Did a Hotel's Request for Survey Responses Cross a Line?

"Have we, as a society, reached peak customer satisfaction survey? It's not unexpected to be asked to submit feedback, either on an internal system or on a public-facing website like Tripadvisor, for everything from a hotel stay to a technology helpline. It isn't hard to understand why companies ask for this, or even why they would incentivize filling them out. But there's also a big question: at what point do efforts to get feedback go too far?"

"What's unique about this request is the incentive the hotel dangles: 3,000 reward points. Guests will receive that if they fill out the survey - but only if they give the hotel the highest possible ratings. "[W]e will be happy to award you with 3,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for completing the survey with a top score," the hotel stated in an email to guests. (In this case, a "top score" presumably means rating the hotel 9 or 10 in each category given.)"

Companies routinely ask guests to submit feedback after stays and sometimes incentivize responses. Aloft Miami Brickell offered 3,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to guests who completed a survey with a top score, meaning the highest possible ratings in each category. An internal Marriott policy prohibits tying rewards to specific survey responses. The hotel's email appeared to promise points only for top scores, creating ethical concerns about manipulating ratings. The incentive may have boosted the hotel's recent reviews, which have become overwhelmingly positive, though improved service could also explain higher scores.

Read at InsideHook