Interesting Boathouse reservation experience:

[wcw57]

I called direct (as you do) to book a party of 11....for Feb 2019

I was told that they don't offer reservations for 11....10 is the cut-off

I said "Then, please make a reservation for 6 and for 5 and put the tables next to each other"

She made a reservation for 11....never acknowledged my other solution.

She was not happy to speak with me...it was clear from the onset of my call. I REALLY hated to bother her by trying to give her business. Why do people take jobs working with the public if they can't stand working with the public?

OH, and BTW, I ALWAYS use my best phone manners like my Mommy taught me...You would have been proud of me for being as nice as I was to this...ummmmm, there's a word that's appropriate here but I can't use.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Great that it worked out for ya!

 

[Farro]

Maybe she felt your tone was off-putting? Maybe it didn't seem that way to you, but maybe to her. Who knows.

But, you got the reservation.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

I think you could have done this through Open Table also (for future reference).

 

[FCDub]

OK. Glad it worked out.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Why do people take jobs working with the public if they can't stand working with the public?

OH, and BTW, I ALWAYS use my best phone manners like my Mommy taught me...You would have been proud of me for being as nice as I was to this...ummmmm, there's a word that's appropriate here but I can't use.

It's become unfortunately common in many arenas. My guess is that they might lack a work ethic.

 

[wcw57]

RE: Open Table. I'm pretty sick and tired of having a million apps on my phone which i never (hardly ever) use but I have used open table before and its pretty simple. I don't think it allows reservations so far out, though. I don't remember.

 

[wcw57]

Oh, and I knew someone would say that I somehow annoyed the poor girl at the Boathouse....which is why I went on to explain that I know how to compose myself. The answer to a potential client is never "no" but "lets see how we can make this work".

 

[NYCgrrl]

RE: Open Table. I'm pretty sick and tired of having a million apps on my phone which i never (hardly ever) use but I have used open table before and its pretty simple. I don't think it allows reservations so far out, though. I don't remember.

I'm not one for much app clutter either but have no problem opening the Open Table website on my laptop or Ipad. I just did a test ressie for Feburary 2019 and there were several times available but not for 11 guests.

 

[js]

When I need to use Open Table I put the app on my phone then when my vacation or ressie is over I just delete the app. I too dont like app clutter but this solution is very easy. I always use Open Table for Boathouse and you wont have to speak to a person. Either way you got your ressie and she did as asked but that would bother me too.

 

[tsme]

It’s not you, some people are just not nice. Forget it & enjoy your trip.

 

[DazzleT]

The older I get, more experience with hiring and training, I realize you get what you put in with an employee. If I pay minimum wage, I get minimal work. If I don’t train them, I get untrained work (and even answering the phone requires training- most of us get that training from parents but you can’t assume anything- my work has an sop for phone answering I signed off on when I started). It is also possible she is dealing with something outside the call that has her off. Obviously, it is also possible that she is just a bad person but I like to believe that people are generally good.

 

[Jetta8300]

I called direct (as you do) to book a party of 11....for Feb 2019

I was told that they don't offer reservations for 11....10 is the cut-off

I said "Then, please make a reservation for 6 and for 5 and put the tables next to each other"

She made a reservation for 11....never acknowledged my other solution.

She was not happy to speak with me...it was clear from the onset of my call. I REALLY hated to bother her by trying to give her business. Why do people take jobs working with the public if they can't stand working with the public?

OH, and BTW, I ALWAYS use my best phone manners like my Mommy taught me...You would have been proud of me for being as nice as I was to this...ummmmm, there's a word that's appropriate here but I can't use.

I just had the almost exact same experience with Yak and Yeti today. But We have a party of 8. You apparently cannot make a reservation with a party of more than 6 outside of the hours of 3:00-5:00 at Yak and Yeti. although he would absolutely not make the reservation for us, and he did not offer to make two seperate reservations. It was just an adamant NO. I wouldn't expect him to if it's policy, but wow what a weird policy for a restaurant inside of a park.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I said "Then, please make a reservation for 6 and for 5 and put the tables next to each other"

Part of this, at least, is that you can't reserve a specific table, proximity, or location. I read a few TA reviews for a different restaurant, and several complaints were along the lines of, "I made the reservation six months in advance, we should have had the best table, not the worst!"

Too, whether she made one reservation for eleven, or the 6+5 ultimately suggested, part of the spiel should include the 'your party may be split up' disclaimer. I think they even say this to parties of one of two.