How many guests choose to stay at your property based on the reviews they read on Google, TripAdvisor, or Booking.com?
NB: This is an article from TrustYou
Nowadays, we can’t imagine making a buying or booking decision before reading reviews, watching an expert opinion on YouTube, or just researching more about the product or service we are interested in.
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For the hospitality industry, reviews are essential from the booking process to the post-stay survey. “Where should I stay?” and “Why should I stay there?” are usually the questions that come to mind after choosing the travel destination.
A TrustYou study shows that a crashing majority of us – more than 9 out of 10 people – read travel reviews prior to booking.
We believe that responding to guest reviews is what differentiates a hotel that is truly focused on its customers from an average one. Being responsive to guest feedback comes with many benefits for hotels. Here are some examples:
- Your chances of influencing a booking decision increase.
Our own data shows that replying to more reviews has a positive impact on direct bookings and revenue. Google has also confirmed that responding to reviews improves your business’s local SEO, making you more visible to staycationers or those looking to host an event at your property.
- You increase the chances of your guests booking a return stay.
- You prove to your guests that their experience and well-being are important to you.
- You receive more reviews, therefore, collecting data helps your staff and potential guests have an accurate overview of how you are perceived externally and what you have to offer.
Hotels responding to guest reviews receive 12% more reviews, and their ratings increase by an average of 0.12 stars on a 1-to-5 scale.
- You are staying ahead of your competition.
Our research shows that on average, more than 4 out of 10 reviews receive a reply. This is based on the reviews that can be responded to, excluding all sources that do not allow for responses. When looking at the data we noticed that some of the reviews received a reply even a couple of months after they were published. This is another way of differentiating yourself from your competitors – by replying promptly to your guest feedback.
Things to Consider When Responding to Guest Feedback
You just received a new review from one of your guests. Now what? How do you ensure you’re crafting your answer in a way that benefits your hotel and your guest? Here are some important tips to keep in mind when responding:
