Restaurant Survey: More Than One in 10 Diners Have Skipped on a Bill; 90% Have Withheld Tips

EDINBURGH, Scotland, September 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Waiting too long a key factor in reasons given for not tipping or leaving without paying 

QikServe, the mobile order and payment specialist, today announced that more than one in 10 of consumers admit to having left a restaurant, café or bar without paying. The statistic was discovered as part of a survey about customer service in the hospitality sector.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the QikServe survey of restaurant-goers found that 90% had withheld a tip for a variety of reasons, but the same study revealed that 12% of the same group had skipped out on paying a bill completely.

More than 50% of those who admitted to leaving without paying gave the reason as either waiting too long for the bill or being unable to find staff to take payment.

The main reason given for not tipping was "terrible" service, with 80% of respondents admitting to withholding a tip for this reason, although more than one in three also admitted to not tipping for "being ignored when trying to pay".

The survey also explored the public's main gripes with customer service in general. As expected, the primary bugbear was "Bad staff attitude", which resonated with 68% of respondents, but over half of those surveyed also selected "Waiting too long for food" as a significant factor.

Other factors relating to waiting were also a key concern, with more than one in three respondents choosing "Couldn't get staff attention", "Being ignored when trying to pay" and "Not getting our order taken quickly enough" as leading poor service factors.

Commenting on the survey, Daniel Rodgers, Chief Executive Officer, QikServe, said:

"We were surprised to learn that so many people admitted to skipping out on a bill, but we believe this higher than expected number is a sign of the times. We live in an age of instant gratification, driven in part by the ubiquity of mobile devices and apps, where consumers are becoming increasingly less tolerant towards waiting."

"This really brings home how important it is for hospitality operators to make sure that they don't leave their customers hanging when it comes to payment. In fact, waiting was one of the most significant consumer concerns throughout the survey, whether waiting for food, service or the bill."

"Operators who offer mobile ordering and payment options can address the waiting challenge directly, helping ensure that diners never have to feel that they can't order or pay in a timely fashion."

About QikServe 

QikServe's 'The Waiter in your Pocket' app allows customers to order and pay straight from their mobile phone. Founded by Daniel Rogers and Ronnie Forbes in 2011, QikServe has forged commercial relationships with Oracle Hospitality and PayPal and its proven technology has been adopted by leading hospitality operators across UK, Europe and the US. http://www.qikserve.com

Survey infographic: http://www.qikserve.com/dine-and-dash-survey-results/

Other images: http://www.qikserve.com/press/