No-shows are very real and can cause headaches that the restaurant industry has to deal with all the time. Empty seats in the dining hall are a sorry sight to see, especially if the business is operating on thin profit margins, or you’ve turned other customers away on account of the reservation.
Every single no-show results in the loss of expected income, and it can also contribute to wasted money on excess staff, as well as food waste. Prepaid reservations can offer a solution to all of this!
It’s easy to imagine the loss suffered by a restaurant that accommodates 46 places for one sitting, when a table of four fail to show up for their reservation. The restaurant will suffer an immediate loss of revenue. However, if advanced payment had been taken, no financial loss would have occurred. An automatic transaction that is processed during the table reservation provides an easy option for diners which is also extremely beneficial businesses.
According to our Tablein clients, advanced reservations are very convenient to all restaurants, despite their size. Moreover, prepayments or deposit systems can be operated in various cases such as:
No less important and convenient is the fact that a prepaid deposit can be adapted respectively. If the guests know ahead of time that they will be choosing the tasting menu, the restaurant can set the advanced full-price payment, or take a deposit. If they’re choosing the à la carte dinner, why not make an advanced payment of $20pp, which can later be applied to the final bill?
Regular reservations might be accepted without any ticketing too, but implementing deposits and prepayments for special occasions and events is hugely convenient. No empty tables or lost revenue during a special concert, once-in-a-season tasting menu, New Year’s Eve party, or Valentine’s day!
Prepaid meal reservations not only guarantee the revenue in the event of a no-show but also help to accommodate more sittings during your opening times. Tablein restaurants that requested prepaid reservations increased their table turnover by over 75%!
They can also help to avoid unprofitable seats. Think of the clients that take an hour long seat at the restaurant, ordering just one drink and a light snack each, during your busiest time! That’s lost revenue for the restaurant too. Pre-paid reservations allow avoiding these unprofitable seats by guaranteeing a minimum revenue per table.
Prepaid reservations are, undoubtedly most beneficial when it comes to eliminating or reducing no-shows, but they can also help the whole restaurant management team. Having advanced knowledge of a guaranteed flow allows the restaurant to run more efficiently. Not only can management plan the staff schedule and kitchen load more effectively, but food waste is reduced too.
Prepaid reservations are, undoubtedly most beneficial when it comes to eliminating or reducing no-shows, but they can also help the whole restaurant management team. Having advanced knowledge of a guaranteed flow allows the restaurant to run more efficiently. Not only can management plan the staff schedule and kitchen load more effectively, but food waste is reduced too.
Ready to sell your tables online? Register and start using Tablein prepayment function, so convenient both for your business and your diners.