WhatsApp for restaurants: how to confirm reservations and send reminders without calling

Calling every guest to confirm their reservation takes time, interrupts service and often nobody picks up. At the same time, almost all your guests have WhatsApp and check it several times a day. Using it to stay in touch makes perfect sense, as long as it is done right.

In this article we look at which messages are worth sending, how to send them automatically and what to watch out for so you do not bother anyone.

Which messages to send on WhatsApp

These are the moments in a reservation where a message adds value:

• Confirmation. As soon as the reservation is created: date, time, party size, area, booking code and how to get there.
• Reminder. Before service, with buttons to confirm attendance or cancel.
• Changes and cancellations. If the reservation is moved or the guest cancels, a message that puts it in writing.
• Pending guarantee. If the reservation needs a card guarantee and the guest has not added it yet.
• Table available. For people on the waitlist, as soon as a table opens up.

All of them are useful to the guest, with specific information at the right moment. That is what gets them read instead of being seen as advertising.

Automatic notifications versus conversations

It helps to tell two things apart:

1. Automatic notifications. Messages that go out on their own at each stage of the reservation, with predefined text. Nobody on the team has to write anything.
2. Conversations. When the guest replies, asks something or wants to book by message. That needs someone to answer, whether a person on your team or an artificial intelligence assistant.

For most restaurants, automatic notifications already cover what matters most: confirming, reminding and freeing up tables. Conversations are the next step, especially useful if you get a lot of messages after hours.

First, make sure your guests can book on their own from your website, Instagram and Google: we cover it in online reservations for restaurants.

Why permission matters

WhatsApp is not a channel for messaging just anyone. To send notifications to a guest, they should have agreed to it when booking, with a clear checkbox saying they accept messages about their reservation on WhatsApp.

On top of that, messages a business starts on WhatsApp must use templates approved by Meta. A good reservation system takes care of this for you: the templates are already approved and are simply filled in with each reservation's details.

Reminders with buttons: the detail that helps most

A reminder that says "we look forward to seeing you at 9 pm" is fine. One that also comes with two buttons, confirm attendance and cancel reservation, is much better:

• The guest answers with one tap, without typing.
• If they cancel, the table is freed instantly and you can give it to someone else.
• Your team knows which reservations are confirmed before service starts.

It is one of the simplest ways to reduce no-shows.

Good practices

• Always identify yourself. Every message should include the restaurant's name, address and a contact phone number.
• Keep it short. The reservation details, what the guest needs to do and nothing else.
• Time the reminder well. For dinner, a few hours before usually works; for lunch, the day before.
• Combine channels. Some guests prefer email. Being able to choose the channel for each type of notification gives you flexibility.
• Keep usage under control. If your plan includes a number of messages per month, check what happens when they run out. Ideally they pause and you get notified, rather than an unexpected charge. Check this and other hidden costs in per-cover fees or a flat fee.

How Bookeando does it

In Bookeando, WhatsApp notifications go out automatically at every stage of the reservation, using templates approved by Meta and only to guests who agreed to it when booking. You decide, notification by notification, what goes by WhatsApp and what by email. And on the Business plan you can also switch on an AI agent that chats with your guests, checks your availability and makes the reservation for you.

See the plans and pricing or get in touch to see it in action.