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#Post#: 70669--------------------------------------------------
Re: Making reservations
By: bopper Date: October 6, 2021, 2:28 pm
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The "reservation for 6 but 5 show up" may not work because often
restaurants make sure all patrons of the 6 are there before you
get seated.
#Post#: 70672--------------------------------------------------
Re: Making reservations
By: TootsNYC Date: October 6, 2021, 4:56 pm
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[quote author=Aleko link=topic=2174.msg70590#msg70590
date=1633331069]
If I had been a regular there for 30 years and was on their wall
of friends, I’d call the restaurant, explain the situation and
ask them to make an exception to the rule of six (which as Holly
F says is just an arbitrary cut-off) for me[s]. I’d be surprised
and disappointed if they didn’t.[/s] (Though as Isisnin says,
I’d be careful not to make a habit of asking for this. Special
exceptions should stay exceptional.)
I would definitely not try the
booking-for-6-and-saying-one-person-couldn’t-make-it dodge.
Customers certainly do that to them on a regular basis, so they
probably disbelieve it on principle. They would pretty much have
to give me my booked table, but would that be worth squandering
30 years’ worth of goodwill, and becoming known to them as just
another person who lies to them to get what they want?
[/quote]
I edited to match what I would do.
If I'm on the Wall of Friends, I absolutely would ask them.
Partly because I think they might want to know; I would, if I
were the restaurateur.
I would feel perfectly justified in asking.
However I wouldn't be all that disappointed or surprised if they
said no.
And I would really not lie about this. I'm supposed to be a
Friend, right? That goes both ways.
I wouldn't lie to my friends, but I would ask them for a favor
and be content if they couldn't grant it.
#Post#: 70709--------------------------------------------------
Re: Making reservations
By: Buffalogal Date: October 7, 2021, 9:32 pm
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If I were a 30 year regular, heck, if I were only a 5 year
regular, I would ask in person (because I don't expect them to
remember my name) and I would be upset if they didn't make the
reservation. Restaurants live on the spending of regulars.
They depend on the people who drop in 3 or 4 times a month.
That should be recognized and asking for a 5 person rather than
a 6 person reservation even on a busy night is a really small
ask.
#Post#: 70721--------------------------------------------------
Re: Making reservations
By: LifeOnPluto Date: October 8, 2021, 11:51 pm
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None of those three options sit right with me (maybe at a pinch,
the "we are regulars, can you make an exception for us?" option,
but I wouldn't get upset if the restaurant said no.)
Personally, I'd just suck it up, and either (a) accept that
we'll need to wait in line; or (b) pick another restaurant.
Actually, another idea occurred to me: could you have invited
someone else to be the sixth person? I appreciate this might not
have been a feasible option however - for example, lots of
people might have already had plans, or it might not have been
appropriate if the purpose of the dinner was to talk about
family/wedding stuff, and the sixth person wasn't really part of
that.
#Post#: 71005--------------------------------------------------
Re: Making reservations
By: Raintree Date: October 18, 2021, 11:56 pm
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Restaurants have really suffered through this pandemic, and I'm
told their margins were slim to begin with, so.....lying about a
6th person would be a VERY crappy thing to do as they may have
planned their table layout based on the number they'd reserved
for.
Also, wouldn't it look a little suspicious. "Hi, I'd like to
make a reservation for 5." "Sorry, we only take reservations for
parties of six." "Hi, me again. "I'd like to make a reservation
for 6 people." (Shows up with 5...) "Oh, gee, our 6th person
didn't show up."
Asking to have an exception made for regulars is kind of a big
ask too. Maybe other people trying to get in are also regulars,
and maybe even more frequent customers and bigger spenders than
you.
Bribing the employee to seat you faster also doesn't sit well
with me.
So I agree with the OP: None of the above. Show up at 6 and be
prepared to wait 35-40 minutes or so. You probably spend longer
than that wasting time on Facebook any other day. Maybe get most
of the people in the party to get there just before 6 and at
least get your names down because "we have one more on her way."
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