What’s new at WaitWell – September 2026
September brings more control to your front line, with add-on services that fit every appointment, queue status your way, and new staff permissions. Plus, WaitWell ranked No. 57 on The Globe and Mail’s 2026 list of Canada’s Top Growing Companies.
Your monthly roundup of what’s new at WaitWell. This issue covers September’s product updates, our spot on The Globe and Mail’s list of Canada’s Top Growing Companies, where our team has been on the road, and the free live sessions you can join in October.
👋 Hi WaitWell Community,
This month is about control. You decide exactly when each queue closes and reopens, who sees whose appointments, and how long an appointment runs when a customer adds extra services.
Add-on services lead the way. They can now add time to an appointment, so customers only see slots with enough room for everything they booked.
We also have news to celebrate. The Globe and Mail ranked WaitWell No. 57 on its 2026 list of Canada’s Top Growing Companies, after 500% growth over three years.
Everything here is covered briefly, so reach out to your Client Success Manager to go deeper.
Product updates
This month gives your team more control and your customers less guesswork. Here are the highlights.
Appointments that fit every add-on
When a customer adds an extra service, their appointment now grows to make room for it. No more rushed visits or overlapping bookings.
- Set how many extra minutes each add-on takes
- Customers pick add-ons from a simple list, grouped by category
- They only see times with room for the whole visit
- Works online, at the kiosk, and when staff book
Queue status, your way
Each queue now has its own status, so you choose when it closes and when it comes back.
- Close it until someone reopens it
- Close it over lunch, and it reopens for the afternoon
- Close it until the next business day
- Change every queue at once, or one at a time
Queue settings also got a cleaner layout. Each queue opens in its own window, with everything organized on three tabs.
Show staff only what they need
New permissions help each person focus on their own customers. Everyone keeps full access today, so nothing changes until you adjust them.
- Staff can see only their own appointments
- Choose who can pick their own desk
- Choose who can rename or set up desks
A lobby display that explains itself
Appointments can now show in their own column, right next to the walk-in line. When someone who arrived later gets called first, everyone can see they had an appointment.
Also new this month
Scheduling
- Start or end someone’s shift right from the schedule
- Staff clock in on their own when they take a desk
Customers and reports
- See how well each staff member’s time gets booked
- Pick and reorder the columns on the Customers page
- Filter customers by details like language, tags, or date of birth
Everyday use
- Update queue hours for many locations at once with a spreadsheet
- Get a warning when a time looks like an AM/PM mix-up
- Put note and message shortcuts in the order you use them
- Click links right inside staff notes
There is a lot in this release, and it is easier to show than to describe. Contact your Client Success Manager for a walkthrough.
No. 57 on Canada’s Top Growing Companies
The Globe and Mail named WaitWell to its 2026 Report on Business ranking of Canada’s Top Growing Companies. We ranked No. 57 out of 375 companies, after growing 500% over three years.
We grew by taking on the middle work, like check-ins, forms, and redirecting people from the wrong line, so staff can focus on the part only a person can do.
“We did not grow by automating people out of service. We grew because we made service better for the staff at the counter, the person in front of them and the admin who has to make resource allocation decisions,” said Steve Vander Meulen, WaitWell’s CEO and co-founder.
The numbers:
- No. 57 of 375 on Canada’s Top Growing Companies
- 500% growth over three years
- Nearly 45 million people served
- More than 12.8 million hours of waiting saved
Much of that growth came from teams like yours expanding WaitWell to more services and locations. Thank you for trusting us with your front line.
Read the full story
On the road
Two stops this month, in two very different corners of the work our customers do.
IVECCS in Savannah, Georgia brought together emergency and critical care vets, technicians, and practice managers from September 14 to 17.
Emergency clinics never know who will come through the door next. A pet in crisis needs to be seen right away, and a worried owner in the waiting room wants to know what is happening. Check-in, the waiting room, and clear updates are part of the care.
That is where WaitWell fits. Fast check-in, text updates so owners are not left guessing, and booking and reminders that keep follow-up visits on track. We had great conversations on the exhibit hall floor about how clinics handle all three.
Thank you to every vet team that stopped by to share how their clinic runs.
This week we are in Providence, Rhode Island for AAMVA’s Annual International Conference, from September 29 to October 1. Leaders from motor vehicle agencies come together to work through the biggest issues they face.
For DMVs, many of those issues show up in the lobby: long lines, busy walk-in hours, and customers who arrive without the right documents. We are there to share how appointments, queueing, and forms sent before the visit help offices serve more people with the staff they have. Come find us if you will be there.
Join a live session, or watch one on demand
Every week we run free live sessions to help you get more out of WaitWell. Some walk through features step by step. Others dig into bigger topics like cutting wait times, reducing no-shows, and running a smoother service operation. Bring your questions, because our team is there live to answer them.
Can’t make a time that works? Our on-demand library is open whenever you are. Watch a past session start to finish, or skip to the part you need.
See upcoming sessions and watch on demand
Until next time, The WaitWell team 💙