What are the best ways to evaluate vendor feedback for event planning in a remote environment?

1 Choose the right feedback tools

When evaluating vendor feedback, the first step is to select the appropriate tools and methods for collecting it. Depending on your requirements and preferences, you could use online surveys, phone calls, video chats, email, or social media. When deciding on the feedback tools, consider factors such as the type and quantity of information you want to obtain, the ease of use for both you and your vendors, the cost and accessibility of the tools, and the level of security and privacy of the data. Additionally, it may be beneficial to utilize a combination of different tools to get a comprehensive and balanced view of your vendors' performance.

2 Ask the right feedback questions

The next step to evaluate vendor feedback is to ask the right questions that will help you measure your vendors' quality, reliability, professionalism, and satisfaction. Questions such as how communication and collaboration was with the event planner, how well they understood the event goals and expectations, how satisfied they were with the terms and conditions of the contract, how timely and accurate their deliveries and invoices were, how issues or challenges that arose during the event planning process were handled, and how likely they are to work with the event planner again or recommend them to others can be asked. Additionally, you may want to ask for specific feedback on aspects of your vendors' services or products that are most relevant and important for your event, such as quality, variety, presentation, taste, functionality, design, etc.

3 Analyze the feedback data

The third step to evaluate vendor feedback is to analyze the data you collected and look for patterns, trends, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Various techniques and tools can be used to analyze the feedback data, such as quantitative analysis which involves using numerical data to measure and compare performance. Spreadsheets, charts, graphs, or dashboards can be used to visualize the quantitative data. Qualitative analysis involves using textual or verbal data to understand opinions, feelings, experiences, or needs; coding, categorizing, or thematic analysis can be used to identify and group the qualitative data. Lastly, benchmarking can be used to compare performance with standards, goals, expectations or other vendors in the market; this can help identify gaps and best practices for improvement.