Cornell Study Finds Guests Prefer Restaurant Reservations
ITHACA, NY, November 27, 2007. During busy times, guests at casual-style restaurants end up waiting for a table, but they don't like it. Given the choice, a Cornell study finds that most of them would prefer to make reservations.
The study, 'Customer Satisfaction with Seating Policies in Casual-Dining Restaurants,' by Sheryl E. Kimes and Jochen Wirtz, gave respondents the choice of making reservations, calling ahead for a place on the waitlist, or a simple first-come, first-served waitlist. Reservations won hands down. The report is available at no charge from Cornell's Center for Hospitality Research website, http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/reports/2007.html.
'The most impressive finding involved business meals,' said Kimes, a professor at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. 'Fifty-seven percent of our respondents would never choose a restaurant that uses waitlist seating for a business dinner. These customers want to be certain that they can be seated when they arrive.'
Participants in the survey had a higher opinion of restaurants that accept reservations, giving those restaurants higher marks for customer service, caring about customers, and respecting their time. Wirtz, who is an associate professor of marketing at the National University of Singapore, pointed out that even allowing guests to call ahead for a table was preferable to the typical waitlist.
'Based on our study, we recommend that casual restaurants seriously consider taking reservations or, at minimum, offer informal call-ahead arrangements,' said Kimes. 'Given these findings, we wonder why so many chains do not accept reservations during busy times. We know that reservations have operational problems, such as no-shows and late shows, but our findings indicate that reservations still might be worth the effort, given this survey.' Kimes plans a study to further address this issue.
Meet and interact with Dr. Kimes, an active member of the executive education faculty at the School of Hotel Administration, when she presents sessions in the Professional Development Program: http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/industry/executive/pdp/.
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
