Orchid has said 2,000 online reservations, producing 10,000 covers, were made in the first month since it launched an online booking system for almost all its pubs.
The company said 85% of pre-booked covers are seated between 12pm-1.30pm and 5.30pm- 7.30pm.
“People are making more concrete plans for their pub visits and prefer to be certain that they can arrive to find a table at whatever time is convenient for them,” said Maria Hamilton, senior marketing manager - digital & loyalty at Orchid Group.
“They might also want to let the pub know about any specific requirements, whether dietary needs, high chairs for the kids or to confirm access to disabled facilities.
“It means customers can rest assured that they can sit down as soon as they arrive, and it also allows our pubs to ensure they have the correct staffing levels and can confidently and accurately inform walk-in customers of availability.”
“All in all, this provides a better customer experience and shows that we are doing all we can to meet the needs of our customers.
“We recognise that modern lives are very busy and people don’t want to waste time waiting around – the hours in our days are precious and we want to help everyone, customers and staff, get the most from their time with us.”
