Guest Questionnaires

[Jane]

Following alert in newsletter, just looked at this topic. I did offer questionnaire one year and found it very useful. Well worth spending a bit of time on (which I don't have at present).

Will look out my questionnaire and post any useful points not yet covered later. Also my thoughts and trials on getting it returned.[/b]

[paolo]

I forgot the other welcome tip - as well as a bottle of wine for the adults, we ask for the children's ages on booking and each child gets a present on their pillow appropriate to their age and gender. We were in Prague a couple of weeks ago and came back with ten keyrings with medieval knights helmets - perfect for teenage boys!

That's a great tip! In fact I may pinch it for the newsletter...

[Paul Mc]

Great discussion and yes I have been sending out a simple questionnaire for 2 years now. I do so by email and send it a dya or so BEFORE they are due to return so it is in their in box, a copy of the email is below.

I have had replies from all but 1! usually very positive, a few niggles which are usually put right, some I know about but are just part of the life in Italy, like cracks in the walls after the latest tremor!

Welcome back xxx

I hope you had a great time in Italy. Sounded like the weather was good!
I would really welcome your views on what I could do to improve the place.
Would you mind answering the following questions. For questions 1 and 2, please rate 1-4, 1 being poor 4 being fab. Honesty is the most important criteria!

1) How would you rate the information prior to going?

Getting there -
The Villa -
The area -

2) How would rate the facilities at the villa? -
Inside -
Outside -

3) What would you like to see improved?

4) What would you say are the strengths?

5) Would you recommend it to friends?

6) Any other comments?
Thanks very much and I hope to see you again soon!

Paul

[paolo]

Good stuff Paul, thanks for sharing.

It's a small point but I would actually send the questionnaire a couple of days after their return. When I get back from holiday I have a few hundred emails to wade through and delete. And a guest questionnaire may get caught up in the carnage.

Anyway you've only had one non-reply so this can't be much of a factor.

What sort of useful info have you picked up from their comments - improvements you could make to what you offer?

[Christine Kenyon]

This is a follow-up to my earlier "post" when I said I was considering a questionnaire. My first bash at a questionnaire in now in one of our cottages and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will be completed. If not - I may try the email approach.

For info, I have included 12 questions, covering 3 topics:

1. Booking and Information provided
2. The cottage itself - did it meet expectations; equipment provided, etc
3. Any other comments

One question to Paolo: is it possible for us to post our full quesitonnaires anywhere so that we can share the content?

Cheers

Christine
www.stybarrowcottage.co.uk
www.troutbeckcottage.co.uk

[paolo]

is it possible for us to post our full questionnaires anywhere so that we can share the content?

Of course it is!

Just put your questionnaire in a post as usual and for the sake of clarity you may want to put the questionnaire text in a quote box. You do that by highlighting all the relevant text when you are writing the post, and then clicking the 'Quote' button. This will put the questionnaire in its own grey box.

[Christine Kenyon]

It's a while since I looked at this topic, but in the meantime I have left 6 quesionnaires in our two cottages and picked up 5 completed forms at the end of the stay - and some helpful feedback.

Our questionnaire is in 3 sections with the following questions:

* Booking and Information
* How did you find out about Stybarrow Cottage (various options given)
* Did you receive all the information you needed before you arrived?
* Did you find the map and directions easy to understand?
* Did you find all the information you needed in the cottage?
[Yes/No options given to the above questions]
* Any other comments?

* The cottage
* Did the cottage meet your expectations? [Yes/No. If not, why not?]
* Was the cottage clean and tidy when you arrived? [Yes/No. If not, what could be improved?]
* Did you have all the equipment you needed during your stay? [Then each room listed with a Yes/No and If not, what did you need?]

* Any other comments or feedback

What questions do you ask? I woud be interested to know what 20 questions are asked by Cromer Holidays.

Cheers

Christine
www.stybarrowcottage.co.uk
www.troutbeckcottage.co.uk

[paolo]

Good stuff Christine, thanks for sharing.

[Darren]

Sorry I was lazy and didn't read all the way though the thread so if this has being mentioned.. apologies!

I'd recommend including an area on the questionnaire for them to include an email address, and a tick box where they would identify that they do not mind you contacting them (for data protection purposes)

Then once or twice a year send out a newsletter or email letting know the previous customers new additions to the property, new local attractions and rates.

Providing that they put the email address and tick the box you aren't spamming them because they are giving you permission to contact them.

Just a thought..

Darren

[Christine Kenyon]

Good point, Darren. Thanks for that one.

Christine

[Sue Dyer]

Since the season is now underway I thought I'd resurrect this topic. The guests I have in tomorrow are the first of my consecutive bookings which are stretching into Sept

The questionnaire was on my "to do list" so I am nicking some of the good suggestions above (thanks!!) and putting one together for tomorrow. I'll let you know what the response rate/feedback is like. I'm just leaving it in the cottage as I know what some folk are like for walking around not posting letters.... (not personally guilty!)

Did anyone else go for a questionnaire after this thread, if so, how is it going?

[vrooje]

Strangely enough I found that I had more success just sending an informal e-mail after the trip with "how was your stay? anything you'd like us to know?" and that sort of thing, than I had when I sent a link to the web questionnaire. So I'll probably be doing that this season.

We don't put the questionnaire at our property because, since we're not at our property, there's a chance it wouldn't get collected/sent!

[cromercrabholiday]

We use snailmail for our questionnaires and get close to 100% response. It's all tick boxes, with room for comments and comes with an sae. We also ask for recommendations for restaurants, tourist sights etc, which we put into a file at the cottage.

John

[Joanna]

Just reviewing our feedback form and came across this post (if anyone knows of any others on the subject please let me know).

We have a paper feedback form that we send out before the holiday along with the directions etc. We send a stamped addressed envelope with it and get around 70% response rate. We also have some forms and envelopes in the cottage.

I like the idea of asking for feedback by email after the holiday to pick up the ones who lost or forgot the form.

We have one question that brings up some interesting answers: 'What was most memorable aspect of your stay in Baker's cottage? (These are usually positive things!).

[Maro]

I email all guests a couple of days after they get back asking if they had a good time in Tuscany and for any feedback
they may have good/bad about the cottage. It is not a formal
questionnaire just an email, most guests reply.
Maro