Introduction example: Boost reservation work efficiency while keeping costs down with zero referral fees (Shijo Horumon)

The deciding factor for implementation was the 0 yen referral fee. With the free plan, the monthly cost is also 0 yen.

— Please tell us about the key points your shop is particular about.

Our restaurant ages fresh, never-frozen meat sourced from a nearby slaughterhouse for about one week to ten days. We then use a special, non-heated sauce on this meat, which is both fresh and full of enhanced flavor, and serve it under the best possible conditions so you can enjoy truly delicious yakiniku.

— What kind of customers mainly use your services?

Our facilities are used by a wide range of customers, including families, office workers, and tourists.

— What prompted you to consider implementing the Respo reservation ledger?

Before introducing it, we handled reservations only by phone, and when we were busy, the phone would be ringing constantly from the moment we opened. While we were wondering if we could make our reservation handling more efficient, we learned about the forR reservation ledger and began considering its implementation to achieve more efficient store operations.

— Have you compared it with other services?

Yes. Other companies’ reservation systems charged fees based on the number of bookings, but with the Respo reservation ledger there are no referral fees at all, and that was the biggest deciding factor for us. Since the free plan can be used with a monthly cost of 0 yen, it has also been a great help from the standpoint of reducing expenses.

Digitize reservation management and make staff handling smoother

— After introducing the Respo reservation ledger, what kind of changes have you seen?

Back when we used to keep past reservation details by handwriting them on paper, managing everything inevitably became complicated. But after introducing the Respo reservation ledger, we can now see the reservation status at a glance, and the reservation process has become dramatically more efficient.

— How have your customers responded?

The benefit of the Respo reservation ledger for our customers is that they can make reservations 24 hours a day. We now receive bookings even on regular holidays and late at night, so customers can book whenever they want, and it’s great that we’ve reduced the number of missed reservation opportunities.

— Do part-time staff members also use the Respo reservation ledger?

Yes, I basically handle online reservation management myself, and when staff receive reservations by phone, they enter them into the Respo reservation ledger.

Most of our part-time staff are from the younger generation and are used to using tablets, and since the screen itself is easy to understand and intuitive to use, they were able to start using it right away without any special instruction. Now all six or seven staff members can operate it.

As online reservations become more widespread, it can also become a key strength that sets you apart from other stores.

— I see you’ve included notes about seating and usage time in the items to be checked at the time of reservation.

Yes. For parties of up to two people, we seat you at the counter, so we only accept reservations once you have agreed to that in advance.

We also note an approximate stay time of two hours in case there are people waiting for seats for the next reservation. Since we accept reservations only after guests have checked and agreed to this information in advance, I think it’s also effective from the standpoint of preventing any trouble.

— How would you like to make use of the Respo reservation ledger going forward?

Thankfully, we’ve even received reviews saying things like “It’s a popular place, so you should make a reservation,” and visitors coming for sightseeing tend to book a table before they come.

Phone reservations are still the main method, but I believe that online reservations will become more widespread as times change. In that context, being able to accept online bookings will be a strength for our shop compared to others, and I’d be happy if it makes it easier for customers to visit us.

By keeping operating costs low, we’re also looking ahead to opening a second location in the future.

— Finally, could you tell us about your goals for the shop going forward?

Currently, we only use tablet devices for placing orders at table seats, but to further improve service quality, it might be worth considering the introduction of Respo Self-Order as an additional option. By having customers place their own orders, I believe we can reduce order mistakes and also help cut down on food waste.

We also sell our special sauce on our e-commerce site, and if both our online reservations and sales increase, we’d like to start considering opening a second location. To make that happen, while making full use of the Respo reservation ledger, we want to focus first and foremost on improving the satisfaction of the customers who are visiting us now.

Store Information

Shijo Horumon

Address: 2F, Tekko-sen Kaikan, 1-14 Kita 4-jo Nishi, Kitami-shi, Hokkaido
Phone number: 0157-23-1927
Store details:https://autoreserve.com/restaurants/SNboxDXLF9dduYx2fggP