West Midlanders happier to complain in restaurants than any other Brits, survey reveals
West Midlanders are the most likely to speak out when they've had a bad experience at a restaurant, a new survey of British consumers shows.
Sixty percent of people in the region feel comfortable with giving negative feedback in restaurants – positioning them as Britain's most assertive complainers. They are more likely to complain in person than Londoners, who had the second highest complaint comfort level (57%), and considerably more confident than people in the North West, where only 37% of restaurant goers were comfortable complaining.
Across the UK as a whole, the research indicated that a large portion of the population is reticent about complaining. The study, from Saturn Visual Solutions, revealed that 44 per cent of UK people find complaining at eateries uncomfortable – with 15 per cent feeling 'very uncomfortable’ about it.
The findings indicate that restaurant businesses are missing out on vital feedback that could help them deliver a better service and improve their online review scores, as customers are becoming increasingly discerning.
Women are particularly uneasy about expressing negative feedback. Forty-seven per cent of women feel uncomfortable complaining compared to 39 per cent of men, according to the survey.
From an age point-of-view, the youngest and oldest generations are the least comfortable with making in-person complaints. Almost a quarter (22%) of 18-to-24-year-olds find it 'very uncomfortable' and almost a fifth (19%) of over 65s feel the same way.
Complaining is much less of an issue for the 25-to-34-year-old age group, however, with 14% of this demographic being 'very comfortable’ about making their gripes known.
The research, which was commissioned by Saturn Visual Solutions – a digital signage consultancy that works with the hospitality, leisure and retail sectors to help improve customer experience and increase profitability – also sheds light on how restaurants can encourage more candid feedback.
Of the survey respondents who felt uncomfortable complaining at restaurants, 58 per cent said they would prefer to complain using touchscreen devices. This solution was very attractive to women – with two thirds (66%) of female respondents saying they would prefer it, as opposed to 46 per cent of men.
The over 65s were also very responsive to the idea, with almost three-quarters (72%) saying they would prefer to give feedback using the touchscreen option.
Overall, the survey indicated that restaurants need to do more to deliver a better customer experience. One in ten respondents felt visits to restaurants were 'boring' and avoided them. Almost a fifth (17%) of the 18-34-year-old group perceived restaurants as boring places.
Matthew Drury, Director and Co-owner of Saturn Visual Solutions said: "These are challenging times for the West Midlands’ restaurant sector, which is contending with a variety of increased costs and staffing issues. Demand is also fluctuating, as cost-of-living pressures lead people to try and save money where they can.
"To survive and thrive, restaurants need to draw consumers in and deliver a great and profitable customer experience that encourages return visits. Our research suggests that people want a more fun, visually interesting restaurant experience, and the ability to give negative feedback in a less confrontational way.
"It's not surprising that tech tools such as touchscreen displays are appealing to people, when it comes to providing feedback – as they're quick and discreet. For restaurateurs, they mean feedback can be accessed swiftly and easily so that complaints can be acted upon in a timely way. They can also be used to track data trends which can help restaurant managers to identify any recurring problems and stamp them out."
The Saturn Visual Solutions survey was carried out by OnePoll with 2,000 UK-based, adult full-time and part-time workers.
Saturn has used its research to produce a white paper called “Reimagining The QSR And Casual Dining Experience”.
