Online dining reservations…

I came across a great article in the January 2010 American Express Market Brief about restaurant trends. One of the things touched on was online dining reservations. It states that as few as 14 percent of consumers have made restaurant reservations online.  That seems like a staggeringly low number considering today’s 24/7 Internet connectivity, endless cell phone apps and the ongoing push towards the use of technology for everyday activities, such as socializing, grocery shopping and schooling. But really, if you think about it, technology can be intimidating and with so many new applications and gadgets coming down the pipeline at a steady pace, it’s no wonder that so few have taken advantage of online reservation services.

The research also explained that 44 percent of consumers, when asked what they felt was the primary advantage of using an online tool said they liked the ability to make a reservation when it was convenient for them.  Followed by not having to talk to a live human being, never being put on hold, getting an immediate confirmation of the reservation, having the reservation details entered correctly and earning rewards points for booking online.

What does all of this mean? Online reservation systems are just catching on with consumers and when they do take advantage of the ability to book a reservation online, they do it because it’s convenient and it eliminates some of the hassle associated with calling a restaurant during business hours to book a reservation.

Restaurants have several options for online dining reservation tools. The key is to find one that is convenient and cost effective for them. Steer clear of ‘per seat’ transaction fees. If a busy restaurant takes quite a few reservations online, this fee could end up costing thousands of dollars. The other consideration is finding a tool where reservation data is captured, owned and maintained by the restaurant, and the restaurant alone. Restaurants shouldn’t have to pay to use their own customer data. Finally, when a customer requests a specific reservation time and it’s unavailable, restaurants want to make sure that the guest remains on their site and in their dining room, so the ability to offer alternative dates and times is critical. No one wants a tool that will suggest different restaurants with that available date and time. That’s money out the window.  The ultimate goal should be to implement a tool that will bring in business and boost revenue. Convenience should be just as important to the restaurant owner as it is to the consumer.

ReServe offers an online reservation tool called ReServeIT.  We think it’s pretty convenient – for everyone who uses it.