5 Years from now, the telephone is dead
The ability for consumers to book/order online will be critical for the success of an eating out establishment in the next 3-5 years.
That was the question asked by Allegra Strategies in their research for the 2010 UK Restaurant Leader Report. They conducted in-depth interviews with 175 leading executives across the UK restaurant sector.
Only 22% of respondents disagreed. 56% agreed or agreed strongly whilst 22% were neutral.
At Livebookings we believe that in 5 years time, online reservations will be the dominant method of making table reservations. Why? Not because our business depends on it, but because it’s the most convenient method of booking a table, both for the consumer and for the restaurant.
For consumers, we know from our own research [*] that those people that book online do so because it quick and convenient (81% of respondents).
We also see it in our own booking patterns. 20% of bookings happen between 10pm and 10am, typically when a restaurant is closed. A further 45% are booked between during peak lunch and dinner service hours, times at which restaurant staff are busy and find it more difficult to answer the telephone.
For a restaurant, it’s like employing a dedicated reservations team member, who speaks 13 languages, works 24/7, never makes a mistake and only gets paid if they successfully make a reservation.
In these difficult post recession times, hospitality businesses that win, will embrace online bookings. Don’t take our word for it – that’s what the senior executives of the UK restaurant are saying.
Find out more about how to enable your website to take online bookings.
* = Source: survey of 2050 UK residents conducted by ICM Omnibus, October 2009
