Fill last-minute shifts by texting qualified, available staff in order
A client asks for coverage, and the agent texts qualified, available people in your order, books the first yes and confirms with the client.
- Reach it by
- Phone
- Text
- Who can use it
- Your clients request shifts; coordinators and the owner set the rules
- Works in
- Deputy, or your staff roster · Text messaging · Phone · Gmail or Outlook
The problem
A client calls at 5:40 in the morning: a CNA called out and they need someone by 7. Your coordinator wakes up, opens the schedule, and starts texting people one by one, hoping the first yes is actually qualified for that client.
Two people say yes. One shows up with an expired card. The client gets a call back an hour late, or not at all, and the shift goes to another agency.
What your agent does
- A client requests coverage"Need a CNA, Tuesday 7a to 3p, second floor"
- Your agent finds who qualifiesCurrent credentials, availability, distance, hours this week
- Texts them one at a time, in your orderWaits a set number of minutes before moving on
- First yes bookedIn Deputy, or sent to your coordinator to enter
- Everyone else told it's filled
- Client confirmedName, arrival time, and a note to your coordinator
What you get
- Open shifts offered within minutes of the request, day or night
- Only people with current credentials and the right skills get the text
- Clients hear back with a name and an arrival time
- A record of who was asked, who answered and when
Who approves what
You set the order: who goes first, who skips which clients, and the overtime limit. A regular shift at the standard rate can book on its own. Anything with overtime, a higher pay rate or a new client goes to a coordinator to approve by text first.
Common questions
- What if two people say yes?
- The first yes gets the shift. Everyone after that gets a text saying it's filled, so nobody shows up to a shift that isn't theirs.
- What if nobody says yes?
- After the time you set, it calls your on-call coordinator with what it tried and who hasn't answered. It can also tell the client honestly that it's still working on it.
- How does it know who's qualified for that client?
- It reads the requirements you keep for each client and checks each person's credentials and availability before texting anyone. With Deputy it reads and books the schedule directly. Most other schedulers only let approved partners in, so the agent works from your roster and sends the booking to your coordinator.
More for staffing & home care
Credentials tracked, lapses blocked
The agent collects licenses, certifications and background checks, chases renewals before they expire, and keeps anyone lapsed off the schedule.
What job would you hand to an agent?
Book a free 15-minute call. Tell us the job that eats your week and we'll tell you how an agent would handle it and what it would cost.