The Customer is Always Right – Or Are They ?

From genuine complaints to review blackmail, Denis Jin Young L shares insight on how to handle this changing trend.

Remember when dining out felt like the highlight of the month? You’d dress up in your Sunday best, choose your order like you were picking a wedding cake, and bask in the excitement of having someone else do the cooking.

Likewise, checking into a hotel meant you were probably off on some rare adventure or celebrating a big anniversary. These days, in Malta, it seems we’re all casually booking hotel stays and sampling new restaurants like it’s no big deal. It’s as if special occasions have turned into our daily bread – literally.

This rise in ‘anytime hospitality’ is an adventure, but it comes with unexpected plot twists.

This shift isn’t all sunshine and free room upgrades. Entertainment on the island might be getting more limited, but hotels and eateries are popping up on every corner, giving customers a world of choice.

On top of that, we have a new breed of customer who’s become the self-appointed hotel critic, the unofficial Michelin inspector, the unstoppable Instagram food blogger. Blame it on Gordon Ramsay, MasterChef, or our incessant hunger for the next best thing.

Whatever the cause, it’s safe to say that in 2025, the customer is no longer just ‘always right’, they’re also armed with a smartphone, a couple of rating apps, and the firm belief that they could easily run the establishment better themselves.






Everyone’s an expert (or so they think) One of the biggest challenges is the pressure to please an audience that believes it knows more than your staff. Ever have a diner who points out how your fish dish needs a hint more acidity because “that’s what they do on TV”? Or a guest who negotiates a free bottle of wine by dropping the phrase “Michelin standards” five times before the bread basket arrives? That’s just the warm-up act.

While having more knowledgeable guests can be exciting - after all, they bring genuine enthusiasm for quality and service - it also opens the door to thorny situations. Operators now face guests who wield online reviews like a weapon. A new trend has emerged, often called ‘review blackmail’.

The gist is that a few customers threaten to leave negative comments on popular platforms unless they receive a free upgrade, a complimentary bottle of wine, or some other perk. It puts hoteliers and restaurateurs in a tricky spot. Ignore the demands, and risk a rating that scares off potential clients; give in and set a precedent that invites future exploitation.

Meanwhile, the sheer number of new hotels and restaurants creates fierce competition. Everyone is chasing five-star reviews and Instagrammable moments. With so many options around, guests can jump ship at the first sign of disappointment, whether it’s slightly slow service or a dish that doesn’t photograph as well as expected.

The stakes are high, and the margin for error feels slimmer every day.