The president of CAEB restaurants association, Alfonso Robledo, says that if customers don't cancel early enough, they will be charged an amount for not coming. "This is legal because there are labour and production costs that have to be accounted for somehow." He adds that there are customers who "make a habit of ringing restaurants to say that they are not coming, despite having made a reservation and regardless of the circumstances."
Robledo explains that restaurants are tired of seeing empty tables for people who had reserved but then haven't shown up. This was something that increased during the pandemic. "There were restaurants with 30% of tables uncovered because reservations were not fulfilled." It's continuing to happen; hence the decision to charge people's credit cards.
"The logical thing is to act in a similar way to hotels, which always ask for a credit card when you make a reservation and only charge people when they do not show up without cancelling within the established period."
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a great idea should have done it years ago
We all know Stan is tight. He doesn't book restaurants because Macdonalds don't take reservations!
If you can be bothered to book then why can’t you be bothered to cancel? It’s not rocket science. Lazy and disrespectful.
Do not book. Just turn up. If full. Move on. To another place.
Dont blame them for doing this...For excample....it happen's when you make a Reservation for a Hoilday...when i book for my Holday in mallorca at a regualr hotel they always tell me...and i already know....that if i dont cancel early enough...wat ever reason ...they will charge for the 1st Night...so..i see no probem with the Resturant doing a % charge if the Customer does a NO SHOW...
This is not just a problem for Mallorca, but possibly world wide, for no shows. It is not just for the restaurant industry, but many service industries including medical appointments. No show charges are long overdue, and more now with rising costs. A real genuine emergency for a no show, perhaps that can be proven, could be perhaps, a let off. But anything else, there should be a charge.