The article headed "Should Hotels respond to Online Reviews? (Part 1)" has been published on londonhotelsinsight.com website on the 10th December 2009.
This article points out the problem of the TripAdvisor comments for hoteliers. Indeed, it appears that a recent survey by TripAdvisor/Market Metrix found that "85% of hotels have no guidelines on how to handle negative guest reviews published online".
But this article is based on London hotels, which seems to deal pretty well with this new fact.
Indeed, it happens that some clients post most negative comments and even sometimes ask friends or family who do not even know the hotel to add some other negative comments. But it seems that TripAdvisor is understanding concerning these problems and if the hotel can prove foul play, comments can usually be removed.
But the question is should a hotel respond to these bad comments?
- the standard responses seem to be the worst ones, just writting their usual promoting speech
- some others thanks the client for tis comment and suggest things they could have indeed done.
The thing is if those comments are transmitted to concerned department's head who responds in person. Which is probably one of the most efficient response since it helps improving the services offered. So it is finally a top improving opportunity.
An example of the hotels who deals with those comments this way is the Lanesborough, one of the top London hotels. And this hotel do not just lives on its reputation; they are careful of the comments posted, respond to each of them and always are acknowledged, which most of the hotels -cheap or luxury ones- do not.
So we can think that since TripAdvisor does exist and is used a lot by clients, it is now part of the hospitality industry business and part of the game...
That is why hoteliers should try to take advantage of that, using it as an improving opportunity.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
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Hey Anne-So, your article comments are very interesting and the questions your raise seems to be nothing but easy to answer. If we consider weather or not responding to bad comments, and then, each case will comes with is consequences. In the one hand, if we glance at Tripadvisor website's purpose, we will see that it is mainly about sharing a point of view of products or service one has already tested and giving advice to future travellers. In that case, hoteliers should not intervene in Tripadvisor since the website primal goal is nothing but a platform for communication between travelers and hoteliers.
ReplyDeleteIn the other hand, hoteliers not answering at all to negative points can attest of a lack of interest for advisers' point of view. As you fairly mentionned above, information has to be treated by the appropriate members of the hotel in a serious just and responsible manner .
Anyway, I would say to conclude that hoteliers and Tripadvisor can join and reflect on soltion for those "fake" advisers that make only noise on the website and create some confusion on viewers mind. We can immagine for instance advisers required to mention their room confirmation number, or other form of identification in order to post comments. Obviously this last point raise annother issue: the anonyma... Well, let's admit that Tripadvisor can only check the identification with the hotel without making any link to a specific comment.... It is a process that requires time and energy, I am just wondering if the business collaborators see a real necessity to that. In any case, it is always better for clients to make their complaints directly to the hotel, where they might have some sort of compensation of apologise....