dodeer Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 Gents- group booking for 12-20 people. Last minute cancellation. Menu was around £60 per head. They want 100% cancellation fee. Is this normal or a bit too high? Menu is nothing out of the ordinary and no special requests. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
31NG Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 Gents- group booking for 12-20 people. Last minute cancellation. Menu was around £60 per head. They want 100% cancellation fee. Is this normal or a bit too high? Menu is nothing out of the ordinary and no special requests. Thoughts? All depends what was agreed at the time the booking was made. It seems pretty steep to me, but have a look what you signed up to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodeer Posted April 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 All depends what was agreed at the time the booking was made. It seems pretty steep to me, but have a look what you signed up to. I agree and I am not trying to wriggle out of it. No terms were agreed and all booking was done verbally. On the website it states 25% is taken from a card used for reservation which none ever was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thelongwayup Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 Last minute as in tonight? If so they have probably ordered meat, veg etc in extra staff and possibly refused other bookings to be able to accommodate your party. Same day cancellations with my work incurs a 100% fee to be paid. 48 hours no charge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShootingEgg Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 Last minute as in tonight? If so they have probably ordered meat, veg etc in extra staff and possibly refused other bookings to be able to accommodate your party. Same day cancellations with my work incurs a 100% fee to be paid. 48 hours no charge. As said here, if its a booking for tonight and yiu have cancelled, you could possibly have now made tonight a non starter for the business. Although 100% is pretty harsh, if its their policy.. Maybe offer 50-60% and see if they accept. They will have bought in the menu for you etc. So they now have excess stock that they may end up throwing away so a loss to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m3vert Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 If the booking is for tonight, then I would say that is fair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosd Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 (edited) Its a large booking and probably not so easy to refill with walk in trade depending on the restaurant/location etc. I think if 1 or 2 of you dropped out you could argue a point, but the whole group, I'm not sure. Also depends on how "last minute" Edited April 7, 2017 by Cosd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 Yes but this is part of the reality of day to day life in a restaurant is it not? I'm sure they are extremely wee-ed off about it but if they didn't take a deposit at the time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaxiDriver Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 Gents- group booking for 12-20 people. Last minute cancellation. Menu was around £60 per head. They want 100% cancellation fee. Is this normal or a bit too high? Menu is nothing out of the ordinary and no special requests. Thoughts? If it's really short I've same day notice I think it's harsh BUT fair for reasons others have stated. If the shoe was on the other foot, and someone did it to you, How would you feel ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winnie&bezza Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 If it was only verbal then it's all down to you then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 If it's tonight and they want 100% send some one down to order the £1200 of food then..... I think onc wsomw walks in they let them walk out for far less than 25% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 Gents- group booking for 12-20 people. Last minute cancellation. Menu was around £60 per head. They want 100% cancellation fee. Is this normal or a bit too high? Menu is nothing out of the ordinary and no special requests. Thoughts? I bet they remember your party if you ever book again, positively if you pay at least something and very negatively if you don't! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear-uk Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 Does that include the service charge or is that really taking the mick?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 If it was me and it was a same day cancellation for up to 20 people I would be asking for 100%. 20 people at £60 is £1200 plus drinks so at a guess maybe £1500. They are not likely to get that back. I don't know how big the place is but that could be 50% of their turnover or more. They would of turned other guests away and possibly order extra food/staff in for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrycatcat1 Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 Just out of interest why did everyone cancell? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodeer Posted April 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 Just out of interest why did everyone cancell? Half the group did, and the remaining didn't wish to eat without the others. Before anyone says I am bad , I was just asking peoples opinions on what they'd do. It's a big place with turnover of around 2500/ day on food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrycatcat1 Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 Half the group did, and the remaining didn't wish to eat without the others. Before anyone says I am bad , I was just asking peoples opinions on what they'd do. It's a big place with turnover of around 2500/ day on food. I see, not judging just wondering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wandringstar Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 they need to be paid 100%, last minute very bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaun4860 Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 So how late was the late cancellation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodeer Posted April 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 So how late was the late cancellation? 8 hours before due arrival... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaun4860 Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 8 hours before due arrival... Sorry but I would be charging 100% As said they will have bought extra stuff in just for your party, I sort our Gun club Xmas meal, go in couple of months beforehand to book it, go back a week beforehand with a full list of what everyone wants, Now I've been doing this for a few years and we now know each other so never get asked for any kind of deposit but if we all cancelled 8 hours beforehand then I would expect to be charged. Just my opinion. Another point to remember, Is it a town/village and how often do members of your group eat there, have you always had good service/food or is it the first time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferguson_tom Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 Did you pre-order the food? If not I wouldn't pay a penny unless you agreed a cancellation fee at time of booking, sorry but it's part and parcel of running a restaurant things come up and people cancel. If you have pre-ordered the food then I think 100% is a bit steep but something should be paid towards it. Alternatively go yourself and pig out on 12 dinners! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 If their policy is to take a 25% deposit to confirm a booking then the booking was never confirmed by taking said deposit, then I doubt that legally they have a leg to stand on. Lets just say, for arguments sake, that you had all turned up tonight and they had no record of the booking - pretty sure that they would be playing the " no deposit - no booking" card. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markm Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 Did you pre-order the food? If not I wouldn't pay a penny unless you agreed a cancellation fee at time of booking, sorry but it's part and parcel of running a restaurant things come up and people cancel. If you have pre-ordered the food then I think 100% is a bit steep but something should be paid towards it. Alternatively go yourself and pig out on 12 dinners! I think you should pay, unless the place can do 100+ covers a night. If you ever have a restaurant mr tom. I look forward to your thoughts when you get a similar hit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lloyd90 Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 What kind of restaurant is it? If it's an all you can eat buffet that's for the same food out regardless of who's in then I wouldn't pay. If they're a small time business and they've got food in pre-ordered etc and you've agreed to a deposit then it's a bit bad from your party. Whether you pay or not is up to you as an individual. I imagine many of the 20 that dropped out won't want to hand you over £60 considering they didn't even go. Would you be willing to pay on their behalf? Would they reimburse you? It all makes a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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