The perception of your hotel can influence the decision of potential visitors and impact future business.
NB: This is an article from Travelboom
Managing your brand reputation in the digital space takes careful monitoring of reviews across the web, including OTAs and forums, social media posts and more. Investing in the time to respond to and engage with your customers isn’t a small undertaking, however with the right strategy and management tools, you can forge the perception of your hotel brand, gain loyal customers, and build positive relationships with your guests.
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Hotel Reputation Management: A Guide
Now more than ever, the growth of online review sites has shoppers relying on peer recommendations and online ratings to guide purchase decisions, and hotels are not exempt from this trend. Your property’s reputation is affected by content you control – your website and blog – as well as content that might be out of your reach, including reviews on OTAs and forums. Today’s top review platforms include TripAdvisor and Google.
Taking command of your reputation requires managing the whole picture. Use this guide of sample responses and tips to pilot positive guest interactions and improve your hotel’s digital footprint.
How to Respond to Hotel Reviews
We know that both positive and negative reviews can shape outsiders’ perceptions of your business, but so can your responses. In most cases, hotels receive a negative comment or low rating from time to time, and while these can be upsetting, ignoring the criticism or responding in an unprofessional manner can do far more damage than the review itself.
Replying to every review using these tips is the first step to online reputation management for hotels:
- Respond in a timely manner
- While it’s natural to feel offended or upset, never show anything but understanding
- Thank guests for every review
- Use negative comments to instigate change and improvement
- Formulate personalized responses
Negative Review Response Examples
Always thank a reviewer for their feedback, especially when it is negative. Not only do their comments help you find areas to improve, but a hotel with only positive reviews is regarded as suspicious while a resort with a variety of reviews is trusted.
After thanking the reviewer, provide an apology—even if you do not agree or think the claims are unfounded. Use your response to take responsibility for the issue and make things right by showing, or at least hinting at, a resolution.
Remember that your response is as public as the review, so take time to formulate a proper reply that’s tactful and polite. Here are examples of messages that can help manage negative feedback and avoid damaging your hotel brand reputation:
- Thank you for your review. We’re sorry to hear you had a frustrating experience. We appreciate your bringing this issue to our attention and we’ll resolve this soon.
- Thank you for letting us know about this. Your feedback helps us do better. We look forward to providing an exceptional stay next time.
- We apologize that our suites did not meet your expectations. We are evaluating this and look forward to exceeding your needs during your next stay.
- We set high standards for ourselves and are sorry to hear your stay did not meet your expectations. We appreciate your honest feedback and regret that we missed the mark.
If refunds or other actions are required, provide an email address to take the issue offline and talk with the customer directly. Then, follow up on the review site or forum to close the loop.
