The increased transparency afforded to the average consumer has outdated a lot of otherwise common practices; no longer is word-of-mouth the only way a hotel can attract visitors. True, social media and the internet have made marketing a whole lot easier, especially in the travel industry, where the end consumers are almost always in different corners of the country or even the world.
Take one step wrong one hair found in a guest’s soup or one mouse found in a room, and your hotel starts receiving a whole slew of negative feedback on online travel review websites. This short and sweet guide gives you a couple of basics on how to manage these reviews, and leverage them to your advantage.
Catch negative feedback before it does your reputation a whole lot of damage
Have a feedback system in place on your website. You are better off if your guests vent their frustration on your feedback system rather than on social media. Keep In mind though; once you do receive the feedback, promptly act upon it. Do not hesitate in providing them with freebies or other perks if the damage can’t be undone.
Be honest with customers who are providing genuine negative feedback; they are the ones who will turn into your brand ambassadors if done right.
Employ Easy Hotel Desk- a Hotel Management Software like
There are various social listening techniques with which you can keep track of what’s said about your hotel across all the social media channels. A review management service by ITSYS Solutions provides you with real-time feedback on your hotel from the many popular review platforms on the Internet.
Share the feedback with your staff
Whether you receive a positive or negative review, be sure you share it with your staff. Don’t point fingers or play the blame game. Provide constructive criticism and be sure to reward staff members bringing in positive feedback. Only after addressing and listening to the feedback will your staff be able to improve, and prevent future occurrences of any mishaps taking place.
Address Negative feedback swiftly, and take conversations offline
There’s nothing worse than bickering with a disgruntled customer on social media. You might be tempted to take subtle digs at annoying customers, but I probably don’t need to tell you what happens if you do.
Take conversations offline, provide your customers a much more personalized experience. Make sure you relay any negative feedback to your support team promptly.
There will always be a few stubborn nasty customers hell-bent on taking your hotel down, and your dreams with it, but feedback was originally introduced to improve the service you provide. These steps may be trivial, but they can help you go a long way.