Introduction example: The appeal is that you can manage reservations with just your smartphone, even when you’re outside the restaurant. Handling large-group bookings is smooth as well. (Meat Restaurant Zushio)

The deciding factor for implementation was that we could keep using it without any burden thanks to a zero-yen referral fee.

— What inspired you to start this shop?

Ever since my student days, I’ve wanted to have my own restaurant, and after learning teppanyaki and charcoal-grilling techniques at eateries, I opened this place in 2018.

Our customers especially enjoy dishes such as filet steak and Miyazaki beef Chateaubriand steak, and we carefully select high-quality ingredients to serve according to each guest’s tastes and requests.

— Before you implemented the Respo reservation ledger, how were you managing reservations?

I used to manage everything by hand in a paper notebook. On days when the shop was closed, I set the phone to forward calls to my mobile, and I would carry the paper notebook around with me to handle reservations.

— How did you first hear about the Respo reservation ledger?

I found out about it through an ad on Instagram. Even when I’m outside the shop, I can manage reservations with just my smartphone, so I felt it was a very convenient system.

I had already known about AutoReserve for some time, and the fact that the Respo reservation ledger had zero customer referral fees was the deciding factor in introducing it.

Even our 10 part-time staff members can handle reservations smoothly with the booking ledger.

— After actually introducing the Respo reservation ledger, what kind of impact did it have?

Some customers feel that “calling to make a reservation during business hours is a hassle.” By introducing online reservations, they can now book without worrying about the time. For the store as well, the number of phone calls has decreased, allowing staff to focus more on other tasks.

Also, until now we have been explaining the course details over the phone before taking reservations, but with online booking, customers can check the details themselves, allowing us to handle reservations more smoothly.

— Do the staff members also use the Respo reservation ledger?

Yes. I’m in charge of cooking, and I leave most of the customer service to our part-time staff. About ten of them use the Respo reservation ledger to handle bookings.

--- How is the usability of the Respo reservation ledger?

The operation is easy to understand, and since the younger staff in particular are used to using smartphones, they were able to start using it right away without much instruction.

Even when we get a phone call, we can immediately check on the screen whether there are any open seats, so handling reservations has become much easier.

Are there any trends among customers who frequently use the Respo reservation ledger?

We are often used by new customers. We also have cases where people traveling from far away use our services.

Also, while our restaurant is used in a variety of situations—such as for corporate groups, business entertainment, and parties—it has now become easier for us to secure seating for large groups.

Reassurance through attentive support and ever-evolving features

— Before you began operations, what steps did you go through?

They clearly explained how to set up and use the AutoReserve store page online while checking the screens together, so we were able to get started smoothly.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I had gotten used to non-face-to-face interactions, so I didn’t really have any resistance to communicating online either.

— How is the support system here?

When I had trouble operating my iPad and asked for help, they kindly explained how to solve the problem.

They also frequently inform us by email about system improvements, and their daily efforts to keep making things better give me confidence that I can continue using the service with peace of mind.

Alongside customer acquisition measures that leverage map apps, we want to increase the number of reservations.

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

There are still some weekdays when usage is low, so we’d like to make better use of the Respo reservation ledger to further increase the number of bookings.

We’re also implementing MEO measures so that we appear higher in Google Maps search results, and we’d like to coordinate those efforts effectively as well.

Lastly, could you tell us about your vision for the future of the shop?

While cherishing the customers who visit us every day, we want to keep working hard to get our sales back to pre‑COVID levels. We’d be delighted if users who are searching for restaurants on AutoReserve discover our place and decide to come by.

Store Information

Meat Dishes Zushio

Address: 2-1 Kasaoka-cho, Fukuyama-shi, Hiroshima Prefecture
Phone number: 080-4262-8600
Store details:https://autoreserve.com/restaurants/McQzM79HeczRM3KWC5sM