A useful guest feedback survey is short enough to finish and specific enough to guide action. Ask about the completed stay, let guests skip questions and provide a private route for unresolved concerns. Use the original questionnaire below as a starting point, then adapt the wording to your property.
Choose one purpose for the survey
Decide whether the survey supports service recovery, a periodic operations review or a particular improvement. Avoid asking for information already available in the reservation unless you need the guest to clarify it. Explain how responses will be used and make optional contact details clearly optional.
- Use neutral language rather than suggesting a positive answer.
- Send through your approved guest communication process.
- Keep promotional consent separate from service feedback.
Use a balanced set of questions
Ask about arrival, room readiness, cleanliness and staff assistance using the same clearly labelled scale. Include a not-applicable option. An overall rating alone cannot explain what happened, while a long questionnaire may create unnecessary work for guests.
- Ask one thing per question.
- Include one open question about what worked well.
- Include one open question about what could improve.
Make service recovery practical
Offer a private contact route for guests who want a response. Assign an owner and response target to actionable issues. Restrict access to comments containing personal information and avoid copying them into public reports.
- Log the issue without exposing unnecessary guest details.
- Record the action and responsible person.
- Close the loop with the guest where appropriate.
Review patterns without distorting results
Report the response count and period alongside ratings. A handful of voluntary responses does not establish the views of every guest. Keep a consistent method when comparing periods. If asking for public reviews, offer the opportunity fairly rather than directing only satisfied respondents to review platforms.
- Separate observations from explanations.
- Track recurring themes and completed improvements.
- Do not promise a native PowerOTA survey feature without verification.
Practical worksheet
Download editable worksheet (CSV) ↓
Open the CSV in Excel, Google Sheets or another spreadsheet editor. Use fictional sample rows as examples and review the template before operational use.
Original editable planning resource. Examples are fictional; adapt and review before operational use.
| Question | Answer format | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| How was your arrival experience? | 1 Very poor to 5 Excellent; Not applicable | Review low scores |
| How was the cleanliness of your room? | Same scale | Assign relevant issue |
| How helpful was the team? | Same scale | Review comments |
| What worked particularly well? | Optional free text | Recognise recurring strengths |
| What could we improve? | Optional free text | Assign actionable concerns |
| Would you like a private response? | Optional contact preference | Follow approved communication process |
Fictional example: three guests mention unclear breakfast timings. The manager checks the welcome message and updates it. This is an illustration of how feedback can inform a service change, not a measured result from PowerOTA customers.
Put the guide into practice
Start with a short questionnaire, assign responsibility for responses and review whether changes actually resolve the issue.
Explore hotel guest CRM, read the related practical guide, or book a demonstration to verify the workflows for your property.