Visitrac Online Survey: the less useful aspects

There have been frustrations.

1. We did not design the wording or the questions.
2. The questions allow for a response but without an explanation for the comment.
3. There were some reponses based on a complete misconception and I don’t deny that can make one feel quite unreasonably upset! For example one person complains, one senses bitterly, that:

• They had been informed they could not arrive until after 4 pm and had to leave before 10am
• It should be possible to clean a cottage in three hours, between 11am and 2pm

By way of an explanation, after each visit, however clean the barns are left – and they a usually are – each one is given a completely thorough spring clean, from top to bottom.

This can easily take five hours, and and on one bad occasion three of us had to set to (that one took a total of ten hours between us).

Visitrac Online Survey: the difference it has made

The results, the scores and comments, have given us confidence because the average score never dips much below 9.5/10.

We have been grateful to pick up some hints of what might be improved, and have as far as possible acted on these, most notably replacing the beds;  the Tom’s Barn bed had been superb but we had not realised  that it had begun to pass its prime. The outcome, a Vi-spring bed and mattress in Tom’s Barn and a specially commissioned Vi-spring mattress for the slightly wider/longer bed in Douglas’s Barn.

We have acted also on suggestions of extra ‘little extras’ we could provide, such as an apron, tasting teaspoons, a thermos, a really sharp knife.

Visitrac Online Survey: those taking part

The Guests who filled in the anonymous survey from summer 2008 to summer 2009

There were 75 responses in all

Female 49 65%

Male 26 35%

Their age group –  our guests cover the full span

25-34    17 23%

35-44   16 21%

45-54   19 25%

55-64  16 21%

65+       7 9%

Was this your first stay in the area (Peak District)?

No 40 53%

Yes 35 47%

Was this your first stay at this property?

No, had stayed before 13 33%

Yes, my first stay 27 68%

Visitrac: Would you recommend our barns?

Quite likely 3 4%

Very likely 72 96%

(Total no. of questionnaires returned: 75)

Visitrac: Your expectations: How do we score?

The property was as I expected 24 32%

The property was better than I expected 51 68%

It is perhaps worth pointing out that many of the guests had been before, so knew what to expect

(Total no. of questionnaires returned: 75)

Visitrac: The standard of the garden: How do we score?

6/10         2 guests 3%

7/10         2 3%

8/10        13 17%

9/10        15 20%

10/10     39 52%

N/A          4 5%

Average Score = 9.23

(Total no. of questionnaires returned: 75)

Visitrac: The standard of the dining area: How do we score?

7/10         2 3%

8/10        10 13%

9/10         11 15%

10/10 49 65%

N/A           3 4%

Average Score = 9.49

(Total no. of questionnaires returned: 75)

Visitrac: The standard of the kitchen: How do we score?

8/10         2 3%

9/10          9 12%

10/10 61      81%

N/A          3 4%

Average Score = 9.82

(Total no. of questionnaires returned: 75)

Visitrac: The standard of the sitting room: How do we score?

6/10    1 guest 1%

8/10   5 7%

9/10   8 11%

10        59 79%

N/A       2 3%

Average Score = 9.70

(Total no. of questionnaires returned: 75)

Visitrac: The standard of the bathroom: How do we score?

5/10    2 guests 3%

7/10     3 4%

8/10     4 5%

9/10    10 13%

10/10  52 69%

N/A 4

Average Score = 9.48

(Total no. of questionnaires returned: 75)