Reviews: what motel owners need to know

AccomNews Sunday, April 17, 2016

0 4 minutes read

A discussion we are having with motel owners and managers more and more of late is the anxiety being felt whenever internet review sites enter their thoughts.

With the rapidly evolving way that consumers are researching, booking and even voicing their opinions, it is imperative for moteliers to adapt to the new digital age they find themselves operating in.

Arguably, the most influential platform in this arena is TripAdvisor, with its global reach and sheer volume of content (the site boasts over 320 million reviews), it is almost guaranteed to rank among the top results when a person does a search either for your property individually or for accommodation generally in your area. So how can you maximise your presence on this site and what can you do when you do inevitably receive a less than glowing review?

1. Take ownership of your listing

Whether you like it or loathe it, it is in your best interest to work within the TripAdvisor platform rather than to just ignore its existence. It can be a powerful marketing tool for a motel business if used correctly and taken advantage of. If you don’t already utilise the site, there are easy guides to follow to claim your business and to start controlling at least some of the content that is uploaded. Studies show that visitors are more likely to interact with a property that has a number of good quality photos that show the actual property, its rooms and its facilities. Give as much relevant detail as you can and highlight the positives of your motel, its location, surrounding attractions, etc., and try to avoid ‘art’ type shots that don’t showcase actual aspects of your property.

2. Be proactive

Monitor your account and your reviews regularly, if you spend a few moments each day checking your account, it shouldn’t take up a great deal of time. Respond to feedback where you feel it is warranted or beneficial, you don’t need to reply to every single review; however, if there is a chance to use a comment to further expand on your attributes, then it is an excellent way to get that out into the public arena. An example would be if a guest complimented a nicely refurbished room, you could respond by thanking them for their kind words and then elaborate by going on to say you’ve just undergone a complete refurbishment and you are glad that they appreciated the end result. People reading the review would then be able to see that you’ve recently put some work into the property. Use the opportunity to promote yourself to a wide audience for free. Your interaction with users on the site will also show potential guests that they will receive friendly, accommodating service if they book with you.

3. Take note of what is being said

It is easy to dismiss one or two bad reviews as disgruntled customers who write gratuitous reviews for their own satisfaction. However, if you are seeing similar threads of negative – and positive – feedback, then you should absolutely take notice. Address the negative feedback by looking at the points that are being raised, seeing if it is something that you can remedy and then tackle the issues head-on. You ignore negative feedback at your own peril, if guests are seeing the same problems being pointed out time and time again without response then they’re left with the notion that the operator either doesn’t care or can’t be bothered. You can also use the positive feedback to your advantage. You know what you are doing right and you can then emphasise these attributes. This type of feedback is an excellent way for you to gauge what your guests like and don’t like about your property and gives you the opportunity to work on both.

4. Deal with bad reviews

It is a terrible feeling to be giving your guests the best you have to offer, only to receive a poor review from a faceless visitor from the other side of a computer monitor. Before you engage in keyboard warfare, take a breath, conduct some research to gauge the authenticity of their review and have all your information to hand before you respond. If you need time to do this then by all means, respond to the complainant in a kind and professional manner something along the lines of: “Thank you for taking the time to review our property and we are sorry your experience didn’t meet your expectations. We are looking into your stay with us and would appreciate the chance to talk to you personally about your review to see if we can resolve the situation for you.”

This shows that you are concerned about your guests and are willing to address issues within your property and to do so in a professional manner. If you feel that the complaint is not legitimate, you can request that TripAdvisor investigate the complaint and ultimately remove it if it is proved to be unfounded. If the complaint is legitimate, own it, explain it and find a way to fix it. Use a balanced response that re-sells your property and don’t be dismissive. Readers appreciate honesty and are willing to overlook small property indiscretions in return for excellent customer service. If they can see that the majority of your reviews are good and that you address the ones that are not so good, then they are more likely to dismiss any bad reviews as disgruntled waffle. Always remember that your response is also a review of your service.

Many aspects of the accommodation industry have evolved quickly over the past decade, but none so much as the way that travellers now research, book and give their opinions about their experiences. The way that moteliers adapt to these changes will be one of the defining factors in success or failure.

A commitment to excellent customer service and quality offerings is always going to be the biggest way one can influence bookings. The ability to see that in this new technologically driven world, reflecting the same quality of service in all of your online dealings is equally important, will allow you to take the most advantage of the marketing tools these platforms offer. Remember, guests not only write reviews – they also read them!