Restaurants are repeatedly instructed that the customer “should come first” and that they are “always right”, but what happens when they aren’t?

Restaurateurs are constantly faced with various challenges related to customer experience, such as proper interaction, making reservations easy and accessible, encouraging customer feedback, and a number of other factors. Yet one particular hurdle that often goes unnoticed is the behaviour of the clients themselves, especially when it comes to reservations.

Such difficulties include having to content with last-minute cancellations, or repeated no-shows, resulting in empty tables on days when establishments should otherwise be packed. This is a problem that could be minimised relatively easily through the introduction of reservation deposits, especially for larger bookings.

Mandatory reservation deposits are something that Romina Genuis Demanuele, Front of House Manager at Gżira’s The Seafood Market Grill by Adam, called for on social media on Tuesday, in order to put an end to no-shows.

“Not served by clients,” she exclaimed, before adding: “So when you book a hotel or reserve a table in a busy restaurant when travelling abroad, no one objects to leaving a deposit or card details. But if a local restaurant asks for a deposit upon booking a table of more than six people with the possibility to cancel up to two hours prior to booking time, clients are taken aback!”

The 16-person table that was left empty at The Seafood Market Grill by Adam / Facebook

Reservation deposits have become the norm in various countries, yet they still need to become commonplace locally, with a wide range of restaurants opting against introducing them due to fears of the ways they will be received by customers.

Ms Genuis Demanuele noted that while customers are able to not proceed with their booking, “it is okay for a restaurant to be stood up by no-show clients and remain with empty tables”.

She drew upon a particular experience she had on Tuesday, whereby The Seafood Market Grill by Adam was left “half empty” because a pre-booked table of 16 people “simply changed their plans and didn’t turn up”, without informing the restaurant beforehand.

She explained that the restaurant's management called the client “numerous times” to check if they will be coming, yet they “didn’t even pick up”. Ms Genuis Demanuele noted that table was for an office gathering, and the person in charge was the Manager, therefore “communication shouldn’t be much of a problem”.

“With it being Easter holidays week, numerous holidaymakers were refused from dining as the restaurant was fully booked. More staff were reported to work on this shift to attend to the big table, which requires more attention,” she said.

“This is what clients don’t see and understand. If a deposit was left, I’m sure that the person who booked would have called to cancel or stick to their plans,” she stated. Additionally, she explained that customers are sent reminders by email, also giving them the possibility to cancel by “a single easy click of a button”.

“I’m sure that in this case the customer was not right! And I hope that the mentality about leaving a deposit in a local restaurant changes and is accepted in the same way we accept foreign policies,” Ms Genuis Demanuele concluded.

Her post was met by expressions of frustration from various commentors, most of whom acknowledging that such customer behaviour is “shameful” and “rude”, and that reservation deposits should be introduced.

“It is always about the customer but when it comes to the principle? There it's zero. We strive to give service but if we fail for the least mistake, that’s it,” one commentor said.

WhosWho.mt reached out to Ms Genuis Demanuele for further details about the matter, to which she replied that she aims to "create awareness regarding leaving a deposit when booking for more than five people".

"No shows take place on a regular basis, almost every day. When people book through the system and are asked for a deposit of €25 per head, they don't proceed with the booking. Locals take offence whilst foreigners find no objection," she explained.

"We allow customers to cancel up to two hours before the time of their booking, but every restaurant has its own policies," Ms Genuis Demanuele added.