Mathieu Nouvel, survey and attendance task officer at the Palais de la Porte Dorée, has accepted to answer our questions on the use of the GuestViews guestbook within the Tropical aquarium. How this venue improves its dialogue with its audience thanks to GuestViews? All answers in this interview!
“CAN YOU PRESENT YOURSELF IN A NUTSHELL?
My name is Mathieu Nouvel, I am survey and attendance task officer at the Public establishment of the Palais de la Porte Dorée.
CAN YOU PRESENT THE TROPICAL AQUARIUM OF THE PALAIS DE LA PORTE DORÉE?
The Tropical aquarium has been opened contineously since the building of the Palais de la Porte Dorée for the international colonial exhibition in 1931. We have more than 750 different species of freshwater and sea fish, corals, marine organisms, turtles and crocodiliens. They are presented in trays and vivariums recreating as many different environments. We have programmed mediation for young publics, including workshops and also guided visits for adults. We also organise conferences on aquatic biodiversity in order to increase awareness on environmental issues.
Our visitors are mainly families which many of them live in the neighbourhood and come regularly. Some people are coming since they were kids and returning as adults! Couples also appreciate the visit. It is an unmissable activity to do in eastern Paris.
WHY DID YOU USE THE GUESTVIEWS APP?
Since a while, the public service department had observed that many digital guestbooks were used in a number of institutions and we were looking for a way to enable our visitors to express themselves and to keep in touch with them. We believe digital technologies have many benefits, for example for the processing and the analysis of data and also for the ability to answer and to discuss with our audience. After a market research undertaken at the end of 2017, it turned out that GuestViews was the most suitable solution in terms of technic and back office.
WHAT THE GUESTBOOK CHANGES IN YOUR DAILY WORK?
This tool is particularly fun to use and functions very with our visitors. The digital technology enables to process comments in real time. We are then more efficient in the processing of information. Which is beneficial for us and our visitors.
ACCORDING TO YOU, WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS FOR YOUR VISITORS?
The digital medium enables us to be more attentive to our visitors as we can make a better follow up of their comments. Having the possibility to publish comments on the app, we are more careful to our visitors demands – which is fundamental. It is also very nice to be able to answer personally a visitor that has left his/her contact details.
WHY THE GUESTVIEWS APP IS RELEVENT TO AQUARIUMS, AND MORE GENERALLY TO VENUES WELCOMING FAMILIES?
Kids have more ease with digital technologies. Often they are those appealed by the tablet, then their parents follow! Our young visitors have adopted very quickly the digital tool, many of them make drawings! They are less boundaries between kids and the digital app than with paper.
DOES THE SOLUTION ENABLE YOU TO EVALUATE THE PERCEPTION OF NOVELTIES SET UP FROM ONE PERIOD TO ANOTHER? OR TO MAKE CHOICES FROM ONE YEAR TO THE OTHER?
We have had the digital guestbook for only 6 months, we then cannot already make such comparisons. However, with this tool, we can already evaluate the perception of our infrastructure by our visitors in addition to our Public observatory, which is a punctual survey. The digital guestbook is for us an additional analytical tool, offering continuous and daily feedbacks on the Aquarium.
WHAT WOULD BE THE 3 REASONS WHY YOU WOULD RECOMMEND GUESTVIEWS?
First of all, the system is very stable which is very valuable. I particularly like the back office which is intuitive and which evolves regularly after our feedbacks. Finally, the GuestViews’ team is really attentive to our needs with very reactive customers and technical services.”