When you run your own B&B or hotel, asking guests for feedback can feel a bit daunting. You’ve put a lot of time and effort into making your rooms cosy, so it can be hard to hear any criticisms about your hard work. However, feedback plays a crucial role in helping your business to provide the best possible level of service for future customers.
Feedback can be acquired in person, by email, or through online review sites and social media.
Here are some of the benefits of customer feedback:
It helps you to gauge where you’re at
One of the top reasons for gathering customer feedback is this: it helps you to better understand how your customers perceive you and what you then need to do to improve any negative perceptions.
For example, you may see yourself as a luxury hotel, but your customers may not come away with the same feeling. If such a gap in perceptions exists, the only way to get on the right track is to find out exactly what doesn’t match up.
Customer reviews may also alert you to problems with the functionality of your lodgings and equipment that you may not know about, too. Hotel insurance can help to protect you in the case of unexpected problems with your setup, but it’s important to respond quickly if reasonable concerns are raised.
It shows you what needs improvement
Customer feedback can give you clear, actionable directions to improve your service for future and returning customers.
If you spread the net wide and allow an open platform for feedback (in addition to checking third-party review sites) you can get the most in-depth responses. This gives you the opportunity to immediately rectify anything that doesn’t reflect your brand.
If you intend to make improvements off the back of a customer’s feedback, say so! Responding to online reviews should be part of your weekly routine. A polite reply letting them know that you’ve taken their ideas on board and have a solution in the pipeline is ideal. It’s a great way to encourage new customers and build rapport with past ones. Many consumers say that they are more likely to interact with a business that offers thoughtful replies to negative reviews.
It measures satisfaction
There’s really only one way to find out how happy your customers are, and that is by asking.
The reasons why they might not be completely satisfied could be large or small but, either way, you won’t know what areas need attention unless you’ve received some realistic feedback.
Customer contact forms and short surveys provided for them to fill out after their stay are quick and easy ways to gather honest opinions.
And it’s not all about negative feedback — positive feedback is useful too! It’s good to keep an eye out for social media content created by happy guests and interact with it; reinforcing the good impression that you’ve made and drawing attention to something that shows off the work that you’ve put in.
So, whether you’re new to the hospitality industry or you’ve been on the go for a while, don’t shy away from customer feedback! Good, bad and mixed reviews all have their place in helping you to provide a continually improving guest experience.
