The Restaurant's New Toy.

...Or how to create twice the workload for front-end managers.

The restaurant has signed up for Open Table, the online reservation giant that allows for making reservations at thousands of restaurant all over the planet. (The image at left displays the seating chart of the dining room and lounge along with a column showing any reservations - at right. The private dining room and bar have been omitted.) While reservations may still be taken by phone, the seating chart also appears online where someone can reserve a specific table or booth.  Can you see the potential problem here, class?

In the 20 years of operation, there are perks offered to regulars and longtime friends of the place and that could all go up in smoke with the new system.  Regulars have favourite tables/booths, favourite servers, and many have special needs, like wheel chair access.  Also the Delaware fire safety laws are strict and unforgiving. No strollers allowed, no high chairs at booths, no children in bar or lounge area.  But, the potential customer making a reservation online doesn't know any of this. The complications with the online service could be overwhelming.

There have been 3 'incidents' already and this is in January.  I cannot imagine the possibly explosive situations come summer tourist season. The hands-on system is complicated enough that on a busy evening two people will likely be required to keep everything running smoothly.  God help them!

The system sounds simple enough but in reality, well, that's another story. I may get a call for a reservation for a party of 6 at 6 pm, requesting a specific table, and server.  They also need 1 high-chair.   Once that info is entered into the online system that table is blocked online for that time.  However, if someone is online at the same time with a similar party size and requests the same table - and they hit the enter key before I do - there will be trouble.

There were already 3 no-shows at the busiest dining times frustrating everyone because it puts parties already in the restaurant on a wait-list until the allotted time limit for that reservation expires.

Fortunately for me, long wait periods (up to an hour!) usually occur in July and August for lunch diners and by then, this whole system will have been worked out or thrown out.  I don't particularly care either way.

The locosguys had only a few hands-on days with the program before taking off for their holiday in Mexico. It is likely they will have forgotten what they learned by the time they return in 2 weeks.  Bad timing, indeed.

This weekend was busy and the repetition allowed me to get more comfortable, and make fewer mistakes, while juggling the phone, internet, and walk-ins. 

Oh yes, many olives have been consumed this past week. I look forward to the next 2 days off.

And so it goes.
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