Universal feedback scheme launch for restaurants and hotels

Restaurants and hotels now have access to a universal feedback scheme after the launch of a single system on which consumers can make private complaints.

The online system, simply called the Feedback Scheme, aims to make it easier for consumers to make complaints quickly and easily, as an alternative to writing negative reviews on other public sites, which could unfairly damage a business's reputation.

It is aiming to be available at a nominal fee cost at the majority of UK restaurants, pubs and hotels within the next two years.

Free for the consumer to use and available on a computer or a mobile device, the system lets customers type in the name of their establishment, make their comment, and send it to the business's management. The system monitors when the message has been read, and can track responses, while keeping email addresses private.

This is intended to ensure that feedback and complaint resolution is more immediate and useful to the business and the customer, than when handled via paper forms or public review sites.

Founder Jamie Snape said that the scheme would eliminate the need for businesses to set up their own individual systems, and would hopefully see the end of long questionnaires for customers. He said it could also work well for multi-site brands, as it allows managers to compare how complaints are handled across all locations.

He said: "If unhappy with a service, a customer wants to be able to quickly and easily communicate this to the local manager within the business, and have them action change on the ground."

He added: "You would never dream of posting a negative online review relating to a restaurant or hotel owned by a friend or family member, because you know it would cause damage. You would simply feedback your experience to help them improve things. Now people can do the same for the business owners and managers they don't know."

The launch comes in light of a number hospitality businesses having problems with online review sites such as TripAdvisor, which have sometimes been criticised as failing to spot false or deliberately negative reviews, and giving an unfair picture of a business without allowing management to respond to a complaint first.

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