In conversation with the guest

Sitting in a restaurant with a hot cup of coffee, I am talking to a guest of the 4* hotel where he – let’s call him Egon – has been spending his skiing holidays for several winter seasons now. Solid & Bold’s task is to develop the new brand and its design for the hotel. Our work is based on interviews with guests to better understand their perspectives and then align our future activities accordingly. The hotel had already conducted online surveys and learned a lot about its guests. Where they come from, how old they are, who they travel with, and how they rate the service, food, and various offerings.

However, we don’t get any information about why or what exactly they find particularly good or bad. The pre-formulated answers don’t give guests any opportunity to mention other issues that are important to them. And asking why in an online survey… let’s be honest, would you do that? Guests quickly tire of this and, in the worst case, don’t write anything at all.

We can take a relaxed approach in the individual interviews. The interviewee can speak freely, without any guidelines. There is laughter here and there. There are no wrong answers in these interviews — I always let my interviewee know this at the beginning of the conversation. After about 45 minutes, many more insights come to light than in an online survey. This is also the purpose of a qualitative survey. The aim is to uncover new facts, which is not possible with the predefined response scheme of a quantitative method. Compared to a typology (classification of guests into homogeneous groups according to psychographic, sociodemographic aspects, or lifestyles), a qualitative survey can also provide much more specific answers tailored to the hotel. This includes, among other things, what guests find special about the hotel, why they booked, and what keeps them coming back.

This gives us the opportunity to find out what makes the hotel unique from the guests’ point of view, what they like, what they might still want, and where they see room for improvement—a wonderful basis for positioning and defining a hotel’s brand, deriving measures for products and services, and for communication content.

So I listen intently as Egon tells me about his experiences, impressions, and opinions of the hotel. Occasionally, criticism arises, and I also note down a few suggestions for improvement. In general, Egon brings up many new issues that were previously unknown to the hotel.

»The quality of the food is great, but this time the service isn’t so good,« says Egon, frowning. He seems a little disappointed. Interesting, I have to follow up on that and ask him what exactly he doesn’t like about the service anymore. »The waiters aren’t so nice. I don’t like that. They used to be much more open, friendly, and fun. Now they hardly want to talk to you. It also seems as if they don’t enjoy their job at all.«

Egon is apparently a communicative guy. He is also here alone, like many of the guests. So he seems to want more company.

I ask Egon why he keeps coming back and what it means to him personally.

»I keep coming back here because it’s a bit like it used to be.«

»What does ‘like in the old days’ mean to you?« I ask Egon.

»Well, not as anonymous as in many other large hotels. People talk to you here. Even the boss pays attention to you. He knows exactly who I am and asks me every time how my job is going. I told him about it years ago. It’s really a bit like family here, like home, only much more relaxed. I always like to remember the good conversations and the wonderful time I had. That’s why I only come here for my winter vacation.«

What I don’t know yet is that this special atmosphere is repeatedly emphasized in other interviews with guests. Interesting – until now, the hotel had focused more on its good, central location and communicated this repeatedly. But it’s questionable to what extent this is supposed to be a distinguishing feature from the other ten 4* hotels that are also located in the center of town. I think to myself: “The family atmosphere and the closeness between host and guest could have potential. Especially when there are so many solo travelers here.” But there seems to be some inconsistency, as this atmosphere is not noticeable in the hotel restaurant. Points I need to pay attention to in the other interviews. Perhaps Egon’s view is not an isolated case.

What is evident with Egon is his clear expectation of the hotel. It is important to him to feel secure and that someone is there to look after him. He does not want to feel like a lonely single person on vacation.

Like Egon, every guest has expectations of the hotel they visit. These expectations must be met at all times and in all areas—from the services offered and the staff to the design and communication. If expectations are not met, the positive impression can easily be damaged. Guests’ expectations are based on an emotional level. Because that’s how vacations work: We always go (back) to the places where we had the most beautiful, touching moments. Like Egon, who doesn’t spend his vacations at this hotel because of its location. But because of the feeling of being part of a community that values spending quality time with him.

However, triggering special emotions and meeting expectations doesn’t just mean making improvements in the restaurant.

Egon tells me, »They used to have such a warm and familiar atmosphere. Now it’s rather cool. I also think the whole hotel is getting a bit old. Somehow, I don’t feel quite as welcome there anymore. It’s not as appealing. They could improve the quality a bit.«

I promptly ask Egon what he means by »improving quality.«

»Well, somehow more modern, but not too hip. It should retain its old charm. Better, more sustainable materials would be good, where you can feel the quality. The bathrooms and the furnishings in the restaurant and bar are a bit outdated.«

After conducting further interviews, a clear picture emerges. Most of the guests actually come to the hotel because of the family atmosphere. This means that they don’t feel alone or anonymous here. Instead, they meet old friends and new acquaintances with whom they have a good time. However, there are employees who do not embody this personal atmosphere. For some regular guests, this could be a reason not to come back next year. New guests in particular also complained that getting there was difficult due to poor signage and very tight parking spaces. Many did not feel welcome right away. Others cited the hotel’s outdated interior design. My notes are peppered with numerous suggestions for improvement and requests, but also with praise and things that should definitely be kept.

After summarizing all the results, we are satisfied. There is a lot of information that will help us position and differentiate the hotel. We can also define a brand that precisely meets the needs of our guests. This way, every guest understands in advance what to expect from the hotel. The additional requests, suggestions for improvement, praise, and criticism also help us create a consistent guest experience so that guests go home with fond memories and may even return. This will give the new brand design and interior design a more personal flair. The aim is to create spaces that facilitate moments of encounter so that guests feel even more part of a (hotel) community. Some of the guests’ criticisms are also addressed and improved, such as a self-explanatory and easily noticeable orientation system to and within the hotel.

When the results are presented, the client is pleasantly surprised by the new insights. Although he talks to his guests a lot, most of them are reluctant to offer praise or criticism. There is a lot that the client would never have found out with the help of his online survey. He is even considering asking about a few points again in quantitative terms — some guests complained, among other things, that the spa was too small.

Qualitative surveys in the form of individual guest interviews quickly yield valuable and often unexpected insights — usually, a small number of 5 to 20 respondents is sufficient.

But one thing to keep in mind is that such interviews require experience, empathy, and a good sense of when to probe a little deeper. It is important to engage with your counterpart and build a basis of sympathy and trust. Not everyone is as communicative and open as Egon — we may also find ourselves sitting across from grumpy, reserved people.

And Egon? I thank him for his time and the many useful insights. He is also glad that we had the conversation and that the hotel values his opinion. He is already looking forward to tonight’s dinner, which he is receiving from the hotel as a thank you.