No shows and cancellations hurt! Especially when your restaurant operates within tight margins. If you are interested in reducing the number of no shows and increasing profitability, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, we’re going to explore how restaurants can use Oddle Reserve to address these concerns.
Sending booking reminders
📌 This feature is currently in beta and is only available to selected merchants. We are working hard to roll it out to everyone.
Send guests automatic reservation reminders, by SMS, email or an automated call.
These reminders give you an opportunity to refresh customer’s memories about their reservation.
Oddle's booking reminders allow customers the option to confirm or cancel their reservation, helping to minimize no-shows.
Notifications are sent to the customer when:
💬 📧 The reservation is first made: SMS and Email will be sent to share booking details.
💬 📧 1 day before the reservation date (Unpaid tickets): SMS and Email will be sent to ask for reservation confirmation.
💬 📧 1 day before the cancellation window (Paid tickets*): SMS and Email will be sent to ask for reservation confirmation.
📞 Hours before reservation: An automated call will be triggered if the customer has yet to confirm/cancel their reservation.
The timing of automated calls depends on when the reservation was made. If the reservation was made more than 24 hours before the actual date, the automated call will be triggered 3 hours before the reservation time.
For same-day reservations, the automated call will be triggered 1-2 hours before the reservation time.
*Paid tickets are tickets that require customers to make some sort of payment upfront, such as Prepayment, Deposits and Card Guarantee
Setting up reservation notifications
In the Oddle Reserve Host V3 app, navigate to Settings > Notifications
You can toggle on/off the 3 notification methods (SMS, Automated Call, Email) for online reservations and manually created reservations.
How do I know if the customer has confirmed or not?
If the customer has confirmed their reservation, the status will be updated to "Confirmed" automatically.
If the customer has not picked up the call, there will be a missed call icon next to the reservation. This allows you to initiate subsequent automated calls to the customer.
How to capitalise on tickets?
Tickets allow you to create unique experiences for your reservation booking slots. For each ticket, you can decide how to set it up. If this is your first time creating a Ticket, take a look at this article to 📘 learn how to create tickets.
Asking for a form of payment upfront is one of the most effective way to avoid no shows and late cancellations. Furthermore, it generates upfront cash for the restaurant. In Oddle Reserve, you would be able to set up your tickets to get payments upfront through 3 ways.
Prepayment tickets
Deposit tickets
Card Guarantee tickets
Prepayments vs Deposits vs Card Guarantee
Prepayments
Prepayments force guests to pay a fixed amount in advance when making a reservation. Only when this amount has been paid, the reservation is confirmed and secured. It acts as an insurance policy where the prepayment amount is not part of the final dining bill.
Prepayments are only used to ensure the guest gets a reservation at the restaurant and the fixed amount is paid by the guest. If the guest cancels within the cancellation window, the amount paid will be refunded.
The cancellation window and prepayment amount can be configured based on reservations or guests, to find out more on how to set payment tickets up, click 📘 here.
🤔 When do I use Prepayments?
If you are a restaurant that offers tasting or fixed set menus, asking guests for prepayments can help cover costs such as ingredients.
If you are a restaurant with high in-demand reservations, where it is difficult for guests to get a reservation. Asking guest for prepayments can lower the risk of no shows and promotes guests to keep their reservations.
Prepayments could also be used during events or festive periods, for example: Chinese New Year, Christmas and etc, when demand is high and you want guests to buy prepaid tickets in advance.
Deposits
Deposits force guests to pay a fixed amount in advance when making a reservation. Only when this amount has been paid, the reservation is confirmed and secured. The deposited amount can be deducted from the final dining bill or refunded to the guest based on the restaurant’s discretion.
Deposits are only used to ensure the guest gets a reservation at the restaurant and the fixed amount is paid by the guest. If the guest cancels within the cancellation window, the amount paid will be refunded.
The cancellation window and deposit amount can be configured based on reservations or guests, to find out more on how to set deposit tickets up, click 📘 here.
🤔 When do I use Deposits?
If you want to reduce no shows for prime time slots such as weekends and holidays, large party sizes and special dinner areas in your restaurant, such as private dining or rooftop terrace asking guests for deposits would be ideal. You will be able to refund guests or subtract the paid amount from the final bill if you wish to do so. Ultimately, it reduces the risk of no-shows, accommodates large groups and ensures you have enough resources to provide a high-quality dining experience.
Card Guarantee
Card Guarantee forces guests to give their credit or debit card details to guarantee a fixed amount in advance when making a reservation. Guests would not be charged upfront. Only when the guest has not turned up for their reservation or cancelled late, the amount guaranteed will be charged.
Card Guarantees are only used to ensure the guest gets a reservation at the restaurant and the guest can be only charged for that fixed amount. If the guest cancels within the cancellation window, the guest is not charged. If the guest does not show up for the reservation, the merchant has up to 7 days after the reservation date (charge window) to charge the guest.
The cancellation window and guaranteed amount can be configured based on reservations or guests, to find out more on:
1. How to set card guarantee tickets up? Click 📘 here.
2. What are the cancellation, charge window and summary emails about? Click 📘 here.
3. FAQ. Click 📘 here.
🤔 When do I use Card Guarantee?
If you want to reduce no shows or late cancellations without much operational inefficiencies. During peak periods, special events, large party sizes and special dinner areas in your restaurant, such as private dining or rooftop terrace asking guests for a card guarantee would be ideal. You will be able to separate payments from dine-in operations, enabling you to concentrate on providing an excellent dining experience for your customers, without worrying about making any amendments to the final bill.
How to create Prepayment tickets?
How to create Prepayment tickets?
In the Oddle Reserve Host V3 app, navigate to Settings > Tickets > Add Ticket
Toggle the Payment Required and click on Prepayment
Add the prepayment amount and select if the amount charged should be per reservation or per customer
Select the cancellation window, which is how long before a reservation date can the guest cancel to receive a full refund
Review the reservation policy summary as it should show what you have configured
(Optional) Show the usual price on the ticket. If enabled, the guest will see the original price in strikethrough beside the current price. The amount that you enter here is the original price which is greater than the discounted ticket
Click on Add Ticket
How to create Deposit tickets?
How to create Deposit tickets?
In the Oddle Reserve Host V3 app, navigate to Settings > Tickets > Add Ticket
Toggle the Payment Required and click on Deposit
Add the deposit amount and select if the amount charged should be per reservation or per customer
Select the cancellation window, which is how long before a reservation date can the guest cancel to receive a full refund
Review the reservation policy summary as it should show what you have configured
Click on Add Ticket
How to create Card Guarantee tickets?
How to create Card Guarantee tickets?
In the Oddle Reserve Host V3 app, navigate to Settings > Tickets > Add Ticket
Toggle the Payment Required and click on Card Guarantee
Add the card guarantee amount and select if the amount guaranteed should be per reservation or per customer
Select the cancellation window, which is how long before a reservation date can the guest cancel to avoid being charged
Review the reservation policy summary as it should show what you have configured
Click on Learn More to find out more about how Card Guarantee works
Click on Add Ticket
Video tutorial on setting up paid tickets (Pre-payments and Deposits)
Video tutorial on setting up paid ticket (Card Guarantee)
What’s Next?