Half past nine on a Saturday. Two staff on the floor, a queue at the counter, and the phone going while someone taps on the window to ask whether they can bring the dog in.
None of those questions are difficult. They are just arriving at the exact moment nobody can answer them.
The questions that repeat
When breakfast is served and until when, whether brunch runs all day, whether bookings are taken, whether dogs are allowed, whether there is outdoor seating, where to park, whether there is space for a buggy, what gluten free options exist, whether the kitchen caters for allergies, whether cards are taken and whether large groups can be accommodated.
Serving times cause the most disappointment
A customer arriving at eleven fifty for breakfast that stopped at eleven thirty is an unhappy customer. Publishing the times per day, including weekends and holidays, prevents a wasted journey and a poor review.
Example conversations
These scripts use information a cafe might publish. Your answers should come from your own pages.
Customer: What time do you stop serving breakfast? Assistant: The menu page shows the serving times for each day, including the later finish at weekends, and explains which dishes are available all day. It also shows the brunch menu and when it starts.
Customer: Can we bring our dog? Assistant: The page explains the dog policy, including which areas dogs are welcome in and whether water bowls are provided outside.
Customer: Do you take bookings for six people? Assistant: The page explains the booking policy, including the group size from which a reservation is taken and how far ahead to book. Could you tell me the date and time you had in mind so I can pass the request to the team?
Dietary information needs care
Publishing what options exist is useful. Confirming that a dish is safe for a severe allergy is a kitchen conversation, and a website should say plainly that allergy requirements must be raised with staff on arrival.
Parking and access decide visits
Where to park, whether it is free, how far away it is, step-free access and whether a buggy fits between tables. Small details, and the reason families choose one cafe over another.
Group bookings need capturing
A table of ten on a Sunday is worth several walk-ins. Publishing how groups are handled, and capturing the request at any hour, turns enquiries into bookings rather than into a voicemail.
Say whether you take bookings at all
Plenty of cafes do not, and that is fine. What frustrates people is arriving to find they needed to book, or waiting for a call back that was never going to come.
Events, takeovers and private hire
Quiet evenings can be let out, and most cafes never mention it. A short page listing capacity, minimum spend and what is possible captures enquiries that currently go to venues with better websites.
Special orders arrive through the same channel
Celebration cakes need a different intake entirely, as covered in custom cake orders that need every detail.
Wholesale enquiries arrive too
Other businesses contact cafes and bakeries to buy, as described in wholesale bread and pastry enquiries from local cafes.
The same questions everywhere in hospitality
Hotels field an identical set, as in parking, breakfast and check-in questions every hotel gets, and the general fix is in automating the questions you answer over and over.
Getting started
Publish serving times, policies, parking and group arrangements, then answer at any hour without stopping service. SpideyChat for hospitality answers from your published pages. Try SpideyChat on your own site, or read about answers on the features page.