A recent guest experience survey conducted by the parent company of Winnipeg’s Thermea spa has been retracted following backlash over what a customer deemed as “highly inappropriate” questions. Amelia LaTouche, a patron of Thermea, expressed her concerns to CBC News about the survey, noting that the questions were unsuitable for a spa-related feedback form.
LaTouche, who visited Thermea in late December, received an email from “Groupe Nordik – CROP,” the sender identified as the parent company and a third-party research firm, respectively. The email contained a link to the survey aimed at gathering feedback to enhance the spa’s services.
However, the survey veered into controversial territory with questions like “Society would be better off with more government involvement” and “Overall, there is too much immigration. It threatens the purity of the country.” LaTouche found the language and tone of the questions disrespectful and concerning, especially terms like “purity” and “man’s destiny” instead of gender-neutral alternatives.
Moreover, the survey lacked options to skip questions or opt-out of answering, raising further issues for a business that prides itself on diversity and employs individuals from varied backgrounds. LaTouche criticized the survey as potentially perpetuating racist sentiments and shaping negative perceptions about immigration, especially given the current political climate.
In response to LaTouche’s feedback, Groupe Nordik issued an apology, acknowledging that the questions did not align with their values. The company admitted to an oversight in reviewing the survey content and promptly halted the survey distribution. Alexandre Boileau, Groupe Nordik’s senior marketing director, emphasized their commitment to creating a respectful and inclusive environment for guests and outlined enhanced measures for future surveys to prevent similar incidents.
Despite the apology, LaTouche expressed a desire to further discuss the matter with Thermea representatives. She highlighted past criticisms of CROP for similar survey practices and questioned the utility of posing such contentious questions in a customer feedback context. LaTouche emphasized the importance of companies avoiding the promotion of harmful opinions through their surveys.
The incident has sparked conversations about the responsibility of businesses in shaping public discourse and the need for greater sensitivity in gathering customer feedback.