The Benefits of a Restaurant Reservation System

The restaurant industry is forever changing but there is one thing here to stay: restaurant technology. Specifically, technology that impacts the guest experience. Customers want a more convenient dining experience and mobile reservations are at the top of the list. OpenTable found in their “Technology and Dining Out 2015” that 85 percent of diners wish they knew how long the wait for a table would be; 83 percent would love to add their names to a waitlist before arriving. Toast stated in their “Restaurant Success in 2017 Industry Report” that the most important technology feature for guests are online reservations (36%), free Wi-Fi (23%), and online or mobile ordering (19%). These statistics support the growing customer demand for mobile reservations. Keeping up with these demands will make your restaurant more efficient, create a better guest experience, and help your bottom line. Let’s dive into all the ways a restaurant reservation system can benefit you.

Manage your Restaurant More Efficiently

Your restaurant will be much more efficient with restaurant reservation software, starting with your staffing. You can easily determine how much wait staff you’ll need each night based your reservation management. You will also be able to predict a rush and prepare your kitchen staff by utilizing historical data. A restaurant reservation system has a positive impact on the host stand, too. Your host will be able to focus on incoming customers rather than answering the phone since guests will have the option to book online. With less focus on busywork, you can worry less about losing customers from missed calls. Since you can communicate with customers via text message about their reservation, you can free up the phone in this way as well. With the right reservation software, you will be protected from overbooking and double booking since all of your mobile, desktop, and call-in reservations will be in one place. In addition, if a customer decides to cancel a reservation, your system will automatically repopulate this reservation time, allowing another customer to reserve that time instead. This can help you make sure that you’re up to date on availability and aren’t reserving tables for guests who won’t be dining at your restaurant.

Create a Better Guest Experience

Having a restaurant reservation system will make coming to your restaurant more convenient, especially with the added functionality of online booking through your website or app. As we mentioned earlier, 36% of customers believe that online reservations are the most important technology feature that a restaurant can offer guests. These features also enable customers to make reservations in advance. In order to take advantage of the consumer demand, a handful of systems integrates with reservation apps, providing you with an opportunity to grow your reach. With a booking and waitlist app, customers can access real-time waits, reservation availability and booking, hours of operation, address, and phone number. To make sure your bases are covered, you could also add a booking widget to your website. For loyal returning customers, making a reservation is even easier. The guest management system should save the customer’s information so that all the customer has to do is choose the time he/she wants to reserve a table. The saved customer information (birthdays, anniversaries, favorite dishes, allergies, etc.) can be integrated into a guest loyalty program, creating a convenient experience for your customers.

Restaurant Reservation Management and QSR

QSR’s ConnectSmart® Host (Formerly DineTime) solution offers a complete front of the house management tool with a powerful restaurant reservation system. See what ConnectSmart® Host can do for you. Want to learn more about creating a well-connected restaurant? Take a look at the 2017 Restaurant Technology Guide from QSR Automations to see the latest tech you should implement:

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About the Author

Emily Wimpsett was a Content & Social Media Specialist at QSR Automations. Emily was born and raised in Louisville but considers herself a die-hard University of Kentucky fan. For college, Emily attended Indiana University Southeast and obtained a degree in Communications with a track in Advertising. In her free time, Emily enjoys just about every water-related activity, but she is partial to kayaking and whitewater rafting.