The time has come when an irate guest can no longer be appeased by a sincere apology and a complimentary night’s stay. Now, rather than just spewing anger towards your establishment to their friends, they can share it with the world through sites like Tripadvisor, Yelp, Google Places, etc. Your guests have the opportunity write a thesis on the horrors of the resort fee or the insidious auto-grat. Luckily, you have an opportunity to show the online world your magnanimous side.We don’t like to focus on the negative; however positive comments simply require less action. A simple thank you and invitation to return is sufficient.The challenges you face with reading the angry words of your guests and wishing you would have known sooner can be addressed by an active CRM program. So wipe your tears and take action through reading and responding to reviews. Not all sites allow management responses but the big ones (Tripadvisor, Yelp, Expedia, Google places) certainly do.As a diplomatic and compassionate hotelier, you always want to put your best voice forward, even when you really don’t want to. If you address the problem at its source, hopefully the issue will be resolved. Here are some common scenarios for hotel reviews and our ideas on the best ways to handle the negativity when it’s flung at you.Scenario #1 - A guest complains about a mandatory fee (i.e. a resort fee, auto-gratuity, parking, etc.). This fee is clearly stated on your website and any other OTA’s, even if placed in the fine print or “Terms & Conditions” sections.We recommend: Thank the guest for taking the time to share, acknowledge the issue, validate their emotions and provide an explanation for the fee and/or describe its value, and, of course, invite the guest to return.
Scenario #2 - A guest is unhappy with the service they experienced.We recommend: Thank the guest for their business, acknowledge and address the issues they experienced while offering reassurance that their issue will be shared with staff to improve training and service. You can always say, “We’re sorry to hear that you felt disappointed with your stay.” Or something along those lines and it appears you are both sympathetic and apologetic; however you aren’t saying that your hotel didn’t perform. You are simply apologizing for their disappointment, as you don’t want any guest to be disappointed.
Scenario #3 - There was something out of your control that happened during the guest’s stay – other disturbing guests, A/C broke, spa flooded, bad weather, etc. We recommend: Demonstrate your understanding of the guest’s frustration and that sometimes these things happen which are out of the hotel’s control. Assure them that these aren’t common issues and invite them to experience the hotel another time.
These are just a few examples of different scenarios and good ways to handle them. Your organization will have to develop their own formula for responding to review sites. Stay sincere and don’t just repeat the same message over and over and over. Remember to always join the conversation. Most reviews are positive; unfortunately we tend to remember the negative over the positive. Show an interest in your guests and they will show an interest in you.
The time has come when an irate guest can no longer be appeased by a sincere apology and a complimentary night’s stay. Now, rather than just spewing anger towards your establishment to their friends, they can share it with the world through sites like Tripadvisor, Yelp, Google Places, etc. Your guests have the opportunity write a thesis on the horrors of the resort fee or the insidious auto-grat. Luckily, you have an opportunity to show the online world your magnanimous side.We don’t like to focus on the negative; however positive comments simply require less action. A simple thank you and invitation to return is sufficient.The challenges you face with reading the angry words of your guests and wishing you would have known sooner can be addressed by an active CRM program. So wipe your tears and take action through reading and responding to reviews. Not all sites allow management responses but the big ones (Tripadvisor, Yelp, Expedia, Google places) certainly do.As a diplomatic and compassionate hotelier, you always want to put your best voice forward, even when you really don’t want to. If you address the problem at its source, hopefully the issue will be resolved. Here are some common scenarios for hotel reviews and our ideas on the best ways to handle the negativity when it’s flung at you.Scenario #1 - A guest complains about a mandatory fee (i.e. a resort fee, auto-gratuity, parking, etc.). This fee is clearly stated on your website and any other OTA’s, even if placed in the fine print or “Terms & Conditions” sections.We recommend: Thank the guest for taking the time to share, acknowledge the issue, validate their emotions and provide an explanation for the fee and/or describe its value, and, of course, invite the guest to return.
Scenario #2 - A guest is unhappy with the service they experienced.We recommend: Thank the guest for their business, acknowledge and address the issues they experienced while offering reassurance that their issue will be shared with staff to improve training and service. You can always say, “We’re sorry to hear that you felt disappointed with your stay.” Or something along those lines and it appears you are both sympathetic and apologetic; however you aren’t saying that your hotel didn’t perform. You are simply apologizing for their disappointment, as you don’t want any guest to be disappointed.
Scenario #3 - There was something out of your control that happened during the guest’s stay – other disturbing guests, A/C broke, spa flooded, bad weather, etc. We recommend: Demonstrate your understanding of the guest’s frustration and that sometimes these things happen which are out of the hotel’s control. Assure them that these aren’t common issues and invite them to experience the hotel another time.
These are just a few examples of different scenarios and good ways to handle them. Your organization will have to develop their own formula for responding to review sites. Stay sincere and don’t just repeat the same message over and over and over. Remember to always join the conversation. Most reviews are positive; unfortunately we tend to remember the negative over the positive. Show an interest in your guests and they will show an interest in you.
