Thanks — the gap issue was one of the first problems I wanted to solve with “smart” shift updates when someone cancels. Your comment made me realize I might be prioritizing the wrong MVP.
If I pivot the product on shift coverage management instead, would that be more useful? Would you pay monthly for a tool that reliably finds coverage when someone cancels?
This is super helpful — thank you. Here's how I think they can be solved:
1. Flagging special events by pulling from the booking system so the schedule doesn’t assume a “normal” Monday.
2. Tagging staff by skillset (large parties, wine, expo, etc.) so the optimizer doesn’t just fill slots but matches people to the right shifts.
3. Flexible availability instead of binary availability — things like “prefer not,” “can pick up if needed,” “no doubles,” “no clopens,” or “I already have a cover lined up.”
4. Transparent fairness — showing why someone got (or didn’t get) a shift, how hours were distributed, and what trade-offs were made so it’s not a black box.
5. Built-in shift-swap handling, since FOH often sorts coverage themselves before the manager ever touches it.
If I pivot the product on shift coverage management instead, would that be more useful? Would you pay monthly for a tool that reliably finds coverage when someone cancels?