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 2 days ago by Tea@programming.dev to c/technology@lemmy.world
29 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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[–] c10l@lemmy.world 50 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (4 children)

I, on the other hand, prefer to do it online and wouldn’t mind this. Horses for courses.

Why even have a phone number if it is useless?

Really? Are reservations the only use for a phone?

[–] fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com 4 points 9 hours ago

Then do it online. You have your preference, others have theirs. Taking the phone away is a valid reason for people to dislike the businesses' practices, just like you can dislike one if they don't offer online booking.

[–] Nindelofocho@lemmy.world 34 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The restaurant seems to think so if it just plays an automated message to book a reservation online

[–] c10l@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Yeah possibly. The article doesn’t specify it but I’ve seen systems that would give you the automated message but still put you through if you stayed on the line.

[–] Zorque@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago

Why even have a phone number if it is useless?

Really? Are reservations the only use for a phone?

A publicly shared phone number for the restaurant? Pretty much. It has limited uses for checking hours and holidays and such, but the primary use is going to be checking availability to eat at the restaurant. If that's not something you can get over the phone, 99% of the reason to have a public facing phone number is negated.

[–] MichaelScotch@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

At a restaurant? Uh yeah.