Measuring excellence

What is quality?

According to the dictionary, quality can be defined as “the degree of excellence”.

To any reasonable observer this definition immediately throws up a problem. How can quality be measured on a scale that isn’t subjective? Certainly, this is an issue that makes the results of visitor surveys fraught with danger as the perception of quality may vary greatly from person to person.

Quite apart from this, the feedback received from visitor surveys is dependent on the questions asked and how they are framed. We need to be clear about the meaning of quality and specific as the term can span products, services, accommodation, food, environmental concerns, staff and a host of other issues too.

The timing and format of the survey have also to be considered, for instance, at the end of the visit or on the return home, and on paper or online. Another issue is consistency; sticking to the same type of survey will help build a more accurate picture over time.

To help steer tourism businesses through this minefield there are lots of online resources that can help, including:

HIE Business -  HIE’s dedicated business advice centre’s guidance on managing customer feedback

VisitScotland -  a step-by-step guide to conducting a customer survey