Canal & River Trust surveys boaters' views

[Ray T]

PRESS RELEASE

 

9 March 2020  

 

CANAL & RIVER TRUST SURVEYS BOATERS’ VIEWS

 

Canal & River Trust has invited a third of boat licence holders to complete a short survey asking for views on the Trust and the upkeep of its waterways.

 

The Annual Perceptions Survey is issued to licence holders by email, text, or post where an email address for a boater is unavailable.  The survey is available for completion until 5 April, with the results published in early summer.

 

The survey of randomly selected boaters is an annual snapshot of support for the Trust and how it is managing the waterways. It asks boaters how well they think the waterways are being maintained, whether they would recommend the waterways, and their overall satisfaction with the Trust’s waterways.

 

Once again in 2020, the Annual Perceptions Survey will be complemented by a monthly Waterway Experience Survey that gets underway in April and will run through to September.  This second survey is sent to a sample of boaters who are sighted out on the waterways each month. Volunteer lock keepers will distribute postcards to hire boaters with details of how they can complete the survey.

 

Matthew Symonds, national boating manager at Canal & River Trust, said: “Thank you to all the boaters who will be giving us feedback over the next few weeks and then as we progress throughout the summer.

 

“The Annual Perceptions Survey is a great opportunity for boaters to share their thoughts and feelings, so we can get a good sense of how we are doing as a charity, and where we can improve. The Monthly Experience Survey is more immediate and completed by those out cruising the waterways at that time.  That means that we gain a much clearer picture of the issues affecting boaters as they happen. This enables us to be more responsive, and to target our maintenance and repair work on the highest priority areas throughout the year.

 

“We want to make your experience on the water a relaxing and enjoyable one, and your feedback is invaluable. Please make your voice heard if you are invited to take part.”

 

-ends-

 

For further media requests please contact:

Jonathan Ludford, Canal & River Trust

m 07747 897783 e jonathan.ludford@canalrivertrust.org.uk

 

[ditchcrawler]

Had mine last week. The only place to write what you think is on page one, there is nowhere at the end for your comments, so get them in early

[pearley]

I answered mine last week but broke my own rules which is never to respond to surveys as no one takes any notice.

 

Everytime I've stayed at Premier Inn (Southampton, West Quay)in recent times I've filled in the survey to the effect of how poor the stay was but never had a response

[TheBiscuits]

8 hours ago, pearley said:

Everytime I've stayed at Premier Inn (Southampton, West Quay)in recent times I've filled in the survey to the effect of how poor the stay was but never had a response

Genuine question:

 

If it's repeatedly that bad, why do you keep going back there?

[alan_fincher]

8 hours ago, pearley said:

Everytime I've stayed at Premier Inn (Southampton, West Quay)in recent times I've filled in the survey to the effect of how poor the stay was but never had a response

 

In defence of Premier Inns, my wife stayed in one last year, (Oswestry, possibly?) where the heating /cooling was so noisy it made a continuous din all night, and she got little sleep.
 

Not expecting much, she registered a complaint, and the full cost of the stay was promptly refunded.

So sometimes complaining works.

[pearley]

10 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

Genuine question:

 

If it's repeatedly that bad, why do you keep going back there?

Because it is the most convenient, and we keep expecting the building work in their carpark to finish.

 

9 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

 

In defence of Premier Inns, my wife stayed in one last year, (Oswestry, possibly?) where the heating /cooling was so noisy it made a continuous din all night, and she got little sleep.
 

Not expecting much, she registered a complaint, and the full cost of the stay was promptly refunded.

So sometimes complaining works.

Their heating/cooling system is a most peculiar thing and we now take our own fan heater when we go to any Premier Inn.

Did get our money back at Brampton Hut Premier Inn once where window catch was broken and lorry outside was running his fridge unit.

[MtB]

On 09/03/2020 at 22:34, alan_fincher said:

Not expecting much, she registered a complaint, and the full cost of the stay was promptly refunded.

So sometimes complaining works.

 

Not sure I'd count that as a complaint 'working' myself! More a case of partial and inadequate compensation for a lost night's sleep.

 

Real concern expressed, and a convincing and credible commitment to fix the noisy heating would have seemed a better response from Premier, to me, had I been the victim..

 

Would you or she book the same room again, confident of a good sleep?  Or have the lost a potential customer next time around?

 

 

[alan_fincher]

2 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Not sure I'd count that as a complaint 'working' myself! More a case of partial and inadequate compensation for a lost night's sleep.

 

Real concern expressed, and a convincing and credible commitment to fix the noisy heating would have seemed a better response from Premier, to me, had I been the victim..

 

Would you or she book the same room again, confident of a good sleep?  Or have the lost a potential customer next time around?

 

At least she didn't go to her vehicle in the middle of the night to fetch tools to try and fix the hotel's plumbing! ?

[mrsmelly]

On 09/03/2020 at 13:44, pearley said:

I answered mine last week but broke my own rules which is never to respond to surveys as no one takes any notice.

 

Everytime I've stayed at Premier Inn (Southampton, West Quay)in recent times I've filled in the survey to the effect of how poor the stay was but never had a response

I didn't bother with mine. Cart are doing a good job so far anyway. 

[MtB]

10 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

At least she didn't go to her vehicle in the middle of the night to fetch tools to try and fix the hotel's plumbing! ?

 

Yes I was thinking of that too. A night in a hotel with temperature hovering around zero was quite a shock!

 

I'd have complained, but there was NO staff to be found anywhere in the morning... But then I thought to myself, what did I expect when the room cost was only £28...?  The episode learned me never to book a hotel costing less than £60 a night.... 

[alan_fincher]

20 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

I'd have complained, but there was NO staff to be found anywhere in the morning... But then I thought to myself, what did I expect when the room cost was only £28...?  The episode learned me never to book a hotel costing less than £60 a night.... 

 

To be fair we make fairly regular use of Travelodge or Premier Inn hotels, and quite often pay less than £60 a night, particularly if booking ahead with a "Saver" (non cancellable) rate.

Premier Inn is usually a bit upmarket of Travelodge, but also usually the more expensive - but not always - I'm easily swayed by a posh purple "sash" across the foot of my bed, though!

Sometimes the experience is "average", rather than "top notch", but in either it is seldom "poor".

Cath's experience in a Premier Inn last year was highly unusual, and they admitted they knew they had a problem with old equipment, and apologised and refunded without quibble, but I agree they probably do that when demanded rather than closing one of their less good hotels for weeks for a complete heating replacement.  She is away right now on a similar trip to North Wales, and you are of course correct - she has booked a different hotel for her return trip!

It was a good strategy that that cheap hotel in Loughborough used - if you hide all the staff, nobody can complain, (the Boris in a fridge, approach).

Edited March 12, 2020 by alan_fincher

[markeymark]

On 09/03/2020 at 13:44, pearley said:

I answered mine last week but broke my own rules which is never to respond to surveys as no one takes any notice.

 

Everytime I've stayed at Premier Inn (Southampton, West Quay)in recent times I've filled in the survey to the effect of how poor the stay was but never had a response

You are right. It seems that customer service is not taken very seriously nowadays. I wrote to Clinton Cards to ask why they still sell single use helium balloons that end up in waterways, fields and the sea and kill wildlife but they havent bothered to reply. So, they go on my 'boycott for life' list as do Best (sic) Western Hotels who did not reply to a complaint.  One would have thought that every customer was important but I must be naive with the attitude so many businesses take. I shall laugh when they go bust even though I feel sorry for those at the bottom who lose their jobs because of incompetent management at the top.