It is now a legal requirement that hospitality venues such as restaurants and pubs take consumer details to aid with the UK government’s track and trace initiative. Although it is understandable and necessary for the hospitality industry to help in this way, taking track and trace details can put undue pressure on restaurants and bars as well as taking up valuable resources and time at an already busy and challenging time. However, help is at hand for restaurants, cafes and bars. Our online table booking system can help all hospitality venues with track and trace. Here’s how…
Take Customer Details
As part of bar and restaurant’s participation in track and trace, the government stipulate that all guests must leave their name and number as a bare minimum.
When using an online booking system to reserve a table at your restaurant or bar, the person booking is already asked for their name, email address and contact number which is automatically sent over to you confirming the booking. We can also add in an optional section at the point of booking or through your bespoke confirmation email to take the details of all guests for track and trace. Therefore, customers details are already taken prior to their arrival at your restaurant or bar and can be stored electronically complying with the government’s track and trace policies.
Save Valuable Time and Resources
To take customer details many restaurants and bars have allocated a staff member to greet guests on arrival and take down their details. However, with an online booking system customer’s details have already been taken therefore removing the need to take details at the door using paper forms or a tablet. This therefore saves on staffing, time and resources meaning you can relocate staff elsewhere and remove this rather onerous admin task.
Plus, by taking details online you are limiting staff-diner contact and sharing of resources, such as pens or tablets, hence making your establishment more COVID-safe for staff and guests.
A Safe Yet Streamlined Diner Experience
We all have to get used to the new normal and play our part in the government’s track and trace system to control the virus. As such pubs and restaurants are relying on guests to comply with the altered dining experience. Despite these measures being essential, pubs and restaurants also want to give guests as normal an experience as possible to make guests feel comfortable and ensure return business.
Having someone ask for your contact details on arrival at a restaurant or bar can feel quite intrusive and may spoil the diner experience, or at least the welcome. By taking guest details online and avoiding the completion of forms on arrival, pubs and restaurants provide guests with a more streamlined experience that feels more normal and relaxed and considerably less intrusive. Plus, as diners know that all guest details have been taken online for track and trace, they know your establishment is complying with the relevant measures and helping to keep them safe, a point that will be vital if restaurants and bars want to see return guests.
Extra Track and Trace Details
The bare minimum the government are asking for is guest names and contact numbers. However, as an extra measure the government suggest that guest time spent on the premises and the table they sat at would also be useful to narrow down any track and trace measures needed.
When diners make a booking through our online table booking system, details are immediately transferred across to an easy to use table management system. From here restaurateurs can allocate an estimated time frame for diners to be sat at that table which can then be passed on to track and trace if required. Also, if needed, your online table plan can be used to inform track and trace which table guests were sat at, aiding with the elimination process.
An online table booking system can majorly help restaurants and bars navigate the government’s requirements for track and trace. And, this system doesn’t just have to be used for dining. Whether guests are eating or simply drinking, the online booking system can be used to take details and make bookings for both.
For more ways our online table booking system can help the hospitality industry navigate the new normal, click here. Or, contact our team to try our live system for free.
For more information on SVTables or to try the live system call 01253 698328 or complete the form below: