Opentable - where you book can affect whether you get points
I made a reservation on Opentable for a restaurant that was on Groupon recently, and did so using a link on the restaurant's web site. I didn't pay attention to whether I was getting points at the time I made it, but when I went back to see if there were other reservations available at a different time (there were not), I noticed that other times got 100 points but my reservation had none. Because of the popularity of the Groupon, there were no reservations available at my time and I didn't want to cancel and take a chance of my table not becoming available to rebook, so I did without the points (since 100 points is only $1).
I checked the Opentable FAQ's and they do say that you may not get points if you do not book directly from their website. I'd seen restaurants without points before and figured it was just the restaurant but now I realize it may have been the way I was booking. I will make sure I manually go to their site in the future to get my points. I figured I'd warn others about this as well.
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hotoynoodle
Nov 12, 2011 06:42 AM
to get opentable points, you need to book directly through opentable. restaurants pay ot and ot doesn't get paid if the rez doesn't come through their portal.
1000 point slots are either for slower restaurants or times that are really dead.
no restaurant has 100% of its seating available through ot. it always holds slots back for walk-ins, regulars, parties that increase in size, etc.
also if you no-show on an ot rezzie enough times they blacklist you. always take the minute to cancel if you can't make it.
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Bill Hunt
Nov 10, 2011 09:07 PM
I use OT very often, even if I am on a restaurant's "list," and have never had any issue with points.However, I have never used Groupons, so that might make a difference.
On my OT reservations, there have always been at least 100 pts., and with a few, 1,000 pts.
In very, very general terms, I seldom will book a 1,000 pt. restaurant, unless I know the place well, and also want a 1,000 pt. time/table.
Over the years, it appears that those restaurants offering 1,000 OT pts., are in bad need of reservations, or perhaps have some really "dead times," and need to entice diners to choose those times. In a few cases, I have chosen one of those 1,000 pt. times, but only if I know the restaurant, and have the ability to dine, when those pts. are being offered.
As for the regular pts., i have never had any issue, with getting my pts., but remember, I have also never used Groupons, so there could well be something special there.
Good luck,
Hunt
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re: Bill Hunt
MisterBill2
Nov 11, 2011 10:03 PM
It has nothing to do with the Groupon, since they only find out about that when you're paying and this was already showing no points on the OT site. It is definitely because I made the reservation from the restaurant's website. Had I realized what was happening when I made the reservation, I would have just cancelled the reservation and rebooked thru OT. But I only noticed that points were available when I tried to modify the reservation thru the OT site (to see what was still available) and I noticed it telling me that other time slots would give me 100 points, and I knew that my reservation had zero.
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When you book directly through OT, you will with only a few exceptions always get points. When you book on OT, but through the restaurant's website, I'm pretty sure that you will pretty much never get points.
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re: josephnl
Bill Hunt
Nov 10, 2011 09:12 PM
Unless the particular restaurant also has a "reservations area," that is NOT with OT, that has been my experience too. Many (most?) restaurants, that use OT, usually ONLY have the link to OT, and few have a second link, to them directly. Not sure of exactly how things happen at the restaurant end, but if they are part of OT, I am not sure why they would offer an alternative link, but some well might.
Now, there have been several times, where a restaurant's OT bookings do not show what I want/need, but a call to the restaurant yields options, that are NOT shown on OT. I can only recall one such situation, where I got my OT points, though I had called restaurant X, to book my table.
Hunt
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re: Bill Hunt
When OT indicates reservation availability at the restaurant of my choice but not at the time I want, if the available times are within an hour or so of the desired time, I will usually make the OT res. I then call the restaurant and try to get the time I really want. Very frequently the restaurant is able to change the time to what I'd like...and when this happens, I always get the points.
I agree with you Hunt, OT is terrific and pretty much without exception, works perfectly. We eat out 2-3x/week and use OT whenever possible (>100x/year) and do not recall ever having any problem that's the fault of OT. The only problem I have ever had is when a restaurant has failed to properly mark me in upon arrival. This triggers an automatic email from OT warning about their "no show" policy. This has happened to me a few times, but is easily resolved by calling the restaurant.
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re: josephnl
MisterBill2
Nov 13, 2011 06:42 PM
The thing I really like about OT is that I can make a reservation any time of the day or night. I typically browse for restaurants late at night. It's much easier to make a reservation at midnight via OT than having to remember to call the restaurant the following day.
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re: MisterBill2
Bill Hunt
Nov 13, 2011 07:49 PM
Yes, that has been a big plus for me, and especially considering time zones. I am often available to do restaurant planning, well after most of the East Coast places have closed.
Or, I might be sitting at the computer at 6:00AM, before anyone is even thinking of getting up in Hawai`i.
Same for UK and Europe. OT is convenient for me.
Hunt
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re: josephnl
Bill Hunt
Nov 13, 2011 07:47 PM
I have done, just as you describe, and recently with Alan Wong's in Honolulu. I took the OT time, but then called AW's, and got things moved.
As OT only gets so many times, and so many tables, if one does not find what they want, then a call should be in order.
Dong things your way (and how I did it), one is insured of getting the OT points, and often, the time needed.
Hunt
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re: MisterBill2
Bill Hunt
Nov 21, 2011 07:47 PM
And, they came through almost 100%. One course was a bit weak (by my estimation), but my young wife, and our guest enjoyed that too. I had just had a better rendition, on a previous trip, and maybe was judging too harshly. Still, and even with a major favorite, like AW's King St., I judge on each course, plus all of the service aspects, on each visit. I love them, but never "cut them slack," and they always deliver for me.
As a side note, several posters had expressed their concern that AW's King St. was going rapidly downhill, so I had to get back quickly, to check things out for myself. I hate when a favorite restaurant begins slipping. In this case, one "uneven" course out of nine was not even a full mis-step - just not quite as good a recipe, and rendition, as I have had of the same general dish. Again, I was only one, out of three, who had any such issues, and I trust the palate of those other two.
They are still at the top of my list, and after about 15 years - has it been THAT long now?
Hunt
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