Survey: 'deal with issues promptly'

By Lesley Foottit

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Mystery dining company Negative feedback Good

Complaints: offer complimentary food or drink
Complaints: offer complimentary food or drink
Consumers want licensees to handle complaints promptly, according to a survey by The Mystery Dining Company (TMDC).

Consumers want licensees to handle complaints promptly, according to a survey by The Mystery Dining Company (TMDC).

The majority of the 500 respondents (84%) said the acknowledgement of negative feedback by senior management is their preferred response.

However, around 66% of consumers felt their feedback only reached the correct person "sometimes".

Eighty-four per cent expected that a bad experience should attract some degree of compensation, while seven out of 10 would be happy with on-site goodwill gestures, such as complimentary food or drink.

Money off the bill was more popular than receiving a voucher to eat at the site another time.

"Customers don't relish the thought of making a complaint, but if they do it's actually to the operator's benefit as they have the opportunity to change the customers' perceptions by handling any issue competently while they are on-site," said TMDC director Sally Whelan.

More than half (55%) of respondents were equally likely to offer good comments as bad and only 22% spoke up after a negative experience.

Food was the most common cause for complaint, followed by service and seven out of 10 respondents would rather give negative feedback via an electronic format.

Related topics Legislation

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