Experience Consumers

  We analyze consumer behavior everyday in the real world, but I believe the hardest to measure is a customers experience.  Our best sign is looking at the number of repeat customers.  Customer surveys are pushed all the time but customers rarely want to participate, even when offered the chance to win a free gift card in return.  Being in the hospitality industry myself I should want to help companies out because I will one day be in their position, but I don't.  What is it that causes consumers to have such a negative image about these surveys that ultimately would help make their experience better?  Another measure that a lot of hospitality industries have been turning to lately are online website like www.travelocity.com.  This is supposed to be a website for consumers to talk about their experiences at places like hotels.  Websites like this are partly used for what they were intended for, but companies have also used it to advertise their own company and but down competitors.  Will they ever admit this?   No.  So how do customers make decisions on where they will go?  A lot I believe has to do with word-of-mouth and brand awareness.  If someone was to go out to dinner and wanted to try somewhere new, they would most likely say "Bob tried this new Italian restaurant and said it was great, we should go".  I believe that consumers like to have other people take the risk and try somewhere than be the first ones to try it.  Also, if consumers have a brand awareness and have had multiple good experiences with an experience related company then they tend to stay loyal.  With that loyalty they also expect a certain amount of consistencies in their experiences.  These types of customers in this type of industry are the best to have because they are easier to keep than to attract new ones.  In the end, treat every customer like they are your best customer.