Consumer Research
ORC EventCheck
Case Study - Marriott Hotels
Thirty per cent of Marriott’s turnover relates to conferences, so the chain is eager to ensure that its conference customers are satisfied with the service they receive.
Previously, customer satisfaction surveys had been sent to customers through the post, but in 2003, Marriott, with help from ORC International, introduced an online programme instead. It comprised a Customer Satisfaction programme as well as a Customer Standards Audit and was designed to assess how well Marriott's conference facilities were performing as well as to identify areas which could be improved and to drive business change. As a result of initial findings, for example, Marriott rewrote its menus to offer fresh food rather than sandwiches and fried fare.
The programme was continuous with surveys sent out on an ongoing basis. All were completed online. For the customer satisfaction element, all hosts and organisers with a valid e-mail address were e-mailed the day after their event, giving all Marriott’s clients the opportunity to provide feedback.
Additionally, hotels were audited several times a year by Marriott customers, again providing feedback online. Customers who agreed to act as auditors were incentivised and a very high co-operation rate was achieved. The anonymous standards audit assessed and evaluated whether staff were delivering against company standards with a view to maximising customer satisfaction.
“The response rate for the e-mails is high – around 30 per cent. We're extremely pleased about this because the more feedback we get from our customers, the more we can improve the products and services that we offer."
Matthew Westwood, the product executive, corporate & conference for Marriott UK and Ireland.
All the results are available on a tailor-made project website via Marriott’s intranet, and are accessible to individual hotel managers as well as to regional managers.
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