1. Questions for Restaurant Staff
Creating and Editing Reservations
Q1. How can I create a new reservation for a guest who calls or walks in?
Answer: Open Booking on the POS and tap Add Reservation. Enter the guest’s name, phone number, party size, date, and time. Review the available tables, select a system-recommended table or choose one from the Floor Plan, and tap Done to confirm the reservation.
Q2. What should I do if a guest wants to change the number of guests or the reservation time?
Answer: Find and open the guest’s reservation, then tap Edit. Update the party size, time slot, or special requests, and tap Done. If the new party size or time requires a different table, the system may ask you to reassign the reservation.
Q3. Can I choose a table manually instead of using the table recommended by the system?
Answer: Yes. When creating or editing a reservation, you can select a table directly from the Floor Plan instead of using the system-recommended table.
Table Coordination
Q4. How can I check which tables are available or occupied?
Answer: Open Booking on the POS and select the date you want to review. You can use Timeline View or List View to monitor reservations, seating by time slot, reserved tables, expected guests, and upcoming peak hours.
Q5. How can I combine two or more small tables for a large party?
Answer: When creating a reservation for a large party, select an available table combination. The system can automatically identify adjacent tables with suitable capacities, such as combining two two-seat tables for a four-person party.
Q6. Can I temporarily block a table for a VIP guest, maintenance, or a private event?
Answer: Yes. Open the layout, select the table, and tap Block Table. The table will turn grey and will not be suggested for future reservations during that period. To make it available again, select the blocked table and tap Unblock.
Handling Arrivals and Special Situations
Q7. What should I do when a reserved guest arrives?
Answer: Open the reservation list, select the arriving party, and tap Check in. The table status will automatically change to Seated. Staff can then open an active order ticket on the POS and begin table service.
Q8. How should I handle a guest who arrives late?
Answer: Monitor the elapsed waiting time using the late status indicator in the reservation list. You may call or message the guest if necessary. If the guest arrives within the grace period, tap Check in as usual. If the guest exceeds the holding period, reassign or release the table according to the restaurant’s policy.
Q9. Can the system automatically cancel a reservation when a guest is too late?
Answer: Yes. Go to Dashboard > Booking > Auto-Cancellation Settings and configure the cancellation threshold, such as automatically canceling a reservation 15 minutes after the scheduled time.
Q10. How do I cancel a reservation, and how can I check whether a cancellation fee applies?
Answer: Select the relevant reservation and tap Cancel. Review the cancellation timeline in relation to the restaurant’s policy. A reservation canceled within the grace period is canceled immediately without the late-cancellation warning. A late cancellation or no-show may trigger a policy warning and may result in a cancellation fee if the guest’s card was previously validated and authorized.
2. Questions for Restaurant Managers
System Setup
Q1. How can I set different table turn times for different party sizes?
Answer: Define the estimated dining duration according to party size. For example:
- 1 to 2 guests: 60 to 90 minutes
- 3 to 4 guests: 90 to 120 minutes
- 5 to 8 guests: 120 minutes or more
The system uses these settings to recommend suitable reservation slots and help prevent overbooking.
Q2. How can I configure appropriate booking intervals?
Answer: Set the Booking Intervals according to the restaurant’s operating needs. Available intervals may include every 15, 30, or 60 minutes. These intervals determine how frequently guests can make reservations.
Q3. How can I set a cleaning buffer between reservations?
Answer: Configure the Table Cleaning Time, for example, 10 to 15 minutes. This gives staff time to clear and sanitize a table before the next reservation. The system takes this buffer into account when checking availability.
Q4. How do the table, turn-time, and cleaning-time settings help prevent overbooking?
Answer: The system uses table capacity, estimated dining duration, booking intervals, and cleaning time to calculate availability. During peak periods, it prevents reservations from being placed too close together and suggests the most suitable open time slots.
Policies and Risk Management
Q5. How can I activate card validation for large parties or special events?
Answer: First, make sure the Dejavoo payment terminal is connected and verified on the POS. When creating the reservation, select Edit card info, then swipe or insert the guest’s card on the Dejavoo terminal. The system will place a pre-authorization hold to secure the reservation.
Q6. When can the restaurant charge a cancellation or no-show fee?
Answer: The fee can be charged only when the guest’s card has been successfully validated and authorized before the cancellation or no-show. The restaurant must also follow its own cancellation and no-show policy.
Q7. Can I set the system to automatically cancel reservations after a certain amount of time?
Answer: Yes. Go to Dashboard > Booking > Auto-Cancellation Settings and set the desired threshold, such as 15 minutes after the scheduled reservation time.
Q8. How can I prevent walk-in or waitlist tables from appearing in reservation recommendations?
Answer: Go to the table layout and enable the No Reservation tag for the relevant tables. These tables will not appear in the system’s reservation recommendations.
Guest Communication and Daily Monitoring
Q9. How can I customize SMS confirmation and reminder messages?
Answer: Connect the restaurant’s SMS service provider and create customized message templates. These templates can be used for booking confirmations, upcoming reservation reminders, policy announcements, modifications, and cancellations.
Q10. What types of automated notifications can guests receive?
Answer: Depending on the messaging setup, guests may receive:
- A booking confirmation immediately after the reservation is saved
- A reminder a few hours or one day before the reservation
- Notifications about modifications or cancellations
- Live text messages from staff if two-way communication is enabled
Q11. Which POS view can I use to monitor the expected number of guests and busy periods?
Answer: Open Booking and select the relevant date. Use Timeline View or List View to monitor the total expected guests, reserved tables, seating by time slot, and upcoming peak hours.
