Better Late Than Never...

[Melanie]

I know it's a bit late to mention this, as many holiday parties and such have already taken place. However, my fiance works in the service industry at an upscale chain restaurant, and it is astonishing how many people book a large reservation for an office party and then simply don't show up.

Keep in mind that servers often count on having that one large table's tips as most of their pay for the day. They have to spend time putting several tables together and putting out extra place settings. They are given no other tables while they are waiting for this large group. In hopes that the group is running late, the server will often wait an hour or more after the reservation before they decide the party isn't coming at which point they have to break down all of the tables and, often by this time, the lunch/dinner rush is over and they take home virtually nothing for the day.

So, if you know that your office changes restaurant locations or cancels a party altogether, make sure the person who is handling logistics has called the place to cancel the reservation, as it may slip their mind. Even giving last-minute notice is better than nothing (though advanced notice is ideal and always appreciated).

All it takes is one phone call.

Thanks for reading and happy holidays!

[Cathy]

Why wouldn't the restaurant call to confirm the day before? If it takes a reservation, doesn't it also take a phone number?

[Melanie]

Good point, Cathy. I'm pretty sure most restaurants call the day before to confirm for such a large party, but unfortunately that doesn't guarantee that people show up. Things change. Also, the person at the restaurant who makes the call to confirm the reservation may not be able to reach the party and have to leave a voicemail which that person may either not check, or not care enough to take the time to call back and cancel, thinking that it's not that big of a deal.

[pikawicca]

Many restaurants require a deposit for a large group, just to avoid this sort of nonsense.

[Melanie]

Yes, and I have mentioned that to my fiance a few times. However, the fear for some restaurants is that it will serve as a deterrent and will drive away business. If EVERY restaurant applied this policy, that would work just fine. I hope someday they all do!

[RetiredChef]

It drives away those who are not sure and not committed, those are the people we want to drive away. It does not hinder those who will show up, why would it????

[bu dat]

right. anyone who is serious is not going to scoff at a request for a deposit.

and the restaurant could also just take a credit card and say there is a fee if you don't show and don't call within X time beforehand.

[queencru]

I lived in a city where a per-person no show fee was the norm during certain holidays/large events. I think you typically had to cancel at least 72 hours in advance or else you'd be charged for any person who didn't show up for the reservation. This was more of a college town type of situation where the big days were football games and school events, so the people making reservations were often students who wouldn't have been able to pay a $20/person deposit up front.

[porker]

We ran a resto in a small town for years. Granted its not an upscale chain restaurant, but we were tired of being burned time and time again.
People would flippantly make reservations: "ahhh, well, maybe make it for 28 people, just in case" Then 10 people would show up.
REGULARLY.
So we implemented a per-person no-show cancellation fee as queencru points out.
In the end, it was never cut and dry, but depended on the sincerity of the group, conditions of the night, etc etc. Sometimes we'd wave the fee, sometimes we'd hold fast, sometimes we'd over-fee (yeah, paybacks a $itch).
Melanie, I don't think its so much an individual responsibility of the group, but IMO, a problem related to the boneheadedness of the organizer who does little or no thinking whatsoever...
Even if the resto calls back to confirm - the dumba$$ secretary who was tasked to set up the dinner counts the employees and says "yes its 57, at 8:00". She don't know whos showing up or not and doesn't really care...
Just my opinion...

[queencru]

I have to disagree with you that the planner doesn't know or care. I worked in a place that had plenty of social events and multiple planners. All the planners were very diligent about asking the guests whether they were coming. If you weren't sure in the morning, they'd ask you again in the afternoon. If you still weren't sure, they'd ask you at the end of the day. Even after the planner thought s/he'd gotten a proper headcount, a few people who decide they didn't want to go at the last minute. This was a non-American employer where we had a social fee, so it got to the point where they just took the money out of the social fee refund you had gotten if you'd simply given your regrets to the party in the first place.

[porker]

I'm not saying the planner doesn't care in all instances. As shaogo explains, some people are great, others...not so much.
I think shaogo feels as I do that conditions are always diffferent. If the planner really tries and people don't show up, I tend to be more forgiving, but if your "sixth sense" says the planner doesn't care, well, take measures and you do what you gotta do.

[shaogo]

It's astoundingly rude and selfish to call a business and tell them to prepare for a crowd and then just not show up for the shindig. It's sad but true that restaurants of all types are being hurt by this behavior and it behooves them to act less naive about how they handle reservations.

As a restaurateur, I've developed a sixth sense about the way a party's going to turn out.

A certain type of customer, my favorite, will not only call to reserve, but also come in to check out where their group will be seated, discuss menu/special requests, etc. At some time early in the discussion of their party, they'll offer to place a deposit, without being asked to, to secure the reservation. If a deposit is offered by a customer, and we're aware the customer is serious about their party, nine times out of ten we'll tell them that they needn't give us a deposit -- this indicates to them that we trust them and are as serious about the success of their affair as they are. Invariably these people are on the phone to us the day of the event, letting us know if a guest has dropped out or if additional guests are coming. These are the people who show up -- and whose friends show up.

On the other hand, if the customer is always vague about the number of persons who'll show up, that's a clue they're either going to be a no-show or only half of the party will show. Ditto if they ask that couples/individuals attending a dinner be given separate checks. An unreasonable concern about the cost of an affair (that's priced reasonably) is also a dead give-away that there's going to be fewer people than initially planned. When enough of these warning signs are present, I'll ask the client for a deposit. If they refuse to make a deposit, they don't get the reservation.

One of our restaurant's offerings is an entertainment program on the weekends. Lots of people like to bring groups of 3-5 couples with them for a fun evening. We have a couple of customers who over-estimate the number in their party every single time they call. These are people who'll say they need 10, 12 or 15 and then 6 show up. We end up putting together a table for 6 with a few others nearby, if needed. Because these people have caused us half-filled tables in the past, they're going to have to wait for their table to be set up if they bring more guests than we're used to seeing them bring.

Finally, Melanie, the OP says "Keep in mind that servers often count on having that one large table's tips as most of their pay for the day. They have to spend time putting several tables together and putting out extra place settings."

I hate to inform Melanie that very, very few restaurant customers care at all about servers' revenues. They care even less about servers perhaps having to re-arrange table settings.

[mrbigshotno.1]

As far as I'm concerned you are talking about 50% of the population. I call them "consumers". They have never been on the supply side of anything. They feel the other 50% are here to serve them and they could care (or know) less about anything, and the worst ones are the most educated. Been in the food biz 35 years, seen it all.