Tip of the Week Sponsored By:
Tip of the Week:
Craft an appropriate reservation policy
February 10, 2014 | | |
Outside of special occasions, an appropriate reservation policy will help an operation increase sales and improve the quality of service. It is not as simple as deciding whether to accept reservations, but rather managers should focus on the appropriate conditions under which to accept reservations. Generally, try to push reservations to slower times before or after the peak meal period. Whenever possible, large groups should be accepted, but not exceed 20 per cent of the total seating during prime service hours. Establish reasonable time allowances for reservations and communicate these to the guests in advance. Serving larger groups is challenging, so assign an appropriate number of service staff to the group to ensure service is quick and selling opportunities are not missed. | |
|
| Postpone assigning reservations to specific tables as long as possible. This will reduce the likelihood of holding a table empty for too long in anticipation of the reservation’s arrival, and will reduce wait times for walk-in guests. Few operations can afford to lose potential customers, but accepting reservations must be done in a way that does not harm existing business. Courtesy of David Swanston, a Hospitality and Foodservice Consultant, Principal of Focused Industry Training Seminars and is an instructor at major Canadian university business schools. Since 1997 he has helped a wide variety of organizations develop and launch new concepts, turn around troubled operations, and improve sales, profits, controls and efficiency. To learn more about how he can help you improve your sales, profits and performance, contact him directly at 905.331.6115 or [email protected]. |
| | |
