It can be very challenging getting feedback from parents. You want to know what they thought of your program or event. Where can you improve? What did they like or dislike about it? Is there any reason they wouldn’t return? Was there a highlight of the event for them?
Here are 4 ways to get the feedback you need:
Call The Parents
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! I am not a telemarketer. Besides, I don’t want to bother people at home.” I hear what you’re saying but in this world of technology we have lost a lot of the personal touch that used to be so important in business. Gather 20-30 phone numbers and write yourself out a script as a guideline. Remember, you’re not selling anything, you just want to find out if they like your program and if there is anything you can do to make it better for them. Make sure you don’t call around dinner time and I’ll bet most, if not all, of the parents you call will appreciate you taking an interest in their opinions, so much so that you actually call them personally.
Ring…Ring…Ring
“Hello?”
“Hi, is Jennifer Olson there?”
“UM, who’s this?”
“This is Curt from the recreation department. Is this Jennifer?”
“Yes”
“Hi Jennifer, I just wanted to call and see if Jack enjoyed the Space is the Place after-school program he attended.”
“Oh, he loved it. He couldn’t stop talking about the rocket ship they built.”
“Yeah, I saw a picture of that. Jaime, the instructor, said that was one of the favorite activities.”
“Oh, Jamie has been great.”
“That’s great to hear. Thank you for telling me that. It sounds like Jack really liked the class and you were pleased with our staff. Is there anything you think we could improve on?”
“Well, there seems to be a lot of sugar in the snacks you provide. I would like to see healthier snacks.”
“That’s a great idea. Thank you. Is there anything you would like to see us offer.”
“You mean as a program?”
“As a program or special event or project…anything.”
“I think it would be great if the recreation department offered a drawing class. Jack loves to draw.”
“Excellent, I’ll definately look into that, see if we can find a good instructor for a drawing program. Well, Jennifer, I really appreciate you speaking with me and I’m glad Jack had a good time. I hope you’ll continue to participate in our programs.”
Not all calls may go so smoothly, but it’s a great personal touch that surveys just don’t offer. However, if you really like surveys may I suggest you offer your customers an online survey. I have seen much better results with online surveys than with paper surveys that parents have to return.
E-Mail Surveys
Surveys are not only a great tool for feedback to improve your programs, they can also be wonderful marketing tools. When I send out a survey I mention upcoming programs as well. Here is a sample survey that I would email to parents of campers right after the week has ended:
- Did your child enjoy their week of camp? If not, why?
- Did the camp meet your expectations as a parent? If not, why?
- Have any of your children attended camp with us before?
- On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best) how was the registration process?
- What suggestions would you make to improve our programs?
- Next week is Hollywood week and we will be introducing a new activity: movie making. Is this an activity that your child would be interested in for future camp sessions?
- The third, fourth and fifth weeks of camp still have spots available. Is your child planning to attend one of those weeks?
- What family events are you planning to attend this fall? Please check all that apply.
Halloween Event
Thanksgiving Fun Run
Breakfast with Santa
You get the idea. As you can see not only will you get important feedback, but it also gives you a chance to tell parents that there is still room in your camps and that you have a new activity that their child may be interested in.
If you would like to keep the marketing out of the survey let them know about your new programs via the email you send out asking the parents to take the survey. Here is an example:
Dear Parents,
We had a great time at camp last week. If you would be kind enough to take a short 10 question survey we should really appreciate it. It should only take you a few minutes to complete. Please go to
to complete the short survey.
We would also like you to know that we still have a few spots available for our third, fourth and fifth weeks of camp. We are also introducing a new activity: movie making. We are really excited about that.
Thank you for your time.
So how do you put together a survey? Go to Surveymonkey.com to get started. The free account allows you to create surveys with up to 10 questions. I have been using them for a couple of years and am very happy with what they offer. I have never tried their paid services, but the free account is great.
Hold a “Lunch with the Director”
Send out invitations to the parents that you would like to see attend. Pick up food from a local restaurant. You could tell them that you will pass out their menus and info if they give you a discount.
During the luncheon the director will inform the parents of upcoming programs and lead them all into a discussion of what the parents would like to see from the recreation department.
Parents Night Out
Bribe parents to attend a one hour feedback session with the director or youth supervisor. If the parents stay for the complete hour, the recreation staff will watch their children for an additional 2-3 hours while the parents go out for the evening – at no cost. During that time you can do crafts, play games, etc. This is a great way to get parents to come to a “focus group”.
