Service feedback that helps: describe the journey, then the missing step

Abu Dhabi’s Hospitality Excellence Forum examined 16 customer journeys, including airport and rail travel, according to the Department of Government Enablement’s announcement published on 26 October. Participants developed service standards and presented them to senior leaders for endorsement, with implementation plans to follow. The announcement is a useful prompt to consider how we describe everyday service problems; it does not establish a new complaints process or a promised response time.

Start with the task you were trying to complete. “I needed to change the date of my booking” gives a service team a clearer starting point than “the system is terrible”. Then identify the point where progress stopped: finding the right page, understanding an instruction, making a payment or moving between teams. Keep your account specific to what you saw and were told.

Make a short timeline while the details are fresh. Note the date, approximate time, channel and relevant reference number. Include the last successful step and the next step you expected to take. If two instructions conflicted, record both accurately and say where each appeared. A compact sequence is easier to investigate than a long account that mixes events with guesses about their cause.

Separate the inconvenience from the requested solution. Explain the practical effect in one sentence, then ask for something concrete: confirmation of the current status, clarification of a requirement, or the correct team for the next step. Avoid treating your preferred outcome as an entitlement unless the service’s own terms establish it. This guide does not determine refund rights or other legal remedies.

For a handover between teams, ask which team now owns the request and how to refer to the existing case. Keep the same reference where the provider supports it, so the next person can follow the history. If there is a published follow-up route or response window, save it with the confirmation. Do not infer a deadline from the forum announcement or assume every organisation uses the same procedure.

A simple message can do the job: “On [date], I used [channel] to request [task]. After [completed step], I received [instruction or message]. I could not complete [next step]. My reference is [number]. Please confirm the current status and the next action required from me.” Fill in only the details that apply. Add a relevant screenshot if the provider accepts one, with unrelated personal information removed.

Use the provider’s verified support channel for case details. Keep identity documents, payment information and private booking details out of public comments. Once the issue is resolved, note what worked and what would have prevented the confusion. Positive feedback can be just as specific: a clear explanation or a well-managed handover is something a team can repeat. These are SIBRIS editorial suggestions, not an official DGE procedure.

Cover: an original AI-generated conceptual illustration of a service conversation in an imaginary courtyard. It does not depict a government office, actual staff, a real customer or the Hospitality Excellence Forum.