noshow · restaurant

No-show deposit flow for fine dining: cutting no-shows from 18% to under 5%

Fine dining no-shows in Vietnam run 12–22%, costing 300–800k VND per empty cover. A small refundable deposit + a confirmation reminder solves the bulk of it. Operators resist deposits as 'unfriendly' — the data says diners accept them when the booking gesture is right.

When it fires

Trigger: every booking for a tasting menu, chef's table, or weekend prime slot. PEKO captures booking, generates refundable deposit link via Zalo, schedules confirmation reminder 24h before.

Message copy that works

Booking confirmation: 'Cảm ơn anh/chị đã đặt bàn [date]. Để giữ chỗ, mời anh/chị xác nhận với deposit 100k/khách — sẽ trừ vào hoá đơn hoặc hoàn nếu huỷ trước 24h.' Reminder T−24h: 'Bàn anh/chị vẫn được giữ. Một chạm xác nhận hoặc huỷ tại đây [link].'

Cadence + timing

Deposit link sent within 5 minutes of booking. Reminder T−24h. Auto-release if no confirmation by T−18h with apology message + offer to rebook. Refund processed within 24h of cancellation.

Expected lift

Restaurants running this report no-show drop from 12–22% to 3–5% within 60 days. Revenue per available seat-hour lifts 8–14%. Cancellations actually rise slightly (5% → 8%) because customers cancel rather than no-show — but cancellations free the seat for walk-ins, which is net-positive.

Guardrails — don't skip these

Don't deposit walk-ins or under-30-minute reservations — friction outweighs benefit. Don't make deposit refund process longer than 24h. Don't deposit VIP regulars — relationship trust > deposit revenue. Don't run deposit during opening month — new venues need bookings volume more than no-show prevention.

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