Setting Up Automatic Transfer of Patrons from the Waitlist to the Registration List
You can set up Program Registration to automatically transfer patrons from the waitlist to the registration list of a section when seats in that section are vacated due to cancellation.
To set up automatic transfer:
- Choose Program Management from the Function list.
- Retrieve the program record for which you want to activate automatic transfer functionality.
- In the AUTOTRANSF field, enter 't' (true).
If the AUTOTRANSF field is blank or contains an 'f' (false), automatic transfer functionality is not enabled. If automatic transfer is not enabled for a program, registration cancellations result in a cancellation confirmation email to the patron and a manual transfer required advisory to the operator.
The system automatically transfers patrons from the waitlist to the registration list of the same section only when all the following are true:
- The AUTOTRANSF field in the program record is set to "TRUE".
- Registration via Sierra is possible and the registration list is full.
- One or more patrons are on the waitlist.
- A registration is cancelled in any way (e.g., a patron cancels a registration via the WebPAC or a staff member uses Sierra to cancel a registration).
The system does not automatically transfer patrons in other situations. For example, if automatic transfer is enabled and a staff member increases the value in the MAX SEATS field, the system does not automatically transfer patrons from the waitlist. In this case, staff must manually transfer patrons to the registration list. The system also does not automatically transfer patrons from the waitlist of one section to the registration list of another section.
Automatic Transfer and Multiple Registrations
The system considers multiple registrations by one patron for a section as separate registrations. For example, if there are three waitlisted entries from one patron's multiple registration for a section at the top of the waitlist and two cancellations open up two seats on the registration list, the system automatically transfers only the first two waitlist entries to the registration list.
After the system automatically transfers a patron to the registration list, the system sends the patron an email confirming the patron's transfer from the waitlist to the registration list. If the system cannot send the automatic transfer confirmation email (for example, the patron record of the transferred patron does not contain an email address), the system notifies staff as follows:
| If the automatic transfer takes place because: | The system: |
|---|---|
| A staff member cancels a registration in Sierra | displays a dialog box informing the staff member that the automatic transfer confirmation email to the patron could not be sent |
| A registration is cancelled in the WebPAC | automatically emails the program operator an advisory that the patron's automatic transfer confirmation could not be sent |
- See also:
- Advisory Emails Sent to the Operator