To think this is poor customer service?

[Thistledew]

Tonight DH and I tried a restaurant we had not been to before. Small-ish place that seats maybe 60 people. They do not accept table reservations.

When we got there at around 8pm the restaurant was packed apart from one table with four seats. We were told that there were no tables for two available. We decided to wait. A couple of minutes later, 3 people came in and were seated at the table for four.

I was a bit pissed off at this and was discussing with DH if we should leave/where else we should go, when a table for 2 became available so we were seated and had a nice meal.

I get that they want to maximise their profitability, and that they are obviously busy so can afford to be choosy about their customers, but AIBU to think it is poor customer service and ultimately counterproductive? What if for the next hour only couples had come in? The table would have remained empty rather than half full.

But it's not poor customer service. Poor customer service would have been to turn you away. This is working smart.

Thanks for all the responses. It was a smallish restaurant and there was no bar or seating area so we were hovering awkwardly near the door and right by other customers' tables.

We were told that it would be a 10 min wait or maybe longer. I don't mind waiting a bit but didn't like it that people who arrived after us got seated straight away whilst we had to continue to wait.

I found it surprising because it seemed to be a clear statement on the part of the restaurant that they cared more about their profit than than our experience as customers. I wouldn't have thought that was the best message to give out. Also, in my profession I don't get to pick and choose my customers and I get paid the same whether the work I do takes me 3 hours or 5 hours. I just have to suck it up, so I expect that other people would operate in a similar way.

You're being unreasonable - it's a business, sometimes you book a table and still need to wait a few minutes , a bar or lounge area would be most helpful but sounds like it's not that type of restaurant

What they did was perfectly acceptable, you could have gone elsewhere for a quick drink whilst they get the table ready for you

Flouncy- you would be swiftly moved in mine and many of my friends restaurants

Same would have happened where I used to work! We'd have been annoyed at having to turn away a group of 4 when 2 were sat at a table for 4 (esp if there was a table for 2 free!).

That wasn't bad customer service, it was good business sense.

Its common practice - you sit the people who best fit the table. Having just been on holiday and eaten out at a lot of restaurants the policy there was that they fitted the group to the table. Once we were seated straightaway even though people were waiting as a table of six was free, another time a group of 4 was seated first because a 4 was available

Also thinking about it the restaurant serving apps that my kids play you get more points for working it that way

Pisstakers like Flouncy spoil it for the rest of us if there is a genuine last minute change of plans. And there's absolutely no need to be underhand about it.

Extra space is a nice to have for us for various reasons (it's very helpful in mobility and comfort terms not a mandatory like wheelchair space if you see what I mean) and if we phone up and say we have booked for two but do you have a slightly roomier table, nine times out of ten we are accommodated very willingly. We would NEVER think of booking for four then just turning up as two people. You wouldn't book two appointments at the optician then insist on just one really thorough check lasting an appointment and a half.