Do online reviews rule your hotel’s bookings? You bet they do! As we all know, travelers rely on online reviews as personal recommendations! But how can you use it for your benefit? That is exactly what we have explained in this blog. We have talked about the legit 15 secrets of online reputation management, showing you how to turn guest feedback into success for your hotel!
Online reviews are a game changer and are a free marketing tool for hotels. Hotels can even identify areas of improvement through reviews.
If your hotel has a strong review score, it is more likely to succeed!
Proactive review management makes guests feel heard. It also makes a significant impact on future guests.
Most of the travelers check online reviews before booking a hotel room. While negative reviews deter hotel image, positive reviews influence booking decisions.
Proactive management of negative reviews shows that the hotel cares about its guests.
Active review management helps understand guests better. It ultimately drives success to the hotel.
Your guests love your hospitality, but are your online reviews reflecting it? This article mentions 15 proven online review management tactics that hoteliers swear by!
Build trust, foster guest loyalty, and skyrocket your hotel’s success!
Online reviews are everything that influences guests’ booking decisions. A robust review management strategy goes a long way to drive business.
Sometimes, guests exaggerate in their reviews out of frustration. Addressing them immediately may help control the damage.
Reviews also highlight areas of improvement. Hoteliers can address such recurring issues and ultimately achieve guest satisfaction.
Gone are the days when guests used to check reviews on TripAdvisor before booking a hotel. Nowadays, guests check reviews across all platforms like Yelp, Expedia, Hotels.com, etc.
Track every review daily. Use free tools like Google Alerts or leverage review monitoring tools to stay up to date.
This ensures you keep track of both criticism and praise and respond promptly.
Time is money! Guests appreciate prompt responses than those after months! Try to respond to every review within 48 hours.
Thank guests for leaving positive reviews and empathizing with those with negative experiences. Respond with compassion and apologize when needed.
Prompt responses show that you value guests’ every feedback. It proves your willingness to improve.
Do not wait for guests to leave reviews on their own. Encourage them. Make it easy for them! Use different tactics, such as
Offer incentives, discounts, or loyalty points for leaving reviews
Negative reviews could be challenging to tackle. But look at them as an opportunity to improve. Such reviews mention areas of improvement. Check for recurring issues mentioned by the guests and take measures to improve.
You can respond to such reviews by leaving public responses with empathy. Apologize for any shortcomings.
You can also contact these guests personally. Offer them alternate solutions, discounts, etc.
Responding to negative feedback shows your commitment to improving and learning. It makes positive changes to enhance guest satisfaction.
Positive feedback is an asset for your business. Use it as a marketing tool. Showcase positive reviews on your website, social media, newsletters, and marketing ad copies.
Positive reviews build trust amongst your guests and increase loyalty. It enhances guest satisfaction and boosts your overall hotel’s online reputation.
As said before, positive reviews are free marketing tools. They act as digital word-of-mouth publicity. Implement rewards and incentives for leaving reviews. Hotels can turn satisfied guests into raving fans through this.
A hotel without good customer service is like a car without fuel.
When guests feel listened to and valued, they are more likely to leave positive feedback for you. Always address their concerns in a professional manner.
?Bonus Point-
Always go the extra mile to interact with your guests and personalize your services. This creates a lasting impact on guests and becomes a memorable experience.
For example, using their names on welcome cards, messages, emails, etc.
Or remembering their names and likes/dislikes.
If you want to know where exactly you are lacking, Guest Satisfaction Surveys are the answer.
Send Guest Satisfaction Surveys to your guests after their stay. These surveys will help you understand various aspects of your services. Focus on staff behavior, cleanliness, amenities, etc., and where you need improvements.
Proactive analysis and addressing these issues will avoid turning them into negative reviews.
Better your services that are already excelling while working on your negatives. Remember to thank guests for participating in these surveys. Inform them about any action taken.
This shows you value their input and are working towards continuous improvement.
When guests check online reviews, they seek authenticity. They spot staged reviews quickly, and this may harm your business in the wrong way.
Be cautious while offering incentives and discounts for leaving reviews. Avoid direct reward-driven positive feedback. Instead, you can encourage your guests to leave reviews, whether positive or negative.
Such practices can lead to genuine reviews and increase guest participation.
Also, be mindful of rewards. Frame incentives to increase future sales.
For example,
Remember, the key to success here is to make incentives valuable. Also, keep the integrity of the reviews intact.
Guests seek comfort when choosing a hotel; negative reviews can scare them away. Addressing negative reviews publicly shows that a hotel cares for its guests.
Strategies that help turn negative reviews into positive interactions can bring in new potential customers.
Negative reviews can be hectic! But responding with empathy can go a long way!
First, acknowledge their frustrations and disappointments. Show genuine concern by starting your response with-
"We understand your disappointment" or "We're truly sorry to hear about this."
Next, show them you are willing to change the current situation, causing frustration.
Offer them solutions or assure them that you will take measures to prevent these issues.
Handling negative feedback shows your professionalism and commitment to improvement.
Guest review-
Disappointing stay. The room needed to be cleaned better (found dusty surfaces), and amenities like the pool were under maintenance. Breakfast options were limited and needed to be refilled promptly. Overall, overpriced for the quality offered. I wouldn't recommend it.
Ideal Response-
Dear guest,
Thank you for your feedback. We're truly sorry to hear about the shortcomings in your recent stay.
A dusty room and limited breakfast options fall well short of our standards. We'd love to learn more about your experience.
Could you please reach out to us so we can discuss how we can make things right?
Yours Sincerely,
Hotel Management
If the guests have mentioned a specific concern, address it in an adequate way. Do not reply with generic responses.
Write a specific line that addresses their particular issue. This shows that you are paying attention and taking feedback seriously.
Then, tell them that a particular action is being taken to resolve the issue.
This may include-
Addressing concerns publicly solicits the reviewer. Also, it assures other guests that you are constantly working to improve.
Guest Review-
Loved the location, but the constant construction noise outside our room from 7 am made relaxation impossible. Disappointed, as a quiet stay was a priority.
Response-
Dear Guest,
Thank you for your review. We're glad you enjoyed the location, but we sincerely apologize for the construction noise disrupting your stay.
We understand how important a peaceful environment is, and unexpected noise can definitely ruin relaxation. We're looking into limited-hour construction requests and will explore offering alternative quiet rooms when possible.
We hope you give us another chance in the future.
Yours Sincerely,
Hotel Management
Now, you have dealt with the negative reviews publicly. But sometimes, you also need to deal with them personally in case of refunds and compensation.
Send them a private message and show them your desire to go the extra mile to resolve the issue. This could involve upgrades on future stays, discounts, or complimentary services.
Following up with dissatisfied guests is an added opportunity for you. This way, turn negative reviews into positive interactions.
Managing reviews across all the platforms manually could be overwhelming. Using technology or tools that streamline this process benefits completely seamless management.
E.g., Sending review alerts, automating the process, creating a response strategy, etc.
Responding to reviews across all platforms can be a nightmare! Yet, review management software can come in handy.
Here, you can see all the reviews on all the OTAs on a single dashboard. You can also analyze review patterns tone-wise, platform-wise, and concern-wise.
Responding to these reviews also becomes easier! You can draft and post responses on respective platforms only through the software. This way, you can ensure regular maintenance and review management across various OTAs.
Most of these tools are helpful because they-
This can help you work on your weaknesses and strengthen your future interactions.
Immediate response to review is critical, but it can be overwhelming. Automated review monitoring systems track OTA sites such as GoogleMyBusiness, Yelp, TripAdvisor, etc.
They notify you immediately when someone leaves a review. This allows you to swiftly address these reviews and respond.
If you want to go the extra mile, consider
Automated tools are very powerful and can reduce workload. But ensure you are not replacing human touch while responding.
Tracking reviews and responding swiftly is not enough for long-term success. You must constantly update and enhance services based on feedback. This can turn your satisfied guests into loyal customers.
With these strategies, guests will keep coming back. You can also attract more guests who rely on a hotel's positive reputation.
Review management is not a short-term process; it is a marathon. You have to keep running to win.
You can receive reviews anytime. Constant monitoring helps swift responding. Remember, consistency is a key. A delay in responding can create a gap where negative feedback stays unanswered.
Consistency shows activeness and commitment to customer experience.
Persistence is also equally important. Responding to all reviews, whether negative or positive, is crucial. It shows that you value customer feedback and want to bring changes.
Consistency and persistence in review monitoring go hand in hand. They aid in building a completely positive online reputation.
Online guest reviews reflect your services.
Positive reviews highlight your plus points, such as -
Meanwhile, negative feedback focuses on what doesn't work well. Treat them as an opportunity to improve.
Dont get trapped in a vicious circle of monitoring and responding, ACT ON IT! Check the repeated concerns and analyze patterns. Address these issues by developing products, services, staff training, and process changes.
Implementing changes based on guest feedback makes them feel listened to. It shows that you care about their feedback and want to enhance their satisfaction.
This translates into a more positive customer journey, reflected in future reviews and overall brand reputation.
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