Topic hub
Bookings, no-shows, deposits and table management — written for operators running a real service.
3 August 2026 · Simon Hatfield · Reservations
A deposit on every table loses you good bookings. No deposit at all leaves you exposed on the nights that matter. The skill is knowing which bookings to ask, and which to trust.
Read3 July 2026 · Simon Hatfield · Reservations
Three booking setups, three different bets about where your covers come from. Here is the honest version of who each one suits.
Read22 June 2026 · Simon Hatfield · Reservations
A pound or two per cover feels like nothing in the moment. Across a year it can be one of the biggest cheques you write, and you are often paying it on guests who would have come anyway.
Read
15 June 2026 · Simon Hatfield · Reservations
Most operators pick a booking system the way they pick a broadband provider, then live with it for years. Here is how to actually choose one in 2026, from someone who has signed the wrong contract more than once.
Read
4 March 2026 · Simon Hatfield · Reservations
The tempting fix for no-shows — a deposit on every table — mostly just costs you bookings. Here's what actually moves the number, and where deposits genuinely earn their place.
Read3 August 2026 · Simon Hatfield · Reservations
A deposit on every table loses you good bookings. No deposit at all leaves you exposed on the nights that matter. The skill is knowing which bookings to ask, and which to trust.
Read3 July 2026 · Simon Hatfield · Reservations
Three booking setups, three different bets about where your covers come from. Here is the honest version of who each one suits.
Read22 June 2026 · Simon Hatfield · Reservations
A pound or two per cover feels like nothing in the moment. Across a year it can be one of the biggest cheques you write, and you are often paying it on guests who would have come anyway.
Read15 June 2026 · Simon Hatfield · Reservations
Most operators pick a booking system the way they pick a broadband provider, then live with it for years. Here is how to actually choose one in 2026, from someone who has signed the wrong contract more than once.
Read4 March 2026 · Simon Hatfield · Reservations
The tempting fix for no-shows — a deposit on every table — mostly just costs you bookings. Here's what actually moves the number, and where deposits genuinely earn their place.
Read