Come visit us in Chicago, May 18-21, at the NRA Booth 6477
Let us share with you why restaurants are coming over to Restaurant Connect, an exciting Restaurant Reservation System that's affordable and loaded with cutting edge features.
Can't make it to Chicago, then Click here and we will contact you right away.
Why are restaurants switching to our Reservationist and TableWatch systems?
- No fees for reservations made on the restaurant website.
- No fees for reservations made on your restaurant's Facebook page.
- No fees for reservations made our restaurant listing and promotion web site.
- Unlimited users at no charge.
- Central reservations features.
- One monthly flat fee that covers everything.
- No long term contract - cancel anytime.
- Cutting edge enhancements keep our software current with the latest technology and trends.
- 30 day - 100% money back guarantee.
- You own your customer data base, not us.
- We will never market other local restaurants to your customers.
- Restaurateurs want to protect and build their own brand, not promote someone else's business.
- Our reservation widget sits on your restaurant web page or Facebook page - no redirection to another site.
- BrandBuilder module (coming soon) customer database segmenting and targeted email blast features.
- Integrated EventPlanner and Catering module, plus many other features and options.
See all the features of RestaurantConnect at http://www.resosolutions.com/restaurant-connect/
Click on the following link to see what former Open Table users are saying.
Can't wait until May or can't make it to Chicago?
Click on the link below and we will contact you right away.
Rosamund Bowen rosamund@resosolutions.com 888-782-3638
Restaurant Reservation Software
At ResoSolutions, we've compiled a list of frequently asked questions, from Restaurateurs, that are contemplating the conversion to some form of Restaurant Reservation Software. If you do not find an answer to your question here, please respond to our blog or contact us at 888-782-3638.
1. What is Restaurant Reservation Software?
Typically, restaurant reservation software would be designed to simply automate the process that you now undertake with a manual reservation book. Some products simply automate the reservation sheet and are not very useful. The more sophisticated restaurant reservation software products maintain a very extensive restaurant reservation database and allows you to record all sorts of preferences and special occasions relative the that guest.
If you are considering moving from a manual restaurant reservation book, you need to be sure that the restaurant reservation software will record, at the very least, what you are doing manually right now.
The most important restaurant reservation software feature is to make sure that your guests are able to make a restaurant reservation 24 hours a day, seven days a week and get instant confirmations. The on-line booking widget should be easy to place on your web site. No more playing telephone tag with guests to confirm the restaurant reservation.
The restaurant reservation software should also have the option of take a phone-in restaurant reservation. The phone-in reservations and on-line reservations should be automatically integrated so that you always see the "consolidated restaurant reservation picture". This improves the efficiency of your restaurant, saves labour costs and starts to build an invaluable guest database for future marketing purposes.
2. I don’t have time to constantly check restaurant reservation software on a computer during service!
Make sure that the restaurant reservation software allows you to cut off on-line bookings at any time frame prior to the start of service. The more sophisticated systems can set this up so that online restaurant reservation capability automatically cuts off 2 hours before the start of each meal service. This cut off time should be variable and customer defined. Some restaurant reservation software systems also have what we call a "rolling cut off" which means that guests may still make an online restaurant reservation during a current meal period, but with a 2 hour advance booking provision. Again, these times should be user defined.
The other restaurant reservation software feature that helps address this concern is cell phone updates. Make sure that you can pick up restaurant reservation notifications on your cell phone during service, if you choose to keep the online restaurant reservation feature open during meal periods.
3. Will I have a problem getting my customer list from the Restaurant Reservation Software company?
Your customers belong to you. Make sure that any system you choose allows you to access your guest database. This includes guest who book online or through your web site. Depending on the restaurant reservation software product you select, you should be able to access your customer list at any time to create mailing lists or even send marketing e-mails directly to your clients.
In addition, you should think longer term and select a restaurant reservation software product that offers the most extensive database features and tools to suit your operation or style of restaurant.
4. Do I have to spend a lot of money to put the online restaurant reservations link on my web site?
The online restaurant reservation software booking widget should be designed to add a small amount of code to any page on your web site. With respect to placement, you should have it placed on multiple pages, with your main page being the most important. Make is easy to find on the main page, on menu pages, one contact us pages, etc. The rule is to have the reservation link on any page that you feel gives your guests a reason to make a restaurant reservation. This could be your menus, your specials, your picture galley, you decide.
Once your guests know they can a restaurant reservation on-line, you will see a gradual switch to 70% or more restaurant reservation bookings made on-line vs. those phoned into the restaurant. This saves valuable staff time an no lost opportunities.
If you don’t have a web site, speak to the various restaurant listing sites. See if they will place your restaurant reservation software button next your listing.
Some Restaurant Reservation Software Systems also have integrated reservation widgets for Facebook and other social media sites.
Restaurant Reservation Software Concerns
At ResoSolutions, we've compiled a list of typical questions raised by Restaurateurs that are considering Online Restaurant Reservation Software. If you do not find an answer to your question here, please respond to our blog or contact us at 888-782-3638.
1. We are totally manual. My staff can’t learn Online Restaurant Reservation Software.
If your staff uses a POS system now, they can easily use online restaurant reservation software. If they understand your current restaurant seating philosophy, they can easily adapt to new restaurant reservation software. Most providers will adapt their software to maintain your current procedures. Therefore, the end result is more convenience and certainty for your guests and greater efficiency and control for the restaurant. With most systems, the training period for your general staff is 15-20 minutes.
2. There is no restaurant reservation software that can do what I do!
You are probably correct! But, it means that you have to personally manage the restaurant reservation book, all the time. You forward the restaurant phone, after close, to take calls. You return email table reservation requests either at night or the next morning. You play telephone tag with your guest to confirm their reservation.
All this administration takes time. energy and focus away from other things you could be doing to help grow your business. Even then you're not done. You need to layout your seating plan for each service and make sure you can accommodate everyone.
Some Online Restaurant Reservation Software Systems do all of this for you. Most are very good and managing the whole table booking process. Depending on the product, some restaurant reservation software systems can seat your guests more efficiently so you can increase your cover counts .
3. We value the personal touch with our guests.
Most restaurant reservation software systems allow your guests to book on-line 24 hours a day with the secure knowledge that their reservation will be honored at your restaurant. Some of our products allow you to personalize the e-mail confirmation and even send a reminder 24 hours prior to the booking. This elevates the professional status of your restaurant and it’s 100% automated. Some of products allow you to identify VIP guests and you get notified whenever they reserve a table.
Once you automate your online restaurant reservation process, you will have more time to think of ways to engage your guests more effectively. You can spend more time trying to devise ways to enhance the experience for your regulars and devise other means to get past guests to return. It all depends where your efforts are best spent.
4. We don’t want to loose control.
Most online restaurant reservation software systems allow you to determine how many bookings you want to take on-line and in-house. You should also be able to reduce the number of bookings you want to take in peak service periods or block out entire time slots. It is essential that any restaurant reservation system be flexible enough for you to restrict reservations by time, day or special occasion.
Avoid systems that simply open the reservation doors and leave it up to you to manage the results. Of course you would like to be busy all the time, but we all know the effects of kitchen overload. Therefore any system you choose should have a means to track seating time by size of party. This means that you can define absolute maximum covers tied to party size duration so that the kitchen does implode.
The software should also be flexible enough that you can override any setting, at any time, to deal with unforeseen situations.
5. What happens when we are closed on special days or when I rent out the entire restaurant?
The restaurant reservation software should allow you to close online reservations, in advance, for any date in the future when you have a private function. Your on-line guests should not be able to book those time slots and a message should be displayed on your website widget asking them to call the restaurant directly.
Online Table Reservations
At ResoSolutions, we've compiled a small list of frequently asked questions about online table reservations. If you do not find an answer to your question here, please respond to our blog or contact us at 888-782-3638.
1. What happens if someone makes a booking for 50 people on my web site?
Most online table reservations products allow restaurant management to limit the party size that can be booked on-line. Typically, most restaurateurs set the table reservations limit at 6 or 8 people.
2. What happens to my online table reservations when the Internet goes down?
Best practice is to print out your online table reservations summary report prior to the commencement of service. These reports will typically provide the restaurant with all the basic information about the booking. If you haven’t done this, and your Internet service goes down you're in trouble unless you can contact your table reservation software provider to access your restaurant profile and fax the report to the restaurant. Some restaurant reservation systems can be installed locally on your restaurant server or table reservations PC as back-up.
3. What’s the difference between your real-time auto confirmation online table reservations and the e-mail service my restaurant listing company is providing?
The big difference is that the form the web user completes on your listing site is a “Request” for table reservations. Typically, there is a note to the web user stating that the restaurant will get in touch with them within 24 hours. This leaves your client in limbo until you contact them to confirm the table reservation.
With most integrated online table reservations software, the confirmation is displayed immediately on the last booking screen and an e-mail confirmation is sent out automatically to your guest.
As online table reservations software becomes more widely used, prospective guests will want instant confirmation that their table is secure, especially if they are looking for a table today. They won’t be content to wait for your return call and most times they won’t want to be disturbed at work. Online table reservations will become the new norm for all table service restaurants, regardless of size.
4. Do I have to use the online table reservations system for phone-in reservations as well?
Most providers have different product types. If you want to simply install automated online tables reservations to your website, you can still maintain a manual Reservation Book. Some software providers will send you a notice of any online table reservations booking via e-mail or SMS to your BB or iPhone. You can add the details into your manual table reservations diary or table reservations book.
5. What if a guest wants to cancel or change thier online table reservations?
Depending on the online table reservations product you choose, some providers have an option to allow your guests to cancel their reservation online. If you have an integrated table reservation system these cancellations are automatically updated on your system. Other providers send an email to the restaurant advising of the cancellation.
If you choose not to enable online table reservations changes, the original e-mail confirmation should display your restaurant’s phone number and some verbiage asking guests to call the restaurant directly if they need to cancel the reservation.
