A study from the Center for Hospitality Research, Cornell University, found that when communicating a complaint, over three-quarters of respondents preferred face-to-face interaction – with a manager or server – to written communication (letter, email, etc.). However, when other factors were taken into account, the hierarchy of preferred channels changed. Given a serious enough problem, guests with a higher propensity to complain, who become more frustrated and have a greater need for feedback, chose to write to management over speaking with a server.

Source: Center for Hospitality Research, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration Note: Respondents were asked for their perceptions about the process they used to complain about an aspect of a recent meal at a casual dining restaurant.

“This can be interpreted to mean that when guests complain directly to management, even after the fact, they believe that a line-level employee is unable or unwilling to help,” says the study’s author, Alex Susskind, Ph.D. “Train employees to notice when something is wrong and how to take corrective action when they have made a mistake – before management needs to get involved.” Whether at the hands of servers or management, it’s far better to make guests happy before they leave, says Alex. But, he adds, “If a guest takes the time to write to management, it’s crucial to offer a timely response, following up with a phone call if necessary.”