Consumers' expectations of food quality increased in past months: study

It is now the leading reason for negative feedback in the sector, according to Feed It Back.

Consumer expectations around food quality in pubs and bars have soared between February and September 2019, the latest data from leading online review specialist Feed It Back has revealed.

Statistics show that negative reviews left around food quality have increased by 10%, rising from 8% to 18% over the last seven months.

Food quality, Feed It Back explains, is now the leading reason for negative feedback in the sector. overtaking speed of service, which now sits at number two, accounting for 17% of negative reviews over the same period.

The restaurant sector has also seen a spike in complaints around value for money, with the percentage share of negative reviews increasing from 9% to 12%.

Speed of service, notably, remains a big gripe for restaurant customers, with 21% of negative reviews in September 2019 relating to wait times. Negative feedback around it, however, fell by 4% since February 2019.

“With ever evolving consumer demands, it’s imperative that operators are doing all in their power to adapt, and make the necessary tweaks to their offer. Technology, data and insight allows them to do this accordingly,” Feed It Back CEO Carlo Platia said.