Restaurant reservation systems with the option of combining a table management system are increasing in popularity with restaurant operators. With an growing number of diners now using the internet to get details of their favoured dining location having the capability to take reservations from their web site is an key tool for a restaurant operator. Some restaurants have seen an increase of as much as 20% in reservation numbers by offering internet booking. Plus with the addition of a table management system any restaurant will have full visibility and control of their seating at a glance with a full graphical view of their restaurants table status.
Online Bookings
Restaurants are the most searched for industry category on the web and many restaurants now have a internet site. A well designed web site will attract new guests to your restaurant, online bookings are growing fast with so many patrons seeking out restaurants via the internet, a well designed website for a restaurant needs a few key elements that a consumer looking to book would want to see. The first is a selection of pictures, potential guests like to see what a restaurant looks like and a gallery of well shot pictures will encourage them to look further. The second key element is a illustration menu complete with pricing, many restaurants fall short on this one but pricing is vital, any would-be guest will want to know not simply what is on offer but how much they will be likely to pay. No restaurant should be frightened to show pricing, after all I’m sure whatever is on offer it is considered to be value for money or why offer it?
Offering web based reservation directly from the restaurants website is also a key element in capturing new diners via the web, offering web based reservation is like having a reservation agent working for your restaurant 24 hours a day 7 days a week, no restaurant can afford to miss out on this opportunity. With telephone booking a restaurant runs the risk of a customer receiving a busy tone when the phone is tied up, or yet worse no answer when the restaurant is busy or closed.
Utilising an online booking system with a table management and diary system will mean that the table reservation is automatically entered straight in to the restaurants reservation diary, systems such as the Pager Call Systems TableControl system which is a full restaurant reservation and table management system will even send automatic emails and text messages to the customer confirming their reservation.
Table Management
With the addition of a restaurant table management system the status of each table in the restaurant can be viewed and wait times managed accurately, when a customer walks in and requests a table the hostess can see which tables are open, if no table is available the customer can be added to the wait list and the hostess can quote the waiting time which is shown on the table management system, offering accurate waiting times is a major advantage for the restaurant and customer and will enhance the perception of quality and service provided to diners, in the hospitality industry first impressions count.
A table management and reservation system eliminates paper diaries, customary paper diary bookings rely on staff writing in the comments clearly which is not always the case. Difficulty in reading handwriting, mistakes with times and dates and staff even forgetting to enter a booking can easily happen with a computerised restaurant reservation system this will never happen.
Table management software can also be integrated directly to a customer paging system, once a customer is put on the wait list and a guest pager issued the customer is free to use the restaurants bar or relax in a patio area, once the table becomes available a simple click of the mouse on the customers name calls the customers pager and they can return to the restaurant to be seated.
For further details on the Pager Call Systems TableControl Online Restaurant Booking System call 0845 6444109 or visit the TableControl website www.TableControl.com