Online reservations

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JBloggs

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Ponder this thought for the day re online reservations, which is, in my very strong opinion in this matter, another Inn amenity and a convenience for your guests:
"The difference between online reservations & not is like riding a horse or a plane on your next cross-country trip."
 
Article below as an fyi - this is NOT typical for small town America (ie online reservations for dinner), but remember your guests are not all from small town America, or Canada or O/S. So this is what they do elsewhere, this is it, online...www...gotta get onboard or the train will leave you standing at the station. (I am referencing online reservations AT YOUR INN)
OpenTable Seated 15.4 Million Diners in Q3 2010[/h2]
 
With 3 rooms in Podunk and most reservations are by phone BUT I would NOT be without online reservations.
 
Article below as an fyi - this is NOT typical for small town America (ie online reservations for dinner), but remember your guests are not all from small town America, or Canada or O/S. So this is what they do elsewhere, this is it, online...www...gotta get onboard or the train will leave you standing at the station. (I am referencing online reservations AT YOUR INN)
OpenTable Seated 15.4 Million Diners in Q3 2010[/h2].
JB, this is the trend for the younger crowd. Two (yes,2!) years ago I had my niece and her boyfriend over the New Year - they were on the computer trying to make reservations at a restaurant. I was like, what?? (There is that word again!) I didn't understand why they didn't just pick up the phone and call. I understand now! The 20 somethings are ALWAYS on the computer. If you don't have on-line resv. you are probably missing a lot of reservations from the younger generation.
FYI - I have actually made reservations thru the Open Table - worked very nicely!
 
Article below as an fyi - this is NOT typical for small town America (ie online reservations for dinner), but remember your guests are not all from small town America, or Canada or O/S. So this is what they do elsewhere, this is it, online...www...gotta get onboard or the train will leave you standing at the station. (I am referencing online reservations AT YOUR INN)
OpenTable Seated 15.4 Million Diners in Q3 2010[/h2].
Interestingly, I have tried to find restaurants here in my town on this site, the restaurants say they are on there, but many don't show up. I'm going to try it out again just to see what I find.
 
You should know that it costs BIG BUCKS for restaurants to get into the Open Table system, and it's all on the front end. So if they have it they're probably glad when people use it.
 
You should know that it costs BIG BUCKS for restaurants to get into the Open Table system, and it's all on the front end. So if they have it they're probably glad when people use it..
I found 2 of them. Maybe the other places decided not to join in if the pricing is too high. I will bookmark this on the inn computer so I can play concierge much more quickly. Maybe not. When I call to make a reservation I tell them who is calling. That is probably worth something to me in the long run.
 
You can order a pizza and schedule pickup time online, for crying out loud!! Online reservations are a no-brainer, in my opinion!
 
Oh yeah we have been ordering pizza online for years now. Even my parents do it and they are technophobes. haha
 
You can order a pizza and schedule pickup time online, for crying out loud!! Online reservations are a no-brainer, in my opinion!.
Emily Spiers said:
You can order a pizza and schedule pickup time online, for crying out loud!! Online reservations are a no-brainer, in my opinion!
We say this and yet there are still forum members without them. I know it is hard to swallow, how can this be? How can they be ONLINE HERE WITH US in our little virtual world and not have online reservations for their guests AND THEMSELVES. :)
 
Oh yeah we have been ordering pizza online for years now. Even my parents do it and they are technophobes. haha.
Nope, never ordered pizza on line, but then I have the phone # memorized...much faster than firing up the computer! Oh, and the restaurant that I used the Open Table with went out of business - maybe it cost too much!
 
You can order a pizza and schedule pickup time online, for crying out loud!! Online reservations are a no-brainer, in my opinion!.
Emily Spiers said:
You can order a pizza and schedule pickup time online, for crying out loud!! Online reservations are a no-brainer, in my opinion!
We say this and yet there are still forum members without them. I know it is hard to swallow, how can this be? How can they be ONLINE HERE WITH US in our little virtual world and not have online reservations for their guests AND THEMSELVES. :)
.
Joey Bloggs said:
Emily Spiers said:
You can order a pizza and schedule pickup time online, for crying out loud!! Online reservations are a no-brainer, in my opinion!
We say this and yet there are still forum members without them. I know it is hard to swallow, how can this be? How can they be ONLINE HERE WITH US in our little virtual world and not have online reservations for their guests AND THEMSELVES. :)
I know, I know... sigh. I try my best to show people the light when it comes to that, but you can only lead a horse to water, you can't make it drink.
 
People here won't make restaurant reservations GRRRR! I think part of the problem is we have so many restaurants (253 in the town centre alone) But it is really busy especially on a Friday and Saturday night you will not get a table. Why don't people book? I always ring first as I want to be sure of a table especially in the weather we have had the past 2 days where it has been pouring with rain you don't want to be messing abour trying to find a place.
 
You can order a pizza and schedule pickup time online, for crying out loud!! Online reservations are a no-brainer, in my opinion!.
Emily Spiers said:
You can order a pizza and schedule pickup time online, for crying out loud!! Online reservations are a no-brainer, in my opinion!
We say this and yet there are still forum members without them. I know it is hard to swallow, how can this be? How can they be ONLINE HERE WITH US in our little virtual world and not have online reservations for their guests AND THEMSELVES. :)
.
Joey Bloggs said:
Emily Spiers said:
You can order a pizza and schedule pickup time online, for crying out loud!! Online reservations are a no-brainer, in my opinion!
We say this and yet there are still forum members without them. I know it is hard to swallow, how can this be? How can they be ONLINE HERE WITH US in our little virtual world and not have online reservations for their guests AND THEMSELVES. :)
I know, I know... sigh. I try my best to show people the light when it comes to that, but you can only lead a horse to water, you can't make it drink.
.
Emily Spiers said:
Joey Bloggs said:
Emily Spiers said:
You can order a pizza and schedule pickup time online, for crying out loud!! Online reservations are a no-brainer, in my opinion!
We say this and yet there are still forum members without them. I know it is hard to swallow, how can this be? How can they be ONLINE HERE WITH US in our little virtual world and not have online reservations for their guests AND THEMSELVES. :)
I know, I know... sigh. I try my best to show people the light when it comes to that, but you can only lead a horse to water, you can't make it drink.
More like dunking their heads under the water...
shades_smile.gif

 
I wish restaurants around us would take reservations! In the summer, my guests are stuck waiting for an hour or more to get in to some of them. Then I have to hear the guests moan and groan that it took so long. <sigh>
 
I wish restaurants around us would take reservations! In the summer, my guests are stuck waiting for an hour or more to get in to some of them. Then I have to hear the guests moan and groan that it took so long. <sigh>.
Yeah, there are getting to be more and more restaurants that Don't take reservations - I think they got tired of being burned on no-shows!
 
I wish restaurants around us would take reservations! In the summer, my guests are stuck waiting for an hour or more to get in to some of them. Then I have to hear the guests moan and groan that it took so long. <sigh>.
Breakfast Diva said:
I wish restaurants around us would take reservations! In the summer, my guests are stuck waiting for an hour or more to get in to some of them. Then I have to hear the guests moan and groan that it took so long. <sigh>
The places around here that don't take reservations will put our names on the list when we call and then tell us how long until we should show up. We can't pick a time, but they let us know how long the wait is before we leave the house. It helps them as they really don't have room in the bar to stack up all those in line. If you know the owners, suggest it. We call for our guests and then tell the guests when to show up. They hang out here, have a few drinks & some hors d'oeuvres and then go over.
 
I wish restaurants around us would take reservations! In the summer, my guests are stuck waiting for an hour or more to get in to some of them. Then I have to hear the guests moan and groan that it took so long. <sigh>.
Breakfast Diva said:
I wish restaurants around us would take reservations! In the summer, my guests are stuck waiting for an hour or more to get in to some of them. Then I have to hear the guests moan and groan that it took so long. <sigh>
The places around here that don't take reservations will put our names on the list when we call and then tell us how long until we should show up. We can't pick a time, but they let us know how long the wait is before we leave the house. It helps them as they really don't have room in the bar to stack up all those in line. If you know the owners, suggest it. We call for our guests and then tell the guests when to show up. They hang out here, have a few drinks & some hors d'oeuvres and then go over.
.
Alibi Ike said:
Breakfast Diva said:
I wish restaurants around us would take reservations! In the summer, my guests are stuck waiting for an hour or more to get in to some of them. Then I have to hear the guests moan and groan that it took so long. <sigh>
The places around here that don't take reservations will put our names on the list when we call and then tell us how long until we should show up. We can't pick a time, but they let us know how long the wait is before we leave the house. It helps them as they really don't have room in the bar to stack up all those in line. If you know the owners, suggest it. We call for our guests and then tell the guests when to show up. They hang out here, have a few drinks & some hors d'oeuvres and then go over.
Sorry, but the ones here could care less that we're sending people to them. They also close down or change their hours without any notice.
 
Can I share something?
You know i have the same thing around here, and worse. Like I say if 50% of he restaurants closed we would have a happier world. At least 50% serve substandard food and service.
But I actually got a card in the mail from a museum curator thanking me for sending them a couple guests last week. I have blogged it and sent guests there forever (which they probably didn't know) so it was GREAT to get that acknowledgement! The right thing, someone did the right thing! I nearly fell over when I got it. HURRAY!
 
Can I share something?
You know i have the same thing around here, and worse. Like I say if 50% of he restaurants closed we would have a happier world. At least 50% serve substandard food and service.
But I actually got a card in the mail from a museum curator thanking me for sending them a couple guests last week. I have blogged it and sent guests there forever (which they probably didn't know) so it was GREAT to get that acknowledgement! The right thing, someone did the right thing! I nearly fell over when I got it. HURRAY!.
Wow, what a wonderful gesture! All any of us are looking for is to know that we are appreciated. I bet you'll send even more guests there.
Years ago, I received a phone booking and when I asked how he found us, he told me that we were referred by a B&B in a town 1/2 hour away. I didn't know the innkeeper or the b&b. After I took the booking, I called the innkeeper to thank them for the referral and I thought she would have a heart attack! She told me that in the 18 years she had been in business, I was the first innkeeper to call her to thank her for a referral. That's scandolous!!! We're now very good friends and learn a lot from each other.
It's amazing what a simple "thank you" will do, not only for you but for your business.
 
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