Guest Complaint Log
Guest Complaint Log is a formal record of guest complaints — what happened, who handled it, what compensation was given, and how quickly it was resolved — feeding into staff coaching, supplier reviews, and insurance/legal records. It is distinct from Void & Comp Log (the financial transaction only) and Walkout Log (loss prevention).
Overview
Each complaint has a Category (10 preset options: Food Quality, Food Temperature, Slow Service, Staff Behaviour, Wrong Order, Cleanliness, Noise/Ambience, Billing Error, Allergen Issue, Other), an optional Guest name, Table, Server, a Description, and a Severity (Minor, Moderate, Severe, Critical).
Resolution tracks the Action Taken, a Compensation type (None, Apology + Explanation, Complimentary Dish/Drink, Bill Discount, Full Refund, Gift Voucher, Other), who Resolved it, and when.
Status flow: OPEN → IN_PROGRESS → RESOLVED → ESCALATED; escalating requires a manager name and reason.
A stats strip shows Open count, Average Resolution time in hours (computed from the time the complaint was logged to when it was marked RESOLVED), the most common Category, and this month's total count.
Filter by Status, Category, and Severity; print a formal complaint report suitable for HR, legal, or insurance purposes.
Before You Start
- You must have the Billing feature enabled on your plan.
Step-by-Step Guide
1 Log a complaint
- Open Operations & Compliance → Guest Complaint Log and click to log a new complaint.
- Enter Guest name (optional), Table, Server, Category, Severity, and a clear Description.
- Save — the complaint starts as OPEN.
2 Resolve a complaint
- Move status to IN_PROGRESS while working on it, then record the Action Taken and Compensation given.
- Mark status RESOLVED once done — Resolved By and Resolved At are captured for the resolution-time stat.
3 Escalate a complaint
- If a complaint cannot be resolved at floor level, set status to ESCALATED and record the escalating manager's name and reason.
4 Review trends and print a report
- Check the stats strip regularly for Open count and the most common Category — a recurring category is a signal for staff coaching or a process fix.
- Use the Status/Category/Severity filters to narrow the list, and click Print on any complaint for a formal report.
Every Field & Button, Explained
| Field / Button | What it does |
|---|---|
Category | Food Quality, Food Temperature, Slow Service, Staff Behaviour, Wrong Order, Cleanliness, Noise/Ambience, Billing Error, Allergen Issue, or Other. |
Severity | Minor, Moderate, Severe, or Critical. |
Compensation | None, Apology + Explanation, Complimentary Dish/Drink, Bill Discount, Full Refund, Gift Voucher, or Other. |
Status | OPEN → IN_PROGRESS → RESOLVED → ESCALATED. |
Avg Resolution (hours) | Computed only for RESOLVED complaints, from the logged Date/Time to the Resolved At timestamp. |
Tips & Best Practices
- Log the complaint at the time it happens, even if it is resolved on the spot — the resolution-time stat and category trends both depend on complete records, not just the unresolved ones.
- Watch the "most common Category" stat over a rolling period — it is the fastest way to identify a systemic issue worth addressing beyond individual complaint resolution.
- Use Escalated sparingly and with a clear reason — it should represent complaints genuinely beyond floor-level resolution, not a catch-all status.