From daily/weekly/monthly reports, I can see how many are reservations, how many are walk-ins, no-shows, or canceled reservations. It helps me look for the trends: It might tell me that a third of our biz is walk-ins, for example. Friday nights might be great on walk-ins, and Saturdays solid for reservations--and that helps me to schedule for staffing.

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It definitely requires the server and us to be on the ball. No restaurant really has the time to ask 20 questions, but over time, you build that database and begin to customize the experience for your guests. It's a win-win situation: The guest wins, and we win.

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