It is Friday. One employee answers the phone, another welcomes arrivals, and a booking comes through the website. The key question is whether everyone sees the same available tables. An online reservation system lets guests choose a visit time online while staff keep a shared booking list.
1. Availability that matches the dining room
Try booking the last available table on two phones. After the first confirmation, check whether the second person can still select it. Also ask whether a request is accepted immediately or waits for staff approval. Guests should be able to tell the difference.
2. Phone bookings in the same list
A guest calls instead of using the website. Ask an employee to add the visit and check it on another device. If you still need a separate notebook, agree who copies the information and when. Two independent lists can diverge after the first change.
3. Opening times and group sizes that fit
Test a normal day, a holiday and a larger party. Can staff close a specific time or direct large groups to contact the restaurant? An empty part of the dining room is not necessarily suitable for every party size.
4. Visit duration and time to reset tables
If you plan successive bookings at a table, check the visit duration and the gap for resetting it. Any requirement to leave by a particular time should appear before confirmation. Avoid leaving that conversation until dessert arrives.
5. A confirmation guests can understand
Make a test booking on your own phone. Find the date, time, party size, address and contact details. Check both the message and the screen after submission. “Sent” alone does not tell a guest whether a table is reserved.
6. Straightforward changes and cancellations
Change the party size, then cancel the test booking. Check who is notified and whether the table becomes available again. If changes require a call, the phone number and contact hours should be easy to find.
7. Reminders that fit your service
Ask whether reminders are available, which channel they use and whether they cost extra. Read a sample: does the guest know what to do if they cannot come? A feature name on a pricing page is not enough to judge the workflow.
8. A waitlist with clear rules
When no table is available, ask whether interested guests can join a waiting list. Agree who contacts them when space opens and how long they have to respond. Joining a waitlist should not look like a confirmed booking.
9. A shift view the whole team can use
Ask a staff member to find the next arrivals and mark a guest as seated without help. Check who can edit bookings, change settings and see contact details. Working together does not have to mean sharing one password.
10. A useful service summary
Ask to see booked guest numbers, cancellations and missed visits for a chosen day. Check whether employees must mark those events manually. A report becomes useful when you understand where its data comes from.
Small venue
Start with a shared list, availability and changes. Choose a setup an employee can use during service.
Busy dining room
Also test arrival spacing, table duration and how employees pass information to one another.
What should you bring to a demo?
- Your table layout and usual party sizes.
- Examples of a phone booking, a change and a cancellation.
- A list of employees who will use the system.
- Questions about module, messaging and setup costs.
With iTasty, you can discuss online reservations and a shared view of visits. Ask for a demonstration based on your own service and confirm the options you need and their cost. Do not assume all ten criteria are included in your chosen package.
Read how to help staff during peak hours
Examples from supplier documentation
ResDiary documents adding bookings and controlling visit times and arrivals; OpenTable explains its waitlist. These illustrate mechanisms, not their availability in iTasty. Sources checked on 22 September 2026.