Waiting Lists
A waiting list is demand you haven't matched to an animal yet — people who want a kid, before you know which kid.
What Goes on the List
Each entry records the interested buyer (linked to their contact), what they're looking for, where they sit in priority order, and a status.
Preferences are the useful part: sex, colour, polled or horned, blue eyes, registered or not. When kids hit the ground you work the list against what you actually got.
Priority Order
Keep the list ordered. When a buyer who enquired in November and one who enquired in February both want the same doeling, the list should already have decided.
Waiting List vs. Reservation
Different stages of the same relationship:
| Waiting list | Reservation | |
|---|---|---|
| Attached to | Nothing specific yet | A known breeding or litter |
| Commitment | Interest | Usually a deposit |
| When | Any time | Once a kidding is expected |
When someone on the waiting list commits, convert them into a reservation against a specific litter.
Working the List
Update status as you go so the list reflects reality — who's been contacted, who's been offered a kid, who accepted, who passed. A stale waiting list is worse than none, because you'll trust it.
People who passed this year are still prospects next year, and knowing why they passed — wrong sex, wrong colour, wrong timing — is worth more than the fact that they did.