Nobody can answer the phone during service, and that is the problem

Why do restaurants miss so many calls?

Because call volume peaks in the hours before and during service, which is when the floor and kitchen are least able to stop. It is a scheduling collision rather than a staffing failure.

Missed restaurant calls skew expensive. Somebody ringing at seven on a Friday is usually trying to book that night or a large party, both of which are worth more than the average cover.

What are the options for answering the phone during service?

Push everything to online booking, use an answering service, use an assistant that takes bookings and captures the rest, or accept the loss and staff the phone at peak. All four are legitimate depending on the room.

Online booking only works if the widget takes what people actually ring about. Large parties, private hire and accessibility questions are the usual gaps, and they are the high value calls.

Whatever answers, the non-negotiable is that allergen questions go to a person immediately, with no attempt at an answer.

Should an assistant confirm a booking?

Only when the booking system has actually returned a confirmation. An assistant that says a table is held when nothing was recorded creates a walk-in argument at the door.

Where a booking cannot be completed, the honest behaviour is to take the details, say plainly that somebody will confirm, and mean it.