7 Reasons Why Taking Online Reservations Work During Lockdowns

It doesn’t sound right: right now, when most restaurants and places are closed or have service limitations, why would your business need to invest in online reservations?

It’s just another cost to a budget that’s already spread very thin.

But hear us out. Whether you have a food business or a service-oriented business, online reservations just might be the ticket to get you to fill those seats the government lets you fill.

Here are 7 reasons why opening up online reservations work:

#1 - Reservations Mean Less Waiting Time for Patrons

That means happier customers. They don’t need to wait in line for as long.

Time spent outside the safety of their homes is precious. Instead of waiting in line for your restaurant, they can book or get waitlisted online and do their errands. Just in time.

#2 - Less Risk of Customers Moving Elsewhere Due to Delays

When you’re standing in line and waiting for your turn, it’s easy to blink and see something you suddenly prefer over the slower restaurant.

Don't let that happen to your customers. If they've got a reservation at the time of their choice, then you minimize temptation and they won't "shop" around.

#3 - Easily manage traffic flow to your business

We all need to do our part to minimize crowding.

If a good portion of your customers arrive exactly when they can be serviced, you don’t need to worry about:

arranging tables to make sure everyone has space
dedicating a large part of your premises for people in line versus people actually dining in
turning away customers because there is no room

#4 - Online Waiting Lists Help Customers Get Listed Early

Think about it. They don’t need to go all the way to your restaurant before they can get listed for your limited lunch hour. They can get listed while on their way there, and arrive just in time for them to sit and have great food.

If you’ve got something like a Facebook Messenger chatbot, customers can easily chat up your Page and get listed quicker than calling out “tao po?”

Great for sigurista customers.

#5 - Taking Orders in Advance Can Maximize Seated Time

It’s a win-win.

You get to turn over your tables faster, and they don’t have to wait long before satisfying their cravings.

Knowing when the customers are arriving and their orders can also help you maximize your kitchen's efficiency.

#6 - Allows Savvy Customers Ways Plan Their Itinerary

When going outside your house is dangerous, some people take pains to make sure they have a solid itinerary.

These people won’t stand in line waiting and doing nothing if they can help it. Advertising that you accept reservations will help them plan their trip.

#7 - Easily Remind People of Their Reservations

If you’ve got a good reservations system in place, it will be easy to automatically remind people about their reservations or waitlist.

Give them an automatic reminder when it’s 30 or 15 minutes before their turn! They’ll love you for it.

Conclusion

There are more and more restaurants and places opening up for reservations as 2020 moves forward.

Source: https://www.opentable.com/state-of-industry

Many reservation systems are also opening up for non-traditional businesses such as groceries, bars, and wineries. If you need to manage traffic flow to your establishment, whether it’s a restaurant, a salon, or other service-oriented business, it may be time to invest in online reservations.

If we help our customers stay safe this pandemic, we’ll all get through this together.

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