Restaurant operation tips: how to handle bookings more securely

Hong Kong's F&B industry is highly competitive. Attracting and keeping customers takes quality food and service — and effective booking management. Bookings reserve tables for potential customers, but cancellations, delays and no-shows create vacancies and losses.

Handling customer cancellations

• Establish a cancellation policy: tell customers the policy at booking time and collect a deposit in advance, stating how late a booking can be cancelled and whether the deposit is forfeited.
• Offer flexible modifications: allow customers to change time or party size within a set window, or move the booking to another date, so they do not simply cancel.
• Confirm bookings in advance: send an SMS, call or email a day or a few hours before to remind customers and catch changes early.

Handling no-shows

• Collect deposits or pre-payments — for example 10% or 20% — and state clearly that no-shows are non-refundable.
• Keep a waiting list: reserve some tables for walk-ins so no-shows can be filled quickly.

Collecting deposits without the friction

Most bookings arrive by phone or online rather than in person, so customers end up transferring deposits by ATM or online banking — inconvenient for everyone. Wonder gives restaurants a simpler way to collect and manage deposits.

• Easy to use: set your own deposit amount, payment deadline and refund rules, generate a payment link or QR code, and send it by SMS, email or social media. Customers pay by card or e-wallet in a tap.
• Automated management: Wonder records and confirms each payment and notifies both sides; refunds are handled from the Wonder App.
• Secure and compliant: advanced encryption protects payment information, and the platform complies with personal data protection requirements.