Post COVID feedback buoys YMCA South Australia

Customer feedback scores since the reopening of YMCA South Australia (the Y) managed leisure centres after the COVID-19 lockdown has exceeded that of pre the restrictions and placed the leading not-for-profit in a great position for success in 2021.

The feedback was gained via Net Promoter Score, widely accepted as the best-practice approach to gauging customer satisfaction and loyalty. Customers answer the question of ‘How likely they are to recommend the Centre to a friend or colleague?’, with respondents providing a rating between 0 (not at all likely) to 10 (extremely likely). The percentage of detractors is subtracted from the percentage of promoters to obtain a Net Promoter score (NPS).

Over the last 12 months across all YMCA South Australia sites, NPS results from several thousand customers found 74 per cent provided a rating of 9 or 10, being extremely likely to recommend the Centre to others.

Looking at results post the COVID-19 closure (mid June – mid Oct), overall the Y received an impressive NPS score of 67, with Port Lincoln Leisure Centre and the Fleurieu Aquatic Centre achieving outstanding scores of 76 and 75 respectfully.

The results exceed the Y’s NPS score of 65 over the 12 months prior to COVID-19, proving that despite the increased measures and restrictions, the organisation continues to lead the industry in customer satisfaction, with its NPS scores ranking among world leaders like Amazon (69) and Apple (65).

The Y’s Head of Marketing and Technology, Devan Seamans, said the strategies to re-engage with the community and the dedication of staff and management to ensuring ease of access to programs and services were keys to the positive feedback.

“I think it highlights the effort the organisation has put in to the customer experience considering the implications of COVID-19,” he said.

“We are thrilled with our NPS scores and I think they demonstrate how our local staff teams have responded to the COVID-19 challenges over the last six months. Our loyal customers continue to respect and observe our clear guidelines, which allows us to keep our venues COVID safe.”

“We continue to strive to improve and provide safe places for the community to come together and interact for the benefit of their physical and mental health.”