{"id":12621,"date":"2017-09-19T17:36:34","date_gmt":"2017-09-19T15:36:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mention.com\/blog\/?p=12621\/"},"modified":"2021-09-30T15:03:03","modified_gmt":"2021-09-30T15:03:03","slug":"reputation-management-for-hotels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mention.com\/en\/blog\/reputation-management-for-hotels\/","title":{"rendered":"Reputation Management for Hotels: A Strategic Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Running a hotel is tough. There are so many moving parts: the cleaning, the bar, the restaurant, the customer service – it’s a lot.
\nBut you also need to think about the marketing. Specifically online and on social media.
\nFor most customers, everything they know about your hotel before they book they found online. Even though the hotel itself is physical, its image and reputation are digital<\/strong>. And you need to know how to protect it.
\nIn this post, we’re going to look at the keys to online reputation management<\/a> for hotels. You’ll learn what to watch out for, plus some hands-on strategies to build and protect your hotel’s image.
\nBut first, let’s have a quick refresher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is reputation management?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A whole industry has sprung up to protect companies from public embarrassment and shame. Businesses with bottomless budgets bring in firms to micromanage everything from PR to communications, to scandals:
\n\"scandal
\nWhile a nice luxury, it’s not a reality for most hotels. And frankly, it’s necessary. Your hotel’s reputation is yours<\/em>, and you should be able to manage it without a fancy team of experts<\/strong>.
\nGenerally, we can divide reputation management into two main steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Understanding what’s said about you online<\/li>
  2. Actively improving your hotel’s reputation<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Together, these help to protect your brand against an unexpected crisis, while also strengthening it during the good times.
    \nIn the second half of this post, we’ll see how to do both of these with respect to review sites, social media, and the news. But first, why do we care?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Why is reputation management important for hotels?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    There’s a ton of information available to buyers these days. It doesn’t matter the industry, there are reviews, guides, and walk-through videos to help consumers make decisions. So reputation management is important for most businesses.<\/strong>
    \nBut hotels have a few specific challenges:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Reviews are the norm now<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Unfortunately for travel agents, we don’t rely on expert opinions to book travel anymore. Before the Internet, nobody would have traveled to parts unknown without their trusty Lonely Planet or Rough Guide. And a good review in one of these publications would keep your hotel’s reputation safe for years.
    \nNow, everyone<\/em>‘s reviewing, all the time. Sites like Booking.com, TripAdvisor, and Yelp have made it easy to rate your latest night’s stay. And these reviews are an integral part of the purchase<\/strong>.
    \nBefore, expert reviews were crucial, but they were mostly separate from the customer’s buying process. Today, you read reviews and book your accommodation at the same time.
    \nSo these reviews are a big deal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There’s so much choice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    One happy side effect of these sites (for consumers) is that it’s now simple to find hotels in most places. In fact, it can actually tricky to narrow down<\/em> your selection.
    \nAs a result, your competitors are there for the world to see. And prospective customers won’t hesitate to choose a higher rated – or cheaper – alternative.
    \nWhereas you might have relied on customer loyalty in the past, you now need to keep your reputation in tip top condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Customers trust reviews more than your website<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    This review culture has caught on for a reason: we all assume that businesses bend the truth in their marketing. But other patrons don’t have much reason to lie in a positive review. If they think a hotel is good, it probably is.
    \nAnd sure, some people get disgruntled and leave overly harsh feedback. But the sheer volume of reviews about some hotels makes them easier to believe<\/strong>. One review could be biased. But 400?
    \nPlus choosing a hotel is an important decision. Usually, customers travel to an unknown location and paying serious money<\/strong>. The more information they have (in the form of customer feedback) the better. So naturally they read around before submitting their credit details.
    \nFor these reasons, it’s vital to protect your hotel’s reputation. And while review sites are probably going to be the first place you (and your customers) look, there’s also social media, news, and forums to contend with.
    \nSo let’s look now at how you can take an active role in your online reputation<\/strong>. First to understand what people think of you, and then some practical moves you can make to guard against a negative image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How to protect and improve your hotel’s reputation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Prioritize review sites<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    As discussed, review sites should be your chief concern, especially those that also let the customer book. These include Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, and a constantly evolving roster of alternatives.
    \nYou know that customers make their choices based on these. And compared with other media that affect your reputation, you have a good amount of control over them. And first, you need to know what’s being said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Watch for negative reviews<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    If you’ve built a good name for yourself – and a good star rating to go with it – negative reviews can be particularly harmful. For one, reviews are typically listed in reverse chronological order (newest first). So when a harsh review is fresh, it’s also easy to find.
    \nIt’s important to keep a close eye out for particularly negative reviews. the sooner you find them, the better your chances of improving the rating (more on this in a moment).
    \nMake sure you use a reputation management tool<\/a> that will watch review sites for you, then be ready to pounce when negative comments are posted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Respond quickly to the bad ones<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    It’s never nice when someone slams your business in public. A few seconds for them can turn into an ongoing headache for you and your team. And the reviewer either doesn’t care, or actually wants to cause you harm.
    \nWhile it’s tempting to return fire, there are actually     positive things you can<\/a> do improve the worst reviews. And it starts with<\/strong> a quick reponse<\/strong>.
    \n    Brand reputation experts Reputology<\/a> say that response time is one of the most important factors in improving a bad review. Customers want to feel heard – especially the angry ones – and sometimes a friendly message is all it takes. But it needs to be timely, otherwise they’re never going to change their review.
    \nAnd trust me, they do change them.     Reputology<\/a> CEO Jack Yu reports that many of the company’s clients have found success with swift replies to angry reviews.
    \nThe key here is to show that you care about the customer’s feedback<\/strong>. If they complain about the cleanliness of the room, ask them for more details and attempt to look into it. If they didn’t like the food, take their advice and make changes.
    \nProve that your customers’ feelings matter to you, and you’ll keep those customers happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Encourage happy guests to leave reviews<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Here’s another positive step you can take to improve your reputation. If done respectfully, there’s nothing wrong with actually asking for reviews. It works in ecommerce<\/a>, and it works for hotels too.
    \nThe key is to explain how much a review would mean to you<\/strong>.When the customer feels they got to know you during their stay, a few moments to post a review isn’t really a burden. This works especially well for boutique hotels and B&Bs with a personal touch.
    \nSome businesses offer something small in return for a review<\/strong>. In your case, this could be a cup of coffee or a drink at the bar. But in most cases, it’s the personal ask that makes the difference. Empower your concierge or desk manager to ask politely for reviews, especially when they know the customer has enjoyed their stay.
    \nTo sum up<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n