Chaadu is a new digital reputation platform for service providers. The idea comes from tech entrepreneur Franc van der Linden (34), who previously co-founded the QR ordering platform Butlaroo. Together with his partner Denise Verbakel, he launched a platform in early 2026 that reviews restaurant staff rather than restaurants themselves.

Van der Linden positions Chaadu as a digital platform for the service sector, with an initial focus on hospitality and leisure. His premise: much talent in hospitality goes unnoticed and underappreciated, and as a result, many leave the sector. Chaadu aims to break this cycle by empowering employees to take ownership of their own reputation.

Franc van der Linden

LinkedIn for service workers

Van der Linden describes Chaadu as a “LinkedIn for service providers,” but one that isn’t based on static job descriptions, generic skill endorsements, and recommendations from colleagues. Instead, as an employee, you build an online reputation through personal reviews from guests. The platform facilitates a direct connection between the host or hostess and the guest: an online connection that, according to him, doesn’t really exist anywhere else yet.

“Chaadu bridges the gap between physical service and digital recognition. It starts with an offline connection between guest and employee, which extends online. With reviews, the focus is often on the location or service; we shift the focus to the individual,” says Van der Linden.

Any hospitality employee can create a profile online for free. Guests also pay nothing to use the service. When paying the bill or leaving, the guest receives a card with a link or QR code to the establishment’s or employee’s profile. An employee has their own profile page on the platform, featuring their name, photo, and a brief profile description. Guests can show their appreciation by leaving a review for that person. They can also tip if they wish. This can be done directly to the individual or – if their employer participates – to the entire team. For guests the barrier is as low as can be: creating a profile isn’t necessary; an email address will do to review or follow someone.

The revenue model is transparent. Companies can use this tool to gather real-time insights. Depending on the company’s size, they pay a fixed monthly cost per employee – between €4 and €5.50 – to create a company profile, a photo directory, and a data dashboard. If you have 300 people on your payroll, that comes to €1,250 per month. “That sounds like a lot,” Van der Linden admits, “but it’s peanuts if your employees start performing better and driving higher guest satisfaction thanks to this system.” And according to him, that is exactly the potential.

Growth strategy

On the platform, employees build a dynamic resume. They take ownership of the reviews directed at them and gradually build a personal reputation. For employers, Chaadu offers real-time insight into individual employee performance. This opens up opportunities for data-driven coaching, ensures higher talent retention, and may even lead to lower absenteeism. And the guest? According to Van der Linden, they can finally appreciate, reward, and help their favorite employee grow in an accessible way.

To enter the hospitality market, Van der Linden is following a three-pronged strategy:

  • bottom-up: employees create their own profiles, after which employers become interested in the associated insights.

  • top-down: larger hospitality organizations are approached directly, after which employees join through the company.

  • recruitment through education: in addition to companies, schools and educational institutions are also approached, such as hotel schools and vocational training programs. The idea is that students are currently assessed primarily by teachers, or internship supervisors, while feedback from guests provides a different and valuable perspective

Distinction from existing platforms

Aren’t guests getting a bit tired of giving reviews by now? Van der Linden doesn’t think so, but he does point out an important difference from traditional review platforms. “There, the focus is always on the location or the service, and that makes a review inherently commercial: a good review brings in more customers and revenue, a bad one less. Chaadu, on the other hand, focuses on the person. Suddenly, it’s all about contributing to someone’s personal growth, development, and appreciation.” He considers that difference fundamental. 

Another major difference is that on platforms like Google, Booking, and TripAdvisor, reviews always remain with the employer. As a result, employees who leave have to rebuild their reputation from scratch each time. Meanwhile, companies’ scores become increasingly “tainted” by experiences that no longer reflect current reality. At Chaadu, reviews are linked to the individual. “When someone changes employers, they take that reputation – and potentially a following of supporters – with them. These personal reviews also no longer count toward the former employer’s review average.”

Van der Linden sees added value in this for both employees and employers. An employee now has a way to objectively demonstrate what guests think of him or her. An employer can identify which employees truly excel and even hire people who already have a proven track record and a loyal following.

Van der Linden believes that generic reviews almost always paint a distorted picture anyway. “In a restaurant, hotel, or any leisure setting, an experience usually consists of the sum of multiple interactions with different employees. Yet it is often the worst experience that determines the review’s overall score. Suppose you are assisted by 10 different employees during your stay at a resort. Nine out of ten times, you receive perfect service, but one employee’s service leaves something to be desired. Often, the overall experience then receives a lower score, even though it concerns the performance of a single individual. The rest of the team suffers as a result.” That is why he wants to separate the evaluation of the company from the evaluation of the individual.

Constructive reviews with the help of AI

A key part of the concept is that reviews must always be positive and constructive. Chaadu does not want to be an outlet for hateful reviews and negativity, as Van der Linden notes is often the case on many forums and review sites. That is why the platform makes smart use of AI. A guest can enter a few keywords or write a draft review themselves, after which the system turns it into a positively worded, constructive text. The guest sees this rewritten text and can approve it or, if desired, have it regenerated with additional input.

The AI has been trained to provide constructive feedback and to exclude personal information from the review. “You could say that someone smells bad, but it’s better to suggest that they pay more attention to personal hygiene.” According to Van der Linden, the key is that feedback is better received when it describes what can be improved, rather than tearing someone down. Important: there is always a human in the loop to monitor and correct the AI.

Chaadu also uses AI to make reviews easier to analyze. In the backend, reviews are automatically given a fixed structure, which is relevant for companies that want to compare results at the end of the month. Eventually, Van der Linden also wants to use AI to generate follow-up questions for each employee based on previous feedback. For example, if guests made comments about pace at the table, the system could ask the next guest specifically how that went this time. This creates a tailor-made growth report for each employee.

Three perspectives: employee, employer, and guest

  • For employees, Chaadu is about taking ownership of their own reputation. It makes performance visible and gives employees a stronger negotiating position.

  • For employers, the value lies primarily in real-time insight into the performance of individual employees and the patterns therein. In large organizations, this individual insight can make training programs much more effective.

  • For guests, Chaadu offers an accessible way to express personal appreciation. It also gives guests more control over how they tip.

Tips for the individual, not for the business owner

Chaadu allows guests to tip an individual directly, rather than put money into an anonymous tip jar or tip through the payment terminal where it might as well land in the pockets of the business owner. Van der Linden emphasizes that tipping isn’t the core of the platform, but it is an important element. “With Chaadu, you as a guest are in control.” Chaadu aims to offer a fairer alternative to the opaque tipping culture by linking the reward to the person who, in the guest’s opinion, truly deserves the appreciation. 

An additional layer of the concept is that employees can also share personal goals or stories on their profile page. For example, if someone is working to pay for their education or to save for a trip around the world, guests can contribute specifically toward that goal and receive an update later when it’s achieved. It is precisely in that feedback that Van der Linden sees a unique chance for deeper connection.

Individual insights and potentially lower turnover

Van der Linden explicitly views Chaadu as a development and management tool for companies as well. By compiling individual feedback from a constantly changing group of guests, he believes behavioral patterns become apparent. This allows you to see what someone excels at and where there is room for improvement, whether someone has been underperforming for an extended period, or whether there are potential signs of absenteeism.

The platform had a soft launch in early 2026. Van der Linden emphasizes that he does not yet have enough data to conclusively prove that implementation has a positive impact on absenteeism. However, he expects that, based on the real-time insights, employers will initiate conversations with employees sooner – before problems escalate or someone calls in sick.

Food Inspiration reflects: some critical notes

It almost feels “un-Dutch” to be so hyper-focused on the individual. And the individual tip component also clashes with our idea of hospitality as a team effort. During our conversation, I wonder aloud whether Chaadu primarily rewards the extroverted employees on the team, thereby creating internal tension or unfair competition. 

Van der Linden acknowledges that visibility can lead to inequality. Employees who primarily work behind the scenes will stand out less on the platform, although they too can create a profile page and be found via the company profile. Still, he doesn’t see that as a reason to stick with generic reviews. “If you, as an employee, truly make a difference for your guests, then I believe you should be able to be rewarded for that. Individual insight is valuable, precisely because a single weak link can negatively influence the entire team’s rating. In principle, that’s also unfair to the top performers.”

Companies are not allowed to make participation mandatory, by the way. Van der Linden is adamant about that. “Regardless of whether it’s legally permitted, making it mandatory isn’t the way to go. The platform should empower employees. An employer pays to have employees ‘under their company umbrella,’ but if an employee doesn’t want to participate, that’s the end of it. Chaadu puts the employee’s interests first.”

When asked if he isn’t worried that employees might be selective about asking for reviews, he acknowledges that such a possibility exists. “Of course, if someone is having a bad day or expects a guest to be dissatisfied with the service, they won’t ask for a review.” Still, he considers the risk of overly positive review scores to be limited. “Ultimately, an employee has earned every review they’ve collected. Manipulation through fake reviews – for example, by family or friends – is possible, but it’s not very effective because the reviews aren’t publicly searchable.” Ultimately, the expectation is that as more companies join, the majority of guests will land on an employee’s profile page via the company profile.

International relevance varies by region

Van der Linden explicitly places his concept within an international context. Worldwide, as many as 70% of the population is active in the service sector. He observes a different dynamic across various regions:

  • In Asia and the Middle East, there is often a greater supply of labor than there are job openings. People there go the extra mile to keep their jobs. Ownership of one’s reputation can therefore be very significant.

  • In Europe, the opposite is true. There, there is actually more work than staff. As a result, employers can be less selective. That is precisely when it is important to highlight top performers and give them extra recognition.

Van der Linden begins his rollout in hospitality because that’s where his personal network is strongest. He is proud of the initial results with several hospitality locations. The focus, however, is not limited to service staff, he emphasizes. “An individual’s online reputation can also be relevant in other roles: think of hotel receptionists, housekeeping staff, pool or bar staff, entertainment staff, tour guides, or taxi drivers. The concept is relevant in all settings where guests frequently return and build relationships with individual staff members, or where they stay for longer periods, such as hotels, resorts, winter sports destinations, or cruises.”

Franc startte Chaadu samen met zijn partner Denise Verbakel. Een deel van het vooronderzoek deden zij in het buitenland.

Van der Linden conducted a significant portion of his preliminary research in the Dominican Republic. At resorts there, he observed many employees explicitly asking guests to mention their names in a TripAdvisor review, as this would earn them an incentive from their boss. According to him, this form of indirect tipping is widespread globally in the hospitality industry, on excursions, with entertainment staff, and during transfers. He believes this clearly demonstrates just how great the need for personal visibility is. On generic review platforms like Google and TripAdvisor, such reviews hold little value for future guests because they don’t know if they will be assisted by the employee in question. Such personal recommendations therefore offer little guidance in their decision-making.

Technical challenges in international rollout

The technology was developed in-house. “We spent a year building and testing it, and launched the platform online last January. According to Van der Linden, scaling up internationally presents different technical and financial challenges in each region. In Europe, direct payments between consumers are possible via WERO, and in parts of Asia, there are Alipay and WeChat Pay. But beyond that, the reality is still challenging. 

That’s why, for now, the focus outside Europe is more on indirect tipping: positive reviews that lead to an incentive via the employer, rather than direct payments to individuals. Meanwhile, the company is exploring options via a wallet solution or a partnership with a platform like Revolut, which facilitates multi-currency receipts. Van der Linden hopes to resolve these challenges within a year, after which a global rollout will be possible starting in 2027.

The biggest bottlenecks currently lie in the payment process:

  • high transaction costs for international payments;

  • restrictions on consumer-to-consumer transactions. For example, credit card transactions between individuals are not possible;

  • payments to employees without access to a bank account or the proper documentation;

  • anti-money laundering requirements.

Ambitions

Van der Linden emphasizes that the model is still very much a work in progress. “Over the coming months, we’ll continue to fine-tune our services based on user feedback.” Chaadu should be profitable in two years, and in three years, Van der Linden wants to have grown significantly – also outside Europe. “I’m confident that we’ll have overcome the technical bottlenecks by then.” 

Meanwhile, Van der Linden is firmly convinced of the proposition. His core belief is that Chaadu can be a win-win-win model for employees, employers, and guests alike. Underlying this is a broader social vision: there is a lot of hidden talent in hospitality, and it is precisely that talent that drops out if it isn’t seen or heard. “Especially for younger generations, job satisfaction, recognition, and feeling valued have become just as important as a good salary these days. With Chaadu, I want to bring that hidden talent to the surface.”

Chances of success

The coming months will reveal whether the idea catches on. The concept’s versatility and broad applicability make it interesting, but they also pose a challenge. Will guests be willing to make the effort? Are they open to an AI tool that helps rewrite their feedback? Do employees see the added value themselves? Is the Dutch hospitality industry the right launch market? Will Van der Linden be able to overcome the technical issues surrounding payments? There are still many questions and loose ends surrounding what is potentially an interesting concept. At Food Inspiration, we’ll be keeping an eye on it.