Guide · Reservations
How to reduce no-shows without punishing your regulars
Deposits everywhere is the blunt instrument. Here's what actually moves the number.
A four-top that doesn't show on a Saturday costs more than the lost covers — it costs the table you couldn't refill. Every operator knows the problem. The argument is what to do about it without scaring off the bookings you still want.
Verify the booking is real
A surprising share of no-shows aren't flaky guests — they're wrong numbers, prank bookings or bots. Verify contact details at the point of booking and you remove a whole category before it hits the book. You can also reach everyone else with a reminder.
Remind on the channel they read
A reminder the day before, by text rather than email, with the booking in front of them. Most no-shows are forgetfulness, not malice. SMS beats email for same-day attention.
Make cancelling easier than ghosting
If cancelling means phoning during service, people don't show. If it's one tap, they'll tell you — and you get hours to refill the table. A cancellation you hear about beats ten you don't.
Refill the gap automatically
A waitlist that offers freed slots to the next party turns a cancellation into a covered table. A no-show only hurts when the seat stays empty.
Use deposits where they earn it
Big parties, peak weekend slots, set menus and private hire — bookings where a no-show genuinely hurts and guests expect a deposit anyway. Not the spontaneous Tuesday two-top.