Best Practices for Responding to Online Hotel
Reviews, Part I - By Daniel Edward Craig
As a hotel manager, when a
guest comes to the front desk to register a complaint, do you: 1) look busy; 2)
skulk out the back door; or 3) handle the matter personally?
Not that difficult a question, is it? Then why do only 4% of negative reviews
on TripAdvisor get a response? Does the fact that reviews are often anonymous
and directed at travelers rather than hotels let us off the hook? Or are
hoteliers even paying attention? Consumers certainly are. Reviews are playing
an increasingly important role in booking decisions. Some would say that online
reviews deserve even more time than internal surveys, as the feedback is just
as (if not more) valuable, and the impact is public.
According to TripAdvisor, a property's response to criticism can have more
influence on traveler decisions than the criticism itself. Hoteliers have a
chance to redeem themselves, yet the vast majority chooses to remain silent,
willfully allowing reputation and business to suffer. Granted, not all review
sites allow hotel responses. Online travel agencies posted three times as many
hotel reviews than traveler review sites last year, yet whereas Expedia and
Hotels.com allow responses, Priceline and Travelocity don't, effectively
shutting hotels out of the conversation.
Given their influence on booking decisions, it's a safe bet that soon all OTAs
will allow hotel responses. It's time for hoteliers to make more time for
monitoring and responding to public feedback. Here are some tips for responding
to reviews to minimize damage and cast your hotel in a more positive light.
Each property will have a different approach, so I recommend answering these
questions on your own and compiling the results into a brief strategic plan.
Should I respond to all
reviews?
You should respond to any feedback that is damaging to your hotel's reputation,
even if simply to acknowledge the issue and apologize. An unanswered complaint
leaves travelers to draw their own conclusions, as in "I guess it's true" or
"The hotel doesn't care".
Respond to positive reviews occasionally to show you're listening, to express
appreciation and to reinforce the positive, but don't feel obliged to reply to
each one. Travelers read reviews for advice from other travelers, not for a
succession of gloating responses from hotel managers. That said, your advocates
deserve proper reverence. If the host site permits, send a private note of
thanks and flag their profile to acknowledge them in person on their next stay.
Bad response: "It is with tremendous joy that I read your most gracious remarks
regarding our cherished employees, who take immense pride in pleasing our
valued guests ..."
Good response: "Thank you for your wonderful remarks, which I have shared with
our staff. We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your stay, and look forward
to welcoming you back soon."
Who should respond?
Given their influence, online reviews should be handled at the highest level
and disseminated at all levels. It's okay for a verbally gifted middle manager
or executive assistant to draft responses, provided they're approved by-and addressed
from-a senior manager. As a rule I discourage hotel owners from responding.
They have too much at stake and aren't always as diplomatic as managers.
Bad response: "How dare you insult my bootifull hotel! I spit on your mother's
grave!"
Good response: "We welcome all constructive criticism, as it helps us to get
better."
When should I respond?
The sooner the better. The longer a complaint is left to fester, the more
business it will drive away. But first thoroughly investigate the incident, draft
a reply, sleep on it, delete all threats and curses, and have it reviewed by a
highly literate and judicious colleague.
If your property rarely receives reviews, negative reviews will have a longer
shelf-life, which makes monitoring and responding even more important. If you
receive frequent reviews, regular responses are necessary to keep them up front
and center-ideally on the first page. To stay on top of reviews I recommend a
reputation management tool like Revinate(whom I consult for), which will scour the web for mentions of your hotel on
all social media platforms and deliver a daily summary to your desktop.
Bad response: "I would have appreciated it if you had brought this issue to my
attention while a guest rather than two years later."
Good response. "You will be happy to know that, as a result of guest feedback
like yours, we have implemented the following changes ..."
What should I say?
A poorly worded response risks making things worse, whereas a well executed
response will prompt readers to conclude that, despite unfortunate
circumstances, management cares and is on the ball. Thank the reviewer,
acknowledge positive comments first, and apologize. Explain what you've done to
fix the problem-or why it can't be fixed. Readers will be put off by stock
replies, and a few changed words won't fool them, so tailor each response.
Never offer compensation, as it might encourage more complaints.
Bad response. "Let's try to avoid hyperbolizing, shall we, as in 'worst hotel
experience EVER!' Yes, we dropped the ball, but we got slammed that morning and
two employees called in sick.'"
Good response: "Clearly we were not performing to our usual standards that
morning, and for that I sincerely apologize. I have reviewed your feedback in
detail with our restaurant manager."
Stay tuned for Part 2, in which we discuss what
to do about false claims and complaints that can't be resolved. If you have
comments or tips of your own to share, email dec@danieledwardcraig.com or post
them at www.blog.danieledwardcraig.com.
About Revinate. The ultimate social media solution for hotels, Revinate
harnesses online reviews and social media as the ultimate measures of guest
satisfaction and drivers of demand. By tracking key metrics, providing
real-time alerts and intuitively guiding hoteliers to action, Revinate helps
hospitality companies profit from social media. For more information visit www.Revinate.com.
Daniel Edward Craig is a former hotel general manager turned
consultant and the author of the hotel-based Five-Star Mystery series. His
articles and blog are considered essential reading for hoteliers, travelers and
students alike. Visit www.danieledwardcraig.comor email dec@danieledwardcraig.com.
This article comes from Hotel News Resource
http://www.hotelnewsresource.com
The URL for this story is:
http://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article45549.html
