How does Booking.com investigate a customer complaint?

As part of our commitment to delivering exceptional service, we've established a transparent process to address customer complaints within our partner network. Here's a comprehensive guide on how we handle customer complaints.

How does the complaint process work?

Customers have up to 14 days after the pick-up day to raise a complaint. This ensures timely investigation and resolution of any issues. Complaints raised beyond this period may not be eligible for review, so we encourage customers to report concerns promptly.

• Initial Investigation:

Once a complaint is raised with our Customer Service Team, they will first check:

1. If you have already reported an issue with the same booking:

   • If enough evidence has already been proactively provided to resolve the complaint, our Customer Service Team will close the case with no further action needed.

   • If evidence has not been provided, you will receive an email informing you of the complaint, giving you the chance to respond and provide all the relevant information related to the complaint.

2. If you have not reported an issue with the booking, you will receive an email informing you of the complaint, giving you the chance to respond and provide all the relevant information to resolve the complaint.               

• Responsible party:

During the investigation of the complaint, the “initial responsible party” will be raised as:

• “Supplier”: If the complaint has been raised by the Customer.

• “Customer”: If the complaint has been raised by the Partner.

The responsible party won’t change until the case is thoroughly reviewed and resolved. 

Once you receive our email, we expect you to investigate the issue and provide a response within 7 days to ensure a timely resolution of the complaint. 

• Resolution Process:

During the 7 days of investigation, our Customer Service Team will review all the evidence provided and determine the outcome of the case. If you provide sufficient evidence to defend the complaint (within 7 days of our email), the case will be closed in your favour and the “responsible party” will be adjusted accordingly. This will ensure that your performance record remains unaffected and you receive full payment.

However, if no evidence is provided or the evidence provided is insufficient to defend the case, the complaint will be resolved in the customer's favour and a cost recovery will be applied as per our contractual Service Level Agreement (SLA). 

What evidence does Booking.com need to defend a complaint?

To ensure clarity and consistency in our investigations, we are introducing specific evidence requirements tailored to each pickup type. This means that instead of a broad range of potential submissions, partners will be guided by a clear checklist, please see below:

• In case of Driver-No-Show and Driver Delay:

For example, when submitting 'Driver Events' evidence, it must be provided 'In Full' to be considered satisfactory. This includes demonstrating that the driver arrived at the pickup location, waited the correct amount of time, provided the correct GPS log, and reported the Customer No Show (CNS). 

Partial 'Driver Events' evidence, such as only the time the driver picked up the customer, may still be valuable for understanding the timeline but will not be considered complete for investigation purposes. This detailed approach ensures fairness and accuracy in determining fault.

N.B. All the evidence marked as green in both tabs must be provided for each incident. 

Timely and complete evidence is crucial. Within 7 days, partners are required to submit Driver Events and GPS Logs. If Driver Events are incomplete or inaccurate, Call/Message Logs and GPS Logs are also necessary. For technical reasons preventing Driver Events, a Picture Timestamp or Parking Ticket can serve as alternatives, but all technical issues must be formally resolved through the Commercial Team. Providing all mandatory evidence leads to a defense of the partner. However, if evidence is partial or missing, the customer's claim will be upheld, and a partner fee will be applied.

• Incomplete Journey and Vehicle Downgrade: 

Please note also that submitting additional evidence to support a case does not guarantee a favorable outcome. 

The customer service team utilizes the mandatory evidence as the primary basis for their decision. It is crucial to submit all required evidence for each complaint. Supplying incomplete evidence may hinder the successful defense of a case.

What happens if a complaint is resolved in the customer's favour?

Where a complaint is resolved in the customer's favour, a cost recovery will be applied as a percentage against the Net Amount owed for the booking related to the complaint. This will be in line with our Service Level Agreement (SLA) and will be automatically deducted from your next payment, please see below:

If you believe your complaint hasn't been resolved fairly and needs further review, you can escalate your case to our Escalation Team within Customer Service. For more information please follow the article "How to Escalate Your Case to the Customer Service Escalation Team?"