A loud guest standing in your foyer vociferously berating your services and accommodation would send you into crisis management mode faster than an F16 on take-off…
Your immediate response would be to offer recompense, a free meal or overlooking the mini-bar bill, as a means to urgently diffuse the situation. This is called reputation management and dealing with irate, or overtly pleased guests is no different in face value than it is in the digital world.
Reputation management is essential for any business, and hotels require particularly skilled social media staff or digital management tools to keep their online reputations in check. The hospitality industry plus social media, equals plenty of opportunities for clients to loudly voice their dissatisfaction, and then advertise it to all and sundry across the world, in a matter of minutes. This is not ideal if you think of millions of people hearing that shout, compared to five or ten walking through your reception area. However, this is ideal if you have guests proclaiming your hotel as the mecca of accommodation and all-round hospitality services.
You may not fully grasp the importance of social media in brand building, but when companies are hiring specialists to monitor and update their profiles, and deal with online feedback, then you must be able to gauge the importance of managing your online reputation. Here are a few simple tips to opening your digital hotel doors to constructive feedback, and growing your brand:
1. Only send happy guests on their way
This may be obvious, but an unhappy guest could mean a potential online reputation management nightmare, which is why you need to deal with their gripe immediately. When a guest is leaving, enquire if anything was not to their liking and if so, offer a suitable recompense.
If they are happy, then encourage them to rate your service through online reviews (Yelp or Google My Business – Please sign up for these!). Either way, you’re going to get constructive criticism or a good review, not an irate and unsatisfied customer.
2. Social platforms
Start with one social network; it’s easier to maintain and manage. Not being able to effectively manage your social space can have a seriously negative effect on your online reputation.
The social media platform does not offer room for anything less than almost-immediate responses to constructive feedback and crisis management, which – when left unchecked – can certainly hurt your reputation.
3. Deal with reviews
Deal with negative reviews efficiently by apologising and expressing positivity in dealing with the situation, and if a guest’s stay was not what they expected, offer a discount on their next stay as a means to draw them back in, giving them premium service, and changing their minds about your establishment.
When receiving a positive review always thank the client. Never assume that clients won’t be phased about you acknowledging the time they took to give your brand a boost.
4. Think first
It’s very easy to go out guns blazing when it comes to a negative and unnecessarily unjust review, but you have to remember that being combative only serves to exacerbate the situation and give your hotel a bad reputation.
5. Use correct grammar
Falling into the online vernacular trap does nothing for your hotel’s reputation. Always be professional, use correct language, spelling and grammar and avoid acronyms such as: LOL, or GR8. This lingo is off-putting and not used by serious businesses.
6. Providing solutions
If anyone has given your hotel a bad review, don’t get into an online debate with them and don’t offer a discount or a suite for their next visit through the online source. Invite your guest to the hotel to discuss the solutions and what you can offer him/her. This shows professionalism and your client will appreciate the effort.
7. Social media manager
As much as you may want to be the person to smooth the wrinkles and be the architect of your hotel’s online reputation management, even you know a hotel manager struggles to find time to breath, let alone update social media profiles.
Nominate someone who can take care of your online reputation, when you are unable to manage it. Someone else who can set the guidelines, retain the brand image, make decisions regarding client assistance and discounts, and walk in your shoes when you are unable to.
8. On a personal note
A good hotelier makes a point of remembering guests. What they like, their nuances and eccentricities. When dealing with these guests online, it’s easy to make them feel important when you remember their likes and dislikes, and from this you can gauge how best to approach them if their review is negative. Insights have always served to assist hoteliers across the world in providing clients with exceptional, personalised services, whether it be in person or online.
Dealing with online guests is no different to dealing with clients standing at your front desk; you wouldn’t ignore them, so don’t ignore your online clients, the results can often be worse for your reputation. Social media is the equivalent of your clients standing and shouting about your great or terrible service, and thousands can hear it.
Don’t ever assume only a few people can hear an unhappy or happy guest. Your social profiles are there for you to constructively deal with crucial matters that affect your reputation. Due to the nature of the digital world and social networks, business reputations can be greatly affected in no time, thanks to the speed at which customer dissatisfaction travels. On the other hand, great reviews also travel quickly, so how you’re going to deal with your online reputation management is all up to you.
About the Author
Bradley Rowe is a freelance writer for numerous trade publications in Perth Australia. Credit goes to the team at Indian Ocean for their insights into running a hotel that values their customers.
