All incoming bookings by telephone need to be taken within standardised operating procedures to ensure;
• Bookings states and comments can be assumed reliable.
• Data collection focus and customer database growth.
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Below are a few key points that should be included in the Reservation SOP.
1. Do not take a booking unless you have enough information from the customer to contact them.
2. Prompt the customer with “May we take an email address to confirm the booking?” at another stage in the booking process prompt with “would you like to receive a few emails about upcoming promotions and new menus at XX restaurant and would you like to be registered in our email database.”
3. Advise the customer of leaving time if one should apply. This will be highlighted in their confirmation email.
4. Ask the customer if they have booked before, using the lookup facility will ensure better data on historical booking information.
Suggested Telephone Script when answering calls:
“Thank you for calling {RESTAURANT}”
“How may I help you today?”
When customers ask “I’d like to book a table at 8pm on Saturday” or similar please use the phrase
“Let me see what we can offer you”
When a date and time has been agreed:
“Can I take your name please?”
If they only give you a surname enter Mr in the first name box if the caller is male or ask if it is Miss or Mrs if it is a female caller. If they then give you their first name obviously put it in the box – if this has been enabled.
“Have you booked with us before?”
If they say yes please use the look up button and see if you can find their details. If you do find their details please make sure data is correct and ask for an e-mail address if there isn’t one.
If we hold no data:
Ask for the e-mail address first before the phone number
“Can I take your e-mail for confirmation please?”
NOT have you got an e-mail address.
Getting an email address is essential as not only do they receive an email confirmation but they also may receive a “what did you think” feedback e-mail the next day.
If the booking is on the same day they customer may say it’s not worth taking however please say “it’s worth taking it anyway as we like to send a feedback form out and you could win a bottle of champagne.”
Can we also ask for a mobile telephone number and not a contact phone number?
The system can now automatically send a text message at 11am every morning to anyone booked in for that day who has given us a mobile number. It also means that if a customer is late on a busy night we can phone them to see if they are coming or not.
When the booking is done please make sure you read back:
Date and time of booking and the name booked under (and ‘phone number – if you have the time.)
If you cannot offer the customer a time they find suitable and they don’t make a booking please always say that it is always worth coming in on the off chance as often tables will come free if diners are quicker than we plan for..
Queries you may get:
If the caller asks for a certain table number, a booth, a window table or upstairs/downstairs in the restaurant;
“I’ll make a request on the system and whilst we can’t make any promises we will certainly do our best to accommodate your request.”
If the caller asks if there are any other vegetarian options;
“If there is nothing on the main course that you like, we can increase the portion size of any of the starters”
If the caller asks for parking – please check position with management
• If we have no availability for the time the caller would like, make sure you offer to put them on the waiting list;
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“May I put your details on the waiting list, we do get cancellations”
• When you have taken the name of someone who has not booked with us before, enter their details and then ask
• “Is it okay to send them “information regarding special events/menus here at the {RESTAURANT}?”
• if they say yes, they would like the information, tick the box marked ‘Newsletter Sign Up’. They will then receive updates via email (so make sure you have their email address!).
• If the caller makes any special requests – upstairs, window table, nice table, birthday party, wedding anniversary, booster seat, high chair etc., please make sure that you enter it into the comments field. Please always do it in the same format date first and then initials – please use DC for your initials
• If you don’t know the answer, tell them that you don’t know the answer but will ask the restaurant manager to call them back.
• If a customer calls to make a change to a reservation, make sure that you update their reservation when you have made the alteration. This can generate an email which goes to the client to confirm any changes to numbers in their party or time. If you add a comment, just make sure that you update the page itself – this doesn’t send an email but if you don’t update, it just wipes the message off.