Key Ways Watersport Operators Use to Check on Their Customer’s Satisfaction

In today’s digital age, with so many best ways to market and the best platforms to spread the word about your watersport business, it becomes harder for tour operators to check on customer satisfaction. The traditional methods don’t seem to work out anymore; that’s why we’ve decided to put together a blog post, which will cover the modern approaches in making sure your customers are happy with the watersport services you provide. Read on to learn 5 ways watersport operators should monitor their customer satisfaction.

#1: Customer Satisfaction Survey

When your customer just completed their jet ski rentals or boat tours, it presents a perfect opportunity for watersport operators to find out how you did. There are multiple ways for sharing a satisfaction survey with your customers, but the most popular ones are via email and text messaging, both of which can be managed easily using WaveRez. Our WaveRez software features let you handle both SMS and email customer communications; schedule your free demo with our sales and product team to learn more about this incredible way to boost your operations.
A great survey usually gets complete in a few minutes and provides an opportunity to join a sweepstake or raffle with a chance to win a prize (e.g., free sunset cruise for 2); here’s how to make sure your customer survey is easy to fill out:

1. Complete a survey yourself with a timer on and specify how much time it will take to complete it before asking questions
2. Ask more close-ended questions than open-ended questions

Provide an opportunity to share feedback in an open-ended question format
 

#2: Social Media Listening

Many watersport operators are very active on social media these days because content and social media help tour operators make money, and Instagram can grow your watersport business. Social media measurement is when you track your social media outlets for brand-related conversations and mentions. To put things in context, once your customers have completed their booking with you, you might want to know if they’ve shared their experience with their followers on social media. As a rule of thumb, a typical vacationer usually posts their travel experience on their favorite social media platforms right away using features like Instagram Stories, TikTok feed, and many more. Be sure to like and comment on the posts covering your watersport business, as it’s one of the ways for the Instagram Algorithm to work for you.
 

#3: Online Customer Reviews

Like you would check your logbook in the morning for upcoming bookings, it’s equally important to regularly check your online customer reviews and get more reviews for your tour company. There are many different review platforms that watersport operators rely on, but we’ll save this conversation for another time, so be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to avoid missing it!
Getting customer reviews digitally is your direct indication of how customers are satisfied with the services you’ve provided to them. Some of the info you want to look for in reviews can include the following:

• Your location
• Quality of the services provided
• Recommendations by Customers

If you have negative reviews or a low overall review score, it will severely impact your watersport business growth because this is why vacationers often choose your competitors. Some operators say they could remove negative reviews by connecting with reviewers on Facebook with a kind request.
 

#4: Update Your Business Hours Online

Having the correct business hours displayed online is absolutely paramount. Updating your business hours on your booking booth and calling it a day wouldn’t suffice. We’d instead encourage you not to forget about your digital marketing channels where this information will likely be displayed, including the following channels:

• Listing Sites (e.g., Google My Business)
• Reservation Software (e.g., WaveRez)
• Social Media Profiles (e.g., Instagram Bio)
• Your Website

If your off-season business hours differ from high-season business hours, and/or you are temporarily or permanently closed, it’s especially important to indicate this information. Failure to do so may result in negative online customer reviews and, therefore, customer’s dissatisfaction with your watersport business. At the end of the day, what could be worse than a simple mistake that could have been easily avoided?!
 

#5: Reflect After Each Complete Booking

Reflection is critical whenever it comes to anything, especially your business management, and watersport business is no exception. Tour Operators that reflect on the experience they provide to their customers see great returns. For example, Greg Fisher, WaveRez CEO, claims that reflection is the 3rd step in handling situations when customers arrive late. A great starting point for reflection can be the answers given in your customer satisfaction survey, your social media listening efforts, and online customer reviews. Once you form a habit to reflect on the services you provide, it’ll help make sure you stay on top of the latest trends and be ahead of the competition when it comes to your offerings, which can include the following:

• Fun & Interesting Watersport Tour Ideas
• Most Unusual Water-Based Activities
• Incredible Winter Water Sports & Activities

Conclusion

Season 2021 has taught us all that despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, watersports is a great business opportunity, but what’s even more important is making sure our guests are happy. We hope you found our recommendations presented in this blog helpful, but if you think there’s something else that we should include, drop them in the comments below or contact us with your suggestions. We’re the #1 reservation software in the watersports industry; schedule your risk-free demo to learn how we can help you grow your watersport business.