Eleven reservation leaks
Each one takes about two minutes to check. Nine of the eleven need nobody but you. Tick what you already have, and the gaps are your to-do list.
The basics
Quick to confirm. You likely have these already
- 1. Your Google hours are right, including the day you close. Holidays too. A wrong hour sends someone to a locked door, and that is the review you get.
- 2. Your menu online is the menu you actually serve. Not a PDF from two winters ago with old prices.
- 3. Your address and phone match everywhere. Google, your site, and the delivery apps that listed you.
- 4. People can see whether you take walk-ins. Without calling during your busiest hour to find out.
Beyond the basics
Not every business has these. Each is free to set up yourself
- 5. Your voicemail works during service. “We are in service right now. Book at [your link], or text this number and we will answer between seatings.”5 min
- 6. Your Google listing has a reservation link and messaging on. Both free, both off by default, and Google is where the 7 p.m. decision gets made.20 min
- 7. Groups, dietary needs and parking are answered publicly. Can you seat eight, do you have vegan and gluten-free, where do I park.an afternoon
- 8. Ask for the review when the bill lands. A small card or QR code with the receipt, while the good meal is still fresh. That is the moment people actually say yes.15 min
- 9. You reply to reviews, including the bad ones. A calm, specific reply is read by everyone who checks you out afterwards. The angry review is not the problem. The unanswered one is.30 min
Modern-Day Solutions
Where people are at now: time, a hire, or something built
- 10. Guests book you during their hours. The two windows you cannot pick up are the two windows people call, and the table goes to the first place that answers.needs a hand
- 11. Reservations land in your book, and the review gets asked for after. Every hop between a phone, a notepad and the book is a table that goes missing. A review after a good meal is what moves you up the map.needs a hand
Your three options
| Someone on shift | A phone answering service | A receptionist that runs itself | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calls answered | Only the hours you pay for | Yes | Yes, day and night |
| Texts and chats | When hands are free | Usually calls only | Yes |
| Calendar booking | Yes | You get a message instead | Yes, on the spot |
| Knows your prices | Yes | Works from a script | Your best employee, no mistakes |
| Google reviews | Usually asked for verbally | No | Asked after booked visits |
| Cost | Wages, quiet hours included | Per call or per minute | One setup, then a monthly fee |
I build the third kind, and at Répond Allo that means the whole list on page one: all eleven, set up within 56 hours. The first two routes are real options all the same, and one of them may suit you better; if so, take it.
Before spending
Whichever route looks tempting, count first. One week of unreturned calls, times what one is worth to you. If the number is small, stop there: the free fixes above are plenty. If it is bigger than you expected, you now know what solving it is worth: to you, not to whoever is selling.
Where to count: your recent calls, your voicemail, and your Instagram and Facebook message requests. The ones during service are the ones that hurt.
Nine of the eleven need nobody but you, and if you only ever do those, this sheet did its job. If you would rather not do any of them, that is what I am for, but the list is yours either way.