How to deal with customer complaints

Get to grips with common gripes so you can turn service snags into smiles

“We’ve waited ages for our table”

When customers are walk-ins, they expect a little wait. But if it’s over 15 minutes, suggest taking their name and number down then sending a text once their table is prepped or ready. This shows you value their custom and time as they can pop to nearby shops or for a drink beforehand. If it’s a pre-booking, the promise of a table needs to be kept to avoid an upset. Not possible right away? Offer a seat in your bar, take a drinks order and hand out food menus to get their tastebuds tingling in the spare time.

“9 in 10 find long waits and food served cold annoying”

- Source: Go Technology Report. Zonal and CGA, May 2024

“Our food and drinks are taking too long”

Customers arrive at your door hungry and thirsty. So it’s no surprise they won’t be happy if they have to wait for their order to turn up. Before it gets to a grumble, make sure your staff keep an eye on tables who haven’t received their drinks or food so they can step in early to avoid conflict.

A quick smile of recognition, “It’s on the way” or “I’ll go and check” makes a big difference. When there’s a real kitchen or ticket problem, they’ll appreciate being kept in the loop too. If it comes to a complaint, an apology plus a free drink or discount will sweeten the deal.

“You should have told me this item wasn’t available”

In this digital age, we love checking out what’s on offer before we reach a venue. That’s why it’s important to tell people about menu changes or missing ingredients straight away. Don’t forget – use that time to get them excited about specials too.

Research shows 85% of customers are frustrated when something is out of stock – so don’t let them find out when they order or the plate reaches their table. If you do forget to let them know or miss an item, offer an alternative or a special side for free. Just make sure your team knows the entire menu so they’re confident getting creative with swaps.

“I couldn’t make a reservation or amend it online later”

Customer complaints aren’t restricted to inside your venue. In fact, women and 18 to 25-year-olds are most frustrated when tech fails before a visit – stopping them booking, amending or cancelling online. This can lead to no-shows as three in five will think twice about coming if they face problems at this stage.

Avoid this by making sure your digital experience is hassle-free. Opt for a user-friendly website or app alongside email reminders with clear ‘cancel’ or ‘amend’ buttons.

“I have a discount but you won’t honour it”

Eating out is expensive. And you don’t want to alienate guests who visit your venue as a treat. They may have been tempted by a special offer or fixed price. So if you’ve advertised one, you need to stick to it.

When customers come through your door, be transparent by letting them know about any ways they can save money first. If you make a billing mistake, apologise and give the discount – without quibbles.

“A broken promise knocks customer loyalty. Over 90% are very annoyed if an outlet doesn’t honour a deal, especially those aged 65+ who are 16% more likely to complain”

- Source: Go Technology Report. Zonal and CGA, May 2024

“The bill is wrong and why can’t I split it?”

For groups of family or friends, the bill often spikes anxiety. Save that stress by making sure your POS is simple for your team to use so they can avoid silly errors. Train them to check against the original order and ticket before taking it to a table.

Try to make the process of cash, card, splitting or paying for individual items seamless by using the right tech. If you can’t accommodate something, make it clear from the outset. You don’t want things to end on a sour note so own up to any mistakes and perhaps take off a drink or pudding as a heartfelt sorry.

Source: Go Technology Report: Zonal and CGA. May 2024