Forgetting to cancel a restaurant reservation can cost you dearly

Restaurants in Trois-Rivières are using new methods to combat this problem, to inform customers of the costs of absenteeism without notice.

Restaurant owners have their wits about them and will go out of their way to ensure that customers are seated at their tables during peak hours.

“On a summer evening, at home, we can cancel up to 90. The challenge is to play with cancellations and reservations without losing tables,” explains Martin Bilodeau, general manager and co-founder of Buck Restaurant.

For various reasons, while making a booking, some restaurants have started asking for a credit card number, which can be used to charge compensation fees.

According to the Office of Consumer Protection, it is legal to ask a customer for their credit card number when making a booking. On the contrary, it is illegal to fix the amount of compensation in advance. It is important to remember that a restaurant reservation is a form of contract.

This method allows restaurants to protect themselves. “It’s not about making money. We’ve got almost nothing. It’s really about people canceling without showing up at the restaurant or canceling 15 minutes before the scheduled time,” clarified Mr. Bilodeau.

Currently, at Buck, a $25 fee per person is requested if a reservation is overlooked. The Consumer Protection Office concluded that the actual amount of compensation must be claimed.

However, according to our information, the amount currently required at Buck’s Restaurant does not represent the average customer’s bill amount.

When the holiday season arrives, the same pattern applies to the number of people. A company making a reservation for a group of 50 people must inform the restaurant if they are under or over. This way, the restaurant can adjust its reservations accordingly.

The area’s restaurants are inspired by this method, which is already very popular in Montreal.