Understanding what your customers like, and perhaps even more importantly, do not like about your facility is very important. For any operator or manager who wants to improve what they have to offer, and the customer service that goes with it, this is crucial information to have. Without having an actual plan in place and consistently gathering and interpreting information from your customers, we tend to gauge things by the casual comments and complaints that we hear on an day to day basis. While this can be good feedback, this tends to come from the same type of customer, the one who is not afraid to speak their mind, either in a positive or negative way. The majority of people however, will not share their praise or criticism, unless the situation presents itself to express their feelings.
This is where customer surveys can be very effective. One of the newest features of LilYPad is the ability to automatically send customer surveys to those who recently had a birthday party at your facility. An email asking the customer to fill out a short survey asking about their experience is sent to them. The customer simply has to click a link in the email, which will take them to a page on your own website, that allows them answer the survey’s questions which will provide you with valuable information. The survey can be customized by you. You can use the standard questions available or can create your own questions. The results of the survey get emailed to you and are also stored in LilYPad. All the website development work is provided by LilYPad which makes it a smooth process for everyone.
By understanding exactly how your customers feel, you will be able to improve the areas that need improving and provide feedback to your staff so that they can either try harder or feel appreciated for a job well done. The positive comments, with permission, can also be used as testimonials on your website and other marketing material.
Giving your customers the opportunity to tell you what you did well and what you did not do well is the first step towards making your facility the best it can be. When a customer has a bad experience, they tend to tell everyone who will listen. This can be very damaging to your reputation. Especailly in todays modern world with online social media tools like Facebook where comments can easily be posted that will be read by so many other people. By asking your customers for feedback immediately following their experience with your facility, you can respond to that customer right away. Responding with an apology if necessary and also explaining how you are going to fix the problem or issue so that it doesn’t happen again can help turn the negative experience into something more positive. This customer will still most likely discuss the events with their friends, however, hopefully they will focus more on how you were proactive about rectifying the situation rather than discussing the negative situation. Either way they will be move inclined to give your facility another chance because of the follow up and customer service you provided afterwards.
You could even take things one step further by sharing the negative experience and along with the resolution on your Facebook page to show customers that you work hard to improve and make your facility the best it can be. People (well, most people) understand that we humans are not perfect and do make mistakes. However by admitting our mistakes and showing how we are going to avoid making the same mistakes again will go a long way in showing customers just how important their satisfaction is to you.
Customer surveys are included with your subscription to LilYPad and just another reason why LilYPad is the best choice for any facility that hosts birthday parties and is involved in the amusement and attractions industry. Give us a call today at 1-866-419-4043 to learn more.
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