8 tips to avoid no-shows in your business

No-shows: nothing is more annoying than your guests not showing up at your establishment after making a reservation. As a restaurant or wellness business, you count on guests with booked reservations, but you end up with empty tables or appointments. Empty spots that you could therefore have filled with people who were on the waiting list. At Resengo, we understand this annoying problem like no other. So in this article, we give you 8 tips to avoid no-shows.

1. Reducing no-shows starts with guest data collection

First of all, good communication between you and your guest is key. For this, you need the correct data. However, it is important that this privacy-sensitive information is collected and stored properly. Fortunately, Resengo's booking tool makes it very simple to register and retrieve guest data, fully compliant with the terms of European privacy legislation.

2. Let your guests (re)confirm their reservations

Have guests made reservations for your restaurant or wellness business? A useful tip to avoid no-show customers is by asking for a reconfirmation. Are there guests who have not yet confirmed their visit? If so, you can still contact them by phone.

3. Use terms and conditions to get ahead of no-show customers

An easy way to avoid no-shows is to require your guests to accept the general booking conditions. That way, you enter into a common booking contract. Moreover, you can also put your cancellation policy in the terms and conditions. Experience shows that you will be one step ahead of many no-show customers.

4. Remind your guests with a message via SMS or Whatsapp

Have you yourself ever received a reminder via SMS or WhatsApp about your reservation? It is a way to stay top of mind. Sending a message is thus an effective way to avoid no-shows. The delivery of such a message is 98% reliable and works even better than a reminder e-mail.

5. Register no-shows

Are you looking for a way where you can avoid no-shows in the future? Then make sure you register no-show customers. That way, Resengo's system will keep you informed when a reservation comes in from a person who did not show up last time. That way, you can easily contact the guest to confirm the reservation or, alternatively, remove it from the system.

6. Prevent no-shows? Ask for a deposit!

An effective way to get ahead of no-show customers is to charge a deposit for your restaurant or wellness business. By doing so, you ensure that you at least have compensation from the no-show of your guests. You can ask for a deposit of a certain amount per reservation or ask for a deposit per table guest.

7. Use a credit card guarantee

Do you want to prevent no-shows effectively? Then opt for credit card guarantee. With credit card guarantee, you can charge an amount if your guests do not show up. You can set that amount yourself.

8. Sell tickets to not give no-shows a chance

Are you organising an event such as a dinner for Valentine's Day, an Easter brunch or a pampering day for Mother's Day? Then bet on ticket sales! That way you can be 100% sure your guests will turn up.

The no-show problem

7 in 10 restaurants deal with no-shows - people who do not show up without notice - several times a month.

For 25% of restaurant owners, asking for an advance payment is a possible solution. However, the majority of those surveyed (3 out of 5) think customers drop out when they have to pay a deposit.

However, asking for deposits is not for every business. 30% of those surveyed even believe that advance payments are detrimental to the restaurant's image. Dirk Gypen, CEO of Resengo, reports that this measure is only an issue when a business is largely overbooked.