Draft as of Sept 20

Reservation systems have revolutionized the restaurant industry replacing chaotic and error-prone phone reservations with sleek, smart, and cloud-based online booking solutions. Now, managers can effortlessly streamline operations, while chefs and hosts can level up service accurately. These systems do more than just fill tables, they help hospitality operators create unforgettable moments and turn guests into loyal patrons. 

However, restaurant owners must decide between building their reservation system or partnering with a third-party booking platform. While building a reservation system from scratch provides full control, this has significant drawbacks.

The complexities of developing an in-house reservation system

1. Hotels and restaurants are not in the software business

Hospitality businesses should focus on what they do best: delivering the best dining experiences for guests and not building complex reservation systems. Developing one in-house would require a lot of time, money, and technical expertise, something that hospitality businesses may not have. Instead, they should partner with a technology platform that has the technical know-how and has the reputation for its reservation system with a proven track record of empowering hospitality operators with their mission of delivering memorable experiences to their guests.

2. Navigating hidden challenges in software development

There's a level of uncertainty and unpredictability when it comes to building an in-house reservation system. Businesses may encounter technical challenges, scalability and security issues, challenges with third-party integrations like POS systems, and more. All these may result in delays and require more budget. The software also needs consistent maintenance to align with the latest technological advances in the industry. Partnering with a reliable technology platform is a safer alternative.

3. Lack of marketing capability becomes a roadblock to growth

Managing marketing campaigns with in-house booking software is challenging compared to third-party booking platforms. In-house systems often lack built-in integrations with essential marketing tools, requiring custom development that is time-consuming and expensive. Third-party systems offer smooth integrations with email platforms, and social media channels, and may even have an in-build feature to facilitate effective marketing campaigns. Additionally, in-house solutions may not scale well with business growth and involve extensive manual data management, whereas third-party systems provide advanced, automated marketing functionalities, making them more efficient and scalable.

4. Analytics: A core necessity in hospitality

To ensure business growth, hospitality operators should not just focus on having a reservation that manages tables and bookings. To compete in this industry, analytics will play a crucial role in helping them analyze their sales performance to create smart business decisions. There is a complexity in building another software that incorporates advanced analytics that's easy to use for their business needs. The best solution is to partner with a tech provider that specializes in restaurant analytics and empowers hospitality businesses with insights and the capability to harness their data.

Why TableCheck is the smarter choice for restaurants

1. Extensive tech expertise in restaurants and hospitality

TableCheck has been on a mission of delivering Dining Connected experiences for restaurants and their guests ever since the company was founded in 2011. TableCheck has built a reservation system with the client's interests at its core. Product innovation is driven by empathy which allows us to develop products that truly answer the challenges that our clients face. Our team of engineers and product managers brings not only technical expertise but also reimagines the future of hospitality.

Learn more: Aude Moras – How empathy drives product innovation

2.  Seamless integration capabilities and security

TableCheck is a reliable reservation system with advanced capabilities. From integrating with top POS systems and other third-party tools, TableCheck allows hotels and restaurants to enhance productivity and streamline operations. What's more TableCheck's open API helps build booking apps and integrate with the restaurant's current system. TableCheck also has a secure data architecture to ensure that restaurant data is always secure.

With TableCheck, restaurants retain full ownership and control over their guest data which means better data security and compliance. Using insights such as customer preferences, and guest spending habits, restaurants can create more effective marketing campaigns. The collected data can also be used to personalize the guest experience to drive long-term relationships with guests and brand loyalty.

3. TableCheck EDM: Scaling effective marketing campaigns to capture repeat guests

TableCheck EDM can help transform the way restaurants connect with their guests, leading to repeat visits and maximizing engagement. Scaling marketing campaigns, sending personalized emails to a target audience, and sending automated follow-ups are just some of the things that restaurants can do to develop customer loyalty and build their brand.

A quick look at the benefits of TableCheck EDM for hospitality operators:

• Cost-efficient: More budget-friendly than print ads or advertising on a third-party website/social media handle. 

• Personalized brand building: Restaurant marketers can customize branded emails that customers don’t overlook as spam, building brand awareness and loyalty over time.

• Targetted campaigns: Hospitality operators can create email campaigns to target various diner segments based on demographics and purchase history.

• Marketing automation: Restaurants can send automated email campaigns and promotions

• Measurable metrics: With TableCheck EDM, restaurants can track metrics like open rates and click rates and many more such metrics to improve future marketing campaigns.

Learn more: JW Marriott Hotel Nara's Silk Road Dining restaurant generates more sales using the TableCheck EDM feature

4. An advanced data analytics feature to help restaurants make informed business decisions

For business owners who manage multiple F&B venues in different locations, having a reservation system with data analytics capabilities can help with intelligent business decision-making. TableCheck Insight is the secret superpower of restaurants. With its advanced analytic capabilities built to serve restaurants and those that operate with multiple venues, hospitality leaders can access patterns and trends in their industry and help them transform their business. TableCheck Insight is the leading data analytics feature in the hospitality industry and is used by many hospitality businesses around the world.

Learn more: How hotels are using TableCheck to maximize F&B revenue

Unlocking the TableCheck API

Leveraging the TableCheck API can bring businesses a strategic advantage. If they have an existing in-house system or are thinking of building one, they can focus on their dining-facing front but use TableCheck API for their in-restaurant management backend. This will empower them to provide a better guest experience while also being able to control their branding in the booking flow and configure the booking page according to their business needs. As a result, this allows them to manage their branding more effectively without building a system from the get-go while leveraging both their existing platform and the TableCheck API.

Opting for a booking system like TableCheck provides restaurants with a more efficient reliable and cost-effective reservation platform compared to building one in-house. With extensive features like marketing automation, advanced analytics, and many other solutions, TableCheck helps restaurants grow their business more efficiently while enhancing the guest experience.