Do you make online reservations?

Sunny

Sunny

SF VIP
Location
Maryland
I've found that most businesses (restaurants, theatres, hairdressers, medical practices, dentist, etc.) seem to prefer that we make our reservations online rather than by phone. In fact, you sometimes have to do some digging to even find a phone number to call. I imagine the reason for this is that it's a lot cheaper for them to set up an app than to pay an actual human being.

The trouble is, I have very often had problems with these apps, and it's usually not due to my error. These apps are only as good as the software that runs them. Yesterday was an example. My son, grandson, and I were planning to go out for dinner this evening. I tried to make a reservation at a restaurant that is a small chain, with about six different restaurants in this general area. It gave me a reservation for the wrong location. I tried to undo it and make another reservation for the right place. It wouldn't let me, as there was already a reservation for that date and time under my email, which was apparently the key to the whole thing.

So I started again, and made another reservation for the right place under my son's name. This time they got it right. I finally found a phone number, called them, talked to a very nice young woman to tell her to cancel the first one, and she did that and verified that we had a reservation at the right one. The trouble is, the first restaurant keeps sending me reminder emails. So apparantly we do have two reservations, with no way to cancel the wrong one, even though I was told it was cancelled. Or maybe it was, but their email reminder system didn't know about it.

This has happened with the hairdresser also. Good hairdresser, but a terrible online reservation system. I'm pretty computer savvy and know how to click on a link. But more often than not, it's gotten something wrong. Now, I always just call them.

Makes me long for the good old days, when all you had to do was make a phone call!
 

I make reservations and appointments, including doctors and dentists. Both of mine have an online portal. I really don’t like being on the phone, unless it’s a good friend or relative, so I use the computer.

Good question.
 
Sunny said:
I've found that most businesses (restaurants, theatres, hairdressers, medical practices, dentist, etc.) seem to prefer that we make our reservations online rather than by phone. In fact, you sometimes have to do some digging to even find a phone number to call. I imagine the reason for this is that it's a lot cheaper for them to set up an app than to pay an actual human being.

The trouble is, I have very often had problems with these apps, and it's usually not due to my error. These apps are only as good as the software that runs them. Yesterday was an example. My son, grandson, and I were planning to go out for dinner this evening. I tried to make a reservation at a restaurant that is a small chain, with about six different restaurants in this general area. It gave me a reservation for the wrong location. I tried to undo it and make another reservation for the right place. It wouldn't let me, as there was already a reservation for that date and time under my email, which was apparently the key to the whole thing.

So I started again, and made another reservation for the right place under my son's name. This time they got it right. I finally found a phone number, called them, talked to a very nice young woman to tell her to cancel the first one, and she did that and verified that we had a reservation at the right one. The trouble is, the first restaurant keeps sending me reminder emails. So apparantly we do have two reservations, with no way to cancel the wrong one, even though I was told it was cancelled. Or maybe it was, but their email reminder system didn't know about it.

This has happened with the hairdresser also. Good hairdresser, but a terrible online reservation system. I'm pretty computer savvy and know how to click on a link. But more often than not, it's gotten something wrong. Now, I always just call them.

Makes me long for the good old days, when all you had to do was make a phone call!
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Most often I have questions, so I call.
 
Not being "trendy" and part of the mad consumer society, I still use a phone. Don't intend to use those apps to make appointment, have pizza delivered or whatever else they want me to do.
 
I haven't seen a barber in decades so don't have to worry about that one. I dislike having to make calls, so love anything that can be done by computer or phone app. I get really annoyed with press this and then press that. English vs Espanol and then a hosts of other choices that do nothing for me. It's really painful calling a business these days.

Love the patient portal for questions and setting up appointments for any of my doctors. So much easier than the old fashioned phone call while they have you on hold for almost an hour.
 
It’s handy being able to book a restaurant online. I look at the times available and pick the best for me. The last reservation I made had a comment line so I could tell them about the person with a nut allergy. They called and just said to remind the server at each course.
 
The apps work fine part of the time. But if there's an error, or you change your mind and want to cancel something, good luck! Anyway, we're leaving for the restaurant in a few minutes. I hope they let us in!
 
Sunny said:
I've found that most businesses (restaurants, theatres, hairdressers, medical practices, dentist, etc.) seem to prefer that we make our reservations online rather than by phone. In fact, you sometimes have to do some digging to even find a phone number to call. I imagine the reason for this is that it's a lot cheaper for them to set up an app than to pay an actual human being.
Click to expand...
From a small business owner's perspective: Online reservations and purchases are obviously more accurate, less interruptive, less time consuming, and more secure for employees to manage. There also isn't the he-said, she-said aspect of what the order, reservation or communication actually was. Those are givens.

However, that's not why we first stopped publishing our business phone number, then stopped answering it and just checked voice mail a few times a day, then eventually disconnected it. The reason for that sequence of steps was the proliferation of spam phone calls.

We were increasingly being assaulted by a barrage of the same kind of nonsensical phone calls that private parties are hammered with, but at a far greater volume because our business number was published on the internet. 10 real calls to 90 fishing and phishing expeditions every day. No exaggeration. It was beyond frustrating.

Handling our business phone became an enormous waste of our time, energy and patience. These days, regular customers have our cell numbers. Others need to email or submit an online form to contact us.

Likewise, the volume of garbage emails to our general mailbox has gotten so high that I added private, unpublished business email addresses for our vendors and regular customers.

Ours isn't the only business that's mostly or completely dispensed with telephone contact. If the only calls we received were genuine, we'd still have a business land line.
 
I wonder if it is they are using an outdated reservation system. One of my Dr.s has one he's had for a while, and it worked great when Reagan was President. But in 2022, not so great.
I always make online reservations.
 
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OK, so when we got there, we found that we had TWO reservations in my son's name! The staff seemed to find the whole thing funny, and there was no problem checking in. The food was delicious.
 
I make online reservations if we decide to go to the casinos, and stay overnight. I've done this for years, and always print the confirmation, and take it with us if there are any problems. One time, Harrah's messed up, and didn't have our reservation when we checked in.....they gave us a deluxe suite, and some free play to compensate for their error.
A couple of weeks ago, I made an online reservation for my annual checkup at the doctor....when I got there, this morning, they were all set, and I was invited in, right on time.
However, when I make any reservations, I do so from the computer....Never from the cell phone. That way, I can get an immediate confirmation, and print it.
 
Infinitely prefer making reservations on line. So much quicker and easier. I loathe phones, as that was a major part of my various jobs for 37 yrs. Not big on phone apps, either. I use them when I must, and I do mean, because I MUST.
 
In the past I've made reservations online and by phone, I think it's true that you get better prices by calling hotels directly than going online, so most hotels I've booked have been by phone, this is after I've checked out the hotel online.....airlines and shows were done online.
 
I have made reservations for properties other than my timeshare via the exchange club sites (RCI and Interval International). Those exchange clubs feature thousands of resorts available to timeshare owners who pay for membership. Therefore I never had to contact those resorts directly. Other than exchange club reservations, I've made two other reservations for Marriotts, but made those via the discount site Booking.com. I've never had a problem making reservations online.

I'd like to be able to book at my timeshare online but under the Owner's tab, it only gives me the option of booking a one bedroom (what we own) for my annual "free" week. I found out and just verified that I can make reservations for studio suites (my preference) under the Guest tab and the price will be adjusted when I check in. Haven't done it yet, but I'll be doing so after Labor day. The wait time to connect to a booking agent by phone has become too long.
 
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I've found that sometimes making reservations directly with a hotel can get you special "hidden" rates.

I was making reservations for a couple of rooms once and asked the desk clerk if they had any specials, lower than the usual Senior, AAA, or AARP rates. She asked, "Are you a member of ______ Baptist Church?" When I said no, she replied, "Well, you are now!" Apparently, they had a block of rooms taken for an event and hadn't used them all. It saved me $20 per night per room.

Doesn't hurt to ask.....

And sometimes, they'll match rates at another hotel. Say, "ABC Hotel across the street quoted me $100 but I'd rather stay at your hotel". I don't lie about it but I do use the facts.
 

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