What is a No Show at a restaurant and how to eliminate them

The rebellion against the No Show has begun. At last, after suffering in silence for a long time, restaurant professionals have raised their voices so that society listens and understands the problem that No Shows pose for the hospitality industry.

The media have echoed this problem in recent months. We have seen news stories and reports talking about it, controversy included.

Today we share our point of view on a reality we have been fighting for years alongside our partner restaurants. We are going to explain what a No Show is and what restaurants do to eliminate them.

This summer, send your No Shows on vacation with CoverManager

What is a No Show

If you do not know what No-Show means, we are talking about it when a reservation does not show up at the restaurant without cancelling, which leads to irrecoverable financial losses for the business.

We recall this tweet posted by our friend Dabiz Muñoz, complaining about a ghost reservation at DiverXO. Too late to recover it. What if he had charged for the reservation beforehand?

As you can see, there is a bit of everything in the replies. However, the majority (many of them industry professionals) agree with the Madrid chef.

Planes, hotels, shows. Leisure is paid for in advance.

Why do you have to pay before at the restaurant?

The importance of eliminating No Shows

Why is it important to eliminate No Shows? Few people know what lies behind a reservation:

• Stock is organised based on the number of expected diners.
• The kitchen team plans the stations and production.
• The dining room staff get ready to provide the best possible experience

And, when the moment comes, SURPRISE! Empty chairs. The table, like a ghost, stays silent amid the hustle and bustle of the venue.

And this does not only affect the business itself. How many people who would have loved to enjoy the restaurant were left without a table? This is a problem that affects customers and restaurateurs alike.

Solutions to eliminate No Shows in restaurants

In recent months the tools and tricks that restaurants use to eliminate No Shows have made the news. Here are some of them.

Automatic reservation reconfirmation

Online reservation systems have automatic messages to communicate with their customers, who have previously left their email or mobile number. The most common ones are:

• Reservation confirmation message with a link that makes it easy to cancel it in case of being unable to attend
• Scheduled reminders so the diner does not forget the reservation
• Automatic reconfirmation notifications the day before, in order to react in time in case of cancellation and fill the table.

Multi-reservation notification

Another advantage of digital systems is the ability to detect reservations that are linked to others in different restaurants and in the same one, in a completely anonymous way.

There are inconsiderate people who book in several places at once to decide at the last minute where to eat.

Reservations with prepayment

Hotel rooms must be paid in full before being enjoyed.

The same goes for plane tickets or cinema tickets.

What is different about a restaurant?

More and more owners work with reservations requiring full or partial advance payment, since this implies a commitment to attend on the diner's part.

Cancellation policy with credit card

Many restaurants ask their customers for their credit card details to charge a surcharge for each diner of a No-Show reservation

If, for example, a restaurant has a cancellation policy of €15 per diner in case of No Show, it would charge €60 to the holder of a card who stood the restaurant up with a reservation for 4 people.

You may have heard this news story about the judge who ruled in favour of a restaurant that charged 510 euros to a person who did not cancel their reservation in advance

No Show in Hotels

As in restaurants, "No Shows" in hotels represent a significant challenge, affecting occupancy and earnings. Here are some effective strategies to reduce "No Shows" in the hotel sector:

1. Reservation Confirmation: Implement automatic reminders through emails or text messages before the guest's arrival date.
2. Deposits and Cancellation Policies: Require a non-refundable deposit or a cancellation fee for reservations, which encourages customers to cancel in advance if they cannot attend.
3. Controlled Overbooking: Apply a controlled overbooking strategy to offset possible absences without incurring overoccupancy.
4. Proactive Communication: Keep open communication with guests, making changes and cancellations easy.

Implementing these tactics can improve reservation management, increase occupancy and reduce the financial losses associated with "No Shows".

Request Information and Take Your Restaurant to the Next Level

Ready to increase your sales and optimise the management of your restaurant? Discover what a no show is in a restaurant and how our solutions at Cover can transform your business. Fill in the form and receive personalised advice to implement reservation management, payment and other tools.

How to Eliminate No Shows in Your Restaurant

The no show reservation is a common problem in the restaurant sector, affecting the profitability and management of the establishment. Understanding what a no show is is crucial. To eliminate no shows, it is essential to implement strategies such as automatic reconfirmations, strict cancellation policies and prepayment systems. These measures not only minimise losses, but also optimise occupancy and improve the customer experience.

Eliminating No Shows is possible

At the beginning of the post we showed you a tweet from Dabiz Muñoz lamenting a No-Show at his restaurant.

Today, 5 years later, our friends at DiverXO enjoy a rate of 0% No Shows. Ghost tables do not exist in their dining room.

CoverManager has the lowest percentage of ghost reservations on the market, with an average of 2.9%. We are pioneers in eliminating No Shows, helping from our very beginnings to make restaurants maximise their occupancy to earn the greatest profitability thanks to our no show policy.

Now that you know what a no show is in a restaurant, if you want your venue to always be full, do not hesitate to request more information about CoverManager and its tools to eliminate No Shows.

Do you want to live without NO SHOWS?