A restaurant has been backed for introducing a 'black book' system to get tough on customers who cancel reservations without giving a good reason why.
We reported how Swansea's Mumbles Road restaurant Môr has introduced the no-nonsense measures where customers who cancel without a reasonable excuse are not allowed to return in future. You can read more about that by clicking here. You can keep up to date with the latest Swansea news by signing up to the local newsletter here.
It comes as the hospitality industry has taken a huge hit since the coronavirus pandemic broke out more than two years ago. It was hoped that businesses and restaurants could enjoy a fruitful and profitable spring and summer in 2022 after challenging times in 2020 and 2021. However, despite Covid restrictions in Wales coming to an end in recent weeks and months, restaurants and bars are facing different types of challenges during the busy Easter holiday period.
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The black book system introduced by Môr manager Hywelis Thomas-Howells has been a hot topic on WalesOnline social media channels, with hundreds leaving comments expressing their thoughts on it.
Menna Hughes fully backed the decision. She wrote: "Good for them. Having been a restaurant owner it drives you barmy, no thought of the person trying to give employment to others, bills still need to be paid."
And Patricia Duncan wrote: "So they should. Too many people don't have the decency to cancel things, which means that the business ends up losing a lot of money, when other people could have had the table."
Pete Lewis called the move "excellent", and felt they should even go a step further, adding: "They should also have a national board of shame for those that turn up, order the whole menu then refuse to pay."
Theresa Lewis, meanwhile, had an alternative idea for how the restaurant could approach things. She wrote: "How about restaurants double or treble book customers so there are more reservations than there is room in the restaurant?"
Gillian McPherson put forward an idea of taking a £10 per head deposit at the time of booking. She added: "If it’s a genuine cancellation then they can reschedule and use the deposit then. Bit more paper work for the businesses but it stops them getting mucked about."
Lawrence Schrader added that he felt everyone should be allowed two strikes before it gets implemented. He wrote: "If it's a no show then fair enough. In regards to people phoning to say they are sick, well - you will always get people just saying that as an excuse but probably there is just as many telling the truth. Everyone goes down with something and gets ill at some point. If it's on the evening they made the reservation when they start to develop symptoms and they need to phone in at that short notice that's the way it happens sometimes, so I'd be tempted to give them the benefit of the doubt once. Keep a note of it so if they get two strikes then black book them perhaps."
