Online bookings are better for routine tables: guests can book at any hour, details are typed in correctly, and staff aren’t pulled away from service. Phone bookings are better for anything that needs a conversation, such as large groups, special occasions and complex dietary needs. Most restaurants do best with both, as long as phone bookings go into the same system as online ones.
What online bookings do well
- They work when you’re closed. Many guests decide where to eat late in the evening or on their lunch break.
- Details are accurate. The guest types their own name, number and party size.
- Staff stay on the floor. Every booking that comes in online is a call nobody has to answer mid-service.
- They can take a card. Online forms can save a card for no-show protection, which is awkward to do over the phone.
What phone bookings do well
- Large and complicated bookings. A party of twelve with a birthday cake and two vegan guests needs a conversation.
- Guests who prefer to talk. Some regulars will always call, and that’s fine.
- Upselling and care. A good host on the phone can suggest a better time or note an anniversary.
The problem with phone bookings
The phone rings at the worst moments, and bookings get written down in a hurry. Common issues:
- missed calls during service, which are lost bookings;
- names and numbers taken down wrong;
- bookings written in a diary that the website doesn’t know about.
Running both without trouble
- Enter phone bookings straight into your booking system, not on paper first.
- Point routine callers online. A friendly line on your voicemail or website (“Book online any time”) moves many of them.
- Set phone hours. Answer the phone in the quieter hours before service, and let voicemail take it at peak.
- Keep large groups on the phone, or ask them to call above a certain party size.
How ForStars fits
With ForStars, guests book on your own website, and staff enter phone bookings on the kiosk in the same live list. Both block the table, so the website never sells a table that was booked by phone. See features.
Questions owners ask
Should I stop taking phone bookings?
Rarely. Most restaurants keep the phone for large groups and regulars, and move routine bookings online.
What party size should I take by phone only?
Many venues set the online limit at six or eight guests and ask bigger groups to call, so they can plan the table and the kitchen.