Getting your guests to fill in a survey after their stay is a great way to gain feedback. What you’ve done well, what you could’ve done better and parts of their stay that they loved are all common things that hotel owners like to know so that they can then build on the feedback and make smarter decisions.
But to get the best type of answers, you need to know how to ask the right questions and what kind of topics to tap into. By deciding on the different factors that you want to learn from, you can then shape your questions and angle them in the right way to get all the information that you want to know.
Here's how to put together the best possible guest experience survey.
Set the Right Goals
Before you can put pen to paper and draft any questions up for your survey, you need to decide what you want to get out of your surveys.
Is it just simple feedback in the form of rating numbers? Or do you want to deep dive and hone in on certain issues to get extra information around the topic?
A clear goal gives you clarity and is a constant reminder to the whole process to stay on topic.
Use Open Questions
Close questions are those that require a yes or no answer. But in terms of looking for detailed feedback, what do they actually help with? You’re going to want to include open questions that guests can’t answer or sum up in a matter of words.
Encourage them to be as detailed as they wish as the more detailed they are, the more problems you can solve and the more things you know you’re doing well.
Choose the Right Platform
Whether it’s the traditional pen and paper or the more modern method of completing surveys online, the right platform for your target audience is going to encourage more people to fill it out.
For example, if you’re a hotel that attracts mainly elderly people, the chances of them logging online and filling a survey in are highly unlikely. Whereas, the younger generation can easily do this on their smartphones while out and about.
So, offer various options for your guests to complete the surveys so they have a choice.
Don’t Ask Too Many Questions
Too many questions in a survey can be particularly daunting. And if they’re open questions, then it requires people to put more effort into your survey.
A lot of effort and questions is enough to put some people off, so keep it as short and sweet as possible but make sure you cover all the key points. The ideal amount of questions for surveys is thought to be between five and 10.
Avoid Controversial and Unnecessary Questions
Guests can wish to remain anonymous when filling out surveys, so asking questions regarding their gender, age and demographics may seem a little controversial and if anything, it’s just taking up unnecessary space. We’d advise you to avoid questions like this, but if you feel like you must include them then they’re usually best suited to the end.
Keep the Language Simple
Keep your surveys as simple and as easy as possible. Sometimes it can be hard enough just getting your guests to fill out the survey. The last thing you want to do is throw them off and make them put it down because they don’t understand the questions.
Plus, if they don’t fully understand the questions, the chances are that your answers are going to be inaccurate and not a true reflection.
Follow Up on Negative Feedback
Nobody wants to hear or read bad things about their hotel, do they? So, as a goodwill gesture and just out of curiosity to better your business, you should always follow up on your negative feedback. Why was it so bad? What could you have done better?
Show the guests that you actually care about every single problem and work hard to put them right. You don’t want to gain a reputation as a hotel that has no interest in their guests and is just bothered about the money.
Don’t Pressure Customers
Nobody wants to be hassled or pressured to do anything. Everybody has been hassled by someone at some point in their life to fill out a survey and the more they press, the less likely you are to do it.
So, you need to be smart about how you approach your guests to fill in your survey. Why not offer them an incentive? Perhaps a discount on their next trip, for example. Incentives are a great way to entice people into completing surveys.
Make Sure Your Guests are Always Happy
There are various ways in which you can make sure your guests are always happy during their stay. After all, they could be on their honeymoon or the trip of a lifetime. The last thing they want is their mood to be dampened through your fault.
Don’t worry if you’re not entirely sure, we’ve put together an all-in-one guide that will leave you in great stead to ensure your guests always have a good experience.
Download it below for free.