How to Fight Bad Reviews

H O W T O F I G H TB A D R E V I E W S

O N L I N E R E P U T A T I O N M A N A G E M E N T :

I F Y O U ' R E A N I N D E P E N D E N T H O T E L

WHY IS ITIMPORTANT TOFIGHT BADREVIEWS?

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R E A D I N G A G U E S TO P I N I O N

R E S P O N D I N G T OR E V I E W S

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B U I L D I N G G U E S TR E L A T I O N S H I P S

“In recent research, we found that... good reviews will influence atraveler to spend more, and badreviews will discourage bookings,

even if the hotel room isdiscounted.”

• • •

K E L L Y M C G U I R E , L E A D E R O F H O S P I T A L I T YA N D T R A V E L G L O B A L P R A C T I C E A T T H E S A S

I N S T I T U T E

HOW SHOULDINDEPENDENT HOTELSFIGHT BAD REVIEWS?Respond to bad reviews (when appropriate)

Promote reputation management on a team levelPlace reviews & social media on your own website

RESPONDING TOREVIEWS

W H Y , W H E N A N D H O W

S H O W S G U E S T S Y O U ' R E L I S T E N I N G T O T H E M

A N O P P O R T U N I T Y T O A P O L O G I Z E

G I V E S Y O U T H E O P P O R T U N I T Y T O P O S I T I O NY O U R S E L F A S " T H E G O O D G U Y "

T U R N N E G A T I V E S ( T H E R E V I E W ) I N T OP O S I T I V E S : " W E ' V E F I X E D T H A T P R O B L E MA N D W E ' R E B E T T E R T H A N E V E R "

W H Y R E S P O N D ?

A S S O O N A S P O S S I B L E

W H E N R E V I E W S A R E P A R T I C U L A R L Y N E G A T I V EO R O V E RWH E L M I N G L Y P O S I T I V E

O N L Y B E ON A S MAN Y C H A N N E L S A S Y O U C A NH A N D L E : i f g u e s t s c a n r e v i e w y o u i n p l a c e s y o u c a n ' tk e e p t r a c k o f , y o u l o s e c o n t r o l o f y o u r r e p u t a t i o n

W H E N T O R E S P O N D ?

B E WH E R E Y O U R G U E S T S A R E : k n o w w h i c hs o c i a l & r e v i e w s i t e s a r e i m p o r t a n t t o y o u rg u e s t s , a n d w h i c h r e v i e w s a r e i n f l u e n t i a l

D O N ' T B E A F R A I D T O A P O L O G I Z E : I t ' s o k a y t o t e l lg u e s t s y o u k n o w t h a t t h e r e c a n b e p r o b l e m s t h a tc om e u p & y o u d o t h e b e s t t o f i x t h em .

T H I N K B E F O R E Y O U P O S T : I f a s i t u a t i o n h a s t h ep o t e n t i a l t o b e c o m e a b a t t l e , t a k e a p a u s eb e f o r e y o u h i t ' s e n d ' .

H O W T O R E S P O N D ?

S T A Y AWA Y F R OM S P E C I F I C S ON L I N E : Wh i l e i t ' sg r e a t t o s a y p u b l i c l y y o u ' r e g o i n g t o ma k e t h es i t u a t i o n r i g h t , d o n ' t o f f e r f r e e r o om s o rs p e c i f i c d i s c o u n t s o n l i n e

K E E P I T R E A L : I t c a n b e d i f f i c u l t t o s o u n du n s c r i p t e d w h e n y o u w r i t e a d o z e n r e s p o n s e s ad a y , b u t t r y t o m a k e e v e r y r e s p o n s e s p e c i f i c t ot h e r e v i e w e r - i n c l u d e s p e c i f i c d e t a i l s f r o mt h e i r r e v i e w i n y o u r r e s p o n s e .

MAKING REPUTATIONMANAGEMENT A TEAM

EFFORT

R E P U T A T I O N I S AG R O U P E F F O R T

Y o u r h o t e l ' s r e p u t a t i o n d o e s n ' t o n l y e x i s t o n l i n e- i t s t a r t s i n t h e h o t e l .

F r om s a l e s t o F &b , r e c e p t i o n s a n d o p e r a t i o n s ,

y o u h a v e o pp o r t u n i t i e s t o w i n o v e r - o rd i s a p p o i n t - y o u r g u e s t s .

P R O M O T E R E V I E W S O NA T E A M L E V E L

Chang e t h e c u l t u r e o f y o u r ho t e l t o on e t h a t ' sawa r e o f a nd t a k i n g ad v a n t a g e o f y o u r on l i n e

r e p u t a t i o n .

Ge t e v e r y o n e i n v o l v e d : make t h em awa r e o f y o u rr e p u t a t i o n ' s impo r t a n c e , a nd s h a r e bo t h po s i t i v ea nd n e g a t i v e r e v i ew s t o r e c o gn i z e , r ewa r d a nd

l e a v e r o om f o r imp r o v emen t .

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

Ma r k e t i n g : Eng a g e da i l y w i t h gu e s t s a nd f a n s ons o c i a l med i a a nd o t h e r s i t e s . Mon i t o r f e e db a c k ,

a n a l y s e gu e s t s a t i s f a c t i o n , a nd r e p l y p r omp t l y t os t a v e o f f a n y n e g a t i v e damag e .

S a l e s : U s e r e v i ew s t o ben chma r k a g a i n s t y o u rc ompe t i t o r du r i n g s a l e s p i t c h e s t o s e c u r e n ewcon t r a c t s . Be t t e r r e v i ew s c a n a l s o pu sh h i g h e r

p r i c e t i e r s f o r on l i n e s a l e s .

PUT REVIEWSAND SOCIAL

MEDIA ON YOUROWN SITE

Guests use rev iews and soc ia lexper iences at the point of purchaseto in f luence the i r book ing dec i s ion .

I f there are no rev iews on your own webs i te ,

guests wi l l l eave to go l ook at other s i tes -

and they may not come back . You cou ld endup g iv ing a book ing to a th i rd par ty s i te thatcharges high commiss ion ra tes , or l o se i t

ent i re l y !

W H Y ?

Add rev iews to your s i te to combatth i s bounce ra te .

Hav ing rev iews :

Promotes a s t rong brand imageShows your own conf idence in yourhote l and what people are say ingKeeps rev iews r ight next to the pointo f purchase on your s i te !

W H A T T O D O

More pos i t i ve rev iews g ive you abet te r pos i t ion aga ins t your

compet i to r s .

For example , Tr ipAdv i sor 's Popula r i t y Indexranks hote l s on qual i ty , quant i ty and

recency of rev iews , and that determinesyour page rank ing - and how many book ings

you get .

R E V I E W S A R E AT R U M P C A R D

Rev iews a l so have tang ib le benef i t s : They l e tyou ana lyse and unders tand guest

sat i s fac t ion , and make se rv ice changes andimprovements .

Genuine , pos i t i ve guest rev iews are thes ing le best way to se l l your property .

R E V I E W S A R E AT R U M P C A R D

GO FORTH AND FIGHTBAD REVIEWS TOBUILD YOURREPUTATION -

GOOD LUCK!

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experienced and passionate team of onlinemarketers, account managers, designers anddevelopers whose combined skill set ensures

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