When asked about review responses, we used to recommend that hoteliers respond to as many reviews as they can, within their own time and resource constraints. However, the results of a 2016 study by Cornell University indicate the need for a more strategic approach. The study found a positive correlation between response rates and bookings revenue. That is, hotels that respond to reviews up to a 40-45% response rate may see up to a 2.2x lift in bookings revenue, as compared to hotels that don’t respond to reviews at all.
However, the study noted that there are diminishing revenue returns for hotels that respond to more than 40-45% of their online reviews.
This begs the question – is it still worth it to reply to positive reviews?
According to our 2017 Global Hotel Reputation Benchmark Report, less than 10 percent of global hotel reviews are negative (one or two stars). So, even if you respond to all of your hotel’s negative reviews, that still leaves a 30% response rate opportunity for your hotel.
The answer then, is yes, it makes sense to respond to positive reviews. It is prudent to address mixed reviews first, but according to our benchmark data, you will likely have plenty of opportunity within that total 40-45% response rate to spend time on some of your positive reviews. Be selective, and pick those particularly glowing reviews, where your guest went into detail about his or her fabulous stay.
Here are some best practices for responding to positive feedback:
