With the advent of sites such as Booking and Tripadvisor, the number of people sending hotel reviews has rocketed.
NB: This is an article from Spacehuntr
In 2016 alone, the total number of customer reviews increased by over 200%, and now they are essential to the way we choose our accommodation. Over 95% of customers now consider hotel reviews important when researching their venue, and 79% will consider between six and twelve reviews before making a purchase decision.
Of course, this has huge potential benefits: indeed, the vast majority of hoteliers agree that positive reviews play a discernible role in generating new bookings. On the other hand, it can be hugely damaging: a scathing review from a disenchanted hotel customer can severely dent your credibility and drive people away from your business.
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However, even negative reviews can add value if used in the right way. This post will show hoteliers how to channel critical feedback into a catalyst for positive change and even use it as a turning point for the entire business.
Review the Reviews
Before a hotel can make use of the negative reviews it receives, it needs to compile them. Some larger companies may appoint a specific person to this role or use a reputation management company to aggregate all the reviews from each channel. For boutique outlets, however, this is probably a job best done in-house.
It’s important to monitor every touchpoint and ensure that each customer review, whether public or private, is gathered in an easily accessible and understandable document. If a hotel receives reviews as a score or rating, it should decide what constitutes an acceptable score, and flag any submissions below this value.
Julian Houchin is a turnaround specialist who has run hotels across Europe and now advises Dehavilland Collection, a portfolio of luxury resorts and clubs. “It’s not rocket science,” he says when talking about his experience of compiling reviews.
“Every morning [when running hotels] my quality assurance lead would get in, he’d review all the online reviews, he’d sit down with the relevant manager and head of department, and we’d address them. We addressed them all, and we always responded to the negatives.”
Improve Communication
Once a hotel has rounded up its negative reviews, it can begin responding. This provides a priceless opportunity to improve customer communications and convey brand messages to its audience in an unobtrusive way.
As tempting as it may be, the hotel should resist the urge to defend itself when replying to a complaint. Even if the complainant is obnoxious or pedantic, the hotel will only make a bad situation worse by standing its ground.
Mathew Griffin is chief operating officer of Assured Hotels and a specialist in turning around struggling outlets. He says that “if you jump on your soapbox and start arguing with the reviews, that just pours more fuel on the fire. Independent owner-operators do that a lot, and it often descends into poor language, and an argument reflects really badly.”
Instead, the hotel should write a courteous, constructive message, addressing the reviewer by name and attributing the response to a specific employee. This shows both attention to detail and a human touch. They can gain even more points by clarifying the reason for the problem raised and providing a specific commitment to rectify the issue.
As part of their reply, the hotel can also stress their commitment to excellence – and use this as a bridge to mention a new initiative or development taking place on-site. However, when replying to negative customer reviews, it’s important to remember that the message, first and foremost, is about remedying a grievance – rather than marketing the business.
