Measure What Matters: Elevate Your Service Strategy
May 30, 2025
If you’ve been in the hospitality or tourism industry long enough, you know loyalty can’t be faked. It’s not something you can force with points, prizes or a flashy app.
Real loyalty shows up quietly – in a guest who brings a friend, in the regular who notices when a new team member is learning, or in the feedback card that says, “You always make me feel welcome.”
And yet, we often miss the opportunity to measure those moments.
We track the obvious things like spend, bookings and complaints. But what about the signals that actually tell us whether trust is growing or fading?
Here are four areas I often recommend Clubs pay attention to:
1. Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Yes, the classic “Would you recommend us?” still has value, especially when it’s followed up with curiosity, not just calculation. It’s not just about the score. It’s about why someone gives it.
2. Complaints-to-Compliments Ratio
I’ve always said compliments are data. Not just the big ones, but the quiet “thank you’s” that tell you your team got it right. If they’re outnumbering complaints, you’re building something real.
3. Staff Retention Impact
Loyal guests make shifts easier. They create familiarity, rapport, even joy – and that flows straight into how your team feels about coming to work. If your staff stay longer where loyal guests return? That’s not coincidence. That’s culture.
4. Mystery Shopping Insights
This one always reveals gold. It’s not just about scoring or catching people out, it’s about spotting the tone, the language, the little habits that either reinforce or erode the guest experience. Highlighting potential inefficiencies and shining a light on those aspects that your team are already doing well. It helps close the gap between what we think is happening, and what’s actually happening.
The point is that loyalty is emotional. It’s shaped by connection, trust, and presence. And it deserves to be measured with just as much intention as revenue or rostering.
So here’s the question I leave you with: Are you measuring what matters – or just what’s easy to track?
