How do you deal with No Shows when you run the front desk of a restaurant asks Michael Bauer in The problem with no-shows (Between Meals)?
My first thought has always been, why don’t people have the basic courtesy of taking a minute to call and inform the restaurant that they cannot make it.
Call it a sense of old fashioned etiquette.
There is no ill feeling as one can get sick, be stuck in traffic, miss a plane, train or whatever else throw our best laid plans off track.
After talking to many sources, Michael Bauer estimates that from 10 to 20% of reservation turn into no-shows.
His piece states that online reservation services such as Open Table cancel someone’s account if they have four no-shows in a 12-month period.
Should the reservation desk ask for a credit card number for parties of say 5 and more?
Is a ‘cancellation fee’ in order if no call is made?
After all, hotels for example have a cancellation policy and a very late change will cost you.
What is your take on this?
What is your personal experience?
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