Poll: Do you think restaurants should charge customers who fail to show for a booking?
A food industry trade group had a run-in with the competition watchdog over the issue.
THE RESTAURANTS TRADE group had a run-in with the competition watchdog over its campaign against customers who fail to show up for bookings.
According to a recent Irish Times report, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) reprimanded the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) for trying to coordinate an industry-wide deposit charge to punish no-shows.
The RAI previously stated that customers who booked but never showed up were taking their toll on business owners.
According to the newspaper report, the lobby group had encouraged restaurateurs to introduce policies on booking deposits, which a customer would have to forfeit if they failed to show up.
The CCPC cracked down on the RAI, saying that although restaurants could independently introduce such policies, the trade association “must not influence or attempt to co-ordinate the pricing decisions of its members”.
The RAI, which denied trying to fix deposit charges, said it will continue to highlight the issue.
With that in mind, we’re asking Fora readers this week: Do you think restaurants should charge customers who fail to show for a booking?
