What is a restaurant waitlist?
A restaurant waitlist is a way of managing restaurant queues at your restaurant during busy periods. Keeping an ordered list, outlining who is waiting for a table and the number of people in their party is the first step in restaurant queue management and will enable your manager or front of house to keep a handle on who to seat and when.
If you want to ensure stress-free restaurant queues and avoid losing customers at this crucial point, you’ll need to manage them effectively. Thankfully there are plenty of ways you can optimise your processes to make your restaurant waitlist management more effective.
Why is waitlist management important for restaurants?
If queues aren’t a common occurrence at your restaurant, you might be wondering why waitlist management is essential. However, just one poorly managed client could cause significant financial and reputational damage. If you're aiming to increase your restaurant’s profits, waitlist management is definitely not something to overlook.
Queue abandonment
If potential diners are left waiting for a long time with no communication from you or your staff, it’s no surprise if they decide to leave and try a competitor instead. Effective restaurant queue management ensures that wait times are managed and communicated clearly, reducing the likelihood of customers walking out.
Avoiding negative reviews
Even if customers do stick around and wait for a table, a badly managed waitlist will start their experience off on the wrong foot and taint the whole dining experience. In today’s digital age, social media and online reviews make it easy for customers to share their experiences. If your queue management isn’t up to par, you risk bad reviews that can hurt your reputation.
Supports staff
Waitlist management isn’t just about keeping your customers happy. Effective restaurant waitlist management also aids your staff. If they know, at a glance, who they need to seat and when, they can plan ahead and help start their diners’ experiences off on the right track.
3 tips for better queue management for restaurants
We now know the importance of waitlist management, but the question is how do you manage a restaurant queue so it works well for all involved? Here are 3 tips to get you started:
1. Use virtual restaurant waitlists
Customers are increasingly accustomed to using online tools to plan ahead, and many will check your website before visiting your restaurant — even if they haven’t made a reservation. Virtual restaurant waitlists tap into this growing reliance on technology by allowing customers to add themselves to the queue online. Whether it’s through your website, a dedicated kiosk, scanning a QR code, or sending a text, virtual waitlists make the process seamless.
Some systems allow you to add a waitlist widget to your website, showing the waitlist in real-time, so customers get visibility into the expected wait time before they commit to coming in, reducing frustration and uncertainty.
Once added to the virtual waitlist, customers receive updates on where they are in the line, so they have a clearer idea of how long they’ll need to wait. Not only do virtual waitlists provide clarity for customers, but they also allow staff to focus on serving those diners already in the restaurant. This way, there’s less need for someone to manually record names or respond to queries about of time it will take before customers will be seated.
At Access, we’ve integrated this functionality directly into our restaurant booking software so that your customers are able to automatically add themselves to a queue, receive updates on their wait time and remove themselves if needed, all without any manual actions for staff.
2. Use a restaurant queue management system
A restaurant queue management system integrates with your restaurant reservation and table management systems. These joined-up systems allow for greater accuracy around timings and efficiencies on-site. For example, if a customer finishes their meal earlier than expected, the restaurant manager can easily update the plan – including the waitlist.
This system is particularly beneficial for larger venues that need to turn tables quickly, but even smaller independents can take advantage of this technology to run a more efficient operation and reduce the number of front-of-house staff needed.
By using an automated queue management system for restaurants, your customers stay updated in real-time on their position in the queue, while your staff are relieved from constantly answering questions about wait times. This reduces stress and enhances the overall experience for both parties.
3. Create a positive restaurant waitlist experience
Whether your restaurant waitlist is virtual or not, you should create the right experience at this stage, so that your customers have a positive impression from the beginning. No one likes waiting, especially when hungry, but there are several ways you can reduce the frustration:
Regular communication
Send regular updates on wait times so customers know exactly how long they have before they are seated. This won’t speed up their wait, but it will keep them informed and give them the power to make a decision to stay or go.
Keep waiting guests entertained
If you have the space, create an area for guests to hang out in while they wait. If your restaurant is family-friendly, provide a play table or colouring packs to occupy waiting children. Sending customers to the bar first could help soften the wait for some customers and offering a seat and a menu to peruse will be welcomed by those unable to stand for long periods of time.
Improve your restaurant queue management with dedicated software
In this article, we’ve explored the importance of queue management in a restaurant and how failing to deliver an effective service can damage your reputation and lead to lost customers.
It’s no secret that restaurants that don’t invest in effective restaurant software will struggle in today’s fast-paced hospitality industry. With customers increasingly expecting quicker, more convenient, and digitised booking services, restaurants and hospitality venues must carefully evaluate their options to align with long-term business goals.
But don’t worry, we’re here to help. Not only do we provide the tools to effectively manage your restaurant waitlist, but we also help our clients drive more bookings, ensuring they can avoid lengthy queues that might frustrate an impatient customer base.
If you’re ready to find out more about the software that can help you tackle queue management in your restaurant then get in touch or find out more about our restaurant booking system.