“ I read every single survey and review , and so does the rest of the leadership team . We share the comments with each other , we share the comments with our colleagues , the good and the not so good . And we learn a lot from it .”
— MINDI MORIN wrong . For example , we had a snafu with a guest a couple of days ago where we missed their transportation , which threw off their whole arrival . We had 15 minutes to figure out how we were going to turn this around for this guest as soon as they walked through the door . We admitted that we messed up and we wanted to make it right .
Pulse : You mentioned all the different departure points . What do you think makes a good departure ? MM : A fond farewell and asking about their stay or service — and listening to the answer . Ask when they ’ re coming back . Even something as small as filling up their water bottle before they get in their car or offering a snack from the cafe for the road makes for a great send-off .
Ingredient # 4 : The Right Recipe
Pulse : Speaking of asking guests about their stay , how are you using feedback to help improve customer service ? MM : We look at it from two angles : an employee engagement survey and a guest survey . If our colleagues are happy , guests are happy . And if our guests are happy , we ’ re automatically driving our net promoter score . This drives brand loyalty , which turns into revenue and , ultimately , sustainability .
Pulse : Can you talk a little bit more about guest feedback as part of your guest service planning ? MM : We have a service that sends out surveys to our guests . It gives them the opportunity to write in things we did great and things they think we can improve on . They can comment on specific team members . The service also pulls in data from other review sites . I read every single survey and review , and so does the rest of the leadership team . We share the comments , the good and the not so good . And we learn a lot from it .
I call the guests who have a lower net promoter score . I respond to every single survey or comment posted on social media . It ’ s not just a blanket email back , because we want to be a brand that not only asks for feedback , but actually does something with it .
Our guests come here for specific reasons , and they give us specific feedback based on their experiences and so do our colleagues . Using this feedback , we can identify themes and make goals for areas of improvement .
Pulse : What are some of the things you modified in your customer service based on what you learned from the surveys ? MM : Programming ’ s a big one . For example : “ There weren ’ t as many presentations as last time .” When I looked at the book , I ’ m like , there ’ s more than we ’ ve ever had ?! But then when I look closer at it , I see that 10 o ’ clock was tough . We had flow yoga , we had knife skills , we had sleep class and we had nutrition classes all at the same time . Holy guacamole . That ’ s a heavy hitting hour and of course the perception is we don ’ t have as many offerings if the most popular ones are at the same time . So , we rejigged the times and that seemed to solve the problem .
I think another one is a shift around our menu . Maybe if you were here for a week , and you have some dietary restrictions , you might get a little bit bored with our menu , or you just want something different — like a particular pancake . Let ’ s talk about it before you come so that we can work on a meal plan that satisfies you . n
KRISTINE HUFFMAN , LICSW , provides Mental Wellness 1:1 services at Canyon Ranch Lenox . Formerly a partner with Hutchinson Consulting and an ISPA Board member , she brings more than 30 years of experience in hospitality and human services , including providing leadership , psychotherapeutic services , staff training , program development and brand direction for the award-winning Canyon Ranch , Miraval and Travaasa Resorts .
JUNE 2024 n PULSE 43