At The Reputation Lab, when a new hotel or restaurant partners with our agency, one of the first things we do in that engagement is host a training class with those associates within the business who engage and connect with guests most frequently.
These dynamic Guest Engagement workshops are always rewarding for our team as we enjoy learning how Guest Reception colleagues, Servers, Bartenders, and Bellmen view earning positive feedback online and the coveted, “5-star review”.
What Does It Take to Earn Positive Feedback Online?
We were in a training session earlier this month and we asked the group where their hotel fell on the TripAdvisor Popularity Index and why they felt that their hotel didn’t rank higher.
The response was intriguing. We learned that there was a perception amongst this particular team that only luxury hotels could occupy the top rankings on TripAdvisor and because the hotel in question perhaps didn’t have the most brass and marble in the city, it would be impossible to achieve higher placement.
This led to a conversation about how a traveler assigns positive feedback online. Does the guest who is staying in a limited-service hotel score the property poorly because there was not a spa, a concierge, a marble bath, or valet parking? Reviews, scores, and rankings show that’s just not the case.
The consumer who stays at a limited-service hotel has a set of expectations which might include complimentary WiFi, free parking, a comfortable room, and in-room coffee, while the guest who has checked into a luxury hotel might expect a five-piece bath, in-room technology, innovative cuisine and a refined approach to service. How each hotel executes and exceeds the expectations of each guest will be indicative of whether or not that hotel receives positive feedback online.
With that in mind, if the limited-service hotel is consistent in exceeding guest expectations, that hotel can easily earn countless five-star reviews, enabling them to earn premium placement in the Popularity Index for their city. Conversely, if the luxury hotel is not as consistent, they may find their hotel slipping in ranking, despite all the amenities and innovative design.
Positive Review Response Examples
Responding to positive reviews is easy and fun! For example, if a guest praises your hotel’s friendly staff and clean rooms, you can reply with something like, “Thank you for your kind words! We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed our friendly staff and clean rooms. We hope to welcome you back soon!” By thanking guests and showing genuine appreciation, you encourage more positive feedback and build a strong online reputation. For more tips, visit The Reputation Lab. We offer negative and positive review response examples for you to look at.
5-Stars is Always in Reach
After a healthy discussion and a look at some limited-service hotels that score highly in various markets, our team members came to understand that despite their hotel perhaps not being the newest product in the market, they can earn more positive feedback online and premium placement by simply anticipating guest needs and exceeding their expectations on a consistent basis. We were thrilled to see the hotel earn six Five-Star reviews in a row in the days that followed our workshop and those results, coupled with the gain in ranking have served as a tremendous motivation to the team.
At The Reputation Lab, we work with hotels and restaurants to facilitate a reputation management strategy aimed at increasing online visibility, engaging your customers, and converting more shoppers to future guests and revenue producers. If you are interested in learning how a reputation management strategy can benefit your business, we invite you to email us via our secure contact form to set up a no pressure consultation or call us at 855-979-6800.
