Restaurant Cancellation Fee

Rackstar

Just wondering if restaurant cancellation fees are common?

I made a reservation last week, for tonight. Unfortunately I had to cancel it this afternoon. The reservation is for 4 people and one has fallen ill. The reservation is in an ex NAMA 4 star hotels' restaurant.

When I called to cancel I was told there would be a cancellation charge, this cancellation charge was not mentioned when I made the booking. Anyway it turns out that the restaurant had mislaid my booking and as a result they were unable to charge the cancellation fee, much to the annoyance of the lady on the phone.

Ludikrus

It would have to be clearly explained at time of booking. It's a contentious enough policy as it is, to hear about it for the first time when you cancel is outrageous.

odyssey06

During December I know a lot of places charge deposits e.g. 10 euros per person, but that is asked for at time of booking. I don't mind paying deposit but I prefer some flexibility in how it's applied e.g. if you book for 10 and 9 show up then 100 euros should be taken off the group bill - rather than the restaurant just claiming the 10 euros deposit for that one no-show.

Rackstar

Ludikrus wrote: »

It would have to be clearly explained at time of booking. It's a contentious enough policy as it is, to hear about it for the first time when you cancel is outrageous.

It wasn't explained at all. Needless to say I'm glad they couldn't even find the booking. I'm limited where I am but will give this place a miss when we re book.

rubadub

If it was not mentioned I cannot see how they could even think of enforcing it. If they could legally enforce it whats to stop them saying it's €500 per person.

Its like the dodgy private clampers, many shrug, give in and pay, but if they clamped a €500,000 ferrari and demanded €200,000 to release it there is no way it would be paid. (some limit is possibly out now for private clampers but there was not at one stage.)

Chancers.

CeilingFly

What does NAMA have to do with anything?

Restaurant cancellation fees are becoming more prevalent and are fairly standard in the higher end restaurants around Europe and USA.

The majority cost of a restaurant meal is staff - these staff are rostered in advance not just a few hours. If diners don't turn up or cancel at last minute, staff still have to be paid.

The more cancellations, the bigger the cost and at the end of the day it is reflected in cost of the meal.

Frankly, I don't think I should contribute to those who don't turn up or cancel at last minute.

DubTony

This crap pisses me off no end. It takes some gall to charge people for cancelling. These f*ckers need to get real.
What they're effectively saying is that when you book a table you're entering a contract and they expect to be paid whether you avail of the service or not. It's not bloody broadband we're talking about here. It's not electricity supply. It's a poxy meal. It's dinner FFS!
Watch which restaurants are first to go when the next downturn comes along.
/rant

Wheety

I agree with restaurants charging a deposit. I've been in restaurants before where there were tables with reserved signs on them and the restaurant turning away walk ins.

If a booking is for 8pm, they'll usually wait until 8:30pm and in this country restaurant trade seems to start dying off around then.

Rackstar

CeilingFly wrote: »

What does NAMA have to do with anything?

Restaurant cancellation fees are becoming more prevalent and are fairly standard in the higher end restaurants around Europe and USA.

The majority cost of a restaurant meal is staff - these staff are rostered in advance not just a few hours. If diners don't turn up or cancel at last minute, staff still have to be paid.

The more cancellations, the bigger the cost and at the end of the day it is reflected in cost of the meal.

Frankly, I don't think I should contribute to those who don't turn up or cancel at last minute.

NAMA owned it for a number of years and it was run as a going concern with little to no investment, it has very recently changed hands.

I didn't cancel at the last minute. We were due to celebrate a birthday but unfortunately the person who's birthday it is has taken ill, we could hardly go without them?

Theboinkmaster

DubTony wrote: »

This crap pisses me off no end. It takes some gall to charge people for cancelling. These f*ckers need to get real.
What they're effectively saying is that when you book a table you're entering a contract and they expect to be paid whether you avail of the service or not. It's not bloody broadband we're talking about here. It's not electricity supply. It's a poxy meal. It's dinner FFS!
Watch which restaurants are first to go when the next downturn comes along.
/rant

That's just displaying pure ignorance IMO. I'd have no issues paying a deposit for a restaurant, surprised more don't do it.

What's the different between that and prepaying your concert or cinema ticket....

Pelvis

I think it's quite common for the more prestigious restaurants, and I can understand it. Cancelling at the last second for the likes of Chapter One is quite costly for them, and it's not likely they'll have walkins to cover it. So it seems reasonable in those cases, and is explained when you make a booking, I think cancelling within 48 hours can incur a fee.

worker bee

Just tell them you were cancelling because you have Sars/Ebola/Swine flu etc but if they are going to charge you then you might as well just turn up and hope you don't infect too many people.

The Hill Billy

I can understand a late cancellation fee for large parties where the restaurant would be unlikely to fill the lost covers. For example, party of 15 cancels a 7pm booking at 6:30pm in a small restaurant.

But in the OP's instance above - that's taking the Mick.

For high-end restaurants - they should operate a waiting list for cancellations. I'm sure they would get takers for last minute tables, especially at weekends.

Rackstar

So I got a call 20 minutes after we were due at the restaurant, I was asked was everything ok by a very pleasant lady? I explained I had spoken to and cancelled my reservation with her colleague, she apologised for the mix up and didn't mention any cancellation fee.

caviardreams

Rackstar wrote: »

So I got a call 20 minutes after we were due at the restaurant, I was asked was everything ok by a very pleasant lady? I explained I had spoken to and cancelled my reservation with her colleague, she apologised for the mix up and didn't mention any cancellation fee.

Between them losing track of the details of the original booking, and then losing track of the fact you had cancelled, it would not give you a lot of faith in their customer service tbh!

mickoneill31

Rackstar wrote: »

Just wondering if restaurant cancellation fees are common?

I made a reservation last week, for tonight. Unfortunately I had to cancel it this afternoon. The reservation is for 4 people and one has fallen ill. The reservation is in an ex NAMA 4 star hotels' restaurant.

When I called to cancel I was told there would be a cancellation charge, this cancellation charge was not mentioned when I made the booking. Anyway it turns out that the restaurant had mislaid my booking and as a result they were unable to charge the cancellation fee, much to the annoyance of the lady on the phone.

How does this work? Did they take your credit card at the time of booking? If not how were they going to charge a cancellation fee?

CeilingFly

Rackstar wrote: »

NAMA owned it for a number of years and it was run as a going concern with little to no investment, it has very recently changed hands.

I didn't cancel at the last minute. We were due to celebrate a birthday but unfortunately the person who's birthday it is has taken ill, we could hardly go without them?

Cancelling at 3pm on the day of the dinner is last minute.

I still don't see what NAMA has to do with it.

bigbudda

Do you give credit card details while booking a table?? How will they impose this fee.

rubadub

Rackstar wrote: »

So I got a call 20 minutes after we were due at the restaurant, I was asked was everything ok by a very pleasant lady? I explained I had spoken to and cancelled my reservation with her colleague, she apologised for the mix up and didn't mention any cancellation fee.

should have told her you are currently at work and will unfortunately have to charge her a disruption fee of 40 euro for your time, seeing as it was already sorted .

I have no real issue if they talk of a fair deposit at the time of booking, as some others don't, but remember no cancellation fee was mentioned to the OP. Also the deposit would ideally change according to how close it is. Like if you book a table right now for Christmas eve, and cancel tomorrow you should not be paying as much as if you cancelled 2 hours before on Christmas eve. However if it is clearly explained it will be the same then at least you were notified.

rubadub

CeilingFly wrote: »

Cancelling at 3pm on the day of the dinner is last minute.

what time would be before the last minute?

I would feel the exact same as your comment "Frankly, I don't think I should contribute to those who don't turn up or cancel at last minute."

but do you think the restaurant should have mentioned it at the time of ordering? I expect they are legally obliged to if they think they have a hope in hell of enforcing it.

if not then there is the issue of an upper limit as I mentioned before.

Rackstar

CeilingFly wrote: »

Cancelling at 3pm on the day of the dinner is last minute.

I still don't see what NAMA has to do with it.

I get it, you're eristic. It was 12:30 when I cancelled, regardless neither are last minute.

Rackstar

bigbudda wrote: »

Do you give credit card details while booking a table?? How will they impose this fee.

Details were not given. I've no idea how they were going to enforce. The First Lady did ask when I was cancelling if I gave my credit card details.

kirving

Part of a risk in running a business, they need to cop on.

ted1

DubTony wrote: »

This crap pisses me off no end. It takes some gall to charge people for cancelling. These f*ckers need to get real.
What they're effectively saying is that when you book a table you're entering a contract and they expect to be paid whether you avail of the service or not. It's not bloody broadband we're talking about here. It's not electricity supply. It's a poxy meal. It's dinner FFS!
Watch which restaurants are first to go when the next downturn comes along.
/rant

When you book a table , the restaurant turn away business. They buy fresh produce they get staff in. Bottom line is they are down money as a result of you not fulfilling your booking. They need to recoup it

rubadub

Theboinkmaster wrote: »

What's the different between that and prepaying your concert or cinema ticket....

ted1 wrote: »

When you book a table , the restaurant turn away business. They buy fresh produce they get staff in. Bottom line is they are down money as a result of you not fulfilling your booking. They need to recoup it

If buying a concert ticket or cinema ticket it is usually made clear or inherently/traditionally understood from the start what the conditions are, i.e. no refunds, I have not seen any posts in this forum wondering if cancellation fees for concerts or cinema are common -which is very telling. You might certainly find some asking if they can manage to get a refund of concert tickets -not the same thing.

This is not the case with the OP, and it is not 100% clear if the poster (DubTony) you both quoted actually has an issue with deposits -or just what happened to the OP.

he said "What they're effectively saying is that when you book a table you're entering a contract" -if they ask for a deposit or make it clear there may be cancellation fees then it is clear to me you are in a way making a contract. This out of the blue "you owe us money" thing is a joke. If people do think it is acceptable then is there a limit at which it suddenly becomes unacceptable, e.g. my suggestion of a 500 euro cancelation fee is obviously ludicrous -so what do you think is the maximum costs iif it is totally undeclared like in the OPs case.

odyssey06

ted1 wrote: »

When you book a table , the restaurant turn away business. They buy fresh produce they get staff in. Bottom line is they are down money as a result of you not fulfilling your booking. They need to recoup it

For 4 people... in an operational hotel? Seriously?
If they are turning people away, they should (a) ask for a deposit upfront and (b) have a waiting list. They wouldn't have had to turn any walk ins away because the OP cancelled before their booked time.

Psychologeeee

I've never heard of this practice!

ebbsy

Restaurants have to pay light heat water staff etc whether there are customers or not.

D'ont turn up for a booking ? You should be charged.

Shelflife

I don't gave a problem with it as long as the restaurant is up front and clear about it.

The problem is too many people ruin it for everyone, there is now a "thing" where people will book a table in a number of restaurants and then decide on the night what they fancy and go there.

It's very unfair on a restaurant to have to turn away business for someone who is never going to turn up.

kylith

Pelvis wrote: »

I think it's quite common for the more prestigious restaurants, and I can understand it. Cancelling at the last second for the likes of Chapter One is quite costly for them, and it's not likely they'll have walkins to cover it. So it seems reasonable in those cases, and is explained when you make a booking, I think cancelling within 48 hours can incur a fee.

CeilingFly wrote: »

Cancelling at 3pm on the day of the dinner is last minute.

.

Ah now, I'd call 3pm a reasonable time to cancel, and I'd consider being charged a fee within 48 hours totally ridiculous.

I understand that they have overheads, but hours' notice on a Friday night? Most places would be able to fill a table with that notice.

The Hill Billy

The Hill Billy wrote: »

I can understand a late cancellation fee for large parties where the restaurant would be unlikely to fill the lost covers. For example, party of 15 cancels a 7pm booking at 6:30pm in a small restaurant.

But in the OP's instance above - that's taking the Mick.

For high-end restaurants - they should operate a waiting list for cancellations. I'm sure they would get takers for last minute tables, especially at weekends.

That's a very sensible approach

silverharp

I can understand that you would loose a deposit, but how exactly could they enforce their charge otherwise? they have a name and a mobile number, just tell em to f off. if that racket took off they would start aping the airline and would overbook their restaurants.

GerardKeating

Rackstar wrote: »

It wasn't explained at all. Needless to say I'm glad they couldn't even find the booking. I'm limited where I am but will give this place a miss when we re book.

If there is a cancellation fee, it should certainly be clearly disclosed at the time of booking.

On a more general note, if the establishment (and this could be a restaurant, Hair Dresser, Nail Salon etc) incurs a cost due to a cancellation, whom should pay the cost, the other customers, or the person canceling.

Would you be happy paying a few euro more on your bill to cost the cost of cancellations?

sillysmiles

For all those who suggest that a cancellation fee is acceptable, what about if you tun up, sit down, read through the menu, get shirty service from staff and decide f this we are leaving?

DubTony

I hate it when I post on a thread and forget about it.

To clarify, the whole idea of restaurants demanding deposits is anathema to me. It shows the attitude of the owners toward their customers. And they "higher-end" the restauranteur believes himself to be, the worse it gets.

What they need to realise is that people choose to eat in their establishments over another. In most businesses the owner would be appreciative of this. It seems many restauranteurs feel that they're more important than the people who pay the wages. The fact is they aren't. Without the paying customer, they have nothing. These are people who feel they don't have to answer to their customers, and so treat them with contempt.

We've all heard about the chef who comes out to berate the customer because he complained that a part of the meal wasn't cooked properly. Or the other one who's been on radio complaining that his customers don't want to eat potatoes because they're on a low carb diet. "The potatoes are vital to the taste and construction of the meal".
Then there's the poor woman who was told to get out of the restaurant because she said she didn't want to eat gluten and asked for an alternative to something.

The restaurant industry is full of these clowns. And I suggest that they are the very reason most restaurants fail quickly. The problem is in many cases that the owners aren't business people, they're ego driven chefs. And they feel that they don't have to answer to market forces.

Every small business has challenges on a daily basis. These idiots should just suck it up and get on with it. It's not like it'll cost a kings ransom to have a couple of minimum wage employees hanging around. Run the business properly and budget accordingly. I don't hear the owners of Eddie Rockets or TGI Fridays screaming that people aren't coming into the shop. Same business - different attitude.