How to File a Consumer Complaint against Restaurants in India?

Many customers face various issues like slow service, low-grade food, poor customer service, and so on in Restaurants. A customer has the right to file an official complaint against those issues with FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), National Consumer Helpline (NCH), and Consumer Forum. Consumer complaints help resolve issues and ensure safety for the business and customers. In this article, you will get guidance about how to file a Consumer Complaint against Restaurants in India.

What is a Consumer Complaint?

A Consumer Complaint is a way of expressing dissatisfaction with a product or service by a customer to a specific consumer forum. It is also defined as a complaint against businesses that fail to deliver their commitment and meet customer expectations based on products or services. Customers are considered a critical aspect of every business. It is necessary to deal with business issues by investigating and resolving issues. It helps to maintain the quality and practices of businesses for customers. It provides valuable feedback, regulatory measures, and valuable services for resolving issues. It helps businesses to identify issues with their product, services, and processes for improvements.

Consumer complaints is a crucial way to improve customer experience, business operations, brand reputation, brand image, internal processes, and so on. A consumer has the right to file a consumer complaint against a restaurant with FSSAI (the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) and the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) if they supply low grade, unhygienic food.

What are the common complaints against Restaurants?

There are some common complaints against Restaurants:

• Poor Food Quality

They may serve poor quality food such as unhygienic food, bad taste, texture, overcooked dishes, improper preparation techniques, lack of freshness, and so on. Food becomes contaminated and spoiled due to the wrong temperature, harmful bacteria, viruses, chemicals, and others. Poor food quality can be the reason for food poisoning, malnutrition, and other diseases. Restaurants should maintain food safety and hygiene practices to improve food quality. Otherwise, consumer may raise consumer complaints.

• Poor Drink Quality

The Restaurant may serves poor drinks, water, soda, coffee, juice, etc. Poor quality of drink can caused by diluted drink, stale or expired ingredients, poorly maintained equipment, incorrect ingredient proportions, improper preparation techniques, lack of fresh ingredients, inconsistent quality, strong flavors, dirty glassware, and so on. Customers may get dissatisfied with poor quality food and services in the Restaurant. Hence, they may file a Consumer Complaint against the Restaurant.

• Poor  Customer Service

Customers get disappointed when a restaurant fails to deliver food on time and provides poor service to them against their expectations. If they face poor service issues such as long wait times, an unclean environment, rude staff, incorrect orders, lack of attentiveness, slow services for food or drinks, unprofessional attitude, ignoring complaints, etc.

• Order mix-up

Order mix-up is considered the most common frustrating issues for customers in a Restaurant. It is a kind of issue where customers order their choice of food and drinks but get the wrong item. This issue is caused by mistakes in taking orders, miscommunication, inattentiveness, high volume of orders, similar dishes, etc. Restaurants must prevent order-mix ups by double checking them, clear communication, customer verification, proper training, and so on.

• Lack of Cleanliness

The customer wants to eat in a clean and sanitary environment but they may be disappointed with the unclean environment. Many Restaurants have dirty kitchen surfaces, unclean floors, unclean restrooms, poor waste management, unhygienic staff practices, dirty tablecloths and menus, unsanitary food handling, and so on. Uncleanliness can bring a variety of issues like the spread of germs and bacteria, infectious diseases, respiratory issues, and other health-related issues. Customer wants to eat in a clean and sanitary environment. Clean and safe environments are necessary for Restaurants to maintain food safety, staff hygiene, and compliance with regulations, build customer confidence and trust, and other services. A customer can file a complaint against it.

• General Atmosphere

A customer may get dissatisfied with atmosphere issues like poor positioning of the tables, excessive noise, lighting issues, crowding, unpleasant smells, disruptive music, uncomfortable temperature, uncleanliness, and other complaints related to the atmosphere. Restaurants must address these issues and make adjustments.

• Unavailable Food or Drink Items

The shortages of food or drink items are considered as some common issues faced by customers in a restaurant. If a customer wants to order a specific item or service, and the staff informs that the item is currently unavailable. These problems are caused by a variety of reasons such as inventory management issues, production disruption, raw material shortages, limitations of staff, product manufacturing issues, and so on. If this happens frequently with a consumer, they can file a complaint against it.

• Late Delivery

When a customer orders food in a restaurant or from any food delivery app and websites, they give an estimated delivery time. They often get their delivery late because of various reasons like slow preparation of food or issues with the delivery person. Many customers file a complaint against cold food because of the late delivery.

How to file a Consumer Complaint against Restaurants in India?

Here are the steps to file a Consumer Complaint against Restaurants in India:

• Step 1: Identify the Problem

A customer must identify the issue by observing and analyzing the situation whether the issue should be complainable or not. If the issue is complainable, they can file a complaint.

• Step 2: Gather Evidence

You must gather evidence to file a complaint. It includes:

Record the Incident: You can take photos or videos of the issue to collect accurate visual evidence. If possible, you need to try to take videos or photos as soon as possible when the incident occurs.

Keep Receipts or Bills: You must keep the bills, payment confirmations, and any other related receipts that will act as proof against the restaurant.

Note Details: You are required to write down the details of name, address, date, time, names of staff involved, description of the problem, and other supportive details.

• Step 3: Speak to the Restaurant Manager

To resolve the issue, you must speak to a Restaurant manager at fist by stating your specific concern regarding food or services through their websites, social media, and other platforms. You need to:

Calmly explain the issue: You should try to explain the issue politely and respectfully to the Restaurant manager.

Request for a solution:  You can ask for a refund, replacement, and other compensation related to the issue. You also need to provide all the relevant evidence for resolution.

Document the interaction: You must write their names, details, and the outcome of the conversation if your problem remains unresolved.

• Step 4: File a Complaint

A consumer has the right to file a complaint against the restaurant issues through the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), or the Consumer Forums.

National Consumer Helpline (NCH): You must call the toll-free number 1800-11-4000 or 14404. You can also register your complaint online through NCH portal.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI):

• Firstly, you have to visit the FSSAI website
• Create a User ID and password to register
• You need to select the “Complaint” option to file a new complaint. Then, choose a complaint category.
• You must provide the name and complete address details of the food business. Then, include the displayed 14-digit FSSAI license number.
• Next, upload your relevant documents including photos, videos, bills, invoices, and other required documents.
• You need to describe the issue with the date of incidence, safety risks, product details, and so on.
• You also must share your contact details and submit the complaint
• Lastly, you will receive a system-generated unique complaint number for follow-up.

Consumer Forum:

To file a Consumer complaint, a customer must identify the appropriate forum whether it is a District, State, or national for the purpose of the claim. They should prepare a complaint letter with the incident and evidence to file a complaint. Then, they must submit the complaint through the E-DAAKHIL portal with the required documents and pay the required fee.

• Step 5: Follow Up

You must track the status of their complaint against a restaurant in India. To follow up you need to:

Track your complaint: You can track the complaints using the reference number provided by the authority. You can also check the website and other portals of the Restaurant.

Be Patient: You need to be patient for the resolution process to resolve the issues.

There are three types of Consumer Forums under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019:

• District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (DCDRC): A Consumer can raise a complaint to District Commission against the loss of their paid amount regarding the product or services is Rs.50 lakh.
• State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC): A Consumer can file a complaint to State Commission if the loss of amount is between Rs.50 lakh to Rs. 2 crore.
• National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC): According to the Consumer Protection Act, if a customer’s loss amount is more than Rs. 2 crore, they can file complaint to NCDRC.

Why Consumer Complaint against Restaurants?

Consumer complaints are necessary for solving the issues of products and services in a Restaurant. If a customer raises their complaint, restaurants can identify the issues and areas for improvement. A complaint against spoiled food and poor maintenance can help to prevent health risks and maintain hygiene. It will be helpful for restaurants to maintain a positive reputation for their business and satisfy customers.

Conclusion

Consumer Complaints against Restaurants in India helps resolve on the issues related to food, hygiene, and services faced by the consumers in a Restaurant. Throughout this article, you have learned how to file a consumer complaint against a Restaurant in India. If you are facing trouble in filing a consumer complaint against it, contact Online Legal India. They have experts to guide you.