no shows

[san]

in my experience, no-shows happen because there are no consequences for guests who reserve a table and don't show. though i absolutely don NOT believe that guests should be punished, i've found that simply taking a cc # and stating that we request that if you can't make it you would call as soon as you find out, coupled with the act of calling each reserved guest to confirm their reservation a few days before, eliminates 95% of no shows. if these 2 things are done properly, the only no-shows are the ones who refuse to give cc info and are insulted that we would ask. i've worked in restaurants with this policy for about 5 years now and though there are exceptions, this is almost always how it goes. i should also mention that i've never charged anyone's card for not showing. everyone has busy lives, and IMO it is a restaurant's responsibility to remind a guest that they reserved a table. what is frustrating is the people who (usually on the busiest nights of the year) make reservations at several restaurants and decide which one to honor at the last minute. doing that not only costs the restaurant a lot financially from the empty table that evening, but in the long run turning away a regular can really hurt. reminds me of the old yogi berra addage "nobody ever goes there anymore, it's always too busy"

[BigboyDan]

For a phone reservation, we require a CC and a payment of $25 which is applied to the check. The payment is returned at the time of a cancelation of the reservation, but forfeited for a no-show.

[Frog1879]

This is coming from a strictly customer perspective:

If I call a restaurant and they won't take reservations I assume it is because they have been stung by no-shows in the past. It is so annoying to have something so convenient taken away because self-absorbed idiots can't take the time to make a two minute phone call.

I say ask for my credit card #, state that there will be a charge for a no-show, and that the charge can be avoided by cancelling a few hours in advance. If the customer won't give you the credit card number they're not agreeing to the verbal contract and you're not bound to give them a table. As for the charge, as a customer I would probably be reluctant for a charge over $25 unless we're talking a restaurant where it would be easy to spend $100 (or more) per person (not inclusive of drinks).

The text message reminders sound like a great idea to me as well.

[markabauman]

There's another thread currently running about making online reservations- mostly focusing on OpenTable, which I enjoy using. Would anyone know-especially if they are in the restaurant business- how they handle no-shows, especially the chronic abusers? Any consequences- even if just receiving an e-mail about their breach? Also wonder if they have any way with their software of dealing with that insidious customer practice of booking multiple simultaneous reservations for the same date/time at different restaurants because they can't make up their mind- choosing one, then not cancelling the others?

[Malawry]

OpenTable software doesn't allow you to make more than one reservation in a short time period, though I think if you register with them as an "administrative assistant" (whereby you can earn points making reservations for others, a service for those who often do this sort of thing for their coworkers) then you can make multiple reservations.

Also, I have heard that OT can shut a person out if they no-show multiple times.

[Duck Fat]

Directly from OT's website:

If you do not arrive for a reservation, you will not receive any applicable OpenTable Dining Points for that reservation. When a restaurant assigns no-show status to your Web reservation, OpenTable will automatically send an email to inform you of this. Your OpenTable account will be deactivated automatically if you accumulate four no-show reservations within the same twelve-month period.

A no show is:

Failure to honor or cancel a reservation

If you cannot honor your reservation, and you do not cancel online or call the restaurant to cancel your reservation ahead of time, the restaurant reserves the right to mark your reservation as a no-show.

Late Arrival

Most restaurants hold reservations for 15 minutes. If your party has not arrived or called via phone within 15 minutes after your reservation time, the restaurant reserves the right to mark your reservation as a no-show or cancellation. Like no-shows, cancelled reservations do not qualify for any applicable OpenTable Dining Points.

Breach of Cancellation Policy

Some restaurants implement 24-hour or 48-hour cancellation policies. *For example, if you make a reservation at a restaurant with a 24-hour cancellation policy, and you do not call to cancel until 8 hours prior to your reservation time, the restaurant reserves the right to assign no-show status to your reservation.

Some restaurants require patrons to call one day prior to the reservation date to confirm the reservation, regardless of whether the reservation was made via phone or Web.

When a cancellation policy is in effect, this information will be printed clearly in the reservation confirmation and reminder emails you receive after booking your table online.

[SundaySous]

I remember an article I think in the Chicago Tribune describing how a restaurant in London successfully sued someone not honoring there reservation for 12 people. Was a small place and that no show would of been 1/2 there business that night.

I like the idea of tracking no shows. Be nice to be able to just charge those people a deposit. The places here that deliver track there customers and refuse to deliver to "difficult" people so the software must be available.

[markabauman]

So maybe there's some justice afterall.

[WiscoNole]

Take a $10-20 deposit when you take their credit card number, and, if they show, apply that deposit amount to their final tab.

[gfweb]

Take a $10-20 deposit when you take their credit card number, and, if they show, apply that deposit amount to their final tab.

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How about if your doctor did this? Would you go back?

[prasantrin]

How about if your doctor did this?  Would you go back?

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I had a dentist that did that. Once, after 6 years of going to that dentist, I went to my appointment only to find out that I was late (it was the day after returning from overseas, and someone else had made the appointment for me and given me the wrong time). I had missed my appointment, so they charged me. I was pissed off, not so much because they charged me, but because of the snooty way they addressed the issue (the receptionist's tone was one of anger--"You're late and you've missed your appointment. We'll have to charge you" period). But I was also a little pissed off that I had been charged, because I was a long-time patient who had never missed an appointment or even been late before. I never went back.

For restaurants, I think it's a good idea to take a credit card number as a thread. Then you can cut a regular customer a break once, but call them the next day and let them know they missed their reservation. Then tell them the restaurant policy is to charge for no-shows, but this once you'll waive the fee.

For new customers, same thing, but they also go on a no-show list. If they call to make another reservation and their name is on that list, let them know they missed a reservation in the past, so they will be charged if they don't show. If they decide not to go through with the reservation, you probably wouldn't want them as a customer, anyway.

I hate people who break promises. It's a reflection of the kind of person they are.