“There are not enough people around, so even with really attractive offers, the weekday still isn’t there.”
Andy Freeman, whose business runs The Flour Factory, said cancellations were happening daily because people were in isolation or had become a close contact on the day they were supposed to go out for dinner.
Customer cancellations are hitting hard.Credit:ShotbyThom
“These cancellations are very unusual for our industry, as normally we’re quite busy, quite successful, and you’ve got to book weeks in advance,” Freeman said.
“Now, we’ve got tables of eight that are just cancelling because half their table has gone into isolation.
“It’s still very disruptive.”
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In the early days of the pandemic when capacities were limited, The Flour Factory would take full payments in advance as they couldn’t afford people cancelling.
Freeman had found people were making bookings at multiple venues, and then on the night deciding which they would want to go to.
“That lost revenue was very damaging,” he said.
“If they cancel on the Friday night or the Saturday night, I can’t just magically fill that booking,” he said.
“Hospitality has been one of the industries impacted more than others, and I don’t quite know if people fully appreciate the magnitude and how sensitive it has been for the past couple of years.”
It is not only customers cancelling on the day that had proved an issue.
Freeman said he was dealing with constant last-minute staff shortages.
“The phone just rings and then there’s a dozen staff that can’t work that night,” he said.
“Customers can be a little unforgiving around that, but we’re doing our best.”
Employee no-shows meant service had been a little bit slower than Freeman would like it to be, but customers should keep in mind staff might have rung in sick or were in isolation.
“We lost about 100 of our staff, and we’re running at about 60 at the moment. We couldn’t afford to keep the other 100 on.”
The relaxation of isolation rules announced on Wednesday would come as welcome news to hospitality businesses.
While the crowd capacity limit of 500 people for nightclubs, bars and other venues has been removed, the two-square-metre rule still applies.
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Customer cancellations hit Perth hospitality venues hard
Source: Philippines Alive
