The decision this workflow supports
A guest changing a reservation needs the restaurant to review the existing arrangement and the proposed change together. Creating a fresh table request can obscure that there is already a booking to consider.
Put the review process in place
Ask for the booking reference if available, then record exactly what the guest wants changed. Preserve the current information as caller-reported context. Staff verify the booking and confirm any amendment; the assistant should not claim that the original reservation has been updated.
Worked example for your team
A fictional guest wants to change an existing reservation from two people to three while keeping the same time. The assistant captures that proposed amendment under the original reference. It should not create a separate three-person table request or say the reservation is updated. Staff verify the arrangement and decide the outcome. Add a correction where the caller says they actually meant four people. The final handoff should contain the corrected request, with no ambiguity about which change the guest currently wants staff to assess.
Sample wording to approve
“I can send staff a change request for your reservation. Do you have a reference, and what would you like changed? The restaurant will confirm whether the change can be made.” This wording is a draft for the restaurant owner to approve before use.
Fields for the staff handoff
Staff need booking reference, caller-reported original details, requested change, contact preference, and host reviewer. Mark uncertain details explicitly and keep the requested action separate from anything restaurant staff have already confirmed.
Acceptance tests before use
The original reference remains visible. A proposed change is not marked complete. The request is not duplicated as an unrelated new reservation. Record the observed result, assign any mismatch, and repeat the affected scenario after correction.
Further reading
Catering inquiry value calculator ↗
Try Ava with your business’s public information ↗