Boat Owners’ Views 2019: Reputation survey July 2019 Contents 1. Summary 2. Approach 3. Sample characteristics 4. KPIs 5. Overall upkeep 6. Customer service 7. Perceptions of the Trust Summary Summary The findings show a decline in boater satisfaction, perception of overall upkeep of the waterways and boaters likely to advocate for the Trust. The KPI of overall satisfaction has dropped to 61% (from 70% in 2018). Analysis of the free text comments suggests these issues which may explain the drop in boater satisfaction; • Implementation of the boat licence review findings, including reduction of the prompt payment discount (from 10% to 5% from April 19) and introduction of the wide beam surcharge (satisfaction amongst wide beam boaters is well below other boater groups). • The perception that the Trust is moving away from boating towards wellbeing. Frequent comments refer to the repositioning of the Trust and indicate that many boaters don’t understand the reason why the Trust has repositioned it’s focus. • Concern that the Trust is not investing in planned maintenance Unplanned stoppages and failed assets are referenced by many as an indication that the Trust is not carrying out day to day and pro-active maintenance. Many people also point to the cost of re-branding in 2018 and comment that they feel the money involved would have been better spent on maintaining the network. The overall sample size and response group is broadly similar to last year so we do not believe that the drop in satisfaction is related to this. Approach 1. Method: An online survey, based on the reputational aspects of the previous BOV survey was the primary method of data collection. The survey was distributed to random sample of approximately a third of all licence holders. Those for who the Trust her held an email address were sent a link to the online survey through a personal email. The emails included a unique URL for each respondents Boaters for whom the Trusts doesn’t hold an email address were sent a link to the survey either through a: • Text message including link to online survey, if the Trust held a mobile number • Letter including link to online survey but with paper version of the survey 2. Dates: Online survey ran from 10th April to 1st May, 2019 3. SampleChannel size and response rate: Sample size Response Response rate Core online survey sent by email 8,872 1,163 13% Text message MS to add 8 Letter – online version MS to add 2 Letter – paper version MS to add 20 Total 1193 Sample characteristics Region • Respondents were asked where they had done most of the boating in Q15 Please enter the region in which you did most of the past year. The regional spread is shown in the chart. Due to your boating in the past 12 months boundary changes there is no easy comparison to previous years. North Wales 2% London & South East 19% West Midlands 24% Wales & South West 8% East Midlands 21% North East & Yorkshire 9% North West 18% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% % of respondents Base: All respondents (2019 = 1,193) Type of boat • The overwhelming proportion of respondents owned a narrowboat. The Q16 Is your main boat a… split is similar to 2018 when 79% owned a narrowboat and 6% a widebeam. Other 2% Motor-cruiser 10% Widebeam 8% Narrowboat 80% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% % of respondents Base: All respondents (2019 = 1,193) Type of boater • Although structured in a slightly different way to previous years in Q18 Please select (from the list below) the one which order to provide greater clarity similar results were attained when best describes you asking about type of boater. • 28% of the sample said they lived on their boat, either on a mooring or Other 3% as a continuous cruiser. This is fairly similar to 2018 when 23% said they lived on the boat permanently and a further 12% said they did so temporarily. A trade boater • Note – Business Boats are not included in this survey, so boaters that self-identify as trade boaters are not formally registered as business A liveaboard boater who has a home 15% boats. mooring A liveaboard boater who continuously 13% cruises A leisure boater who has a home mooring 65% A leisure boater who contunuously cruises 5% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% % of respondents Base: All respondents (2019 = 1,193) Nights spent on the boat • There is little change on 2018 when respondents were asked about Q17 How many nights a year do you usually spend on the number of nights spent on the boat. Whilst 37% spent more your boat? than half the year on their boat 45% spent only a couple of months or less on their boat. 4% I'd prefer not to say 5% 19% All year (365 nights) 20% Approximately three quarters of the year 9% (275 nights) 8% 7% Approximately half the year (182 nights) 2018 9% 2019 Approximately a quarter of the year (93 13% nights) 13% Approximatley a couple of months a year 18% (62 nights) 16% Approximatley less than a couple of months 26% a year (less than 62 nights) 29% I never spend the night on my boat (0 3% nights) 2% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% % of respondents Base: All respondents (2019 = 1,193) KPIs Overall satisfaction • Overall satisfaction has drop from a high point in 2017. In 2019, only Q13 Thinking about your boating on the Canal & River 61% of respondents agreed they were satisfied with their experience Trust’s canals and rivers over the past year, overall, how compared to 76% in 2017. satisfied were you with your experience? • Satisfaction appears to be greatest in the West Midlands and East Very dissatisfied 7% Midlands, and perhaps notable amongst continuous cruisers too. • Those with a narrowboat are much satisfied than either those with Slightly dissatisfied 15% widebeams or motor cruisers. Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 17% Slightly satisfied 32% Very satisfied 29% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% % of respondents Base: All respondents (2019 = 1,193) Overall satisfaction Q13 Thinking about your boating on the Canal & River Q13 Thinking about your boating on the Canal & River Trust’s canals and rivers over the past year, overall, how Trust’s canals and rivers over the past year, overall, how satisfied were you with your experience? satisfied were you with your experience? Very satisfied Slightly satisfied Very satisfied Slightly satisfied Neither satisfied, nor dissatisfied Slightly dissatisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Slightly dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Other 2014 32% 32% 16% 11% 10% 6% 24% 35% 12% 24% 2016 37% 31% 13% 13% 6% A motor cruiser 20% 29% 16% 26% 10% 2017 42% 34% 11% 9% 4% A widebeam 16% 34% 19% 20% 10% 2018 40% 30% 11% 13% 5% A narrowboat 32% 33% 16% 14% 6% 2019 29% 32% 17% 15% 7% All 29% 32% 17% 15% 7% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% % of respondents % of respondents Base: All respondents (2019 = 1,193) Overall satisfaction Q13 Thinking about your boating on the Canal & River Trust’s canals and rivers over the past year, overall, how satisfied were you with your experience? Very satisfied Slightly satisfied Neither satisfied, nor dissatisfied Slightly dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Continuous cruiser 33% 32% 14% 15% 6% Lon&SE 23% 36% 16% 18% 8% West Mids 31% 37% 17% 12% 4% Wales & SW 30% 25% 19% 20% 6% East Midlands 33% 34% 15% 12% 6% Yorkshire & North East 26% 22% 18% 22% 12% North West 24% 30% 19% 17% 10% All 29% 32% 17% 15% 7% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% % of respondents Base: All respondents (2019 = 1,193) Propensity to recommend • After remaining relatively constant over the past few years scores for Q14 How likely are you to recommend the Canal & River propensity to recommend have also declined in 2019 with only 58% Trust waterway to other boaters? saying they would definitely or probably recommend the waterways in their area to other boaters compared to a high of 78% in 2017. Don't know 7% • There is little variation between regions, most notable is the lower scores in London & SE and also Yorkshire & NE. Definitely not 4% • Those with narrowboats are much more likely to recommend the local Probably not 10% waterways to other boaters than either those with widebeams or motor cruisers. Possibly 22% Probably 28% Definitely 30% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% % of respondents Base: All respondents (2019 = 1,193) Propensity to recommend Q14 How likely are you to recommend the Canal & River Q14 How likely are you to recommend the Canal & River Trust waterway to other boaters? Trust waterway to other boaters? Definitely Probably Possibly Definitely Probably Possibly Probably not Definitely not Don't know Probably not Definitely not Don't know Other 6% 24% 35% 18% 6% 12% 2014 41% 31% 16% 9% 4% A motor cruiser 22% 23% 27% 13% 7% 8% 2016 39% 30% 17% 9% 3%2% A widebeam 2017 45% 33% 13% 7% 2% 17% 29% 27% 18% 5%3% 2018 42% 34% 10% 8% 4%2% A narrowboat 33% 28% 21% 9% 3%7% 2019 30% 28% 22% 10% 4% 7% All 30% 28% 22% 10% 4% 7% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% % of respondents % of respondents Base: All respondents (2019 = 1,193) Propensity to recommend Q14 How likely are you to recommend the Canal & River Trust waterway to other boaters? Definitely Probably Possibly Probably not Definitely not Don't know Continuous cruiser 28% 34% 20% 10% 4%5% Lon&SE 27% 25% 25% 9% 9% 5% West Mids 33% 26% 24% 7% 3% 8% Wales & SW 30% 35% 19% 15% 0%1% East Midlands 30% 32% 19% 11% 3%5% Yorkshire & North East 25% 18% 32% 14% 5% 6% North West 31% 27% 19% 12% 1% 10% All 30% 28% 22% 10% 4% 6% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% % of respondents Base: All respondents (2019 = 1,193) Familiarity • Familiarity with the Trust continues to slowly increase – 59% of Q3 Firstly, how well do you feel you know the Canal & respondents said they know either a fair amount or a lot about the River Trust as an organization i.e.