A restaurant booking system is the backbone of any restaurant that accepts table reservations.

Why a contact form is not suitable

A contact form on your website, more often than not simply sends you an email. This then still requires you to check availability, add the booking to a separate diary, and then further, you may have to enter it into your table management system.

Then you still need to compose and send an email to the customer accepting or rejecting the booking.

If you don't have the time available the customer has requested, then we need to go back and forth with the customer to find a suitable time.

Telephone Bookings

Telephone bookings are always going to happen whether you have an online booking system or not, however, we can drastically reduce the number of calls that come in when you have an online booking system.

Sometimes customers won't even book if you don't have an online ordering system. As time goes on and as technology keeps developing, customers don't expect to have to call anymore.

For some everything they do is online. So if you have no online booking system, some customers may not even call to book and go to a restaurant that does have online booking.

You also have to ensure that your phone is always answered. If you miss a phone call that's a booking, that's going to a competitor. Telephone bookings interrupt your staff from their current task.

Why having a full online booking system is essential

This whole process can be automated, reducing your admin time and also making it incredibly easy for customers to book online without any of the hassle for them or you.

Having a complete online booking system connected to your table management provides numerous benefits to your staff and customers

• Only available booking dates and times are displayed
• Customers can edit or cancel bookings
• Deposits can be taken
• Bookings feed directly into your table management
• Automated confirmations
• Booking Reminders
• Avoid double bookings
• Drastically reduce admin. No replication of tasks
• No bookings are missed or not confirmed. Reducing errors
• Reduce no shows
• Secure Customer Data.

Another significant benefit is being found online.

When the customer arrives

All of the above allows you to be organised and know exactly what is happening and who is arriving next... if you have the right system in place

When a customer visits your restaurant, they expect you to be prepared. Too often restaurants need to check if there is a booking in that name, don't always have a table assigned and are simply not prepared. This is visible to customers and is their initial impression of your restaurant.

This can leave the customer feeling like an afterthought or not that important.

With an online booking system connected to your table management system, staff are notified of the next booking, who it is, what time they are arriving, and what table is assigned to each customer.

The hard work for your staff is done. All your staff have to do is check your table map, sit the customer down at the already assigned table, open the table on the system and start taking their order.

These processes being automated give your staff vital time and provide a higher standard of service. This leads to happier more relaxed customers and staff. A win-win all around.

Reporting

This in turn provides you the owner or manager much more information at your fingertips.

• How many customers were late?
• Which customers didn't show?
• How long each customer was seated?
• The average length of bookings?
• Customer History? Great for rewards and thank yous.
• How many covers?
• Average Order Value?

Is your online booking doing all the above? Is it easy to use? Is it connected directly to your EPOS?

If not contact TillTech today and see our booking and epos systems in action.