Copy the rules, fill in the brackets, then train every host on them.
Purpose
Fill every table we can serve well, and stop losing peak tables to people who do not come.
Owned by [general manager]. Reviewed every [month] against no-shows and late cancellations.
Confirm
Every booking gets a confirmation the moment it is made, by [text or email], with a one-tap way to cancel.
A reminder goes out [24] hours before, asking the guest to confirm.
Peak bookings ([days] after [time]) get a second reminder [3] hours before.
Bookings made by phone, message or a manager go into the same book, with a contact number. No book entry, no booking.
Hold and release
Unconfirmed peak bookings are held until [time] on the day, then called once.
No answer by [time]: the table is released to the waitlist.
Late arrivals are held for [15] minutes, then the table goes to the next party.
A party that grows past the table's seats is told on arrival what the wait is for a bigger table.
Deposits
Parties of [8] or more, and all bookings on [dates], pay a deposit of [amount] per guest.
Cancelled more than [48] hours before: full refund. Inside that: the deposit is kept or moved to a new date.
The deposit comes off the bill. Say so in the confirmation.
Waitlist refill order
1. Guests at the door whose party fits the freed table.
2. Waitlist guests in the order they joined, if they can arrive within [15] minutes.
3. Guests who asked for an earlier or later time that day.
Every freed table is offered within [5] minutes of being released.
What the host says
Confirming: "We have you at [time] for [party size]. Reply to this message if anything changes."
Releasing: "We held your table until [time]. It has gone to a waiting guest, but we can offer [new time]."
Quoting a wait: give the time the board shows, not a guess. Update the guest if it changes.
Deposit: "For parties of [8] or more we take [amount] a head, which comes off your bill."