TAP TO VOTE: Yottavote uses NFC to solicit customer feedback at a restaurant table

US startup Yottavote has developed an NFC voting system designed to allow consumers to give anonymous feedback to merchants and other businesses via their smartphone.

Yottavote's NFC Tag Service can be used to include NFC tags in table stands, posters or flyers. The URL stored in the tag links to a business' individual customer question, list of questions or Yottavote profile page. Consumers can then give their feedback by answering the questions, without providing any personal details.

A short video created by Yottavote shows the system in action:

Yottavote is now looking for brick and mortar businesses such as bars, restaurants, sporting stadiums and doctors' offices to adopt the platform as pilot customers, the company's Jonathan Chu told NFC World.

"We think that companies could also use our service to solicit confidential, immediate employee feedback as well." he added. "For example, a president could understand the mood of employees in different locations or get immediate feedback on the feasibility of a new strategy they've rolled out."

The team plans to release mobile apps soon to add fluidity to the voting. An app will never be a requirement, however, Chu stressed. "We want as many people voting as possible and think that requiring the user to install a mobile app is an unnecessary barrier," he said. "That flexibility is one of the reasons why we like NFC tags over QR codes."