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I use it all the time to book work lunches and dinners out. I have also used it to book restaurants in places where I will be traveling. I have never experienced a glitch. I like accumulating the points but that is secondary to the convenience of being able to make a reservation at 8 a.m. or 10 p.m. and download it to my calendar. If there is a choice between two restaurants of the same caliber and I can reserve only one on Open Table, I will go with the one on Open Table.

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- Katie

You know, I don't think I've ever used my points. The points feature could completely go away and I'd be fine with that and would continue to use the platform.

i use it frequently too, but it seems not enough for my points to accumulate to anything useful. actually i think they used to have a more liberal points policy and now they expire after a year... kinda cheapskateish, since i assume the restaurant i made a reservation at somehow paid for those points...and when they expire i doubt they get a refund.

i think they also penalize people who do more than 1 no show by taking away points?

opentable is a good way to search out for last minute reservations and seeing what p,aces are booked... though i've had times when opentable said there wasn't a reservation but after calling there was.

and yes, it's a good way to avoid talking to people on the phone... i can't remember the last time i called somewhere for reservations and found it to be "easy" ...there's just too much going on... them putting you on hold, then you have to mutually find a time that works for both... it's just so much easier with a computer telling you what is avail and not available

According to their website, points expire on accounts that have been inactive for a year, so if you've been using OpenTable with any regularity, your points should be safe.

As for myself, I often use OpenTable when dining before a show or other event downtown, since I can easily see what restaurants are available at the time I need, but I've found that most of the restaurants that I regularly eat at don't use it.

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"Make me one with everything."

-Zen master ordering a hot dog

Re neglecting to use points, points expiring, etc.: As is the case for others, for me the points are beside the point. (Heh.) So much so, that I completely forgot to use a $50 reward coupon from Open Table for, like, two years. But then for the heck of it we tried using it one night anyway--well past a year after the expiration date printed on the coupon--and the restaurant took it, no problem.

I may be a glutton for punishment, but I am giving Open Table another try for my trip to Orlando. Out of pure convenience since i was on the computer anyway I decided to make a reservation for The Palm @ the Hard Rock through Open Table, I guess I will see how this reservation turns out.

Previous issues with Open Table reservations in Chicago, and the suburbs, a lost reservation, seemingly always being first seated by either the kitchen or restrooms, until asking to not be seated there.

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I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

I've never had a problem with Opentable, not even once, wait, that's not true. I have tried to make a reso, but have had to call the restaurant when they didn't have a table available at my time. I actually prefer opentable as I can always put my husband's walnut allergy on the reso, as we sometimes forget when we are out. I even used them for a reso at Sixteen, and couldn't have asked for a better table at the window, with no special request. I reccomend printing out your reso confirmation.

im keeping my fingers crossed, and I can and always have asked for a different table than the ones offered in the locations I mentioned above when I have booked through OT in the past.

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I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

Open Table emails you after your dinner and asks you to provide feedback. They give you 720 characters to write an anonymous, but public review and another 250 characters to write feedback directly to the restaurant. If they want thoughtful feedback, a 250 character limit seems highly restrictive.

(The above post is 288 characters.)

I used OpenTable this week for a reservation at the Wheeling outpost of Tuscany. I blasted the service in the public review as it was very poor, and used the 250 character private review to give a couple of examples and point them to the public review. Which, not surprisingly, does not seem to appear on the OpenTable web site at the present time....

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"You may not want to take its picture, but you really want to eat it." - Nigella Lawson

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Ed Fisher
my chicago food photos

RIP LTH.

There are a few things wrong with this quote.

First, the article confused fixed and marginal costs. Second, the 5% margin (assuming it is accurate) is an average among all restaurants. A cursory look at the restaurants that use Open Table in Chicago indicates that it is clearly composed of more-successful-than-average restaurants. Clearly, if restaurants consistently lose money on Open Table, we'd see more restaurants dropping it. Third, the article misunderstands the stock market value of the company by comparing the value of Open Table stock to the number of current clients that they have. Fourth, the article misunderstands the relationship between marginal costs and prices. In short, if you believe this article, Open Table is scooping up all of the profits (and possibly more) that exist in the restaurant industry.

Over the past year or so I have used Open Table quite a bit, cashing in a few points redemtions along the way. Been pretty happy with the results.

One question, I notice an upcoming reservation @ Topolobampo will get me 0 dining points. First time I have ever seen this. Anyone ever had a zero point table on Open Table?

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I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

Yes, there are certain restaurants and time slots where you don't get any points.

If you click through to Open Table from the restaurant's website, you often (always?) don't get any points. When I've realized I'm not getting points, I've opened another browser and made the reservation from there.

When it's a hard-to-get reservation and I'm concerned I'll lose it, I keep the zero point reservation. No reason to risk losing it for a whole dollar.

Ronna

thanks folks for the info and tips.

I had never come across this before.

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I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

Same thing happened to me for RJ Grunts - no biggie. A good investment since it was my annual pilgrimage combined with Zoo Lights.

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"A fruit is a vegetable with looks and money. Plus, if you let fruit rot, it turns into wine, something Brussels sprouts never do."
-- P. J. O’Rourke"

to be clear about expiration, the following is from Open Table's Q&A section:


I view open table the way I do frequent flyer miles or hotel points. Yes they don't accrue as fast as I would like but at some point I'll have a nice reward.

By the way, is there a "best restaurant using OpenTable points" or "best use of OpenTable points in Chicago" thread on LTH?

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I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.

Aren't Open Table points/checks equivalent to cash at any restaurant that uses Open Table?

Correct - and you request the certificates in whatever denomination you choose ($20, $50 or $100). You just have to be careful because the certificates expire 180 days after they are issued.