corky

One with some expertise in time management.

kipper

I think that would be almost anyone. I think I have ADD and can't focus at times, but not like this.

bensyd

They're not taking you at your word, they just know they can fill the table with walk-ups if you don't show, so whether you turn up or you don't is inconsequential to them. Customers have brought this on themselves. I know people who book multiple restaurants and then decide which booking they will take. Most half decent restaurants take my credit card at the time of booking these days, and no shows incur a charge. I have no problem with that. They also ask for booking confirmation by email which, again, doesn't bother me.

Anyway, how was the meal or were you still too wound up about having your character called into question to notice?

kipper

I wonder if trying to avoid multiple reservations is why OpenTable implemented the policy prohibiting more than one reservation within X hours. I've encountered that when trying to make a reservation for a large group of people and the restaurant caps the number allowed in one reservation.

exerda

I don't have a problem with a restaurant calling to reconfirm. What I do have a problem with is when they act like I'm a nutcase for returning their call after I get the voicemail (and yes, this has happened several times). If you're going to call and leave messages, then you should be prepared for customers to actually call you back when they get the message... I guess they're used to most people not responding to the calls?

I have had several places which state up front that they will call to reconfirm 2 days ahead and that they will cancel if unable to do so. But they're not the ones who act like I'm crazy for actually reconfirming...

milepig

I think you probably have spent more time composing your message and then reading the responses that you spend in the course of a year just saying "yes, we'll be there."

It seems like everyone in the world in a flake and there are even cases of restaurants having hundreds of fake reservations made by a competing restaurant.

The other way restaurants deal with this is to require either a partial or complete payment up front. We like one high end place here in Chicago that requires the entire payment when you reserve, and it isn't refundable. This is a small place with limited seating and if they have several no-shows hundreds of dollars worth of food goes to waste, and they have no money to pay the staff. This is the future.

I often see the deposit thing for special days. This year our Easter brunch reservation required a $50 deposit and they still called to confirm.

JBord

Lol...this post pretty much sums it all up. As someone who was very much a "type A" earlier in my life and career, I can only hope you'll gain the perspective and patience that I have over the years. It probably sounds ridiculous to you now, but you'll enjoy life quite a bit more. And I don't mean that to be offensive at all, so apologies if you are offended.

Maybe a couple things to consider:
1. You don't have to interrupt your work to call them back. You can simply wait until you're done or need a break. After all, they left a voicemail, so they don't expect an immediate response.
2. Perhaps since you are so busy working hard, you could consider this a friendly reminder of the reservation (that you may have made weeks or months ago). The restaurant doesn't want you to miss your night out.

^^^

MSYtoJFKagain

Davie is not real
Davie is a fake person
Davie is not real

zitsky

More haikus please.

This thread has the best (worst?) humble brag I've seen all year.

Wong Jnr

Here's a different take on the restaurant calling back to confirm the reservation.
I booked a decent restaurant last week for dinner on Wednesday. Restaurant calls me on Tuesday to confirm and then discussed with me where I would like to sit in the restaurant as there are several areas giving a different experience/perspective. I chose to sit at the "chefs table" where we could interact directly with the chef and his crew.

Now how would Davie reacted if he went to the very same restaurant, not having a pre-confirmation call only to find out when he arrived that although there was a choice on his arrival his preferred choice was already taken.
Davie I'm sure would start a thread complaining why said restaurant didn't call him to give the option of where to sit!

davie355

I'm absolutely sure you are wrong, @Wong Jnr, as I never care about where I sit, and I couldn't care less about interacting with chef and crew.

Wong Jnr

REALLY?
So if you're put at a table right by the toilets or say near a door where the employees are smoking outside you wouldn't care.
An potential date you might have may think otherwise
You want to change your strategy

bitterproffit

You would think someone as successful as you wouldn’t get so tripped up on the micro aggressions you seem to suffer from almost daily. Maybe it’s the ‘only 2 years out of school’ issue that has silly little things like a phone call ‘break your flow’. Hopefully, your maturity will eventually catch up to your salary.

bitterproffit

Dude, you had a fit when an uber driver asked you to wear a seatbelt! You care too much about everything. Lol

BamaVol

Dude, you need a better author. I've seen few fictional characters with so many inconsistencies.