Text B Basic PR Tools. Word-of-mouth

There is no substitute for the most powerful marketing tool, word-of-mouth. Word-of -mouth is any unofficial form of communication your agency can use to get the message out about your services. If you get people talking about your park and recreation agency, you have successful word-of-mouth public relations. It is free and it is effective. You can promote word-of-mouth by encouraging your visitors and others in the community to share their experiences with your agency.

Generally, people tell around five other people about their experiences. People most often hear about places and experiences from their friends, co-workers, and relatives. Because they share similar interests and value these opinions, they are considered credible. These people have no association with the agency; therefore they are considered an unbiased source of information.

How to generate word-of-mouth dialogue:

• Keep track of customer activity. Find out how many people view the organization’s website each month. Conduct surveys on how they found out about the organization’s programmes and facilities. Offer discounts as a reward for those who reveal their source of recommendation.

• Encourage group membership options; have a ‘tell-a-friend’ discount.

• Identify customers that sent letters of praise and acknowledge them for taking the time to say thanks. Invite them back for more involvement. Ask to use their comments and their names for an upcoming flyer or brochure endorsing your project or program.

• Host special events to stimulate customers’ interests further. Continue to inform those customers of services through e-mail, newsletters.

• Deal with customer complaints in a quiet and efficient manner. Addressing a complaint can turn that person into a supporter who will tell others. Not addressing it means not only the risk of losing that customer but others they may communicate with in the future. If complaints are encouraged, the organization has the chance to remedy legitimate complaints and win back a customer who may then make positive reports to others, enhancing good will. Research has found that even if the complaint is not fully settled to the consumer’s satisfaction, they are still more likely to come back than if a complaint is not made, or recognized.

• Train staff to record satisfied or dissatisfied customers/incidents and track the information on a daily log or diary. Have customers record their experiences. For example, in the backcountry huts in the New Zealand National parkland, visitors are encouraged to write down notes and jot lists of needed improvements.

• Create positive first and last impressions. What is the first thing and the last thing visitors see?

• Make the visitors’ experience memorable. Give them something to talk to their friends about; e.g. souvenirs, fireworks, courteous staff, photo opportunities, etc.