📋 Reservations Guide: Keep Every Customer Happy

The reservation system is one of the most overlooked mechanics in Retro Rewind. Most players treat it as background noise — customers ask, you shrug, and hope the tape shows up. But once you understand how it actually works, you can use it to build a more predictable store rhythm and keep your satisfaction score climbing.

How Reservations Work

When a customer wants a specific title that's currently rented out, they can place a reservation. The game then tracks that request and routes the tape to your reserved shelf the next time it comes back through your return station.

The key things to understand:

• Reservations are separate from your general browsing stock — reserved copies go to a dedicated shelf, not back into the main genre sections
• There is no reservation fee in the current version of the game — customers don't pay to hold a title
• The system only works if you're processing returns promptly and routing tapes correctly after check-in
• High-demand titles (new releases, popular genres) will generate the most reservations

The Reserved Shelf: Your Most Important Piece of Furniture

The reserved shelf is a dedicated storage spot for tapes that have been claimed by waiting customers. Think of it as a holding area between the return station and the customer's hands.

If you skip the reservation check and put the tape straight back on the genre shelf, the waiting customer may never find it — or worse, someone else rents it first and the reservation goes unfulfilled.

Daily Reservation Routine

Build this into your opening routine every in-game day:

1. 1
   Check the reserved shelf first thing

   See what's sitting there from the previous day. Anything uncollected for too long should be cleared back into general stock so it doesn't tie up inventory indefinitely.

2. 2
   Process overnight returns before opening

   Any tapes returned after closing need to be checked in and sorted before customers arrive. This is when most reservations get fulfilled.

3. 3
   Keep high-demand titles stocked in multiples

   If a title generates frequent reservations, order extra copies. More copies means fewer customers waiting and more rentals per day.

4. 4
   Don't mix reserved stock with general inventory

   Keep the reserved shelf physically separate and clearly organized. Mixing reserved and open stock is the fastest way to lose track of who gets what.

What Affects Reservation Fulfillment

Several factors determine whether a customer actually receives their reserved movie:

Reservations and Your Inventory Strategy

Pay attention to which titles generate the most reservations. This is free market research:

• A title with frequent reservations is a signal to order more copies
• New Releases almost always generate reservations — stock 2–3 copies of anything you expect to be popular
• Use the Times Rented stat on your in-game computer to identify your highest-demand titles and prioritize restocking them
• If a title consistently sits on the reserved shelf uncollected, it may be worth reducing your copies and reallocating shelf space

Common Reservation Mistakes

• Putting reserved tapes back in general stock: Always check for reservations after every return check-in. One missed step breaks the whole chain.
• Letting the reserved shelf get stale: Uncollected reservations tie up inventory. Clear them after a reasonable window and return the tape to open stock.
• Ignoring reservation demand signals: If the same title keeps getting reserved, that's your cue to order more copies — not to wait it out.
• Assuming staff handle reservations automatically: Employees process returns, but you should still verify reservation routing, especially early in the game.

Quick Facts