In today’s hospitality landscape, data-driven decision making is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. From customer feedback to financial performance, venues are rightly scrutinising every element of their operation to enhance the overall member and guest experience. Yet one vital voice often goes unheard. That of the staff.
Whilst it is positive and encouraging to see many venues making great strides in collecting feedback from members and regular guests, it is rather surprising to see how few venues regularly seek feedback from their teams – those that are on the front line, day in and day out, looking after your guests. This begs an important question. If your staff are the heartbeat of the customer experience, could we gain more by listening to their feedback, ideas and thoughts?
The state of play
Research by Gallup and other workforce engagement organisations consistently shows that staff engagement is a critical driver of customer satisfaction, productivity, and profitability. However, adoption of staff surveys in hospitality remains patchy at best.
According to a recent CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) survey:
- Only 44% of UK organisations conduct regular employee engagement surveys.
- In the hospitality sector, this number drops to approximately 30%, with smaller independent venues far less likely to gather structured feedback from staff.
In golf and leisure venues, where seasonal staff, part-time roles, and departmental silos are common, the numbers are fundamentally lower. Yet these are precisely the environments where communication and employee insight can be most valuable and have the most positive impact.
Why staff feedback matters more than ever
At 59club, we know that service excellence doesn’t happen by chance. It’s built through consistency, clarity (in terms of process and an overall end goal), and culture. Staff surveys help create the foundations for all three.
Here’s why it matters:
- Staff can make or break an experience – Whether it’s the welcome at reception, the speed of service in the clubhouse, or the condition of the golf course, your people deliver the experience your guests will remember – hopefully for the right reasons. If they are disengaged or dissatisfied, your guests will feel it too.
- Feedback identifies blind spots: Staff are your eyes and ears. More often than not, if engaged, they can help to identify issues and concerns, long before managers are even aware. A survey can highlight areas of concern, from training gaps to internal communication breakdowns. Aspects that might otherwise go unnoticed until it’s too late.
- Staff want to feel heard: Engaged employees are 87% less likely to leave their role (Gallup). Simply asking for input builds trust, loyalty, and improves morale and motivation, especially if action is taken on the feedback provided.
- It’s a cost-effective retention tool: Recruiting and training new staff is far more expensive than retaining good people. Surveys help leaders understand the motivations, frustrations, and ambitions of their team, making it easier to foster a positive working environment.
The cost of not listening
Venues that neglect staff feedback risk more than just unhappy employees. The potential consequences include:
- Higher turnover and the associated recruitment costs.
- Lower service standards, as disengaged teams struggle to deliver consistent experiences.
- Damaged reputation, especially in a digital age where staff can (and do) review their workplaces on social media and other platforms.
- Stagnant internal culture, where innovation, development and improvement are stifled due to lack of open dialogue.
Closing the feedback loop: Staff are customers too
It’s encouraging to see more golf and hospitality venues turning to member and guest surveys to improve service quality and overall satisfaction. At 59club, we support this shift wholeheartedly. Despite this however, this shift highlights an important imbalance — one that needs to be addressed if venues truly want to create sustainable, service-led teams and cultures.
Put simply: If we’re asking our guests for feedback on their experience, why aren’t we doing the same with the people delivering it?
Regular, structured staff surveys are not just a tick box, HR exercise — they are a business-critical tool. By listening to the people who represent your brand day in and day out, you not only empower your team but also gain actionable insight to enhance the overall customer journey. A win, win situation.
Let’s elevate the staff experience — because great service starts behind the scenes