No-shows: 5 solutions to get rid of ghost customers

To combat those customers who decide not to show up without cancelling, Matthieu Léonard, president of Horeca Brussels, shares his valuable advices.

© GFS

No-shows are a phenomenon that directly impacts restaurant profitability. But, according to Matthieu Léonard, founder and manager of several establishments in the capital, this problem is neither new nor temporary. "It's discussed in the press every year. This isn't a trend that will disappear on its own. On some evenings, no-shows can reach up to 10%. This isn't an official figure, but a recurring observation on the ground," he explains in his capacity as president of the Brussels hospitality federation.

The digitalization of reservations, the instantaneity of the click, and the depersonalization of the relationship have even facilitated risky behavior. "It's easier to stand up a restaurant owner you've never met than to cancel a reservation with someone you've spoken to on the phone." Fortunately, solutions exist.

The banking footprint, an inevitable evolution

Long reserved for high-end gastronomy and already largely established in the

In Anglo-Saxon countries, banking is becoming more widespread. "There is no reason

that a restaurant with an average bill of 20 euros suffers a no-show without saying anything, while a restaurant with a €150 menu can protect itself." If small establishments are still hesitant, it's often out of fear of deterring customers. "You shouldn't be ashamed to earn a living. The least you can do is give notice," says Matthieu Léonard.

According to him, the approach to take is economic: focus on fixed costs and calculate the staff cost per service, divide it by the number of covers, and set a cost per person. "The merchandise is variable, the staff is not. Staff costs 30% more today than they did four years ago."

Splitting services to limit the impact

In Brussels, the double (or even triple) serve has become the norm in recent years. "When we launched the dual service with CoinCoin, and people looked at us strangely. Today, it's

"It's become commonplace, because without it we wouldn't survive." In small venues, the impact The impact of a no-show is immediate. "Out of 38 covers, four no-shows have a significant impact on the balance. » Splitting services allows for the distribution of costs and makes it easier to absorb unforeseen absences, he therefore recommends.

Identifying at-risk customers via the platforms

Today, nearly 90% of reservations are made online, via platforms like Zenchef that offer restaurants visibility into customer behavior history customers. "This allows us to see if a customer has already accumulated several no-shows."

After two or three repeated absences, some restaurant owners choose to refuse a

new booking or require reconfirmation. A tool that has become strategic, in

particularly for establishments with low capacity.

The confirmation email to promote accountability

Sending a confirmation email the day before doesn't eliminate the problem, but it reduces it. "That reminds the customer that he has made a reservation and that the restaurant is counting on him to help his business activity. "

Automated by booking platforms, the tool can sometimes seem intrusive, but it

contributes to a form of education and limits oversights or opportunistic double bookings.

Overbooking and maximum responsiveness

As with air travel, some restaurant owners practice controlled overbooking. Given that absences are statistically inevitable, this type of practice has nothing surprising. » Overbooking, however, requires a good understanding of one's occupancy rate. No-shows will result in a problem with the venue's capacity.

Because no-shows seem more inevitable than ever, despite the measures put in place

Matthieu Léonard, speaking to restaurant owners, suggests an effective recovery tactic: the

responsiveness. "Communicating on social media that a position is becoming available helps to fill the gap." A cancellation. There's no shame in doing that. The shame is not showing up.

For the president of Horeca Brussels, the fight against no-shows will require both tools and a change in mindset. "We shouldn't hesitate to remind people that canceling or notifying them is one of the basic rules." This message is being increasingly embraced in a sector under pressure, where every meal counts.