Booking anything and expecting the provider to reserve a place, expecting them to spend time preparing for your booking, and then not showing up shows a lack of honesty that cannot and should not be tolerated any longer.
This applies to the booking of anything including restaurant seats and tables.
In the past three to four months the restaurant industry has been decimated, what is left of it currently is working harder than ever to survive. People booking seats and tables who then do not turn up will, if not stopped, kill off restaurants.
So, a solution needs to be sought, found and applied ASAP.
- All reservations should pay a non-returnable deposit, a significant one.
- All diners who book and no show need to be banned from the restaurant in question.
For far too long the experiences provided by restaurants are undervalued by no shows and the restaurants impacted need to lead this change.
Covid-19 has seen most if not all restaurants have to reduce the number of seats and covers available by applying social distancing and other safety measures. So, the seats that remain are more valuable, and essential assets that need to be realised.
If anyone is making a serious booking they should not be surprised or unwilling to pay a deposit against the final bill.
If someone trying to book a restaurant and thinks that is unreasonable let them go, or not go, elsewhere.
Restaurants across the UK should all have a deposit system in place to combat no shows and booking a restaurant should become like a theatre, concert, cinema etc.
A booking is a booking, and not an option for some people to exercise at others expense.