Over the past 10-15 years the Internet has really taken a hold of many parts of society, grappling its way into pretty much every area of business and commerce, and commanding we use it on a daily basis in some way or another.
We are now able to do many things without having to leave the computer. We can even perform everyday tasks without using the telephone. Take for example when booking a holiday - you can tailor make the perfect holiday and book it all through a web interface. Gone are the days when you needed to call in the travel agents to find the best deals.
Similarly, thanks to large booking websites you can find great deals online for holidays, restaurants, theatre and gig tickets and more, none of which you could get offline. Technophobes may cry that they do not need the internet to get things done, and it's true - you don't, but you can get a lot better deals booked a lot more quickly if you do it online. For example just last week I ordered a takeaway meal online and received two free side orders for doing so! Its these privileges which you can cash in on, if you get there early!
In particular, over the past decade booking tables at your favourite restaurants has been all but revolutionized. No longer do you need to call a restaurant during their opening hours, or leave a message on the machine; you can simply book a table at your convenience on the internet!
There are a plethora of benefits to booking online, and these include:
- Being able to book when the restaurant is closed - no need to leave messages!
- Some restaurants provide special offers to online bookers
- Some restaurants provide allocated seating for people booking online - never get double booked!
Nearly all major cities have restaurants that take advantage of this booking system, yet it has still to catch on in many areas of the UK. Unlike booking holidays online, booking restaurants is still not something many people consider an option, but this is changing...
Over the past 10 years there has been more and more sites sprouting up to offer this service, with many restaurant websites providing some form of online booking (even if it is just an email reservation form). This proves there is a market for it and as users become savvier and used to performing even the smallest of tasks online, booking your favourite restaurant by telephone will seem an archaic endeavour.