees due

Money ESTIMATE

Details

Google Calendar (or booking tool webhook)
        |  event cancelled / deleted
        v
n8n workflow --> Google Sheets "Waitlist" (opted-in only)
        |
        +--> Claude: rank candidates + draft a short, PHI-free text
        |
        +--> Human approval (Slack button or email link)  <-- staff taps Approve
        |
        +--> Twilio: send offer texts (max 3, staggered)
        |
        +--> Twilio inbound webhook: first "YES" locks the slot
        |
        +--> Update calendar + log row in "Refills" sheet --> monthly Stripe invoice