Pamarah Lodge
How Pamarah Lodge Understood Guest Experience Better and Achieved an NPS of 91 with GuestRevu
Pamarah Lodge used GuestRevu’s customised surveys and reputation management tools to gain actionable insights into their guests’ experiences. The result: a deeper understanding of guest expectations and a stellar Net Promoter Score of 91.
The Company
Pamarah Lodge is a family-owned guesthouse located near the breathtaking Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Established and managed by Phil and Morn, a husband-and-wife team, the lodge prides itself on delivering an exceptional full-service hospitality experience that celebrates the natural beauty and cultural heritage of its surroundings. With a focus on personalised service, Pamarah Lodge caters to an array of guests, from international tourists seeking adventure to local travellers looking for a tranquil retreat.
Since opening their doors, Phil and Morn have been dedicated to creating memorable guest experiences. Their vision includes not just offering comfortable accommodations but also connecting guests with local activities and service providers to enhance their stay. However, as their reputation grew, so did the challenges of maintaining high service standards and addressing guest feedback effectively. Recognising the need for a structured approach to understanding and acting on guest insights, they turned to GuestRevu.
The Challenges
The team at Pamarah Lodge care deeply about their guests, but they sometimes found it difficult to understand exactly how guests really felt about the guest experience.
Vague and Unactionable Feedback
Pamarah Lodge struggled with receiving vague complaints from guests, such as low ratings for breakfast or mentions of "location" that lacked clarity. This made it difficult for the team to address underlying issues and improve their service.
Issues with Third-Party Services
Pamarah Lodge faced lower ratings on external services like transportation and activities. With guests often staying only for a short period (2.4 days on average), issues with third-party providers — such as late taxis or unsafe driving — could seriously tarnish the guest experience.
Managing Negative Reviews and Maintaining Reputation
The fear of receiving negative reviews, particularly in the early days, was a significant concern. As an accommodation provider that also helps guests build itineraries and book experiences, Pamarah Lodge needed to manage feedback not only on their own services but also on the third-party activities they recommended to guests.
The Solution
Pamarah integrated GuestRevu with their Property management system, so that each guest would automatically be sent a detailed, customised guest feedback survey, and Pamarah's management could see all their online reviews in one place
- GuestRevu’s tailored survey tools enabled Pamarah Lodge to gather actionable insights from guests. By asking specific questions, they could address issues in detail—such as dietary preferences or clarifications about amenities—and improve areas like breakfast offerings or customer service.
- GuestRevu allowed the lodge to capture guest feedback on third-party services, which were used to proactively address issues. For example, they could quickly communicate with taxi providers about complaints like late arrivals or unsafe driving, ensuring the quality of services matched the lodge’s high standards.
- With GuestRevu, Pamarah Lodge embraced a shift in mindset: instead of fearing negative reviews, they viewed them as an opportunity to improve. They focused on personal, compassionate responses to feedback, taking a human-centric approach to guest communication, particularly through Morn’s heartfelt replies.
The Results
Improved Guest Experience through Clearer Expectations
By using tailored surveys, Pamarah Lodge gained a deeper understanding of guest expectations and made informed decisions. For instance, complaints about "location" were often linked to issues with third-party providers, such as activity companies not living up to expectations. Thanks to their guest feedback, the team at Pamarah could refine recommendations, and guests were better guided, leading to higher satisfaction.
Strengthened Relationships with Third-Party Providers
The feedback loop between Pamarah Lodge, their guests, and their external service providers resulted in higher standards. Proactive communication ensured that providers met the lodge’s expectations, and guests benefitted from improved services.
Enhanced Reputation and Confidence in Online Feedback
Pamarah Lodge turned their initial fear of negative reviews into a growth opportunity. The team embraced feedback, using it to improve services and clarify guest expectations publicly. Their reputation has flourished, with guests expressing loyalty even after addressing complaints.
Strengthened Brand Personality and Marketing
Through consistent and engaging social media posts inspired by the best aspects of their guest feedback, Pamarah Lodge showcased their authentic personality, gaining more followers and guests. Their social media content emphasised the human side of the business, with staff recognition and light-hearted posts contributing to a relatable and engaging brand presence.
Before, it was so frustrating. You get a four out of five for breakfast service, but you have no idea what you're doing wrong. You want to say to the guest, “Can you tell us what it is?”. With the follow-up question we’ve put into our surveys now, people are saying some things that are quite easy to fix.
We kept getting marked down on location, and we couldnt understand why – everything is in a 5km radius, it’s not hard to get to any of the activities. Then we started to get really good feedback, often saying “you organize our activities really well, but we went to such and such activity, and it wasn't what we expected.” And that's more the kind of feedback that we're looking for – the more detailed feedback.
People's time is limited, I don't want to waste their time by sending them on a sub-par activity. So now if we're having problems with a service provider, we go to them and say, “we've got negative feedback. If it continues, then we'll find a better service provider.” It's all it's all about enhancing the guest experience.
I think you've always got to be professional and show that you care and that you are listening, because most of the time, a negative review actually helps you grow your business, and can help you to do a U-turn.
When we first started, I justhated the idea of a guest review at all. When your first review comes in, you're so scared it's going to be a one and your entire investment is doomed because there's your opening – a one out of five on Tripadvisor and it's game over.
But in fact, we definitely learn so much from the people that do complain. So they're they're really not the enemy. They're just the ones who actually help keep you on your toes, stop you falling into complacency.
I think it's frustrating in our industry, in Pamara's particular situation, because the review isn't just about our lodge. It's about the the other service providers that we work with, because that's the nature of it. We sell rooms, but we also build itineraries. And so when your overall score gets marked down by some third party, it can be frustrating, but it's so necessary for us to listen to it.
We decided in the very beginning that we would do a profit share scheme with our staff. So basically, if our business does well, then they will do well the next month on their payday. So they know that customer service is important because the better the customer service is, the better the reviews are that come in, the more the business grows, the more bookings we have and the more money they get at the end of the day. So we do get guests commenting on our incredible staff often. And I think it has to do with a nice work environment, but also they've got a horse in the race for the success of the business. If it does well, so do they.
GuestRevu has helped us so much over the past two years as we see our small business growing – the reviews from guests are like gold, and most of our bookings have been made because of the positive reviews left by guests.