this post was submitted on 17 Mar 2025
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Google Hijacks Restaurants Booking System Leading To No Reservations Being Available. (www.seroundtable.com)
submitted 1 day ago by Tea@programming.dev to c/technology@lemmy.world
28 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

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.

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[–] BombOmOm@lemmy.world 117 points 1 day ago (14 children)

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?

[–] slumberlust@lemmy.world 10 points 15 hours ago (3 children)

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 9 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

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.

[–] psoul@lemmy.world 6 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

That is a thing? Restaurant reservation scalping ? Who is the market for that? I can buy restaurant reservations on eBay now?

[–] gramie@lemmy.ca 2 points 6 hours ago

Definitely a thing for days like Valentine's.

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