Those unreliable customers

Press, 29 February 1984, Page 26

Those unreliable customers

An annoying and expensive problem facing the owners and managers of restaurants is people who book for meals but never turn up. One such irate restaurateur is Michael Lee-Rich-ards, of Michael’s, who said that he believed people had an obligation to attend or, at least, inform the restau-

rant in good time if they could not make it. “Some people just don’t know what it does to the proprietor, who has turned others away, when they don’t arrive as expected,” Michael said. “Apart from people who don’t turn up at all, it’s just as bad when they book for 10, and then turn up with

only eight. They don’t realise it means losing money on those two seats for us. “Big parties, in particular, are a hassle. “On a recent Friday, we had a reservation for 9 p.m. ■ for 20 people. At 7.45, they rang and cancelled. “We had already turned away about 30 people and lost about $5OO for the evening. We also had to change the table arrangement back to normal. “I remember an earlier Friday, just after we had first started here, when 35 people were booked, and then rang and cancelled only a quarter of an hour before they were due. We had to go into overdraft for $lOOO to cover that. “I have even known of some parties booking into three different restaurants , for the same evening, and i then deciding which one to I go at the last moment. i “Now, we are not inclined i to take bookings for more ■ than eight on ordinary : nights — unless they’re regulars. We also now have an answering service to ring back and confirm bookings by 10 a.m. for that evening. “I also think it fair enough for restaurants to request mailed-in deposits from people booking from ' out of town or who are not known to the proprietor. “Otherwise, there is nothing we can do about it

— we have no comeback. “The restaurants have the obligation to provide a service, and people have an obligation too,” Michael said.