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The brief for the research activity includes suggestions for the range of
information students need to find out, and this approach should make it possible
for students to pool their findings in the classroom, analyse the data, and obtain
some useful results. The questions suggested in the activity draw on some of the
quality criteria from the Customer Service Units of the VCE in Travel and Tourism
and the VCE in Leisure and Recreation. Many students find it difficult to relate the
theory of quality criteria to organisations, and this practical activity may help to
overcome this. More able students are likely to think of a range of additional
questions to ask visitors. If there is time before the research activity, it would be
helpful for students to design their own questionnaires.
It is important that students do not spoil the visits of other customers, however
there should be plenty of opportunities to chat with other visitors. The findings of
students can be pooled on return from the visit and analysed, then discussed.
Students should be encouraged to make a note of whether the people they talked
to were young, old, male, female etc. as this will give an indication of whether
there is a representative sample. Results will depend on the nature and extent of
questions, but should provide some useful insights from primary research.
Students should be asked to read through the activity brief so that they have a
chance to prepare their questions before carrying out the interviews.
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If it has not been possible to talk to other visitors during their visit, then students
can devise questionnaires in class on their return, and then interview other
students who went on the visit, plus the teachers who accompanied the group –
all of whom were customers of the NRM. If travelling by coach it would also be
worthwhile asking the coach driver for his/her impressions of this attraction and
how it compares with others.
Students will be interested to learn that the NRM belongs to the Association of
Leading Visitor Attractions (AVLA). This is an association for visitor attractions
that have over half a million visitors per year. Members pay a fee and one of the
key benefits is access to qualitative results produced by AVLA based on Quality
Benchmarking Surveys carried out with members three times a year. In 1997
ALVA commissioned research to develop a standardised survey in order to
measure and track perceptions of the visitor experience at participating members’
sites. Visitors sampled are asked questions about all aspects of their visit
including value for money, enjoyment of the experience, quality of catering,
cleanliness, retail outlets, range of merchandise, ease of finding information/staff
to help, likelihood of recommendation, familiarity with websites, transport used,
number in party, ethnic group etc. The survey results allow the NRM to compare
performance with the general performance of other attractions.
7a. Value for money ................... ................ .............. ............. ............. ....
7b. Your enjoyment overall ........ ................ .............. ............. ............. ....
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The ALVA survey results are generally very favourable for the NRM. Some
findings are given in the Teachers’ Guide to the student trail activity (b).
Another example of results from the Spring 2004 survey is that 47 % of visitors to
the NRM rated the ‘Friendliness and Welcome from Staff’ as ‘Excellent’, and 53%
rated it as ‘Good’. This compares with the base figures (average of all attractions
surveyed) of 41% and 51% respectively, plus 7% rating ‘Just OK’ and 1% ‘Poor’.
Similarly, of those sampled at the NRM 91% would ‘Definitely’ recommend the
NRM to Friends or Family’, and 9% would ‘Probably recommend’, against base
figures for all attractions of 74% and 21% respectively, plus 4% of ‘Possibly’
ratings and 1% of ‘Probably not’. If students have used similar questions in their
surveys their findings can be compared with the ALVA results.
The NRM also benefits from AVLA membership through participation in meetings
at which members share best practice, access to detailed statistics, financial
benchmarking, and Mystery Shopper visits. NRM staff members carry out 6
Mystery Shopper visits each year at other attractions, in return for which the NRM
receives detailed feedback from 6 Mystery Shopper visits carried out by other
members.
The NRM also carries out its own exit surveys in August each year. These
provide quantitative data.