Customer feedback systems must offer immediate response to both the customer and the business. To respond immediately, you must have the customer's name, address and phone number. A serious complaint deserves more than a follow-up letter. It deserves a personal phone call. Go out of your way to solve any problems.

Complaining customers are looking for a resolution of what they see as conflict. They may want something fixed, an apology after slow service, or restitution for poor quality food. They want justice, and justice delayed really is justice denied. Besides, every hour that you delay in setting things right is another hour for the Customer to stew in his anger, and another opportunity for him to tell someone else about how awful he's been treated through Negative Word-of-Mouth Advertising.

Worse, a delayed response tells the Guest, "We don't care."

If your employees are properly trained, it is possible to eliminate a lot of potential problems by building Prevention Solutions into the Guest Dining Cycle.