Avoiding No-Shows at a Bowling Center: 6 Measures

Why guests do not show up

Very few no-shows are ill-intentioned. The reservation was made two weeks ago and forgotten. The group changed its mind and nobody feels responsible for cancelling. Or a reservation was made at two centers at once, to decide later.

Each of these causes calls for something different. That is why no single measure works on its own, but the combination does.

Six measures that work together

Have bookings confirmed by email

A reservation that only counts after a click on a confirmation link filters out prank bookings and typos in the address. You can also be sure to reach the guest afterwards.

Send a reminder the day before

A reminder 24 hours before the appointment brings forgotten reservations back to mind. Those who cannot come will usually still cancel.

Make cancelling easy

People who have to call to cancel often do not. A link in the confirmation email that lets guests cancel by themselves gives you the lane back in time.

Require a deposit where it pays off

A deposit makes the reservation binding. It does not have to apply all the time: require it on busy evenings, for large groups and for events, and waive it on slow days.

State clear cancellation rules

Say at the time of booking until when cancellation is free and what happens to the deposit. A rule the guest knows leads to fewer discussions at the front desk.

Keep an eye on late arrivals

Decide how long a lane is held after the start time, and then release it to walk-ins. The team needs a clear instruction for this and a plan that shows late arrivals.

How OpenBowling supports this

In OpenBowling an online booking only becomes binding once the guest has confirmed their email address. A reminder goes out automatically 24 hours before the appointment, and guests cancel by themselves up to 24 hours in advance.

You configure the deposit via PayPal or Stripe separately for regular bookings and events. Exceptions and mandatory periods are set by weekday, time, public holiday, school holidays or booking type. For cancellations you choose between a full, partial or no refund. In the lane plan the system flags late guests as possible no-shows.

Frequently asked questions

Does a deposit put guests off?

Hardly on busy evenings, more so on slow days. That is why it pays to require the deposit only at times when an empty lane really costs revenue.

How high should the deposit be?

That depends on your venue. It should be high enough that the booking is meant seriously and low enough that it does not keep anyone from booking. Start with one rate and adjust it after a few weeks.

Avoiding no-shows at a bowling center