Using Member Feedback to Improve Your Coworking Space and Services
- Phil Ingram
- Nov 4
- 4 min read
As a coworking space operator, you have a clear view of your key metrics. You know your occupancy rate, your revenue per square foot, and your monthly running costs. But the most dangerous metric, and the hardest to track, is the one you only see in the rearview mirror: member churn.
The real problem isn't the member who leaves and tells you exactly why. It's the "silent churn"—the member who quietly becomes dissatisfied, gradually stops coming in, and then one day, gives their notice. You're left with an empty desk and a black hole of information. You never found out why.
Your members are your single most significant source of business intelligence. They are a living, breathing focus group that you interact with every single day. Actively and systematically collecting their feedback isn't a "nice to have" HR task; it's the most critical business development strategy you have.
Why Your Dusty "Suggestion Box" Doesn't Work
Many spaces think they're "open to feedback" because they have a suggestion box on the wall or send an annual 50-question survey.
These passive, old-school methods fail. The suggestion box is anonymous and feels like a black hole. The annual survey is too long, too infrequent, and by the time you get the data, the member with the problem has already been unhappy for six months.
Effective feedback is a continuous, active conversation. You need to build systems that make it easy for members to share their thoughts and—crucially—show them that you're actually listening.
1. Make Your Community Manager a "Chief Listener"
Your most valuable feedback won't come from a form. It will come from a casual, five-minute chat by the coffee machine. Your Community Manager's primary role isn't just to manage the space; it's to manage the pulse of the community.
"Coffee & Catch-Up": Train your manager to proactively schedule brief, informal 15-minute chats with members. No big agenda. Just one simple question: "How is everything going for you here?"
Listen for the Small Things: You'll hear the "small papercuts" before they become big wounds. "The Wi-Fi in the back corner is a bit slow." "The new coffee blend is a bit bitter." "It's always too cold by the window." These are the easy, quick-fix problems that, left unaddressed, slowly erode a member's satisfaction.
2. The 60-Second "Pulse Survey"
Instead of a long annual survey, send a "pulse survey" quarterly. This should be incredibly short, taking no more than 60 seconds.
Question 1: The Metric (NPS): "On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend our space to a friend or colleague?" This gives you a single, trackable Net Promoter Score (NPS) that you can measure over time.
Question 2: The "Why": "What's the main reason for your score?"
Question 3: The Golden Question: "What's one thing we could do next month to make your experience here better?"
This gives you a clear, prioritised, and actionable to-do list, straight from your members.
3. The "Exit Interview" (The Most Valuable Feedback of All)
When a member gives their notice, your first reaction might be disappointment. Your second step should be to schedule a 10-minute "exit interview immediately."
This isn't a sales pitch to get them to stay. It's a pure information-gathering session.
Ask the Tough Questions: "We're really sad to see you go. To help us improve, would you be open to sharing the main reason you've decided to move on?"
Listen and Learn: Was it price? Did they outgrow your space and need a bigger office (a good problem!)? Did a competitor offer a better service (a bad situation!)? Did their business needs change? This data is pure gold for understanding your churn and market position.
"You Asked, We Listened": Closing the Feedback Loop
This is the most crucial step. Feedback without action is pointless. If members feel like their suggestions go into a void, they will stop offering them. You must prove you're listening by making your actions visible.
Create a "You Asked, We Listened" Board: Put a whiteboard or poster up in your kitchen or common area.
Show the Results:
"YOU ASKED for faster Wi-Fi in the quiet zone... WE LISTENED and installed a new mesh router."
"YOU ASKED for more phone booths... WE LISTENED, and construction on two new booths starts next week."
"YOU ASKED for better coffee... WE LISTENED and are now stocking a new blend from [Local Roaster]."
When members see a direct line from their suggestion to a real-world change, it builds an incredible sense of ownership and loyalty. They'll stop thinking of it as "your" space and start feeling like it's "our" space.
The Final Step: Using meed to Power the Conversation
So, how do you manage all this member feedback to improve your coworking space? How do you send these pulse surveys and track who your most engaged members are? This is where your community platform becomes your feedback tool.
meed is more than just a loyalty program; it's a direct, digital communication channel to your entire member base.
Send Your Pulse Survey: Use meed's coupon or messaging feature to send a direct link to your 60-second survey, ensuring it lands right in their pocket.
Reward the Feedback: Don't just ask for their time; thank them for it. Automatically send a coupon for a "Free Coffee" or "Free Meeting Room Hour" to every member who completes the survey. This small gesture guarantees a massive response rate.
Identify Your Champions: meed's dashboard shows you who your most active and engaged members are (the ones checking in, referring friends, and using services). These are your "champions"—the perfect people to invite to a small focus group to get deeper insights on a new service you're planning.
Member Feedback to Improve Your Coworking Space
By combining active, human listening with the innovative digital tools to manage it, you can stop guessing what your members want and start building the exact space they'll never want to leave.
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