Learn how real businesses use Tock’s robust suite of tools to reduce no-shows and last-minute cancellations.

A guide to reducing no-shows & cancellations

Real restaurant examples and powerful tools to keep your dining room filled.

Get the guide

In this guide you’ll learn to

Gated Content

Let’s get real: There are several tell-tale signs that today’s most discerning diners look for when choosing which restaurant to visit next. If you know, you know.
Quirky hand-drawn logos? Check. Non-alcoholic cocktails and natural wine? Check, check. A globally-inspired menu with local ingredients? Nailed it.  Some harbingers of hip can be harder to define—a moving target of what’s trending.
This year’s tiny tabletop lamps, maximalist wallpapers, and scalloped-edge plates could soon be yesteryear’s Edison light bulbs, neon signs on faux greenery walls, and mason jars as barware.
So, where does table management software fall on the barometer of what’s hot and what’s not?
According to <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2024/10/22/24275979/reservation-books-restaurants-nyc-eulalie-balthazar-cafe-carmellini-claud">recent headlines</a>, some restaurants are eschewing technology and returning to the olden days of thick black books with handwritten reservations. While this throwback system may appear to add a human touch and vintage vibe at the host stand, don’t be fooled: many still rely on a digital platform behind closed doors.
Before regressing to pen, paper, and hand cramps in the name of coolness, let’s weigh the pros and cons. After all, there are plenty of good reasons we moved away from physical reservation books.
To keep your cool during peak service, you need the best table management system possible in 2025. Here are three critical questions to ask when choosing the most efficient platform for your business.
&nbsp;
<h2>1. Is your table reservation management accessible from anywhere at any time?</h2>
What happens if your analog reservation book goes missing or gets damaged? All of the valuable information inside gets lost along with it.
The ultimate dossier, Tock collects and saves all your helpful data, including guest tags, notes, preferences, and dietary restrictions, in one easy-to-access place. This insider info can be resurfaced whenever a guest rebooks, so your team can get familiar with your guests better before they arrive and, in turn, deliver more personalized hospitality.
Regardless of your physical location or time zone, Tock is always on, allowing different members of your team the ability to access the books and dashboard whenever, wherever. Tock also keeps working when your team is off the clock, helping you to better utilize your staff while keeping labor costs low.
<h2>2. Can your seating management effortlessly convert your waitlist into covers?</h2>
Tock offers two <a href="https://www.exploretock.com/join/restaurant-waitlist-app/">powerful waitlists</a>—one for walk-ins and another for sold-out experiences. Choose to use either one or both simultaneously to help keep seats filled.
Gone are the days of offering walk-ins a generic estimate of when seats will open and expecting them to wait within earshot. Instead, today’s guests expect the convenience, flexibility, and communication of receiving a text message once a table opens.
That’s why our walk-in waitlist helps your front-of-house team quickly capture guest data at the door and fill seats in less time than it takes to write down someone’s name and number. Diners can confirm or leave the waitlist with one click. You can even allow walk-ins to view their place in line, so they always know exactly where they stand—and you can keep service moving smoothly.
Our second waitlist is <a href="https://www.exploretock.com/join/restaurant-waitlist-app/">Notify</a>—an innovative tool that seamlessly works behind the scenes to match reservation requests with availability, alerting guests and prompting bookings, whether weeks in advance or during dinner service. Notify also streamlines communication through SMS, avoiding chaos at the host stand.
And with Notify’s <a href="https://www.exploretock.com/join/resources/notify-waitlist-tool-reservationist/">latest enhancements</a>, you can prioritize your most valuable guests, whether they’re tagged as a Friend of Chef, Regular, or Investor.
<h2>3. Does your table reservation management surface actionable data and drive additional revenue?</h2>
Tock’s platform does so much more than reservations. In today’s digital age, <a href="https://www.exploretock.com/join/restaurant-data-analytics/">detailed reports and insights</a> can help you make informed choices and take better care of your entire restaurant.  This means tracking covers, turn times, sales, and payment. Imagine doing that with your pen-and-ink book.
Tock also helps drive additional revenue with a range of tools, including Multi-Experience Tables, Add-ons, and a flexible No-Show Suite, which includes credit card holds, deposits, and prepayment. These are the kinds of tools that are becoming essential to the modern restaurant.
&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;
A dated reservation book is bound by limitations—the number and size of its pages, the legibility of a host’s handwriting, and a lack of speed and flexibility to adapt to changes. You can depend on Tock’s easy-to-use technology to help navigate challenges confidently and make smarter moves that benefit your team and your bottom line.
Trends may come and go, but flawless hospitality never goes out of style.

Three critical questions to ask when choosing the most efficient reservation platform for your business.

Why Tech-Driven Table Management Is a Must in 2025

Article

Keeping Your Cool: Why Tech-Driven Table Management Is a Must in 2025

<h2>1. Look for a discovery platform, not just a reservation platform</h2>
Before a guest can make a reservation at your restaurant, they need to know your restaurant exists. 
 
Through powerful collaborations with trusted names like The Infatuation, Michelin, Instagram, and Wine Enthusiast, <a href="https://www.exploretock.com/join/restaurant-marketing-discovery/">Tock is designed to get your restaurant discovered</a> by more people, more often—ensuring a broad audience of prospective guests.  
 
When we asked diners how they find new restaurants*, the top answers were word-of-mouth recommendations from family or friends, followed by social media and search engines. 
 
With Tock and Reserve with Google&#8217;s integration, you can showcase all of your offerings, including prepaid reservations and experiences on Google, driving bookings and casting a wider net. 
<h2>2. Consider flexible prepayment options</h2>
<a href="https://www.exploretock.com/join/resources/restaurant-case-study-hide-and-seek/">Deposit-based reservations help reduce no-show rates by as much as 50%</a>. To best leverage a booking strategy, Tock’s reservation platform allows restaurants the ability to mix and match payment options, including deposits, credit card holds, and prepayment. You set all your pricing and cancellation policies, with the flexibility to update them as needed. 
 
That means you could require deposits for a holiday experience or prepayments for a seat at the chef’s counter, while simultaneously offering free reservations for patio tables. Win, win, win.
<h2>3. Choose the platform that prioritizes and strengthens your brand </h2>
Hospitality pros know service begins when a guest books a reservation. In today’s digital-first world, connection with your brand forms through your online reservation platform—long before diners visit your physical location.
An all-in-one platform designed to showcase the full spectrum of what you offer, Tock helps your brand make a strong first impression. Our elegant booking page is fully customizable with your photos, logo, and descriptions, ensuring a seamless booking flow that stays true to your brand. 
 
Bonus: Special experiences, like collaborative pop-up dinners, tasting menus, and cocktail classes, sell side-by-side with regular reservations, helping to drive revenue to every service.
<h2>4. Pick the platform that encourages personalization—and prioritization</h2>
Tock&#8217;s reservation system gives you the freedom to fully customize your communications with guests, including booking confirmations and reservation reminders. There’s even two-way text messaging, making it simple to respond quickly to guests’ requests—no phone calls or voicemails necessary. 
Tock’s powerful waitlist capabilities enable restaurants to prioritize specific guests, whether they&#8217;re tagged as a Regular, VIP, or Friend of Chef. Use up to 10 tags to identify special guests and alert them first when a table opens. In other words, fill seats with your most valuable guests.
<h2>5. Seek out hospitality (and moral) support</h2>
In the race between restaurant reservation platforms, the winner will be the one who ultimately provides so much more than great table management alone. Tock is a team of hospitality professionals  with real restaurant industry experience who truly want you to succeed. This is not your typical tech support; our expertise goes far beyond floor plans. Driven by our passion to help restaurants thrive in an ever-evolving industry, we listen to feedback and deliver the missing tools they need now, like our innovative <a href="https://www.exploretock.com/join/make-it-an-experience/?utm_source=newswire&amp;utm_medium=press&amp;utm_campaign=2024-experiences-campaign&amp;utm_content=press-release-site">Multi-Experience Tables</a> solution.
&nbsp;
Make the most of your restaurant seating software by tapping into Tock’s educational <a href="https://www.exploretock.com/join/resources/">Resource Center</a> and<a href="https://www.exploretock.com/join/restaurant-marketing-discovery/"> Discovery</a> tools. From successful case studies to insider insights for marketing trends, and from our strategic integrations to partnerships that boost business, Tock has got your books—and your back. 
 

Request a demo to learn more about switching to Tock. If you’re already a customer, talk to hospitality about launching an experience today. 

<h6>*According to data found in a Tock survey during April 2024</h6>
&nbsp;

Not all restaurant reservation software is created equally. To make the right choice, there are several critical factors to consider. After all, the optimal system could save money and headaches for your team and guests. That’s why we’ve created this list of the top five tips for selecting your reservation software.


5 tips for choosing your restaurant reservation system

How to know which table reservation system is best for your business.

Business Type

Make it an experience

Platform

Booking

Operations

Resources

Resource articles

A guide to reducing no-shows & cancellations

Get the guide

In this guide you’ll learn to