Walk-In Parties

The Walk-In Parties setting tells your concierge what to say when a caller asks if they can walk in or if they need a reservation.

Where to find it

1. In your Slang dashboard, click Reservations in the left navigation.

2. Scroll to the Walk-In Parties card and click Edit.

3. Answer “Does [your location] accommodate walk-in parties?” with Yes or No.

4. If you choose Yes, you can add your own wording under “What’s the walk-in policy for [your location]?” This box is optional.

5. Click Save.

[Insert screenshot: Walk-In Parties with Yes selected]

How it works

If you select Yes, an optional text box opens:

• If you leave the box blank, the concierge says: “We gladly accept walk-in parties, based on availability.”

• If you fill in the box, the concierge reads your text instead.

If you select No, there’s no text box. The concierge says: “We are not able to seat walk in parties.”

If you take reservations through Slang, the concierge follows the walk-in answer with a booking offer:

• After a Yes answer: “But, to guarantee a table, I can check what’s open and book your reservation, start to finish. Would you like to give it a try?”

• After a No answer: “To guarantee a table, I can check what’s open and book your reservation, start to finish. Would you like to give it a try?”

If you selected Yes, the booking offer plays right after your text, so write your text with that in mind.

Note: When Yes is selected, an audio preview appears next to the setting. It plays your walk-in answer only and doesn’t include the booking offer. To hear the full answer callers get, place a test call.

Writing your walk-in text

If you take both reservations and walk-ins, say both plainly:

• Good: “Reservations are not required but strongly encouraged. We save a few tables for walk-ins each night.”

• Good: “Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends. We also welcome walk-ins based on availability.”

Avoid “first come, first served” unless it only applies to one area. On its own, it makes walk-ins sound like the main way in, even when you take reservations.

• Avoid: “Our restaurant is first come, first served.”

• Fine: “Our bar and patio are first come, first served.”

Don’t say you don’t take reservations if your concierge books them. Callers will hear a booking offer right after.

Keep it to one or two sentences.

Read your text out loud, then the booking offer right after it. The preview won’t play them together, so this is the easiest way to catch wording that clashes.

The usual concierge copy rules apply: no questions, don’t start with “Yes” or “Of course,” and end every sentence with a period. More on that in the Concierge help article.

How do I know it’s working?

Place a test call to your concierge and ask, “Do you need a reservation?” and “Can I just walk in?” A test call is the only way to hear the full answer, because the dashboard preview leaves out the booking offer.

Check that you hear your text, the default line if the box is blank, or the No line. If you take reservations through Slang, the booking offer should follow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my concierge offer to book a table after answering a walk-in question?
If you take reservations through Slang, the concierge offers to book one so callers can guarantee a table. Your walk-in answer plays first, then the offer.

I changed my walk-in text. Why does the concierge still say something different?
Check that Walk-In Parties is set to Yes and that your text saved. If the box is empty, the concierge uses the default line.

This used to be under Concierge topics. Did it move?
Yes. Walk-In Parties is now on the Reservations tab in your Slang dashboard.