Hotel guest survey: what to ask during and after the stay
In hospitality, the survey that arrives a week later is good for statistics, but it no longer saves the stay. What prevents a bad review is hearing about the problem while the guest is still at the hotel.
A 60-room hotel with good occupancy has over a thousand check-outs a month. Even if only a third answer, that is hundreds of responses a month.
Two different surveys
- 1
During the stay
Day 1
One question via a QR code in the room: anything we can fix today?
- 2
After check-out
24 hours later
The full survey: cleanliness, breakfast, check-in, recommendation.
The first is almost a service channel: a QR code in the room with one open question ("is there anything we can fix today?") that goes to the front desk. The second is the real satisfaction survey.
What to ask after check-out
- What was the reason for your trip? (business, leisure, family).
- Room cleanliness (1 to 5).
- Breakfast (1 to 5).
- Check-in speed (1 to 5).
- How likely are you to recommend us? (0 to 10).
- What could we improve for your next stay?
If you host guests from other countries, offer the survey in their language. A survey in a language they are not comfortable with gets far fewer and shorter answers.
Each kind of traveler wants something different
Business guests value a fast check-in and an early breakfast. Families care about space and the pool. Mix all responses together and the average speaks to nobody.
In this example, the open comments explain it: breakfast starts too late for anyone with an early meeting. It is a cheap change that improves the stay for the group that books most on weekdays.
Reply to guests who had a bad experience
When someone gives a low score and left their email, write to them within 48 hours. A guest who gets a personal reply usually softens, and sometimes changes their mind before writing a review.