Who Has The Time?

I’m curious about the thought process restaurateurs go through when plotting their web presence. ‘A picture, logo and marketing blurb on the main page. Maybe a link to the menu. Ooh–how ’bout a photo gallery. OK, let’s stick the address here under “contact” so it’s out of the way. Think that’s it.’

Yes, many of them choose to bury their address. But there’s an even more puzzling problem. Why do some of them, when designing their site, forget (or refuse) to post their hours of operation?

This would seem fundamental, right? Guests want to know three things, right off the top: cuisine, location and whether or not the damn place will be open.

From time to time (in a minority of cases, yet far too frequently) this
last bit of information just isn’t listed on web sites. Yeah, I know
you can easily pick up the phone. If you’re already online, however,
and don’t wish to use up cell plan minutes…

The other day I decided a trip to Grapevine might be in order–if,
perchance, the lounge-restaurant called Chill happened to open on
Sunday. Flipped through their site for a few minutes without success.
Tried a couple other locations, hoping for convenience sake they listed
Chill’s hours, but to no avail.

Oh, one suggested the place opened daily, but I didn’t quite trust it. So I finally called, only to reach voice mail.

Now, the lounge’s management must be in cahoots with the nation’s cell
plan providers, for the recorded voice dragged in slow motion–word,
pause, word, pause, word, pause–also without mentioning their hours of
operation.

So haven’t you guys (who are guilty of this) heard of customer service?
Did you attend a Dick Cheney seminar on information, where you learn
the public doesn’t have a right to know? I understand business hours
may change at any time. But that’s the beauty of a web site–you can
update it instantly and keep guests informed, maybe even attract a few
new customers. 

We stopped using the phrase “information age” when the bubble burst on
those unkempt hordes once occupying much of the city’s office space
with their ‘.com’ companies. That doesn’t mean we no longer crave
information.

My plea is this: put the stuff potential diners want to know up front. Pretty basic request.