Welcome to our new feature, “Make Life Easier.” From time to time, we’ll post links to tools we find particularly useful. Stuff that has made our lives easier, like OpenTable.com. OpenTable is the reservation system used by lots of restaurants in major markets like New York, San Francisco, and Atlanta. You can go online and search for a restaurant with an open reservation at the time you’d like. It’s the fastest, easiest way to find an opening that we know of. And OpenTable preserves your information so all you need to do is login, click around to find the restaurant and time you like, and submit your reservation. They’ll even record notes to the restaurant if you wish (“this is a surprise birthday celebration; can you bring a dessert with a candle in it?”).
It’s taken years for OpenTable to build their restaurant database. (Read more here at the New York Times.) Restaurants resisted the technology at first, but they love it now. They’re able to record a diner’s preferences on where to sit, dietary requests, etc., which enhances their ability to provide superior customer service. It’s a win-win for all and it’s our pick for a service that Makes Life Easier.