n today ’ s hypercompetitive hospitality landscape , understanding customer and employee feedback isn ’ t just beneficial , it ’ s essential . Every guest interaction , from check-in to check-out , is an opportunity to gather insights that can make or break your brand ’ s reputation .

As we lean on technology to gather feedback , it ’ s crucial to recognize that not all data is created equal . While metrics and numbers provide a snapshot , the true essence of guest and employee experiences often lies in the stories behind the statistics . This is where qualitative data shines , offering a window into

the nuanced , complex emotions that drive customer loyalty and satisfaction .

WHAT ’ S THE PURPOSE ? Organizations must first define whether their goal from surveys is to provide metrics or insights . To truly understand the thoughts and feelings of customers and employees , surveys cannot simply provide metrics alone . If we focus solely on quantitative data , we risk overlooking the subtleties that can inform more strategic decision-making . Numerical data alone often fails to capture the ‘ why ’ behind a guest ’ s or employee ’ s response , limiting our understanding of their true sentiments .

Crafting surveys effectively requires finesse . To keep engagement and response rates high , brevity is essential . However , this often leads to an overuse of rating-scale questions . Though these are easy to analyze and compare , they can overlook the nuances of a guest ’ s or employee ’ s true experience . The challenge is finding the right balance between creating concise surveys and gathering deeper and more meaningful insights that can ’ t be captured by numbers alone .

Rating-scale questions still hold significant value , especially in cases like the likelihood-to-recommend

question , which generates a Net Promoter Score ( or eNPS for employees ), unlocking valuable benchmarking opportunities . When combined with an openended question , such as , “ What was the reason for your score ?”, this pairing can reveal both the rationale behind the rating and a deeper understanding of the brand perception — all with just two questions .

THE POWER OF QUALITATIVE DATA This is where qualitative data comes into play . By incorporating unstructured feedback — be it text , video or audio — into your surveys , you allow for an unhindered

26 hotelsmag . com Mar / Apr 2025