What a Guest Satisfaction Survey Should Tell You About Your Business

February 13th, 2024 by

GuildQuality Team

Discovering what your guests think about your service can transform your business. And a guest satisfaction survey can be your secret tool in the process.

A survey is like having a conversation with your customers one-on-one, finding out what makes them happy and what doesn’t. This data is gold for any business.

Let’s discuss why guest satisfaction surveys are a must-have.

We’ll explore what makes a survey effective and how to make sense of and use the answers you get.

Plus, we’ll give you easy steps to start getting feedback from your guests today.

The Significance of Guest Satisfaction Surveys

Happy guests mean a successful business. But guessing what works and what doesn’t isn’t always enough.

Surveys give you cold, hard facts about what your customers really think. You can use this information to improve your services, design your next marketing campaign, and more.

As Gartner recommends, “…seek to understand what drives satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy, in order to acquire and retain the best customers.”

FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS: 5 Ways to Quickly Boost Your Customer Feedback Strategy

So, what can you find out?

Surveys can show how you stack up against your competitors. Are you doing better? Or is there something the competition does that guests prefer?

Surveys can shed light on whether customers will choose you again. This is vital for planning ahead.

Knowing what you’re good at and what needs work helps you make your business even better.

Feedback tells you about your guests’ experiences from their perspective. And remember, what guests need might change over time. Surveys help you keep up.

Assumption isn’t good for business. With surveys, you get real data. This helps you make smart decisions that pave the way for growth.

Customer satisfaction survey on phone

Crafting an Effective Satisfaction Survey

Here’s how to make a high-value satisfaction survey that delivers actionable insights:

Choose the Right Survey Type.

First, think about what you want to learn from your survey.

If you want quick, clear answers, you might use a survey where people pick a score or yes/no. But if you want more details, you might ask more open-ended questions.

Cover Important Topics.

Your survey should explore areas that are critical to guest satisfaction. This might include one or more of the following:

Quality of service: Assess how well your services met or exceeded the guest’s expectations.
Customer experience: Gauge the ease and enjoyment of the entire process from the guest’s perspective.
Overall satisfaction: Determine the guest’s general feeling about their experience with your business.
Comparison to expectations: Find out how the service compared to what the guest expected.
Likelihood to recommend: Ask if the guest would recommend your services to others.

Make Surveys Easy to Use.

Accessibility and user-friendliness of your survey are also key.

It should be concise enough to complete in about 10 to 20 minutes. Format it to be easily navigable on any device—from desktops to smartphones.

This encourages more responses. It also ensures the feedback you receive reflects a wider customer base.

Send Surveys at the Best Time.

The timing of your survey matters.

You want to pick a time when your guest has just used your service. This way, everything is fresh in their mind.

Design Questions for Meaningful Answers.

Designed your survey to draw out meaningful responses.

Ask clear questions that cover specific details, like the quality of service provided. Include broader aspects, like the overall customer experience, as well.

Mixing up yes/no questions with open-ended ones allows you to gather both quantitative data and qualitative insights.

Test Your Survey.

Before you send your survey to everyone, try it with a few people first. See what they think and if they have any suggestions to make it better.

Remodeler holding tablet

Analyzing and Acting on Guest Satisfaction Survey Responses

After you get all the survey answers, it’s time to sort through them. This helps you see what most guests are happy about and what they’re not.

You might notice many people mention the same things, like loving your quick service or wishing your prices were lower.

Here’s how to analyze your responses:

Group similar comments together. This could be about your service, prices, or anything else guests feel is worth mentioning.
Look for patterns in what people say. Maybe many guests mention how friendly your team is. That’s a good thing to know.
Listen to their tone. Sometimes, it’s not just about what guests say but how they say it. Sentiment can show you how they really feel about your service.

Using Feedback to Make Changes

After assessing your guests’ feedback, you’re positioned to improve your business. Decide on a direction and craft a plan to move your business forward.

Here are some ideas you may want to consider:

Follow Up.

Make sure to thank everyone who completed your survey. This shows you value their input. It encourages them to continue providing feedback in the future.

Make Improvements.

Identify common concerns or negative feedback from your guests. Use this information to make necessary changes. You might invest in more training for your team, for example.

Adjust Services.

Based on the feedback, you might need to tweak how you deliver your services. This could involve anything from the speed of service to the quality of materials used.

Modify Pricing.

Consider reevaluating your pricing strategy. Ensure it aligns with guest expectations and market standards.

Change Marketing and Messaging.

Feedback might suggest misconceptions about your services. In that case, you may need to update your marketing materials to correctly represent what customers can expect.

Make Business Growth Decisions.

Use the aggregate feedback to guide strategic decisions. Informed decisions can lead to business growth, such as expanding services, opening new locations, or investing in new technologies.

Monitor Reactions to Changes.

After implementing changes, continue to check guest feedback to assess the impact of your actions.

How You Can Start Gathering Guest Feedback into Action Right Now

Now that you know what it takes to create a successful guest satisfaction survey, you’re ready to get started. Here are some steps you can take today: