The Pilot Study

A pilot study took place in Cornwall during 2006. We undertook no marketing for the pilot and approached each business on an individual basis. The whole operation was low key - our aim was to satisfy ourselves that our concept had "legs", to iron out any teething problems and get the product right before coming to the market.

A mix of B&B and Self Catering businesses participated in the pilot. The guest response rate ranged from 61% to 92% against the number of questionnaires distributed by the owners.

Whilst too early to measure improvements for the coming season, each of the businesses has had useful information that they could act upon straight away. The following are testimonials from some of the pilot participants.

Testimonials

"I've been doing this for a long time now and this service has brought me right up to date with what customers expect today. The personal feedback session was really valuable"
Angela Strout, Bradridge Farm B&B

"I already have an award winning business yet I was surprised at how much vital information Qualmark revealed about my customers’ real thoughts about my business."
Tim Reed, Tredethick cottages

Need for Qualmark

There is currently no quality assessment within the tourism industry that captures what the visitor thinks.

Qualmark, from the outset, has been designed to be complementary to the Visit Britain grading scheme. It has been described in the press as the 'missing link' and a 'new revolutionary grading scheme' because ,  for the first time, a customer satisfaction endorsement can sit alongside the grading and this combination effect will be a more powerful motivator for attracting new customers.

A gap in the market

Qualmark has identified the gap in the market and this new customer satisfaction service will address many of these issues. At the end of the season each participating business will be provided with a comprehensive report. This will be discussed confidentially at a personal meeting with an experienced adviser.

The Qualmark customer satisfaction score

At the end of 2007 season we will explain and discuss the results with all participants personally and will convert the data into an overall customer satisfaction score. It is up to each business to decide whether or not to disclose this score or publish the results on their website.

Businesses who are awarded a 'Qualmark'  may wish to publish this alongside their current grading as this award will act as a powerful motivator for new customers as they will be receiving a clear endorsement from previous customers about the quality of their stay and overall experience.

The development of Qualmark has been endorsed and is supported by Malcolm Bell of South West Tourism. Keen interest in Qualmark has already been shown by Visit Britain and the South West Regional Development Agency.