The customer satisfaction survey is a key element of spa business success. Some people balk at the idea of soliciting feedback – I once heard a manager refer to the idea of sending a survey as “crazy” – but you should do it.
The only way to know if your customers are happy is to ask them
If you want to know if your customers are happy, you have to ask. A vast majority of people will not complain after a negative experience with a brand; they just won’t go back. (Think about it. Do you complain every time you’re dissatisfied with a product or service? Or do you just write off the business and look elsewhere?) And an experience doesn’t necessarily have to be negative in order for a customer to not return. In many cases it just has to be “not great,” which is pretty much interchangeable with “not bad.” Of course, you don’t want a “not bad” rating. You want a rating of “excellent” or its equivalent. And the only way to know if you’re hitting that target is to ask. A customer satisfaction survey is the way to do this. These can be sent through platforms like SurveyMonkey.
Surveys are opportunities for retention and acquisition
Surveys are also an opportunity to work on customer retention and acquisition – if a spa guest is dissatisfied with their experience, you have the chance to make amends and try to keep them as a customer. If a guest is thrilled with their experience, you can ask for a referral or review. Customer satisfaction surveys also tell you where you need to improve.
Here are a few tips for sending a survey that people will complete:
1. Provide an incentive. Offer a gift or discount for taking the survey. Why should anyone invest their time otherwise?
2. Keep it short. People are busy and they do not want to spend more than a few minutes on your survey.
3. Stick to the point. If it’s a customer satisfaction survey, stick to that. It can be tempting to add extra questions in an attempt to get more information and expand your scope, like “What other products would you like to see in our retail store?” or “How many spas did you contact before making an appointment with us?” but those questions are for another time. Keep it short or you risk respondents abandoning the survey.
Questions to ask in a customer satisfaction survey
Now, here’s a list of questions to ask in customer experience survey that can help you get the information you’re looking for. You might not want to ask them all.
When booking your appointment was the experience simple and intuitive?
Yes/No
How did you book your appointment?
Online
Mobile
Phone
In person
Other (please specify)
On a scale of 1 – 5, with 5 being excellent and 1 being terrible, how would you rate your experience with our front desk staff?
Did your appointment start on time?
Yes/No
Who was/were your service provider(s)?
What services did you have?
(List of services you offer)
Did you feel that your service provider(s) was/were knowledgeable and professional?
Yes/No
On a scale of 1 – 5, with 5 being excellent and 1 being terrible, how satisfied are you with your experience in our spa?
On a scale of 1 – 5, with 5 being very likely and 1 being not at all likely, how likely are you to recommend us to friends and family?
What else would you like us to know?
(Comment box)
Don’t leave loose ends
Do include the comment box. There may be something the guest would like to discuss with you that they didn’t want to complain about at the time. They might think “Well, OK. I’ll tell you. Since you asked…”
I’ve have done this, myself; not complained at the time of an unpleasant customer service incident but later said something when asked in a survey.
If there is a complaint, do follow up and make amends. This is your chance to win back a customer you would otherwise have lost. The incident I just mentioned was with a hotel. They followed up with an apology, a $50 gift card, and a pair of socks for my daughter. This was a nice surprise and I have since spent far more than the value of the gift card and socks with this company. Everyone won.
Don’t leave loose ends and your bottom line will reflect that. Ask and you shall receive the information you need.
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