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'People don't understand the impact of no-shows'

Eleanor MaslinEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
News imageBBC/Charlotte Henderson A young woman with long blonde hair standing behind a bar. She has her right hand on a beer pump and is smiling at the camera. There is a row of optics in the background and some "well done" cards on a board.BBC/Charlotte Henderson
Landlady Neve Baker-Wright said a table of 13 failed to show up this week

A pub landlady is urging people to call and cancel their bookings rather than becoming no-shows.

Neve Baker-Wright runs The New Inn in Folkingham, near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, where a table of 13 failed to show up on Thursday evening.

She said the pub brought in an extra member of staff to accommodate the booking, which was made only 45 minutes in advance.

Baker-Wright, who is now thinking of asking for deposits, said: "For them not to turn up is really upsetting. You can't just make a table of 13 happen."

News imageNeve Baker-Wright A pale blue painted pub with "The New Inn" painted on it in white.Neve Baker-Wright
The pub might demand booking deposits following the no-show

She said the pub received a call at about 17:45 BST for the table of 13 for 18:30 BST, and staff started making arrangements to accommodate them straight away.

Two hours later and after three follow-up calls and messages with no response, no-one had turned up.

"They'd moved the whole dining room round ready for it and got stuff in place," said Baker-Wright, 19, who is from Grantham.

"It puts all the staff on edge because you don't know if the table are going to turn up late or if they're not coming."

'Not fair on anyone'

She said there were many costs involved in no-shows and people "don't understand the impact it has, the stress it puts on people".

She added: "Unfortunately, tables like this have now ruined it as I'll have to think about taking deposits.

"I understand plans change but it takes two seconds to give the business a call and say they aren't coming in.

"It's just not fair on anyone."

News imageBBC/Charlotte Henderson A young woman with long hair standing next to a man with glasses and a goatee beard. He is wearing a black shirt and an apron. There are racks of cups and saucers in the background.BBC/Charlotte Henderson
Neve's father, Andy, said he was very proud of her when she became the landlady

Neve took over the lease on the pub last year after the previous landlords suggested she put forward a business plan to owner Admiral Taverns.

Her stepfather Ash Wright is the co-signatory on the lease of the pub and her father, Andy Baker, is the chef.

"It's been amazing," she said.

"It's been an up-and-down experience but it's part and parcel of running a business.

"I think I've had quite a lot of respect along the way. You have a few people that try to push boundaries but I think they learn quite quickly."

Hospitality tech provider Zonal said about 15% of bookings failed to turn up, costing the sector an estimated £17.6bn in lost revenue annually.

It said 18 to 34-year-olds were the worst offenders, with about a quarter of them admitting to not showing up.

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