No-show: Sugar shacks charge customers in advance

More and more sugar shacks in the county are asking their customers to book and pay online to avoid this Do not showReservations were not met resulting in financial losses estimated at 15% according to the sugar bush owners.

• Also read: “No Show”: Make the Settlers Pay!

Such is the case of Érablière du Lac-Beauport who, after consulting other similar establishments in the Greater Quebec City area, decided to move forward with a new booking and payment system on their website.

“Since this year, quite a few sugar shacks in the area have been charging customers upfront,” explains Richard Lessard, one of the owners of the family business.

And the businessman does not regret his choice, because practically all weekends by the end of April are booked, and the income is already in the coffers.

At the Chalet des Érables in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, reservations and payments are made in advance on the website to avoid unpleasant surprises.

In the event of cancellation, the famous organization does not offer any refund. However, it is possible to transfer a reservation with 72 hours’ notice.

Satisfied customers

For the Érablière du Cap in Lévis, this is the second year that the advance payment method has been applied. “Because we operate this way, we can handle fewer people, but we have 100% of people coming in and people are happy,” says owner Christine Tardif.

Other establishments like to recommend prepayment, but don’t require it. Julie Blouin of Sucrerie Blouin on Île d’Orléans notes that most visitors book and pay the bill on the web. To book by phone, you require a credit card number. “We decided to protect ourselves in this way,” she says.

Same note for La p’tite cabins on the coast in Mirabel. “Yes, we work with payment in advance, but we don’t charge it,” says manager Amelie Barbier.

For his part, Robert Dufresne of Cabagne Sucre du Bois in Trois-Rivières is studying this solution to counter the problem of non-respect of reservations. “I will have no choice but to do it next year, especially groups,” admits the man.

Restaurants on the rise

Unfulfilled reservations have become a real disaster in the restaurant world.

The Restaurant Association of Quebec (ARQ) on Monday revealed the results of a survey of its members showing that 65.8% of them said they had noticed an increase in “no-shows.” Only 2.8% of the managers surveyed said they had never had to deal with this situation.

what they said

• “People were booking 20 people, it was raining and people were deciding not to come” – Richard Lessard, Érablière du Lac-Beauport
• “Of the 30 people who haven’t come, we’ve seen it before.” -Julie Bloin, Sucreri Bloin at Ile d’Orléans
• “There were a lot of people who didn’t come, and an average of 15% was pretty good.” -Christine Tardif, Erabliere du Cap in Lévis
• “All the time 15% of people don’t come, and it makes a big difference because we turn customers away” – Robert Dufresne, Cabane à sucre du Bois-É in Trois-Rivières
• “Customers can put in a deposit or pay upfront. It’s easier and faster, too, once you get there.” —Emilie Barbier, La p’tite cabins on the coast, in Mirabell