Effective Strategies For Increasing Positive Guest Reviews
No matter what one might say, first impressions do count. As early as 2014, a TripAdvisor survey[1] reported that hotel-goers read between 6 to 12 reviews before deciding on a hotel. Moreover, the same report suggested that 96 per cent of potential hotel guests consider reviews as a pivotal aspect when researching where to stay.
The inevitable fact is that positive guest reviews are a core aspect of a hotel’s digital image, often acting as the critical first point of contact between the brand and potential guests. As consumers become more savvy, they want to look beyond the picture-perfect image organisations paint and find out what real customers think of the experience.
The question for hotel companies then becomes this: How can you attract more customers to leave reviews, and how do you ensure that they are positive? To answer these questions, we share three tried and tested strategies to boost your customer review ratings;
1. Adopting technology to facilitate guest experiences
The key to boosting positive guest reviews lies in the trifecta of a good product, excellent service, and distinctive personal touch. Even with fantastic hotel facilities and thoughtfully furnished rooms, it cannot compensate for poor service encounters. Thus, it would be best for all hotel service staff to remember: Guests want to feel heard – and heard on time.
One tool that has seen an uptrend in recent years is the digitalisation and automation of routine hotel service processes, which can help cut down waiting times and react to customer requests more promptly. Vouch’s app-less guest experience platform is an example of this, which serves as a one-stop portal for hotel self check-in, multilingual digital concierge services, as well as hotel facilities management and a contactless dining ordering system.
2. Improving employee management makes for happier guests
A study by the University of Warwick[2] revealed that happy employees were approximately 12 per cent more productive compared to peers who were less optimistic. Employees who are overworked or inundated with mundane requests can often feel overwhelmed and consistently perform at a sub-par level – a problem that up to 3 in 4 companies struggle with, according to Deloitte’s human capital trends survey[3]. In fact, employee satisfaction is even more critical in customer-facing, service-oriented industries such as hospitality.
This is where the use of digital technology to streamline the management of routine, day-to-day tasks can be automated. Taking Vouch’s automated room request service as an example, this service allows guests to make requests at their convenience at any hour of the day, mitigating missed housekeeping calls. The reduced need to perform the routine task of picking up calls frees up service staff’s time and attention, contributing to more productive workers who are able to do more meaningful tasks to meet the needs of hotel guests.
3. Popping the question at the right time
Contrary to popular belief, asking for reviews right at the end of the stay may not be the best way to go – especially if that is the first and only time you are asking for your guest’s feedback. Instead, making customer satisfaction surveys easily accessible throughout the guest’s stay is a better way to monitor guest satisfaction levels. This way, if anything is amiss, there is still time to perform service recovery and aim for a positive review by the end of their stay.
Hoteliers can further maximise their hit rate of positive reviews with an easy technique: Make it easier for guests to hop straight over to platforms like TripAdvisor or Google by providing a web link right after they have submitted their positive feedback on internal channels.
Conclusion
Attracting positive reviews is an art that needs to be mastered, and it seems like digital technology has the potential to play a big part in not just creating a positively memorable hotel experience but also in encouraging more guests to leave glowing reviews.
If you are not already milking the advantages of digital technology in your hotel service workflow, it is time to explore this option today. Share with us your goals for your hotel, and let us see how Vouch can help you achieve them! Alternatively, contact us to learn more about Vouch and our resources.
References
[1] 24 insights to shape your Tripadvisor strategy. Tripadvisor. (2018, January 27). Retrieved from https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/TripAdvisorInsights/w710
[2] Oswald, A. J., Pronto, E., & Sgroi, D. (2015). Happiness and Productivity. Journal of Labour Economics, 33(4), 789-822
[3] The overwhelmed employee: Simplify the work environment. Deloitte. (2014, October 31). Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/gr/en/pages/human-capital/articles/overwhelmed-employee.html
Effective Strategies For Increasing Positive Guest Reviews
No matter what one might say, first impressions do count. As early as 2014, a TripAdvisor survey[1] reported that hotel-goers read between 6 to 12 reviews before deciding on a hotel. Moreover, the same report suggested that 96 per cent of potential hotel guests consider reviews as a pivotal aspect when researching where to stay.
The inevitable fact is that positive guest reviews are a core aspect of a hotel’s digital image, often acting as the critical first point of contact between the brand and potential guests. As consumers become more savvy, they want to look beyond the picture-perfect image organisations paint and find out what real customers think of the experience.
The question for hotel companies then becomes this: How can you attract more customers to leave reviews, and how do you ensure that they are positive? To answer these questions, we share three tried and tested strategies to boost your customer review ratings;
1. Adopting technology to facilitate guest experiences
The key to boosting positive guest reviews lies in the trifecta of a good product, excellent service, and distinctive personal touch. Even with fantastic hotel facilities and thoughtfully furnished rooms, it cannot compensate for poor service encounters. Thus, it would be best for all hotel service staff to remember: Guests want to feel heard – and heard on time.
One tool that has seen an uptrend in recent years is the digitalisation and automation of routine hotel service processes, which can help cut down waiting times and react to customer requests more promptly. Vouch’s app-less guest experience platform is an example of this, which serves as a one-stop portal for hotel self check-in, multilingual digital concierge services, as well as hotel facilities management and a contactless dining ordering system.
2. Improving employee management makes for happier guests
A study by the University of Warwick[2] revealed that happy employees were approximately 12 per cent more productive compared to peers who were less optimistic. Employees who are overworked or inundated with mundane requests can often feel overwhelmed and consistently perform at a sub-par level – a problem that up to 3 in 4 companies struggle with, according to Deloitte’s human capital trends survey[3]. In fact, employee satisfaction is even more critical in customer-facing, service-oriented industries such as hospitality.
This is where the use of digital technology to streamline the management of routine, day-to-day tasks can be automated. Taking Vouch’s automated room request service as an example, this service allows guests to make requests at their convenience at any hour of the day, mitigating missed housekeeping calls. The reduced need to perform the routine task of picking up calls frees up service staff’s time and attention, contributing to more productive workers who are able to do more meaningful tasks to meet the needs of hotel guests.
3. Popping the question at the right time
Contrary to popular belief, asking for reviews right at the end of the stay may not be the best way to go – especially if that is the first and only time you are asking for your guest’s feedback. Instead, making customer satisfaction surveys easily accessible throughout the guest’s stay is a better way to monitor guest satisfaction levels. This way, if anything is amiss, there is still time to perform service recovery and aim for a positive review by the end of their stay.
Hoteliers can further maximise their hit rate of positive reviews with an easy technique: Make it easier for guests to hop straight over to platforms like TripAdvisor or Google by providing a web link right after they have submitted their positive feedback on internal channels.
Conclusion
Attracting positive reviews is an art that needs to be mastered, and it seems like digital technology has the potential to play a big part in not just creating a positively memorable hotel experience but also in encouraging more guests to leave glowing reviews.
If you are not already milking the advantages of digital technology in your hotel service workflow, it is time to explore this option today. Share with us your goals for your hotel, and let us see how Vouch can help you achieve them! Alternatively, contact us to learn more about Vouch and our resources.
References
[1] 24 insights to shape your Tripadvisor strategy. Tripadvisor. (2018, January 27). Retrieved from https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/TripAdvisorInsights/w710
[2] Oswald, A. J., Pronto, E., & Sgroi, D. (2015). Happiness and Productivity. Journal of Labour Economics, 33(4), 789-822
[3] The overwhelmed employee: Simplify the work environment. Deloitte. (2014, October 31). Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/gr/en/pages/human-capital/articles/overwhelmed-employee.html