The Outside Booking Standard
Five steps for every booking made with a restaurant, theatre or guide for a guest. If it goes wrong, the guest finds out at the door, far from the desk.
- Who
- Concierges and anyone who books outside the hotel
- When
- Every reservation made with a third party for a guest
- You need
- The booking log, the venue’s direct line, the guest’s mobile number
- Measured by
- Details read back on every call
- Written confirmation sent within 15 min
- Reconfirmed with the venue by noon
5 steps
01
Take the details
Before you call, collect six things: the guest’s name as the venue should hear it, party size, date, time, any dietary need or occasion, and the guest’s mobile. Log them first.
Say this
“Mrs Laurent, four people, Friday at 20:30, one without gluten, and your mobile ends in 4471. Is that right?”
Common mistake Booking under the hotel’s name. The venue doesn’t know who to expect, and the guest gives their own name at the door.
02
Read it back
On the call, repeat every detail to the venue and ask for the name of the person taking it and a reference. Ask about cancellation terms and any deposit before you hang up.
Say this
“To confirm: Laurent, four people, Friday at 20:30, one gluten-free. May I have your name and a reference?”
Common mistake Hanging up when they say “that’s fine”. Without a name and a reference you have a phone call, not a booking.
03
Confirm in writing
Within 15 minutes, send the guest a written confirmation on the channel they prefer: venue, address, time, party size, dress code, cancellation terms and travel time. Copy it to the profile.
Say this
“Confirmed: Da Rita, Via Garibaldi 12, Fri 20:30, 4 people. Smart casual. Free to cancel until 16:00. 10 min by car.”
Common mistake Saying “you’re all set” at the desk and nothing more. By Friday the guest remembers the day but not the time.
04
Reconfirm
On the day, call the venue by 12:00 for dinner and by 09:00 for lunch or a morning tour. Check the name, the time and the requests. If anything has changed, tell the guest first.
Say this
“Good morning, it’s the hotel concierge. Reconfirming Laurent, four people, tonight at 20:30, one gluten-free.”
Common mistake Assuming yesterday’s call still stands. Venues lose bookings on busy nights, and the guest finds out at the door.
05
Close it
The next morning, ask the guest one question about the evening and log the answer on the booking and the shortlist. If a no-show fee or deposit applies, settle it that day and tell the guest.
Say this
“Laurent, Da Rita, Fri: table ready on time, loved the fish, gluten-free handled well. Keep on shortlist.”
Common mistake Learning about a no-show fee from the venue’s invoice a week later. The guest has gone home and the folio is closed.
What Every Confirmation Says
Thirteen lines that go into every written confirmation for an outside booking. If one is missing, the guest has to ask for it, or finds out on the night.
- Guest name, exactly as booked with the venue
- Venue name, as it appears on the door
- Full street address and a map link
- Date written out, with the day of the week
- Time, in the 24-hour clock
- Number of people
- Dietary needs or occasion passed on to the venue
- Dress code, if there is one
- Cancellation deadline and any fee
- Deposit taken, and how much
- Travel time, and how the guest gets there
- Booking reference and who took it
- The desk’s direct number for changes
Brief three lines a day at the morning briefing. For one week the head concierge reads every confirmation sent the day before and marks any missing line. Brief the line missed most at Friday’s briefing.
The Standards Library.
No. 29 · Concierge
The Directions Standard
Five steps for directions a guest can follow without a phone signal. Most guests nod at the desk and forget the second turn by the time they reach the door.
No. 30 · Concierge
The Partner Standard
Five steps for choosing, briefing and checking the drivers, guides and boat crews the desk sends guests to. To the guest, every one of them works for the hotel.