“It’s a lack of manners,” says Julie Blais Comeau, an etiquette specialist, without hesitation. “A lack of respect and recognition for others. It’s nothing new. We no longer have manners and we only think of ourselves,” she believes.
She notes that even for weddings, people are slow to confirm their presence on the requested date. You have to chase them down, and some cancel the day before. “Is it because of the famous FOMO, Fear of Missing Out [peur de rater quelque chose] ? “, she asks. “People don’t respond in case they have something more interesting at the last minute, or they simply don’t feel like going out anymore and would rather watch a movie on their couch, but don’t bother to cancel. This is unacceptable, especially since you can do it online, without even picking up your phone,” she laments.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY JULIE BLAIS COMEAU
Julie Blais Comeau, etiquette specialist
What if we collectively said: It takes you 30 seconds to cancel! Do it for others. And one day you might get a cancellation too!
Julie Blais Comeau, etiquette specialist
It’s a scourge. Not showing up for an appointment affects all spheres of activity. We make appointments at the hairdresser, the doctor, the beautician, we reserve a table at a restaurant, we don’t show up and we don’t bother to cancel. Even golf clubs are affected by this phenomenon. “We see people who book tee times at several golf clubs at the same time, who end up playing at only one club and don’t cancel the other tee times. It’s a problem,” says Stéphane Dubé, general manager of the Association des clubs de golf du Québec.
And it is not possible to withhold a sum. “The Consumer Protection Act does not allow us to take money when the customer does not show up, said Mr. Dubé. Beyond the loss of income, what is sad is that it takes away the chance for others to play.
He thinks of another possibility, that of having to buy golf tee-time tickets. “When you go to a hockey or soccer game, you buy tickets. And if you’re not available, too bad, the tickets are paid for. We could, in the same way, buy golf tee-times,” he suggests.
Before we get to that point, we need to make people aware of the problem, make them understand that they are preventing other people from playing, says Dubé. “We don’t want to penalize people, but we need to make them aware. What if it were you? What if it were your business, you wouldn’t want to lose money, would you?”
Dominique Tremblay, director of public and government affairs for the Association Restauration Québec (ARQ), which brings together 5,300 restaurants in Quebec, believes that awareness-raising does not produce results because behaviors do not change, despite the fact that we are talking about no show in the media for several years.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY DOMINIQUE TREMBLAY
Dominique Tremblay, Director of Public and Government Affairs for the Association Restauration Québec
Average losses can be as much as $50,000 per restaurant per year. Groups that book and don’t show up hurt, so you have to penalize them with an amount customers who do not respect their commitment.
Dominique Tremblay, Director of Public and Government Affairs for the Association Restauration Québec
The ARQ has requested that the Office of Consumer Protection and the Minister of Justice charge fees to customers who do not cancel their reservations, and it hopes for a change, quickly.
According to a survey conducted at the request of the ARQ by Léger in September 2023, 69% of Quebecers agree that there should be a penalty imposed on customers who do not cancel their reservation. “We see that people agree and deplore, like us, this lack of good manners. We are thinking of a penalty of $17 per customer,” says Mme Tremblay.
“It’s not an excessive amount and we should have implemented this penalty a long time ago,” says Sophie Séguin, who systematically cancels her restaurant reservations when she has an impediment. “It’s the least we can do. I don’t understand people who don’t have the decency to call to cancel. It’s unacceptable. Are people that overwhelmed? Disorganized? Do they forget they made a reservation?” she wonders.
In society, there is a minimum of etiquette that applies, reminds Julie Blais Comeau. “We are more educated than ever, but we forget the basics! We must be sensitive to others, honor our reservation or decline out of courtesy for our neighbor,” she says.
She does, however, see a return to learning good manners. “I teach classes in law firms on politeness and table etiquette. There is a desire among younger people to behave well in society.”