2023-10-31 11:11:59
Do you remember the controversy that broke out in April in San Sebastián when the Court ruled in favor of the Amelia restaurant, which charged a deposit of 510 euros to a customer who had reserved a table for three and did not show up for dinner? The phenomenon known as ‘no show’ (when a person who has made a reservation or who is expected does not appear and does not notify of their lack of attendance or does not do so sufficiently in advance) then came to the fore, although it had been taking place for some time. among us.
The truth is that many voices from the hospitality sector joined in denouncing that it causes irreparable damage to businesses, which is why some choose to protect themselves by demanding an advance payment or a credit card number from the diner to formalize the reservation.
From Hosteleria Gipuzkoa they claim to be unaware of the number of cancellations that occur in our territory after a year and add that hospitality establishments lack a protocol to follow in these cases. But there are a series of basic tips, easy to follow, that can help Gipuzkoan bars and restaurants so that their tables do not remain empty.
Confirm and reconfirm the reservation
Before, it was common for a client to call by phone to make a reservation and there would be no further contact with them until the agreed time. Thanks to the different digital tools, this task is much easier. Let’s take an example: the client makes a reservation through the website and is asked for both his email address and his contact telephone number. Once the online reservation is made, he has to confirm it through a link that is sent to his email. Until he performs that action, the reservation will not be completed. If the reservation is for a meal the day before, you will receive an SMS to confirm that the reservation is still valid. The same would happen with the dinner reservation, but the message would arrive the same morning. This way the customer can cancel the reservation with enough time for another person to take advantage of the table.
Makes it easy to cancel your reservation
This might seem contradictory at first, but if the client has some kind of unforeseen event and cannot attend, it is better that they can cancel it easily instead of leaving the table empty. What are the methods to cancel reservations that you can enable?
-The reservation telephone number is the option that you must have at least for both reservations and cancellations
-Through the same portal in which the reservations are confirmed, there should be the option to cancel it
-Via email or text message
-Through the local website
Blacklist of absent clients
The good thing about computerizing reservations is that we can create a database with clients who regularly make reservations with two objectives. On the one hand, we can have a detail with those regular diners or those who choose your establishment for special occasions. On the other hand, it allows you to point out those who have made reservations in the past that they never attended. That way you can create a blacklist of clients from whom you do not accept reservations or associate them with the next tip.
Deposits are imposed on reservations
Due to the number of empty tables, there are hoteliers who have opted for more efficient methods. It involves asking for a deposit at the time of booking, as the two-star Amelia de Donostia did. In the case of no-show, the diners would not recover the deposit and the loss it represents for the establishment could be alleviated. In the case of implementing deposits for reservations, the conditions must be made very clear. An example could be:
-The reserve money is deducted from the total account
-If you cancel the reservation more than 24 hours in advance, it will be refunded in full.
-If canceled with less time or no show, it is lost in full
#Tips #avoid #show #restaurant