Customer reviews can become one of the best and most effective marketing tools you have. Making the decision to invite and encourage guests to review your property is the first step, and there are a number of reasons you should consider it.
What’s good about reviews?
- They build trust: Reviews provide verification to future guests that what you say on your website or in your adverts is true. It is easy for owners and managers to say that the property is within walking distance of the nearest town, or that the cottage is immaculate, but guests are more likely to believe such claims if they are backed up with reviews.
- Market research: You might think you know what your guests want, but you won’t know for sure unless you get feedback. What do your guests really think about your self-catering accommodation? What do you do well and what could be better? What areas need investing in more? Do you provide enough local information or instructions about how to use equipment you provide. Is there something that you hadn’t thought was important that arises as being a main concern? Trends change, time never stands still and what is acceptable and expected now is likely to be different this time next year. Stay one step ahead by inviting ongoing feedback, and act on it.
- Help your business grow: Reviews enable you to identify key areas to be improved. It might be that you planned to invest in a new kitchen next year whereas what your guests would really appreciate is free WiFi and new flooring. Listening to feedback and then putting together a carefully planned maintenance schedule will ensure that you invest in the areas that really matter to improve guest satisfaction, which in turn helps secure you more bookings.
- Manage your online reputation: Your guests will very likely comment about their holiday experience online in one form or another, whether you get involved or not. Social media, review sites and chat forums have pretty much replaced what was once a conversation held privately amongst friends. Inviting your guests to leave a review on a site that you actively monitor gives you the chance to get involved and have your say. Thank people for their feedback, respond to any issues raised, explain any projects in the pipeline, discuss your plan of action to make the experience of staying at your property even better. Engaging with your guests show that you value their opinion, you care about their experience, excellent customer service is important to you, and that you really do want to provide the very best accommodation you can.
- Good publicity: Word of mouth recommendations are the best form of publicity out there. Make use of it. Share reviews on your website, post them on your social media platforms, if you print a brochure include a reviews section, use quotes in any adverts you run. Encouraging reviews, responding to them, and then acting on them affects the way you are portrayed. It shows your integrity and that you can be trusted. Good publicity not only influences future guests, it is incredibly motivational for you and your staff (if you have them) as well.
… and what’s bad about them?
- Are they genuine? Sometimes the authenticity of guest reviews are questioned. The media has certainly featured a few articles about people who have never even stayed at a property posting bad reviews. It adds to the perception of review sites being easily corruptible and untrustworthy, and brings an element of risk to properties being reviewed.
- Fear of losing control: Feedback from chat forums reveal that a main concern self-caterers have about review sites is they can leave owners and managers feeling helpless. What can they do if a fake review is posted? They have no control over what is said. This concern puts many owners and managers of self-catering accommodation off getting involved with reviews.
The way forward
The truth is you can’t ignore reviews – they will happen whether you engage in them or not. Ignoring reviews doesn’t make them go away, so it makes sense to get involved. The benefits outnumber the negatives.
What is needed is an accommodation review site that can genuinely verify the reviews that are posted so the integrity of each and every review submitted is assured. UpFront Reviews (available exclusively to owners and agencies that use SuperControl booking & management system) does just that.
