Restoration | Ghost customers: the $ 10 penalty confirmed for July 17

There is no shortage of ideas in Quebec to create laws that have a concrete impact in our daily lives, our habits and even our good manners.

At the Ministry of the Economy, we would like to allow us to shop our shoes on Saturdays until 8 p.m. by extending the opening hours of shops. A pilot project will take place in Laval, Gatineau and Saint-Georges, in Beauce, at the end of the summer, taught us The Quebec Journal^⁠1Wednesday. Minister Christopher Skeete wants companies to choose their opening hours themselves as is the case elsewhere in North America, but he dares not go so far, at least for the moment.

Hopefully the results will be made public. Because opening later does not give customers more money to spend. Who will open? Who will not open? And what happens when operating costs are climbing, but not sales? The prices are revised upwards, the offer is modified or the service decreases. Close becomes the simple solution. Except when the competitors remain open …

While adults have the freedom to shop longer, students will have to learn to live without their cellular in class and prepare psychologically to no longer tu their teachers. The prohibition of tu will come into force in January, confirms the regulations published on Wednesday^⁠2. The Ministry of Education thus wants to strengthen civility in schools.

If I tell you about it, it is because he is not the only one!

The Minister of Justice also wants to strengthen civility … But adults who reserve at the restaurant. As expected, it will allow restaurateurs to impose a penalty of $ 10 on those who reserve a table at the restaurant and who, oh surprise, never point.

The rules, published on Wednesday also in the Official Gazette of Quebecwill come into force on July 17.

As I have already written, it is almost annoying to see the government apparatus mobilizing its resources to regulate the simple good manners. We are returned there.

The restaurateurs would have preferred the penalty to be increased to $ 20, but Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette did not acquiesce at their request. His cabinet recalls that the objective is to change the behavior, not to compensate for income losses.

However, it has revised downwards the size of the groups referred to in the regulations: any reservation for two or more people will be subject to it, rather than five as expected. It was one of the requests of the Catering Quebec Association (ARQ), which wanted to protect the gastronomic sector, frequented mainly by couples and quartets.

In addition, restaurants will have to use a reservation platform to impose the fine. This technology must be used to transmit a confirmation “within 6 to 48 hours before the scheduled time” and a “hyperlink to easily cancel the reservation”.

Of course, this assumes that from mid-July, customers will have to provide their credit card number. But no amount can be taken in advance.

Those who reserve for 8 or 12 people fear so much that they are charged a penalty they call to cancel, told me a restaurateur who illegally requires a credit card number to confirm group reservations. In other words, the strategy works. And that’s good.

According to an ARQ survey, 68 % of restaurants use an online booking platform. The cost is around $ 100 per month.

The owner of Madame Thai, in Old Longueuil, judges that it is not worth it for her establishment little affected by the absences. “What it would cost me to have the platform, plus the costs by reservation, all that to have a $ 10 occasionally, it’s not good for me,” said Francis Rodrigue. In its four other restaurants, it’s different. He therefore welcomes the new regulation even if he presents “gaps”, he says.

The entrepreneur, like the ARQ, hoped to be able to invoice a penalty when only one part of a group arises. “There, we can have a table of 10 and only one person who comes and we can do nothing,” deplores the spokesperson of the ARQ, Martin Vézina. He would have preferred a certain “ratio” to be included in the regulations.

Owner of Saint-Bock, rue Saint-Denis, Martin Guimond is a regular at the scourge. In May, a group of 40 people canceled 10 minutes before the time of its reservation and it is “only a case among others”. Groups of 40 that melt at 15, “it’s frequent”. A few years ago, on a group of 80 people, only two crossed the Brewery Porte. “It really hurts. It is a lack of respect, in reality. »»

For groups of two, Martin Guimond is not certain that he will impose the penalty, but from six, he will not hesitate for a second. However, he fears disputes. Some customers already call for their bank and pretend that they never went to Saint-Bock to obtain a credit, among other entouroupetes. “This is why we keep all the surveys,” says the entrepreneur who sees all the colors. A bit like teachers who never get to the end of their surprises, finally!

Result, good manners is now regulated and good manners are published in the Official Gazette of Quebec.

1. Read the article of Quebec Journal on store opening hours

2. Read our article on civics at school