Half of conference invoices received are higher than anticipated and food is a key source of conflict between delegates and event bookers. These were two key findings of a new independent study commissioned by Warwick Conferences into the factors that affect customer satisfaction in the meetings market.
Good people deliver satisfaction, but poor quality venue staff wield even greater power is another conclusion from the study, based on a sample of answers from 100 delegates and 100 managers who had attended or authorised staff from their company to attend a conference, event or external training in the past 12 months.
The Value of Satisfaction study also highlights a worrying volume of meetings affected by disruptions.
“Swathes of delegates are dipping into their own pockets to cover expenses such as parking, Wi-Fi, meals and refreshments,” the report reads.
Rachael Bartlett (pictured), Warwick Conferences’ Head of Sales and Marketing, says: “We commissioned this independent report to try and find out what it is that leads the key stakeholders engaged in the meetings and events business to feel satisfied about their venue choices. There is an industry preoccupation with ‘cutting edge’ facilities, but what are the other, maybe less tangible, factors at play?
“The report highlights several key themes, but it’s people power that shines through as being the one thing all stakeholders agree can make, or break, a positive venue experience. The study also shows how people caring for the experience they facilitate goes beyond creating positivity front of house. Issues with the quality of catering, inflated invoices and disruption are apparently commonplace, and stakeholders don’t always share the same viewpoint, making delivering satisfaction across the board a balancing act.”
Sixty-two per cent of delegates, managers and event bookers think knowledgeable or helpful on-site staff is the leading factor that results in satisfaction, outranking venue practicalities such as parking, catering and even the effectiveness of the venue itself.
Over two-thirds of delegates (69%) agree that ‘venue staff going the extra mile really makes a venue stand out’.
However, the report also shows the price of poor interactions, with 52 per cent of event attendees saying it takes just a single member of staff to ruin a good customer service experience during an event. More than two-fifths (43%) of the delegates interviewed reported that an off-site meeting they have attended in the last 12 months has been let down by the poor quality of the venue’s staff.
“The study shows that you can have everything going for you in the world in terms of location, views, heritage and more, but if you don’t have a good team then people will have a poor view of their experience,” says Bartlett.
Just 12 per cent of bookers rank catering quality as a top three criteria when selecting a venue, yet 80 per cent say appropriate catering is their number one contributor towards satisfaction, with delegates rating catering second only to knowledgeable or helpful staff.
This disconnect of priorities is further highlighted by the fact that just 22 per cent of delegates say they would sacrifice quality catering to lower the overall cost.
Bartlett says: “It would seem that businesses are focusing on food and drink as a way of saving money, but it is an area that their attendees feel very affected by when it misses the mark. The numbers show that event attendees really feel any corner-cutting in this area.”
The Hotel Booking Agents Association and the Meetings Industry Association both welcomed the survey results. The HBAA’s Chairman Chris Parnham says: “I am delighted that this survey reminds us that the surest way for a venue to be distinctive is to make sure they have the basics right: service, food, accuracy and smooth running, all of which can only be delivered by great people who have had relevant industry-specific training.”
The full Value of Satisfaction report can be downloaded from: http://www.warwickconferences.com/value-satisfaction. Join the debate on Twitter: @WarwickConf / #valueofsatisfaction.
Do you have news for CN? Email: pcolston@mashmedia.net
