"Once upon a time a hotel guest would share their experience directly with the hotelier when they checked out (if asked). They may even have completed an ‘in room’ feedback card placed in the room. What was said between a guest and an hotelier was pretty much kept ‘in house’.
However in today’s dynamic and transparent world, the internet via mediums like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, have empowered consumers around the world to share their most intimate thoughts regarding products and services they experience at the touch of a button.
There is no question in the hotel industry about the importance of managing guest feedback and guest satisfaction, as all hoteliers know that if a guest leaves their property having had a positive experience, there is a very good chance that they will become a “repeat guest” and generate positive “word of mouth”, which will translate into an increase in non commission paid direct bookings". Caterer and Hotelkeeper Page 22 Article 14/10/11
Do you think hoteliers are doing enough to seize back the initiative from online hotel review websites? What seems to be working and why?
Dear Hotelier –
If you are an accommodation provider then, like it or lump it but review sites are here to stay...(pun intended). They'll be flexing their muscles & putting you in the bull ring: self catering; timeshare; hostels; guest houses; hotels; & the bed & breakfast - you name it...if you have a bed to be slept in then you have the potential to be reviewed. So, what’s my advice? Well - get into bed with them of course.
What with reality TV shows & documentaries opening our eyes wide to what is going on behind business doors - many of us have become experts in offering our opinion. Gone are the days where a bad experience left you moaning & groaning to 50 people who you happened to come into contact with...bang are the days when you can tweet, Facebook & review to 5,000,000+ within seconds of an experience.
Maybe you don’t think you need feedback but listen...feedback is not just about you & your business...it is about tourism as a whole. There is a lot you can learn from other businesses & your customers so there needs to be collaborative – joined up thinking.
Remember YOU are in control of the information gathered from your customer...nurture them, give them a chance to feedback at any given moment, listen to them & act on the information.
OK - so, review sites are not specifically in your control. But having an attitude about them is simply not going to do you any favours. Not listening to your customer is NOT an option, especially when it is for the whole world to see too! You cannot control what people say but you can actively respond & the beauty is – YOU have the last word.
You probably think I hate these review sites but I absolutely love them because there is an element of truth in anything that is put 'finger to keyboard'. The feedback can offer encouragement, direction & more often than not, a kick up the bum to make those changes that you have been ‘oh so busy’ to get around to doing. Yes, the truth hurts. But whatever the emotion the feedback evokes, it shows that the customer cares enough to say something so you need to take the initiative & do something with the valuable information.
You have choices...
1. A choice about what you do with the feedback & also
2. A choice about how you react to the feedback
Hoteliers need to do more to use the reviews to their advantage, after all feedback is all about continuous improvement. It is about growing your business, understanding your customers, making changes that they have instigated – this builds confidence & a vital connection with your service/product.
Don’t treat feedback as a way of only improving you as a business - look at it as improving your customer. Encourage feedback via review sites but also educate your customer to the fact that they need to feedback information on the spot – there is no good hiding behind a monitor to anonymously criticise a business with no means of rectification.
Change the human psyche to one that is open, transparent, educational, supportive & collaborative then tourism will flourish – until that time we will always have bitter, twisted reviews with people thinking they know better...maybe they do, maybe they don’t – whatever their thoughts – learn to deal with it.
Online review sites are thriving because the internet has put the power of information in the customers hands.
Now, every potential booker is empowered to make their own choice of where to go and stay and won't rely on a brochure or sales pitch - they want to go out and find this information for themselves.
I don't think there will be a world without these sites moving forward, and to compete hoteliers would need to have websites which are more transparent, hold more content and information and engage their customer-base through social media.
I think those old techniques of in room feed back forms, staff who take every opportunity to ask " how could we have improved on that part of your experience with us", e-mails following up a guest's stay asking them to comment etc., are the best way to "manage" on-line reviews.
Give a guest every possible opportunity to feed back during their stay must increase the chance of us picking up dissatisfactions and acting on them instantly, thus reducing the chances of damaging reviews.
Because "in house" feed back needs constant attention, I suspect some may be guilty of letting it slide from time to time. At one's peril methinks!
Anthony Lloyd
Fallowfields Hotel and Restaurant, Oxfordshire
www.fallowfields.com