Managing Reservations

Comprehensive guide on managing all aspects of reservations from confirmation to completion.

Overview

The reservation management system allows you to handle the full lifecycle of a booking:

• Confirm pending reservations
• Assign tables
• Seat guests
• Complete bookings
• Handle cancellations and no-shows

Accessing Reservations

Navigate to: Venue Management > All Venues > View Reservations

Reservation Statuses

Understanding reservation statuses is key to effective management:

Unconfirmed

• Guest bookings that require email verification
• Awaiting guest to click verification link
• Action: Monitor and follow up if not verified within 24 hours

Pending

• Verified bookings awaiting venue confirmation
• Action: Review and confirm or reject

Confirmed

• Booking accepted by venue
• Customer has received confirmation
• Action: Prepare for guest arrival

Seated

• Guest has arrived and been seated
• Service is in progress
• Action: Monitor table turnaround time

Completed

• Guest has left and booking is finished
• Action: Request review if not already sent

Cancelled

• Booking has been cancelled by customer or venue
• Includes cancellation reason
• Action: Review cancellation patterns

No Show

• Guest did not arrive for their reservation
• Impacts future booking privileges
• Action: Follow up with customer if appropriate

Confirming Reservations

Manual Confirmation

1. Open the reservation details
2. Review party size, date, time, and special requests
3. Check table availability
4. Click "Confirm Reservation" button
5. Customer receives automatic confirmation email

Bulk Confirmation

For multiple reservations:

1. Select checkboxes next to reservations
2. Click "Bulk Actions" dropdown
3. Select "Confirm Selected"
4. Review and confirm action

Assigning Tables

Manual Table Assignment

1. Open reservation details
2. Click "Assign Table" button
3. View available tables for that time slot
4. Select appropriate table based on party size
5. Click "Assign"

Automatic Assignment

Configure automatic table assignment in Global Settings > Reservation Settings:

• Set rules based on party size
• Define preferred booking areas
• Configure table rotation preferences

Seating Guests

When guests arrive:

1. Locate reservation in today's bookings
2. Verify guest name and party size
3. Click "Seat" button
4. Timer starts for table occupancy

Walk-in Customers

For walk-ins without reservations:

1. Click "New Reservation" button
2. Enter guest details
3. Assignment available table
4. Mark as "Seated" immediately

Completing Reservations

When guests finish dining:

1. Open the reservation
2. Click "Complete" button
3. Table becomes available for next booking
4. Automatic review request sent (if enabled)

Completion Metrics

Track important completion data:

• Actual vs. expected duration
• Table turnaround time
• Customer satisfaction triggers

Handling Cancellations

Customer-Initiated Cancellations

Customers can cancel through:

• Their account dashboard
• Email link in confirmation
• Calling the venue (staff cancels manually)

When customer cancels:

• Status changes to "Cancelled"
• Table becomes available again
• Optional cancellation follow-up email sent

Venue-Initiated Cancellations

To cancel a reservation:

1. Open reservation details
2. Click "Cancel Reservation" button
3. Select cancellation reason:
   • Venue closure
   • Private event
   • Overbooking
   • Customer request
   • Other (specify)
4. Add optional message to customer
5. Confirm cancellation

Customer receives:

• Cancellation email with reason
• Apology and alternative booking suggestions
• Direct contact information

Cancellation Policies

Set up automated cancellation policies:

• Minimum notice period required
• Deposit forfeiture rules
• No-show penalties

See Cancellation Policy documentation.

Managing No-Shows

Marking as No-Show

If a guest doesn't arrive:

1. Wait until cutoff time (typically 15-30 minutes after reservation time)
2. Open reservation
3. Click "Mark as No-Show" button
4. Add optional notes

No-Show Management

Configure no-show handling:

• Automatic status change after time threshold
• Customer notification
• Future booking restrictions
• Statistical tracking

No-Show Recovery

Follow up with no-show customers:

1. View no-show reservations
2. Send recovery email template
3. Offer rescheduling
4. Request feedback on missed reservation

Special Requests & Notes

Viewing Special Requests

Reservations may include:

• Occasion: Birthday, anniversary, etc.
• Dietary requirements: Allergies, vegan, etc.
• Accessibility needs: Wheelchair access, ground floor, etc.
• High chairs: Number needed for children
• Special requests: Free-text customer requests

Staff Notes

Add internal notes to reservations:

• Not visible to customers
• Useful for VIP customers
• Track preferences
• Alert staff to important details

Reservation Timeline

View complete reservation history:

• Booking created
• Verification completed (if guest)
• Confirmation sent
• Table assigned
• Guest seated
• Completed
• Review requested

Communication

Automated Communications

System sends automatic emails for:

• Booking confirmation
• Reminders (24 hours before)
• Day-of reminder (configurable)
• Table assignment notification
• Review request after completion

Manual Communication

Send manual messages:

1. Open reservation
2. Click "Contact Guest" button
3. Select template or write custom message
4. Send via email or SMS

Search & Filtering

Quick Search

Search by:

• Booking reference (e.g., RES-ABC123)
• Customer name
• Email address
• Phone number

Advanced Filtering

Filter reservations by:

• Status: All, Pending, Confirmed, Seated, etc.
• Date range: Today, Tomorrow, This Week, Custom
• Booking area: All areas or specific area
• Party size: Specific range
• Table: Specific table number

Saved Filters

Create and save common filter combinations:

• Large parties (8+ guests)
• VIP customers
• Dietary requirements
• Accessibility needs

Export & Reporting

Export Reservations

Export filtered reservations:

1. Apply desired filters
2. Click "Export" button
3. Choose format:
   • CSV
   • Excel
   • PDF

Daily Report

Generate daily reservation report:

• Total bookings
• Party size breakdown
• Peak times
• Special requests summary
• No-show rate

Mobile Management

Access on mobile devices:

• Responsive design
• Quick actions
• Barcode scanner for confirmations
• Push notifications for new bookings

Best Practices

Confirmation Workflow

1. Review new bookings hourly during business hours
2. Confirm within 2 hours of booking
3. Assign tables 24 hours in advance
4. Review day's bookings each morning

Communication Tips

• Always acknowledge special requests
• Confirm receipt of dietary requirements
• Provide clear directions for accessibility needs
• Send reminders 24 hours before

Capacity Management

• Monitor table utilization
• Use waitlist when fully booked
• Adjust booking durations based on patterns
• Plan staff levels around reservation volume

Customer Service

• Respond quickly to special requests
• Be flexible with party size changes
• Offer alternatives when cancelling
• Follow up on negative experiences

Troubleshooting

Double Booking Prevention

System prevents double bookings by:

• Real-time availability checking
• Table locking during assignment
• Buffer times between reservations

If double booking occurs:

1. Contact guests immediately
2. Offer alternative times
3. Provide compensation if appropriate

Missing Reservations

If reservation doesn't appear:

1. Check all status filters
2. Verify venue selection (if multi-venue)
3. Search by booking reference
4. Check deleted/cancelled section

Customer Didn't Receive Confirmation

1. Check reservation status (must be confirmed)
2. Verify email address is correct
3. Check customer's spam folder
4. Resend confirmation manually

Related Documentation

• View Reservations - Overview of reservation list
• Booking Settings - Configure booking parameters
• Reservation Settings - Global reservation settings
• Cancellation Policy - Set up cancellation rules
• Analytics - Analyze reservation patterns

Need Help?

Contact support:

• Email: [email protected]
• WhatsApp: https://wa.me/message/GPBDMIVKYIELE1

Our team is here to help you manage your reservations effectively.