In the age of digitalisation and the growing role of opinion portals, online reputation management has become one of the key elements of running a successful accommodation establishment. Guest reviews published on sites such as Booking.com, Google, TripAdvisor or Facebook have a direct impact on the decisions of potential customers. Therefore, proper monitoring and proactive response to reviews becomes not only an image issue, but also a sales issue.
Why does online reputation matter so much?
- Feedback builds trust - As many as 93% travellers read online reviews before booking (TrustYou data).
- Impact on ranking in search engines and OTAs - Sites with better ratings often appear higher in search results.
Where to monitor opinions?
- Booking portals - Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia
- Maps and search engines - Google Maps, Google Business Profile
- Social media - Facebook, Instagram, TikTok
- Opinion portals - TripAdvisor, Yelp
- Own website - contact forms and live chats
Strategies for effective opinion management
1. Daily monitoring
- Use opinion aggregation tools such as TrustYou, ReviewPro or Google Alerts.
- Designate a person responsible for reading and analysing feedback.
2. Responding to positive and negative feedback
- Always thank them for their positive feedback and refer to the details of their stay.
- In the case of negative feedback: remain calm, apologise, explain the situation and offer compensation if justified.
3. Gathering opinions actively
- Send automatic messages with a request for a post-stay evaluation (possible, for example, from the system's PMS).
4. Analysis of feedback and implementation of changes
- Create reports of the most frequent comments.
- Hold team meetings to discuss negative and positive signals.
- Respond with real actions, e.g. improved cleanliness, change of service provider, etc.
Example of a negative response:
"Thank you for your feedback and we are sorry that the stay did not meet expectations. Every suggestion is valuable to us and we have passed on the comments to the cleaning team and implemented additional checks. We hope to be able to host you again in the future and prove that the quality of our service is a priority for us."
Summary
Well-run communication, openness to feedback and a willingness to change are key to success in building a lasting relationship with guests and gaining new bookings. In a world where 'first impressions' are often made online, it's worth making sure it's as good as possible.
