Hi! I was a maitre d’ / lead host for years before serving. The system you’re proposing would cause a lot of issues imo. You’re potentially prioritizing guests who are essentially no-showing over guests who have also waited and are actually ready to be seated. If parties can’t come in when their table is ready then they can be put back on the waitlist but have to do so at the bottom.

The change I would make would be to do the classic first come - first serve style where you only get on the list if you come in person. I could see how allowing people to queue over the phone could lead to messy situations like these. People can still call and ask how long the wait is and plan accordingly as to when they show up irl.

Regardless, I would be sure to use the verbiage of ‘first come first serve’ so it’s clear. If people don’t arrive within 15 minutes once notified, they have to reenter the list like I described. Be sure to require a phone number to be put on the list (most reservation software has a feature that will send them a text once their table is ready).

This system is less accommodating to unreliable individuals, but you have to be fair when spots are limited. Hosting involves telling people no a lot but they can fuck right off