A no-show is a customer who fails to turn up for their reservation, and it’s an unfortunate side effect of the day-to-day reality of running a restaurant. While no-shows are usually a result of a simple mistake or forgetful moment from a diner, their impact on your business can’t be overstated.
Data from Dojo found that 92% of businesses reported revenue losses as a direct result of no-shows, losing an average of £50 for every table of two that cancels their reservation. If several tables fail to show up every week, that total can soon spiral, making a serious dent in your monthly revenue.
The rise of no-shows in the UK restaurant industry
No-shows have always hurt hospitality businesses, but it’s a problem that’s sadly on the rise.
Zonal’s latest GO Technology report found that the number of customers not showing up for their reservations at restaurants, pubs, and bars has hit a record high, with 14% of guests failing to honour their bookings or inform venues ahead of time that they need to cancel.
Out of the 5,000 adults they surveyed, 68% claim to turn up to all of their restaurant bookings, 18% cancel in advance, and 14% (one in seven) admit to missing their reservations without informing the venue.
The fight against no-shows can feel hopeless, but TheFork Manager’s latest product release offers a powerful new tool to add to your armoury: our industry-first no-show detection tool.
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How our no-show detection tool works
Alongside TheFork Manager’s kit of intuitive restaurant management features, we’re adding a new no-show detection tool, powered by a unique predictive model, that will proactively identify your high-risk reservations.
The tool uses customer reservation history, typology, behaviour on restaurant pages, and the type of restaurant to predict which diners are likely to be no-shows with exceptional reliability.
With this critical insight, restaurateurs can contact their high-risk guests to confirm their reservations, take steps to optimise their table allocations, or prepare a waiting list so they’re ready to fill the table with other diners if needed. This helps restaurants reduce their lost revenue, minimise disruptions, and boost operational efficiency.
We’ve already rolled this tool out across a few countries, and initial figures from those locations have demonstrated a 10% reduction in no-shows from restaurants using the tool.
TheFork’s commitment to helping restaurants tackle no-shows
Our latest product innovation builds on our policy update from October 2024, in which we pledged to deactivate users of TheFork who make 4 no-shows within 12 months. Combined with the new predictive tool, TheFork is working to combat no-show behaviour sustainably to support restaurants and their profit margins.
Other features we’ve added to TheFork Manager to help restaurants clamp down on no-shows include preventing customers from making multiple reservations at the same time and date, and the ability to require triple confirmation via free SMS, credit card guarantee, or prepayment.
Alongside these features, we’ve shared a list of our top tips for reducing the likelihood of no-shows in your restaurant. By using these tactics alongside TheFork’s new and innovative no-show tool, you can defend your restaurant’s revenue from the impact of no-shows and continue to delight your loyal diners.
If you’re not yet signed up to TheFork and want to find out how our toolkit of unique features can streamline and optimise your restaurant operations, get in touch
Empty tables and ever-increasing costs?
