How do hostesses use open table

If a restaurant seats your party at a four-top, and the other half of your double date decides not to show, they've now left two seats empty for the next two-plus hours. It happens more often than you'd think, and empty seats hemorrhage money. In the comments section of this article , San Francisco food critic Michael Bauer incites debate amongst his readers on this topic and one thing is clear: restaurants aren't good at communicating why this policy is in place.

Probably because it makes them look like cheapskates. Not knowing when a table will leave gives a lot to chance, and can result in long waits for those with reservations.

This makes the host and restaurant look bad and puts a bitter taste in the mouths of customers. Comped glasses of prosecco only go so far to wash that taste out. Wait times are often gauged in terms of where seated tables are in their meals, so if you're planning on talking with fellow guests over a long cup of coffee after you've received your check, tell someone. The more you can do to communicate your plans with your server who will relay that information to the host stand , the better for everyone involved.

It may seem like a minor thing, but your cancellation can save a restaurant a lot of money. Canceling a reservation just 15 minutes before it was scheduled will offer an extra half hour or more in which the host ess can give that table to other guests the 15 minutes before the reservation plus the 15 or so they would hold it hoping you'll show up late.

That can easily mean another turn that's restaurant-speak for "use by a customer" out of that table for the night. The larger the party, the higher the stakes.

Everyone appreciates a good love story. Everyone, that is, except your host. Aside from the fact that this can crowd valuable banquette seating, making other guests uncomfortable, it usually indicates a much longer table time, as couples like this tend to be more excited to gaze longingly into other's eyes than at the pork chop in front of them.

Just because the restaurant is half-empty now, doesn't mean it will be in 20, 30 or 40 minutes when the 7 o'clock rush hits. Welcome to OpenTable Training! Take a look at our free customized learning solutions.

Take a Course Enroll in one of our online self-serve certification courses. Watch a video and read about it Making a Reservation Using the Timeline View Or sometimes people like to use the Timeline to make a reservation. Check it out Changing a Reservation What are the parts of a reservation and how do you change the date, time, or party size?

Learn more Seating Walk-ins Find out how to seat a walk-in party on one table or multiple tables. Also, learn how you would add or change a guest's name for a walk-in party. Learn more Managing the Waitlist This is where you will learn how to add a guest to the waitlist, text them to let them know their table is ready, and seat them. Also, find out about some quick actions for waitlist management.

Check it out Seating, Pre-assigning, and Moving Reservations Check out how to manage your reservations here, including seating single and multi-table reservations, pre-assigning them, and moving them. Want to know more? Register for a live weekly training or watch a recorded webinar on OpenTable for Restaurants Sign up here. Manager Basic Training. URL Name. Attachments File.

Live chat: Chat us. Ask A Question. People demand a lot for their hard earned money, and in turn expect service as good, if not better, than if they were to call you directly. Making decisions that are right for you as a business person and for your patrons is not always easy; there needs to be an equality and balance to advantages.

If you are offering a customer satisfaction survey on your site to gauge patrons happiness, ensure one of the questions is aimed directly at your use of the service. Did you book through OpenTable? How was your experience when booking? By doing this you can keep a perspective on whether these types of services are right for you, or simply just not worth it. Initiate contact with OpenTable via their site. They offer an online community for subscribers to assist with any questions or issues faced.

Subscribers can also update their profile, and add links and additional information where required. Check out the Terms and Conditions through the User Agreement to see if this is right for your purposes.

Always be sure to read and understand your role and responsibilities, and that of your host. With the ultimate goal of placing diners in seats, keep yourself current and explore hospitality solutions such as OpenTable for restaurants to partner with you on the way to further business success.

Whether you are trying to increase footfall, sell through a line or get each customer to spend more with you, digital signage is the answer. It is an extremely powerful advertising medium. Provided, of course, you put it to work for you in the right way.