Reviews – How Important Are They To Your Property?
Every property wants feedback on how their guests enjoyed their stay. But how important do you think reviews really are to potential guests when choosing a destination? According to research done by TripAdvisor:
- Over 96% of guests consider reading reviews important when planning trips or booking a property.
- 79% will read between 6 and 12 reviews before making a purchase decision.
- 85% of users agree that a thoughtful response to a bad review will improve their impression of the hotel
Here are a few helpful tips that we have come across in our experience in the hospitality sector that can help grow your number of reviews and your customer engagement.
Remind your guests how easy it is to leave a review
The first thing to mention on this point is, don’t come across too pushy when you are encouraging your guests to leave a review. You want them to do it because they feel they have to share their fantastic experience with the world. You can nudge people in the right direction by making it as easy as possible for them to leave a review. Some of the most common ways people do this is by;
- Handing out review cards on check out.
- Follow Up emails once check out is complete, thanking guests for their custom.
- When emailing the guest’s final check out the bill to them, have links to both TripAdvisor and your own website for the guest to leave reviews.
Use your reviews as social media content
As you can see from the above stats presented by TripAdvisor, reviews are so important to people when it comes to the time of booking. And link that with how prevalent social media is now a day for both business and personal use. If you promote your reviews on your social media platform, you are not only thanking the guest who left the review publicly, but you are also showcasing your popularity to your future guests.
Respond to reviews, the good bad and ugly
As mentioned above, a high percentage of potential customers will have a more positive impression of a property after reading a negative review if they see the property responding to it. It is more important to respond to the negative reviews but a thank you for your custom and kind words, for good reviews you receive, can go a long way. This shows that you are not just acting in a defensive manner. You are truly committed to engaging with all your customers. And turning a negative comment into a positive returning guest is a skill that will bring you and your property a long way in the hospitality sector.
