Do 1- And 2-Star Guests Expect Too Much And Complain Too Much On TripAdvisor?

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What happens when your hotel or motel gets too many unfavorable reviews on sites

Hotel Marketing Dominator always focused on distinction in the marketplace. To do that the Hotel, Motel, or B&B must always be customer-focused to achieve the very best results in the local marketplace. Do not merely compete, but distinguish your facility by providing a much better experience. Always engage your social media contacts whether good or bad.
Sometimes 1- & 2-Star Hotels Get Some of the Poorest Comments.

like TripAdvisor?

You may wish you did not have a TripAdvisor Business Account.  You may want to simply delete it.

You can’t delete your TripAdvisor Business Account.
You can’t even delete comments, no matter how untrue or abusive.

This may occur and you know your facility and personnel deliver much better service than some of the reviews suggest.  You may even know that the guest has exaggerated some of the facts in the event.

Or you may have difficulty getting the time to maintain interaction with all your commenters.

First of all, ALWAYS maintain an excellent interaction with your commenters.  It is an essential part of excellent customer service–an essential part of your distinction!  It will pay off in future bookings and referrals.  Thank them for their favorable comments and send well-wishes.

Next, if you have a negative comment, GET IT OFFLINE as soon as possible!  Instead of discussing it online offering explanations, excuses, etc., get it offline.  In your response, express your genuine concern and give them a personal phone number to call you so you can do all you can to correct the issue.

Furthermore, your quick response to a negative comment with a special phone number to correct the issue will let other visitors see you really do care about the complaining customer’s problem.

By all means, do not give them your personal phone number.  I would suggest you not even give them an official hotel phone number.  There is a better solution.  You can get tracking phone numbers in any area code including “toll-free” numbers.

These are numbers you can re-direct to your personal cell phone.  Use one of the services that provide a “whisper campaign.”  This gives you a warning, such as, “A call from TripAdvisor complaint,” before it actually connects the caller.  There are several good companies with differing plans and prices depending on what you need.

Then, you will need to work on your reputation management.  Here is what the Travel Media Group suggests:

How can you improve your online reviews?

  1. Listen.
    Read the negative reviews and really consider what you can do to make future stays better – then do it.
  2. Respond.
    Every review deserves a response. Don’t be defensive, and own up to any mistakes you really made. Apologize when necessary and tell the reviewer the actions you will take to fix what’s wrong.
  3. Ask.
    While you’re having a positive interaction with a guest, don’t be shy about asking them to review your hotel online. Send emails to past guests asking them to review their stay. Ask unhappy guests what you could have done better – and repeat the cycle again.

Remember, though, you should never ignore your guests’ interactions with you . . . not if they are bad reviews and especially not if they are good ones!

Here is to your facility being the dominant hotel business in your marketplace!

May you have a wonderfully profitable business!
Your Hotel Marketing Dominator Team
Robbie Meek and Paul Elliott

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