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Singapore. More restaurants in Singapore now reserve the right to charge a fee if diners do not show up after they have made a reservation.

Take the experience of teacher Victor Seng. Halfway through a dinner with three friends at PS Cafe in Ann Siang Hill, they were told to pay $50 for the no-show of one diner.

A reservation had been made for one Saturday recently and they received a text message that read: “Just a gentle reminder in the event of no-show, we have to impose a $50 per person.”

Thinking that it would apply only if the whole group of five did not show up, they went ahead with their plans despite a last-minute pullout of one person.

“We spent close to $300 and were still asked to pay the fine,” said Seng, 39. After negotiating with a waiter, they were asked to order one more main course.

PS Cafe manager Simon Ho said it adopted such a policy at all its four outlets last year, but only for groups of 15 or more. Of Seng's gripe, he said: “Investigations show that a staff member was using the policy for smaller groups without my knowledge. A mistake was made and he has expressed remorse.”

More restaurants, especially high-end ones, are imposing similar fees for last-minute cancellations and no-shows. However, most seem to be clearer on their rules and do not charge for partial no-shows.

The aim is to ensure that people commit to their bookings so the restaurant is not left in the lurch, with food preparations going to waste and, worse, having to turn away other customers to accommodate reservations.

Typically, larger groups of diners are asked to fill up a form with credit card details to confirm a reservation. They will be charged for complete no-shows or if they cancel within 24 hours of their reservation.

In March, French restaurant Gunther's took a harder stance for groups of five or more. Each is charged $250 if the party cancels within 24 hours and $350 for a complete no-show.

If just a few members of the group are absent, there is no charge.

Last year, Italian restaurant Garibaldi opted to take action against groups of 10 and above. The per-diner charge is $30 for cancellation within 24 hours and $60 for a no-show. It does not charge if only part of the group shows up.

Other fine-dining outlets — Cut, Waku Ghin, The Line and Ember — also have deterrents. In the next two months, restaurants Wild Rocket and Relish will wield the penalty stick too.

“It is a form of insurance so that people will take the time to be considerate and call back if they are unable to come,” said Cut's general manager Adam Cro-cini, who charges groups of 10 or more only in the event of a complete no-show.

“You base your staffing and preparations in the kitchen on the reservations and when 10 or 20 percent of your guests don't show up, it's a significant amount and affects the running of the business.”

At Ember, penalty charges per head are $45 for lunch and $85 for dinner for groups of eight or more. The charge is halved for cancellations made a day before the reservation date, and the full amount is levied on cancellations on the day itself or no-shows.

“We would call customers to confirm their reservations on the day itself. They would say 'yes' and still don't show up,” said manager Sabrina Goh, 34, adding that the policy was adopted four years ago. It has charged only one guest so far.

Such policies are also common in popular restaurants in countries such as Australia and the United States.

However, restaurants such as Osteria Mozza, FiftyThree and Les Amis are not putting the heat on customers yet.

“We talk about it all the time but no one wants to be the first to do it,” said

FiftyThree spokesman Alicia Lim, who admitted that cancellations lead to wastage and lost revenue.

“Many Singaporeans are reluctant to give their credit card numbers. There may also be a backlash when you charge them.”

Consumers Association of Singapore executive director Seah Seng Choon said: “As long as the rules are clear, it is up to consumers to decide whether they want to be subjected to them.”


Reprinted courtesy of Straits Times Indonesia. To subscribe to Straits Times Indonesia and/or the Jakarta Globe call 021 2553 5055