Restaurants adopt strategies to reduce no-show losses

Valentine’s Day is approaching and with it the apprehension of restaurant owners increases. After all, on the most romantic date of the year will they take a cake from the customer who reserved a table? Common in the daily life of restaurants, the no-show is even more problematic on dates disputed with Valentine’s Day. You lose the house, because you have empty tables and idle staff waiting for those who did not show up, and you lose last-minute customers, who have to wait their turn until the table reservation time expires.

At Nayme Arabic Cuisine, the no-show rate on Valentine’s Day dates has already reached 20%. “I know of other establishments where this number is even higher, which is very sad for the restaurants that actually prepared an entire structure to receive customers on these dates”, says chef Yasmin Nasser Zippin, partner-owner of the restaurant.

This year, the chef decided to charge R$100 for the first time to guarantee a reservation on Valentine’s Day. According to Yasmin, the charge is justified by special menu planning, purchase of exclusive inputs for the date and hiring more employees to serve customers on the day.

“On special dates, we usually hire external rates to serve that number of people. So, if a table is missing, the account no longer closes”, comments the chef and businesswoman, who is not the only one to opt for the strategy to reduce the damage caused by those who make reservations and do not show up.

Despite the subject generating controversy between what is a consumer’s right and the lack of guarantees for restaurants, the practice of charging advance reservations has become increasingly common, especially since the pandemic. It works like this: the customer pays a fee with a credit card or via pix at the time of booking. Afterwards, the amount is deducted from the total account or refunded if the reservation is canceled early. But if the customer simply does not show up, there is no refund.

“This amount that was paid in advance is for the no-show, it is for the absence”, says businessman Nelson Goulart Junior, owner of the Pescara and Ibérico restaurants. Goulart Junior, who was president of the Brazilian Association of Bars and Restaurants (Abrasel – PR), defends the advance charge for reservations precisely to avoid abusive situations.

“Last year we had couples who booked a table at three different restaurants to choose where they were going. So, the absurdities are enormous, people booking and not going happen a lot, ”she comments.

In addition to charging the fee on special dates, the businessman uses an automated reservation system, which, when completed, automatically sends e-mails and messages close to the reserved date. Sending SMS, Whatsapp or even phone calls are other strategies used by restaurants.

In some establishments, such as Cantina Baviera, an advance reservation fee is charged for special tables that are set with flowers, candles and even photos, at the customer’s request. As in the other consulted restaurants, if the customer does not show up, there is no refund of the reservation amount. But if the cancellation is made within 24 hours – or 12 hours before the scheduled date, as happens in some establishments – the full amount of the fee is refunded to the customer.

“On busy days, the impact of no-show bookings is huge. Often, there are customers in a queue, waiting for a table to be released and the reservation table ends up being idle. It’s bad for both the restaurant and the customer who arrives at the house without a reservation. Even for special reservations, in which there is an advance charge, cases of no-show end up disrupting the operation”, says Thayana Hey, owner of Cantina Baviera.

Despite the wear and tear reported by restaurateurs, the coordinator of Procon-PR, Cláudia Silvano, says that charging a reservation fee is not in line with consumer protection practices. “The business risk cannot be transferred to the consumer,” she says.

According to Cláudia, restaurants must foresee in the management and pricing of the service offered the possible losses that they may have, including cases of non-attendance of the customer in reservations. On the other hand, the owners of the establishments reiterate that working with the advance payment of reservations is an alternative found to guarantee good planning and avoid wasting time and resources.

For the executive director of the Brazilian Association of Bars and Restaurants (Abrasel – PR), Luciano Bartolomeu, the reservation policy is something that needs to be negotiated between the restaurant and the customer, especially on busy commemorative days. “The customer arrives at the restaurant, sees a reserved table, leaves and leaves upset. So there has to be a commitment from the person who made the reservation. That is why many restaurants charge an amount, a percentage, for the reservation”, he observes.

Regardless of whether you pay or not, the habit of booking and not showing up is a matter of culture and public education. In Portugal, the #RESERVAEAPARECE movement emerged in 2021 with the aim of raising awareness among customers about the importance of canceling reservations when they cannot attend. Created by restaurateurs, chefs and sommeliers, the action sought to raise awareness and contribute to a change in attitude on the part of diners.

“This custom of making reservations and letting people know when you won’t be there is still under construction here. We really appreciate it when a customer lets us know that they won’t be able to make their reservation. It is a consideration that makes all the difference when organizing tables, customers and staff in a restaurant”, reports Yasmin.

Goulart also hits the key of being a question of education and respect for people. “For a long time we were lenient with this, but after the pandemic the issue of reservations became more present in everything and now we need to talk about it, it is about education and etiquette”, he comments.