For being annoyed at restaurant for giving our table away?

[diamondsareforever5]

Had a Father's Day meal booked for 4:30 at a restaurant today. Miraculously managed to get the kids out the house with plenty of time to get there (restaurant is 20 mins away and left at 3:45). Satnav said we would arrive just after 5 past.

Around 10 minutes into the journey, we got stuck in grid lock traffic. By the time we started moving, the satnav was now saying we wouldn't get to the restaurant until 4:40. I called the restaurant to let them know we would be 10 minutes late.

We finally got to the car park at around 4:42. I rang the restaurant again, as they have a 15 minute grace period, so I was aware that we only had 3 minutes to get to the restaurant and the car park was around a 5 minute walk away. Whoever I spoke to on the phone assured me they would hold the table.

We got to the restaurant just after 4:45 only to be told that our table had just been given away! I explained that I had just spoken to someone literally minutes before who said they would hold the table for us. The lady just shrugged and said "sorry, it's our policy" and that another table wouldn't be available until another hour and a half!

I understand that we were late and had just missed the grace period, but I was told that they would hold the table for us! AIBU to be really pissed off about this?

We did end up in another restaurant which everyone enjoyed so Father's Day wasn't completely ruined I suppose, but just annoying as I really wanted to try this new restaurant!

I've worked in hospitality for nearly 2 decades. The person on the door was just being a jobsworth, they should have held your table. You called and said you were running late, they told you it was fine, they should have honoured what they told you on the phone.

Unless it is a small, privately owned restaurant, there should be enough leeway on bookings to accommodate a table turning up 20 mins late. Lots of shuffling about happens with bookings, it's not as regimented as people think.

Yeah, I'd be pretty annoyed that I was lied to OP, yanbu.

Oh grow up.

I don't think the restaurant did anything wrong, personally, as a cut off is a cut off, but it is infantile to pretend that every incident of lateness is a 'choice'.

You faffed about at home, underestimated the time you needed, messed the restaurant around and still ended up with a nice meal 🤷‍♀️.

Actually, thinking on it. The person on the door (organising bookings) might have been inexperienced and sticking to booking slots to avoid error. But even so, they should have gotten someone more experienced over to help them shuffle things around as you had been told on the phone that they would hold your table. Had you not phoned and just swanned in 20 mins late without a care in the world I'd have said tough luck, but you did the right thing and they should have honoured what they told you on the phone.

Did you actually say you were in the car park? Or did you say you were a few minutes away?

It’s on you.
You were late. Your fault.

They have twice as much time as they needed to get there, you rang, they said it was fine, it wasn't. That's the issue. Being late is one thing, having a policy where you only have 15 mins grace is another thing. But saying it's fine and then giving the table away is not ok. I've had restaurants tell me when I've called we've a 15 min grace period so if you get here in 5 mins you're fine but I've a queue of people so after 5 mins it's gone. And they were honest, that's fine. It's when they say they'll hold the table but they don't.

Lateness is an absolute nightmare for businesses. I own a small business and I would say that 50% of people arrive at least 10 minutes after their appointment time. I book 30 minute time slots for the service I provide, and then 15 minute follow up appointments for the collection of what i have prepared for the customer. Most of my customers have to travel about 30 minutes to get to me, so 5 or 10 minutes either side is absolutely fine. I would consider 10-15+ minutes though properly late, it pushes out my schedule, makes me later finishing work. If they call to say they are running late it's polite, but doesn't change the fact that I'm hanging around for them. If my next customers come before the late one, then I naturally see them first. This then pisses off the late customer, but better to have the late customers wait another 35 minutes that than make the early customer wait 20 to 35 minutes after their appointment time. It pushes my premises and staff expenses up, so looses me money.

Where do you get the idea OP faffed about at home from?

The delay was entirely traffic related with a 25 minute journey taking close to an hour.

I use Google maps but can't work out how I can avoid being stuck on the motorway when an accident happens after I've passed the prior junction. I had this recently so it would be useful to know what I could have done differently?

So they said it was ok for you to be a few minutes past the 15 minutes on the phone but then didn't follow that and gave your table away? Then they need to do more training with their staff as not everyone is on the same page. However in future I agree with others drop someone at the door to go ahead and confirm your arrival then park up.

We got to the restaurant just after 4:45

So 4.46? Or 4.50? Longer? How long after makes a difference IMO

Why are posters missing the fact that someone from the place said it would be OK?

Of course the policy is fine and understandable, no one's disagreeing with that, the problem is the miscommunication if the exception to the policy

By your own admittance you set off late, 5 mins is still late. And if the carpark is 5 mins walk you were going to arrive even later!
you should be setting off 30 mins before your booking to allow for the full travel, parking, walking time with a few minutes extra incase of traffic delays.

And don’t give the bull about being hard to get out the door! I manage to get 2 adhd people out of the door on time.

Sounds a case of miscommunication in the restaurant or the manager overruled whoever you gave the message to as you were not there.

As others said, I would have dropped some of the party off at the door then parked up.

If this "gridlock" caused a 10 minute delay..I don't think it was gridlocked...

Did you even read the OP where she tells eshe left 45mins before her booking?

I had the same situation for Mother’s Day, got to the town and realised they had a big event on so parking was a no go. We tried ringing the restaurant but no one answered so my husband and one of the kids ran to the restaurant to save our table whilst I battled to park somewhere. I think if we had all stayed together our table would have been lost. As frustrating as it is that you called to inform them, they can only hold it for so long and unfortunately it’s all the people that don’t even bother to call and don’t turn up that makes their policy so strict. They literally can’t afford to take the risk especially when they can fill it with another group. Next time send your husband on first.

leave yourself plenty of time to get there! Especially if it involves motorway travel and especially if it involves travelling on a busy day (Fathers day). You were late, end of. Not the restaurant problem, you probably sounded flaky keep ringing with different time frame. They should’ve charged you for wasting their time too

They held it for 10 but I guess they have a system that wipes it after 15. Computer says no.

YANBU. You rang them twice, you were told it was OK. How could anyone think you are in the wrong? No point contacting the restaurant though, they won't care.

I can see why you were annoyed, but ultimately I think it's just one of those situations where it's not worth getting worked up about.

You did everything right from your pov and called up several times, and yes someone did say that the table would be held and it wasn't. But in their defence FD will be one of the busiest days of the year, they may not be able to override the computer booking system even if they wanted to and if it's relatively new, likely most of the staff haven't been there long so aren't sure how things work.

You found another restaurant that you all enjoyed, so no,harm done.

You could perhaps contact the restaurant to let them know what happened, but I'd do it more in a "perhaps the system can't be overridden" tone rather than accusatory. Sadly the reality is that most no shows or late comers don't bother informing the restaurant.

It's not your fault but it's not the restaurants fault either. They have a 15 minute rule and you were later than the 15 minutes so they gave the table away. Sure the person on the phone should have explained that better not said it will be fine but that's human error. If ever I arrive more than 15 minutes late to a restaurant which is very rare, I'm always conscious that they may have given the table away. As PP have said, you should have dropped off one adult before parking.

Good idea. Then people might actually show up on time and not expect a restaurant to hold a table indefinitely on a busy day.