Imagine you own a restaurant and you get all your reservations online through your booking system; you even tell people to book online when they call, via an automated message. But then, all of a sudden, Google decides to hijack that booking link and replace it with Google Assistant’s calling feature.
So instead of Google linking to the booking system you selected, let’s say OpenTable booking integration. Now Google uses Google Assistant to try to call the restaurant and speak to a person. But no person will answer the call, the call goes to a message to tell people to book online. So the next thing that happens is that Google gives up calling, thinks there are no reservations available and tells those trying to book online that there are no reservations available.
BombOmOm@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
While that is shit, if I call a restaurant to make a reservation and they just tell me to go to their website, I’m probably going elsewhere anyway.
Why even have a phone number if it is useless?
c10l@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I, on the other hand, prefer to do it online and wouldn’t mind this. Horses for courses.
Nindelofocho@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
The restaurant seems to think so if it just plays an automated message to book a reservation online
Zorque@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
A publicly shared phone number for the restaurant? Pretty much. It has limited uses for checking hours and holidays and such, but the primary use is going to be checking availability to eat at the restaurant. If that’s not something you can get over the phone, 99% of the reason to have a public facing phone number is negated.
MichaelScotch@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
At a restaurant? Uh yeah.
slumberlust@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Tried calling a new Indian place in town and they wanted a credit card to book a reservation. Didn’t end up going.
placatedmayhem@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Not sure about your situation specifically, but restaurants requiring a credit card during reservation is on the rise to combat reservation scalping and the no-shows that res scalping causes.