Now and then a guest turns up, or rings, sure they booked online, and there’s nothing in your diary. Almost always the booking was started on your booking page but never finished. Here’s how to check, and the usual reasons it happens.
Check whether they’re booked
1. Search for them. In NomNom Web, click the magnifying glass at the top right (or press /) and search by name, phone number, email or booking reference. Cancelled bookings show too, marked Cancelled. See Looking up a guest and their booking history.
2. Ask how it ended. A finished online booking ends on a Booking Confirmed! screen with a booking reference, followed by a confirmation email. If they have the email, check it’s from you and for the date they think, then search for the reference on it.
3. Nothing found? It wasn’t completed. If you have room, take the booking now (see Taking a booking over the phone), and let them know which of the reasons below probably applies. If you’d normally take a deposit, you can send them a payment link — see Sending a guest a payment link.
Why an online booking doesn’t get finished
Their card didn’t go through
If you ask for a card or deposit, the booking is only made once the card step succeeds. When their bank’s security check (3D Secure) fails or the card is declined, the page shows Payment Failed with the reason — for example We couldn’t verify this card with your bank. Please try again, or use a different card. — and the buttons Update Card Details and Start Over. A guest who gives up there has no booking and hasn’t been charged.
About an hour later, NomNom emails them to say so. The email, Your booking at [your venue] was not completed, tells them no table is held for them and they haven’t been charged, and gives them your booking link and your contact details to try again. It goes to the guest only; you don’t get a copy.
They took too long
Picking a time holds a table for the guest while they fill in their details. If they leave the page and come back much later — after about 15 minutes, or longer once they’ve reached the card step — the table is no longer held, and pressing Confirm Booking shows Booking Not Completed. They need to refresh the page and start again.
Their browser filled in a hidden box
The form has a hidden box that catches automated bots. Very occasionally a browser or password manager fills it in, and the page stops the booking with We couldn’t complete this booking, asking the guest to turn off autofill and try again, or to contact you. They can try again with autofill off or in another browser — or you can take the booking.
They never pressed Confirm Booking
The last step shows a summary of the booking, which can look like a confirmation. Nothing is booked until the guest ticks I accept the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and presses Confirm Booking; if they press it without ticking, they’re asked to tick the box first. A guest who closes the page at the summary has no booking, and usually no email to say so.
Good to know
- A paid booking isn’t lost. If their card or deposit went through, NomNom still makes the booking, even if their page froze or closed before Booking Confirmed! appeared. Search by their email or phone number.
- Found it, but no email? See A guest says they didn’t get their confirmation email.
- Nothing is left behind. An abandoned attempt leaves no booking in your diary, so there’s nothing for you to tidy up.
- Card questions. For why a guest was or wasn’t asked for a card, see Why wasn’t a guest asked for a card or deposit?.