Visitor satisfaction scores are a valuable indicator of what’s working, and what isn’t. Attractions can use the information to not only adjust their offerings but also to get an idea of whether that customer will come back or not, and - even better - if they’ll bring a friend. If you have guests coming through the doors, you’ve got the information readily available.
Do make the survey as quick as possible
Gathering feedback from guests should be as quick and easy as possible. The less time it takes out of their day, the more likely they are to offer their opinions. You might only need two questions: “Did you enjoy your visit today? If not, why ?”. This invites guests to provide as little or as much additional information as they like, with the added safety of the feedback being completely anonymous. Asking visitors to fill in long surveys is not effective, and will turn away far more people than it will attract. Larger surveys and questionnaires definitely have their place, but in terms of gathering simple, daily information a quick yes or no will be much more useful.
Don’t make it too complicated
Nothing will put off guests from giving feedback more than a complicated questionnaire. Having to reread something to understand it takes time, and, as we’ve already pointed out, guests don’t want to spend their day out answering your survey. It’s already a minor inconvenience, so keep it as brief and straightforward as possible. Have one simple welcome page, where there’s a clear ‘click here to start the survey’, and a button at the end of the survey which users can click to finish. Don’t waste their time, and your money, on fancy pages with unnecessary information. Keep it short and sweet.
Do ensure that the survey is accessible
Providing multiple, varied opportunities for guests to give feedback is a good way to ensure that the data you collect comes from a variety of sources. Although it’s important to make sure that you don’t end up with a tonne of answers from a few overly enthusiastic visitors, asking for feedback in just one location means that you only gather data from people who visit that area - and not those who may choose to avoid it. It is also important in making sure that everybody has a chance to have their say, because a young family may have had a very different experience to somebody in a wheelchair. The wider your range of feedback points, the more varied and therefore more useful the data becomes in making tangible change.
Don’t ignore the data
A big worry for attractions who are nervous about guest surveys is receiving negative feedback on things that are seemingly out of an attraction’s control. A prime example of this is complaints about the weather. Of course, there’s nothing anybody can about it raining. But there are actions you can take to protect guests from getting wet, such as investing in additional shelter for ride and ticket queues, or introducing umbrella rentals around the park. If you have particularly hot summers, consider providing refill stations for water bottles. Analysing seemingly unhelpful data can often lead to particularly insightful conclusions. If your guests felt it was important enough to mention, why wouldn’t you investigate?
Guest feedback is a vital tool in staying ahead of the curve. Here at Data Duopoly, our award winning Xplor-It range includes state of the art data management software which enables information to be collected and analysed securely. Get in touch to find out more!