London restaurants now have an even easier way to accept table reservations thanks to a new partnership between Harden’s, the UK’s leading restaurant guide, and tech start-up Twizoo. Innovative technology developed by Twizoo means that restaurants can automatically take real-time bookings in response to customer tweets, creating the first service globally to offer automatic restaurant bookings in 140 characters or less.
The customer simply tweets at the restaurant including the date, time and number of people for the booking using hashtag #TweetToBook. Then Twizoo’s technology automatically checks availability via the restaurant’s booking system and sends the customer a tweet straight back with confirmation details or, if their time and date is unavailable, offering an alternative time slot.
#TweetToBook is exclusive to Harden’s clients who will receive their first 10 bookings for free. It is all part of the Harden’s for Business package which provides restaurateurs with an innovative online booking solution, as well as interfacing with other top booking providers like OpenTable and Bookatable. Twizoo’s technology taps into Harden’s existing booking solution, meaning Twitter users in the capital can sort out their dinner plans at well-known restaurants such as Lamberts and Boisdale with just a couple of Tweets.
Restaurateurs who would like to enquire about a Harden’s business package, which includes #TweetToBook technology, can contact Clare Burnage on 020 7839 4763 or email editorial2@hardens.com.
Harden’s guide founder, Peter Harden, says: “Harden’s may well be London’s longest-established restaurant guide (now in publication for 25 years), but that doesn’t mean we don’t move with the times!
“We are very excited about our new partnership with Twizoo and what this groundbreaking technology could mean for the future of booking restaurants online. Like it or not, social media has become a powerful tool within the catering industry – especially Twitter. A huge number of UK restaurants now have a Twitter handle which they use daily, not just as an outlet for their #foodporn pics of tonight’s special, but also to advertise jobs, respond to customer queries and publicise upcoming events. Booking tables via Twitter then is an obvious next step.”
Twizoo is an app that rates the best restaurants and bars based on what people are Tweeting, using what’s known as Natural Language Processing, or NLP. The London-based start-up has now extended that technology to break down tweets to pick out the key information needed for the booking. Twizoo links it up with the booking system of the restaurant, and initiates a short, automated Tweet dialog between the restaurant and the customer to confirm the booking.
The booking tweets can be sent directly from Twitter using #TweetToBook, but if customers use the Twizoo app it provides a helpful, live checklist to make sure their tweet includes the key information to make the booking. The app also stores the booking confirmation code so it’s at hand when the customer arrives for their meal.
“While developing Twizoo, we noticed 1000s of customer Tweets requesting a booking with the restaurant that often went unanswered.” says John Talbott, CTO and Co-Founder of Twizoo “We want to help the restaurants convert these currently unsuccessful bookings into successful ones, with no extra hassle for the restaurant or the customer.”
