Zomato Postpones Implementation Of Food Quality Policy to May 3rd After Backlash
- ByStartupStory | April 16, 2022
Zomato has postponed the adoption of its controversial food quality policy until May 3 due to backlash. Zomato asked restaurant partners for feedback on the rules by April 22 in an email reviewed by Business Standard. The foodtech business stated that it would collaborate closely with its restaurant partners to determine the validity of any complaints received. Only legitimate complaints for which a ‘suitable resolution is not presented within an acceptable time-frame’ would result in the eatery being temporarily barred from the platform, according to the email.
The issue picked up steam after it was revealed that Zomato was intending to implement a new policy that would temporarily ban online ordering from restaurants if the company received customer complaints about meal quality. The policy was intended to go into effect on April 18 and was supposed to ensure a safe and healthy experience for customers, according to the company.
Restauranteurs, led by the National Restaurants Association of India, raised objections to the announcement (NRAI). The trade group lambasted Zomato, claiming that the publicly traded business had overstepped its bounds by investigating restaurants when it was not authorized to do so. Members of the NRAI also questioned the procedure of examining a complaint based on images, given the ease with which photos can be manipulated. The latest development adds to the company’s long list of issues. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) launched an investigation into the ‘behavior’ of foodtech websites Zomato and Swiggy earlier this week and directed its director-general to produce a report within 60 days.
Apart from that, the NRAI and Zomato have had previous disagreements over a variety of issues. The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) and the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) started a large ‘logout’ campaign against the Zomato Gold subscription scheme in late 2019. Restaurant brands were encouraged to log off of Zomato’s discovery platform as part of the program. Meanwhile, the policy on food quality continues to spin out of control. With no word yet on how Zomato will handle the situation, NRAI appears to be gearing up to launch another attack on the site.
Follow Startup Story
Related Posts
