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“Why do I need surveys, I know what my guests like.”
I would like to say I’ve never heard that before but you might be shocked at the number of hospitality property owners I have met have said just that or something similar. I’m going to explain why you need surveys.
Welcome to another edition of hospitality property school.
I’m your instructor, Gerry MacPherson.
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I’m going to give you four very important reasons why your hospitality property should be conducting surveys.
- To find out what’s going on. If your customers are given a non-threatening method, they will tell you what’s important to them.
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- A survey can shed light on items or problems that you might not have been aware of that could be a symptom of a larger problem.
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- When making decisions about your property, you do not always have to go with your gut feelings but instead make your choices with sound data-driven information.
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- Surveys provide you with a snapshot of your target guests and their attitudes. This will help you establish a baseline from which you can compare other times and determine whether problems are getting better or worse.
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What are some categories of surveys and sample questions?
Market Research
- How well-positioned is my property or service?
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- Would I increase my market share if I changed an aspect of my property or service?
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- How do visitors use my website?
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Product Development
- Will our new idea work?
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- Will our target population be excited about our new idea?
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- What does our target population need?
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Employee Performance Evaluation
- Do guests think our staff is courteous and helpful?
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- What do our guests think of the service they receive from our employees?
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How can you ask your guests for feedback?
Many hospitality property owners are nervous about asking guests for feedback as is could look pushy or rude. This could be true, so you have to make sure it’s done correctly.
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At check out
Ask your guests if they would mind filling out a short survey. You can tell them that it is your goal to deliver the best possible experience for your guests and by filling out this quick survey you can find out if you’re doing things right and where there is room for improvement.
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Post stay
If your guests have a takeaway postage-paid survey or you offer surveys online, send your guests to an e-mail to thank them for the visit and remind them for their feedback, this can drastically increase your survey responses.
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How to improve your properties survey
Here are a few things to think about to get the highest possible completion rate.
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The length of your survey
Stay under 25 questions and easy to read. It should not take longer than 5-10 minutes to complete.
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Is this making sense? Let me know in the comment section.
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Attention-grabbing
Ask interesting questions at the beginning of the survey to grab guests’ attention.
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Flow to your questions
Most minds work in a logical fashion, so your survey should as well. Follow the process your guest would’ve taken from reservation to check out and group the questions accordingly.
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Impartiality
Your goal is to get honest answers from your guests, so when asking questions, stay away from ones that offer only “yes” or “no” answers. For example, “Did you like our check out procedure?” instead you could ask “How did you feel about the check-out procedure?”
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Stay away from industry terminology
Instead of saying “OTA” for example, use “third-party reservation site” or “online travel agency”. Your guests but may find travel terminology confusing.
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Ask one question at a time
For example, don’t ask about both the front desk and room service in the same question. The guest could make a statement that could be about the front-desk or about room service and you would not be sure.
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Ask update questions
If you would like specific information about a certain aspect of your property, make sure to ask the question. For example, “What do they think of the new renovations?” or ask their opinions on possible new changes.
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Check to report
If there are certain questions that quite often do not get answered, ask why. Maybe there are unclear or something your guests do not care about.
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I have attached samples of both long and short surveys for you to look at and use as you see fit.
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⇒ TO READ OR LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE ON KEYSTONE HOSPITALITY PROPERTY CONSULTING:
https://keystonehpd.com/KHDC160
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⇒ And don’t forget to join the “6 Day Challenge” here:
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RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Keystone HDC Post Downloads
We add to them every month.
https://keystonehpd.com/KHDC140
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Join our community in “The Hospitality Property School Group” –Check it Out for One Full Week for Only $1
https://keystonehpd.com/membership-site
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Say hi on social:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KeystoneHDC
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KeystoneHDC
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/keystone-hospitality-development
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Listen to The Hospitality Property School Podcast here:
https://keystonehpd.com/itunes-podcast
https://www.spreaker.com/keystonehdc
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YouTube
