How to choose the best restaurant reservation system for your needs

Before we can compare solutions, let’s first help you identify what matters when comparing restaurant reservation management systems.

Booking and table management

This is the core feature of reservation software. It should support your needs of collecting bookings online and over the phone.

Online should cover your bookings via your restaurant website, social media especially Facebook and Instagram, and other online channels.

Reservation systems will provide you with a reservation widget to add to your website so you can collect reservation deposits and bookings.

The restaurant reservation system should make it easy for guests to make bookings and cancel them. It should also help you display your reservation, cancellation fees and your no-show policy.

As for table management, there are several features. The aim is to help you edit and maintain flexible table combinations, streamline seating management, and improve table turnover.

You need restaurant floor planning software that gives you multiple views of your concept’s seating areas. A powerful table management and floor planning software will include list view, floor plan view, and grid view. It should also show you your cover flow view.

Guest experience and communication

Guest experience management software is built-in in the top reservation management systems. It combines the power of a restaurant CRM to help you improve guest experiences.

Top features include creating guest profiles, sending automated notifications for guests including reservation reminders and cancellations, and personalized communication.

Features should also include feedback collection, mainly through automated guest surveys and reviews.

Operational efficiency and reporting

Look for a reservation system that provides you with a variety of integrations, including restaurant point-of-sale (POS) systems. These will help you with payment processing both online and in your venues and with reporting.

You can also benefit from POS reports and other POS features like identifying guests’ favorite dishes.

Other integrations to consider are booking integrations, telephone integrations, and payment integrations.

Cost and support

Lastly, you need to consider the cost of this reservation software and the availability of support. Spending a fortune without getting adequate support can result in reduced efficiency, slower operations, and an unclear work flow.

Compared: Servme vs Sevenrooms vs OpenTable

Now, let’s compare our top 3 contenders, Servme, Sevenrooms, and OpenTable.

We’ve divided the comparison into several sections. These are: reservation and table management, pricing, support and onboarding, marketing features, personalization, additional features, and product updates.

Servme vs Sevenrooms vs OpenTable: Reservation management

It’s no surprise that all 3 platforms come with powerful reservation management features. Servme, Sevenrooms, and OpenTable all offer reservation management, including online bookings, waitlist, and seating and table management.

For table management, all offer automatic table combinations, which means the software can show you which tables can be merged or combined without hurting the restaurant’s flow.

In Servme, you can also enter the number of guests and the software recommends the best seats for that group.

Servme vs Sevenrooms vs OpenTable: Pricing

Servme offers 3 plans (Starter at $129/month, Essential at $199/month, and Advanced at $299/month) with no setup fees and no cover fees. Sevenrooms has tailored pricing reportedly starting at $499 per month with a one-time setup fee. OpenTable offers 3 plans (Basic at $149/month, Core at $299/month, and Pro at $499/month) with a $1.5 cover fee per booking via their dining network.

Learn more about Servme’s pricing plans here.

Servme vs Sevenrooms vs OpenTable: Support

Servme offers free setup, free data migration, white glove onboarding, a knowledge base, regular quarterly business reviews, and a dedicated account manager. Sevenrooms does not offer free setup, data migration, or white glove onboarding, and customer support is only available via email and appointment setting. OpenTable does not offer free setup or data migration but does provide customer support.

Servme vs Sevenrooms vs OpenTable: Marketing features

Servme offers email marketing, SMS marketing (all countries), WhatsApp Business, detailed reporting, and customizable templates. Sevenrooms offers email marketing, SMS marketing (in select countries), detailed reporting, and customizable templates but no WhatsApp Business. OpenTable offers SMS marketing (in select countries) but no email marketing, WhatsApp Business, or customizable templates.

Servme vs Sevenrooms vs OpenTable: Personalization

All three platforms offer CRM & segmentation and guest tags. Servme offers automated guest surveys and automated tags in all plans. Sevenrooms offers these only in select plans. OpenTable’s offerings in these areas are more limited.

Servme vs Sevenrooms vs OpenTable: Integrations

Servme offers booking channels, direct Opera integration (for hotels), telephone integration, API integration, and POS integrations. Sevenrooms offers booking channels and POS integrations but no direct Opera integration, telephone integration, or API integration. OpenTable’s integration offerings are more limited.

For booking channels, Servme integrates with Tripadvisor, Zomato, social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, the Michelin Guide, Afternoontea in the UK, Reserve with Google, among others.

Servme vs Sevenrooms vs OpenTable: Product updates

One of the top reasons restaurants and F&B concepts enjoy using Servme is because they see their product requests come to life.

“We feel like we’re part of the development team. Whenever we make a request, the support team shares it with the tech team who gets back to us with ‘this is possible and this isn’t.’ And we’ve seen new features implemented based on our requests.”

Some of the top product features Servme has developed and released based customer requests include:

Besides customer requests, Servme is constantly adding new features that increase personalization, loyalty, and guest retention.

Further reading: The Starter’s Guide to WhatsApp Business for Restaurants

The bottom line

Choosing the right restaurant reservation management is pivotal for efficiency, guest satisfaction, and ultimately, your brand’s growth.

The ideal restaurant reservation management system depends on your specific needs and priorities.

While Sevenrooms and OpenTable offer valuable tools, Servme distinguishes itself with a suite of features, particularly excelling in customer support, reservation software, and personalized marketing features. Not to mention seating management and guest retention.

For restaurants seeking a solution that not only manages bookings seamlessly but also empowers targeted marketing, fosters deeper guest relationships, and provides dedicated support, Servme emerges as a compelling choice.

Ready to experience the difference? Book a personalized demo with Servme today and discover how we can elevate your restaurant’s success.