Prevention Increases Planner Satisfaction

The ability of an upscale or luxury hotel to prevent problems from occurring during an event is the most direct way to increase meeting planner satisfaction and loyalty, according to a new J.D. Power and Associates survey of more than 1,400 professional corporate and independent meeting planners.

The 59-question study highlighted key drivers of satisfaction and loyalty in all stages of the planning process, from the sales process through the pre-event, event and post-event stages. Based on scientific statistical analysis of the responses to the survey, the firm determined that a hotel's performance during an event is disproportionally linked to planner satisfaction.

Event performance comprises 41 percent of the factors that lead to satisfaction, followed by pre- and post-event performance, each with 21 percent, and sales, which accounts for 17 percent.

"Consistency across all four leads to overall satisfaction," said Linda Hirneise, partner and executive director of the J.D. Power and Associates hotel practice.

Some of the main factors that drive planner satisfaction during the event include the professionalism of the hotel staff, ability of the hotel to quickly communicate changes and availability of the convention services manager.

"At this level, problem prevention is more important than problem resolution," Hirneise said. "Of those hotels where there was a problem, even if there was an effective resolution, the hotels were never able to recover the levels of satisfaction.

"There is a myth in some parts of the hotel industry that resolving a problem can result in a more satisfied customer than would have been the case had no problem occurred at all," J.D. Power's Hirneise continued. "That is very rarely the case. While meeting planners appreciate quick problem resolution, they are significantly more satisfied when their event goes off without a hitch."

Key drivers of satisfaction in the sales stage of meeting planning include conflict resolution, while satisfaction in the pre-event phase is marked by flexibility of contract negotiations. Post-event satisfaction is driven by the accuracy of hotel charges.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Renaissance Hotels both led their respective segments in planners' satisfaction, Hirneise said, noting that each chain showed strong performance across all segments of meetings.