Best Practices for Responding to Online Reviews...Overview – Best Practices for Responding to...
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Transcript of Best Practices for Responding to Online Reviews...Overview – Best Practices for Responding to...
Contents
Overview ......................................................................................................................... 3
How Should I Respond to Reviews? .......................................................4-6
Which Reviews Should I Respond to? ..................................................... 7
Which Review Sites Allow Management Responses?.............8-9
How Can I Save Time Responding to Reviews? ........................ 10-11
The Bottom Line ...................................................................................................... 12
Responding to Online Reviews
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Overview – Best Practices for Responding to Online Reviews
In September of 2012, TripAdvisor and PhoCusWright reported a series of notable statistics that emphasized the importance of responding to online reviews. Most notably, the survey of nearly 2,800 respondents showed that:
• 57% of users agree that seeing hotel management responses to a review generally “makes me more likely to book it (versus a comparable hotel that didn’t respond to travelers)”
• 84% of users agree that an appropriate management response to a bad review “improves my impression of the hotel”
• 78% of users agree that seeing a hotel management response to reviews “makes me believe that it cares more about its guests”
• 64% of users agree that an aggressive/defensive management response to a bad review “makes me less likely to book that hotel”
While the message is clear that hoteliers need to respond to reviews, there is much being said about how to respond to them. In general, you want to show that your hotel actively reads, internalizes and responds to reviews so your responses should be personalized and show your brand voice. For help finding your voice in management responses, we offer a guide, Hoteliers Guide to Finding Your Voice in Management Responses, which you can find by clicking on the link.
Responding to Online Reviews
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How Should I Respond to Reviews?
When hotel or restaurant guests write reviews, they often have both something good and bad to say about their experiences. Review forms on Expedia even ask for both good and bad feedback from each reviewer.
Positive Reviews
Many hoteliers miss out on the opportunity to harness the power of positive reviews. By responding to them, you can keep the conversation going with your audience and use your brand personality to drive loyalty. To do so, you will need to follow a few key steps when crafting your response:
1. Lead off the response with a “Thank You.” Acknowledging positive feedback encourages other happy guests to also write reviews.
2. Bespecificandpersonalinyourresponse. Allude to any details (e.g. purpose of trip, specific colleagues mentioned, etc.) in your reply to demonstrate that your response is customized.
3. Acknowledgeanyconstructivecriticismifit’sabigpartofthepositivereview andwillaffectotherguests. As many four and five-star reviews will sometimes contain mixed sentiment, it is important to address any concerns the guest had if necessary. To do so, simply assure the reviewer that you will pass along their feedback to your staff while avoiding mentioning the issues specifically.
Mixed Reviews
Many hoteliers assume that online reviews are either entirely positive or negative in nature; the reality is that many reviews are mixed. When hotel or restaurant guests write reviews, they often have both something good and bad to say about their experience. Review forms on Expedia even ask for both good and bad feedback from each reviewer. It is important to remember that potential customers are reading these reviews and learning some unflattering things about your business, even though a review may seem complimentary based upon the number of stars awarded.
A study has shown that potential guests visiting review sites read management responses more carefully than the actual online review. When responding to each type of review, reputation managers must respond to multiple points made in the review in a succinct way. A study out of Hamburg Germany showed that it takes the average reader about 28 seconds to read 100 words on the web. Often readers are scanning for keywords and the general gist of a block of text such as a management response. It’s important to remember that you might only have 28 to 40 seconds to influence a reader. Therefore, always start your management response with statements that accentuate the positive.
Responding to Online Reviews
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However, you may need to address some of the negative comments if they address issues that will affect other guests. If the average reader allots 28 to 45 seconds to comprehension, then you should keep your responses between 100 and 150 words. Another method for addressing mixed feedback is using the sandwich method. By sandwiching your responses to the negative remarks with positive statements, you will decrease the importance of the negative messages and will prove that you truly care what your customers report in reviews. Leaving readers with this impression is more likely to win you the booking than any operational details in the original review. Here’s a way to go about it:
Review“The Hotel is gorgeous, over the top, and packed with so much to see, do, and eat that you never have to leave the hotel. So why 3 stars? Service; the Hotel is going to need to step up their training game. The staff were too busy checking their cell phones and complaining about coworkers to other coworkers to notice they weren’t doing their jobs; providing a fine experience for guests with many, many area hotel options.”
ResponseThank you for taking the time to review your stay with us. We are so pleased that you felt the hotel was gorgeous and we aim to please our guests in every way. We are so sorry that you felt the service was not up to par with the surroundings. We will be using your review as an example in upcoming staff training programs so that our employees can better understand how their actions can impact the guest experience.
We are glad that you could experience the variety of things to see and do in our hotel and I truly appreciate your feedback. We look forward to seeing you again.
While the average star rating for reviews on TripAdvisor is 3.9 stars, the majority of four and five-star reviews will have mixed sentiment in them. Use mixed reviews to your advantage by downplaying the writer’s negative comments and highlighting the positive, Remarks such as poor service and slow check-in can make a reader feel that a mixed review is actually a poor review, but if you point out the original reviewer’s high score then you can downplay the importance of these negative comments. Here’s an example:
Review“We traveled as a group of 6 and it was fabulous. They have a great pool, although I suggest bringing a drink with you, as both days the pool wait staff was very slow. The flowers in the hotel were beautiful. My only complaint was that it was difficult to get breakfast in the morning, there was always a long line for coffee.”
ResponseWe were thrilled to read your 4-star review of our hotel. We are so glad that you found our hotel was a fabulous choice for your group of 6. We are sorry to hear that you found the poolside service slow and would have preferred a way to get coffee quickly in the morning. We offer 4 locations with quick grab and go coffee, snacks, and light meals for the convenience of our guests. You are always welcome to bring these items to the pool area. That said, we will address your feedback with the appropriate staff. We look forward to seeing you again soon and thank you for your feedback.
Responding to Online Reviews
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Negative Reviews
Similar to positive reviews, the first step when responding to a negative review is to thank the reviewer for his/her feedback. Next, you should apologize for the poor experience, remembering that an apology is not necessarily an admission of guilt or wrongdoing. Finally, you should consider the type of negative review closely by asking the following questions:
1. Isthisasystemicproblemthateachcustomercouldface?2. Isthereaneasyfixtotheproblemthatcanbereferredoffline?
a. Is the problem unfounded, or not likely to be repeated and just requires appeasement?b. Is the problem linked to something that you cannot easily change such as infrastructure,
design, etc.?
For each of these kinds of problems mentioned in reviews, the central response objective is to consider the feedback, thank the reviewer and address his/her concerns online. Here are few examples of negative feedback in reviews and ideas for management responses.
PROBLEM 1
“Call times to the desk and operator were HORRENDOUS. I have never come across a resort facility where I was put on hold nearly every time I called down to the front desk. Wait times on the phone were UNACCEPTABLE!”
RESOLUTION
When systemic problems are pointed out, the best response will acknowledge the problem, thank the writer for bringing the issue to your attention and describe the actions that have been taken to resolve the problem.
PROBLEM 2
“We had an 8:15 pm reservation and didn’t actually get seated until right before 9:00 pm. After we were seated the waiter checked in and got our drink orders. Those were promptly delivered 10 minutes later”
RESOLUTION
When appeasement issues are brought up, the best management response will acknowledge the problem, offer an apology to the reviewer, thank the writer for bringing the issue to your attention and request to speak with the writer offline to further address the issue. While appeasement problems may be remedied with a form of compensation, it is imperative that this is discussed offline so to prevent a precedent being set.
PROBLEM 3
“The hot tub was frothy as was mentioned in reviews, but the kids loved it and that is what was important. Then it happened, where are the bathrooms? Are you kidding? No restroom in the pool area. Good thing our kids can hold it.”
RESOLUTION
The most important part of the management response is to speak to how you will resolve the issue now and in the future. While the problem may not be easily remedied immediately, communicating future plans to remedy the problem will diffuse any concerns that site visitors may have about your property.
Responding to Online Reviews
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While it’s ideal to respond to every review you are able to, we are mindful that time is a premium that not everyone has an abundance of. Therefore, we recommend that you:
• Respondtoall1and2starreviews
• Respondtoasmany3,4and5starreviewsthatyoucan,aslongasyou canpersonalizethem
• Ifyoudetectfraud,respondandpetitionthesitetoremovethereview
In January 2013, TripAdvisor announced a tool that allows hoteliers to proactively report potential blackmailing reviewers before their slanderous reviews ever reach the site. TripAdvisor says:
“We hear from owners that potential “blackmail” – when a guest threatens to write a negative review unless a demand for a refund, upgrade, or other request is met – is an occasional concern. We now have a way for you to proactively report these threats before a corresponding review is submitted.”
TripAdvisor not only provides hoteliers with a list of step-by-step directions that walk you through how to report this blackmail, but it also provides users with a handy two-page, easy-to-print PDF that offers some more detail on the subject.
While this TripAdvisor tool will undoubtedly help reputation managers combat disgruntled and unethical guests, there is a reality here that ought to give dismayed hoteliers a bit of hope. As the number of contributors to sites such as TripAdvisor has grown, so too has the savvy of the review readership. A scathing 1 or 2 star review from a vehemently unhappy guest, who clearly did not get what he or she wanted, is a contribution many prospective readers will digest with a skeptical eye, especially when surrounded by great reviews.
While the bad review may slightly impact your overall TripAdvisor score in the short-term, hoteliers should not expect a fatal dent in their properties’ overall online reputation. Delivering proactive, exemplary guest service is the cornerstone of a high TripAdvisor ranking, and this narrative will be played out on your hotel’s TripAdvisor page in the end. TripAdvisor’s helpful tool will help hoteliers to tell their superlative guest satisfaction narrative with more clarity and conviction than ever before, and will make proactive online reputation management even easier to achieve.
Which Reviews Should I Respond to?
Responding to Online Reviews
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At Revinate, we’re always paying very close attention to the ever-evolving policies for each travel review site - which sites allow public management responses, which sites allow private ones, and so forth. While not every review site’s procedure for review replies is as user-friendly or intuitive as it could be, we’ll always make sure that we make it as easy as possible for you to respond within Revinate.
As a Revinate customer, you have the ability, within the dashboard, to take action on incoming reviews and create review response. In order to use Revinate’s function, you will first need to claim and create your Business Owner profile with each site. Once you have obtained your login credentials from the sites, you can start responding to your reviews with the help of our Review Response Assistant.
But what does this process look like for each review site, and how do you go about obtaining said credentials? The following list will guide you through this process:
Which Review Sites Allow Management Responses?
• TripAdvisor allows public management responses. Next to each review on Revinate you’ll find the “Reply at TripAdvisor” link to respond to the review. To start replying, you must register as an owner at http://www.tripadvisor.com/Owners. Note that TripAdvisor also allows you to send a reviewer a private message which will only be seen by the review contributor.
• Yelp allows hoteliers to post a public Owner Comment. Revinate provides a deep link next to each Yelp review. To start replying, you need to register at Yelp Business Owners first. Note that, like TripAdvisor, Yelp also allows private messaging to reviewers.
• Expedia&Hotels.com allow public management responses. To respond, hoteliers must log in at Expedia Partner Central or can respond by email to Expedia. You can access Expedia Partner Central (EPC) at: https://expediapartnercentral.com. EPC helps hoteliers manage their properties. When you first use EPC, please click on “Request a password” or follow this link: https://expediapartnercentral.com/new_account. If responding by email, please make sure you include your Expedia Property ID. The email address for Expedia is [email protected] and the email address for Hotels.com is [email protected].
Responding to Online Reviews
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• Booking.com allows hoteliers to only contact the author directly. The response is not public. Revinate provides a deep link next to each Booking.com review. You must register as a Partner to start replying at their Partner Center.
• Google+Local(replaced Google Places) allows for public management responses. The response is public and Revinate provides a link, “Reply at Google”, that will take you to the review page in your Google+ Local listing. In order to reply, you will first need to Claim Your Listing. If you are having trouble verifying your Google+ Local listing, note that Google is now providing phone support for verification issues.
• Travelocity has a “Comment” button located at the bottom of each review to allow for management replies. This functionality also allows hoteliers to add photos and videos to the response. Use the “reply” link in Revinate to begin your public management response.
• OpenTable reviews have a “Contact Author” link that restaurateurs can use to access their OpenTable management portal and contact the author directly. This is not a public response, but rather a private message that you can send to the author of the review. To set up your restaurant profile, go to the OpenTable Restaurant Center.
• Rakuten allows for public management responses on the Japanese site. Revinate provides a link that will lead you to respond. Before you start replying, a hotelier needs to set up an Owner Profile.
• Trivagoallows for public management responses. Revinate provides a reply link and will capture the responses. To set up your hotel profile, please register on their Hotel Owner Page.
• HolidayCheck allows for public management responses on their site. Revinate provides a “reply to review” link that will lead you to respond. To set up your hotel profile, please register at the Hotel Manager Page.
• Zoover allows public management responses. Revinate provides a “reply at Zoover” link that will take you directly to the section to start responding. Before you can start to respond, you need to register as an owner on their Accommodation Owners Page.
• HRSallows for public management responses. Revinate provides a “reply at HRS Portal” link and will capture the responses. To set up your hotel profile, please fill out an Application form with HRS.
• Qype allows for public management responses. Revinate provides a “reply at Qype/My Business” link which will take you to the Business Owners page to login. If you have not yet created an owners profile to begin responding, you can register on the Business Owners Page.
• Wotif allows hoteliers to reply publicly to a review. Revinate provides a “reply at Wotif” link, which will redirect you to the Suppliers Extranet page to login. If you have not yet registered as a supplier, you can register on the Supplier’s Registration Request form.
Responding to Online Reviews
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As you know now, it is critical for you to address and respond to the online reviews that you receive. In most cases, this process demands reading the review for specific feedback to address, then liaising with your operations team to clarify any additional feedback to include in your review response, and finally laboring over the perfect response to publish which, by its very nature, can become repetitive and fairly standardized in parts. After all, there are only so many inventive ways to thank a past guest for contributing a review on xyz review site.
If you are a Revinate customer, you already know that the reading and liaising steps to this review response process are easily accomplished by utilizing Revinate’s ‘Actions’ tab on the dashboard. Revinate also makes the time-consuming step of response creation just a bit easier.
Revinate’s Response Templates is a core feature of the Response Assistant, available to customers. With these Response Templates, Revinate Administrators can load Response Templates into their Revinate accounts, which not only help their respective teams follow brand guidelines with management responses but also save valuable time. These templates are:
1. Customizable for different kinds of reviews, whether they are positive, neutral and negative in nature.
2. Easy to access and personalize as you and other users prepare and submit your responses.
3. Fully integrated with Revinate’s workflow ticketing system. When a Revinate user assigns a ticket to a team member, he/she can also recommend templates within the system as the teams collectively collaborate on responses.
How Can I Save Time Responding to Reviews?
Responding to Online Reviews
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Once a few of these Response Templates are prepared and available for users, our Review Assistant toolbar seamlessly guides Revinate users through the process of selecting the right template for each respective review and also alerts our review tracking system once the review is posted in real-time so that you know which reviews have been responded to even before the response is posted publicly by the review site. With many review sites taking several days or even weeks to post a management response, this new “Responded To” feature within the Review Assistant will significantly improve your workflow and efficiency when it comes to reputation management.
While we cannot overstate the time-savings that the Review Assistant will bring, these product features, particularly the Review Templates, will not replace the requisite need for crafting customized management responses to reviews. A completely cut-and-pasted public response will only make your customers less likely to book. Consequently, employ the Review Assistant features for exactly what they are: aids to your reputation management efforts.
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The Bottom Line
About RevinateThere is no industry more reliant on feedback than the hospitality industry. With user generated content and reviews increasing in both volume and importance, hotel and restaurant owners and operators must proactively encourage, track and manage feedback in a way that deepens customer relationships, strengthens brands and boosts revenue. Revinate’s user-friendly software platform, custom-designed for the unique needs of the hospitality industry, monitors all of the important social media venues – including Twitter, Facebook and TripAdvisor – and provides instant alerts whenever your property or brand is mentioned. With information comes power: in this case, the power to please a disgruntled customer, monitor the competition and set yourself apart when it comes to guest satisfaction and loyalty. Revinate is venture-backed by leading VC Firms, Benchmark Capital and Formation 8. Headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in New York, Amsterdam, Munich, Hong Kong and Sydney, Revinate counts the world’s leading hospitality brands as clients. To learn more, please visit revinate.com.
Online reviews are the best sources of free, readily accessible, nearly real time data about your hotel. One of the biggest benefits is that a solid understanding of what will delight your customers can translate into more profit. TripAdvisor’s 2013 Trip Barometer reported that:
• 62% of managers addressed the contents of reviews with staff.
• 45% have invested in staff training as a result of receiving a negative online review.
• 41% have reviewed/changed operations due to review data.
Simply put, paying attention to reviews can show management the best places to allocate investment resources to have the largest impact on guest satisfaction. Smarter spending leads to greater profits. When you put a program in place to respond to reviews, you will naturally begin to pay more attention to your guest feedback, and your service levels are sure to improve, which will increase your review scores, driving more guests to stay with you.
