In the not-so-distant past, it might have seemed strange that one of your guests would make the decision to stay with you based solely on a recommendation they read online. But with the rise of online review sites like Google, Facebook, TripAdvisor and much more, that is now a reality. In fact, a vast majority of consumers now trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. You could use these reviews to improve your hotel customer satisfaction.
Improve hotel customer satisfaction using review feedback
The internet has revolutionized the way people search for and book rooms. One of the major factors people consider when selecting a hotel is what its overall star rating is. Reviews let potential guests know the ‘truth’ about your business according to people who have stayed with you in the past.
Peer recommendations have always been known to affect people’s decisions and nearly 50% of all travelers will not book a hotel unless reviews are shown. Surprisingly 80% of people trust online reviews written by other customers as much as they trust a recommendation from someone they know personally.
The first indicator of customer satisfaction is the star rating, but going beyond that are the actual reviews themselves. What someone reads on a review can be, and very often is, the deciding factor on whether to stay at your place or not. Actively reading these reviews is vital to your business.
Not only will they help you to know what part of a guest’s experience could be improved, but they will also help you identify possible problem areas and improve the overall guest experience. Be sure to implement any necessary changes promptly. It is important that guests know that the problem has been fixed and will not happen again or that the experience has been improved.
Use negative reviews to your advantage
While checking your reviews, you may see one written by somebody who was having a bad day. This might have nothing to do with your hotel or staff, but it will look bad to other customers and could make you feel uneasy. The good news is that you can use this to your advantage!
Rather than finding a way to just make it go away, use it to demonstrate your amazing customer service. Be sure to respond to the negative review they wrote in a timely manner and offer a solution to fix the problem. In your response, be sure to apologize. It might seem simple, but saying you’re sorry can go a long way toward mending fences.
In your response, recommend taking the conversation offline. This will show your guest and anyone that reads the review that you are doing everything in your power to rectify the situation. In many scenarios like this, we’ve seen the individual go back and edit their review, noting the positive outcome that came out of an initially bad experience.
Meet and exceed expectations
Delivering a top-notch customer experience should be your main focus. Not everyone is going to book a room because of your reviews. Many people make decisions based on price or location, but they can be compelled to leave a review if you exceeded their expectations.
But the opposite is also true. If one of your guests made a reservation based on your hotel’s luxurious reputation, and you didn’t live up to those expectations, you will have an unhappy customer on your hands. One of the most important factors to consider is delivering a consistent experience.
When you do get “organic” google reviews (reviews that come in without prompting), they tend to be from guests that were either very impressed and happy with their stay or just the opposite. The problem with this is that it isn’t truly representative of your business. If people only see five-star ratings, they might not trust the ratings and think it could be rigged. On the other hand, if they only see bad ratings, that’s not good either.
One way to achieve consistent reviews is by using an online review management platform to proactively collect them. This will ensure that reviews are coming in on a more regular basis and more accurately depict your customer experience than if you let them come in on their own.
Hotel Customer Satisfaction FAQs
How Can I Impress My Hotel Guest?
Hotel guests have many choices on where to stay. Impress them with your hotel by adding personal touches like mentioning their names frequently, checking on them during their stay, and sending small gifts and thank you notes. You can get ideas on other ways to impress guests by reading their online reviews and implementing their feedback on how to improve rooms and customer service.
Why Is Guest Satisfaction So Important in Hospitality?
As with any industry, your customers make or break the success of your business. When it comes to hospitality, guest satisfaction is especially important because it determines your reputation and popularity. Satisfied guests will be more likely to write positive online reviews, which will improve your SEO ranking and bring in more guests.
How Can Hotel Facilities Be Improved?
If you’re not sure where to start with improving your hotel, refer to your online reviews. Many guests will give helpful feedback about things they liked and didn’t like about their stay. Another recommendation to improve hotel services is to put out fresh flowers and baskets of small freebies, like snacks, water, and chocolates. Hotel guests also appreciate breakfast on the go, even if it includes just a small basket of muffins or yogurt.
How Do You Make Hotel Guests Feel Special?
Everyone loves to feel special. Enhance the experience for your hotel guests by training your staff to delight guests with every interaction. A smile and eye contact can go a long way in creating a positive feeling.
If you’re still wondering how to improve guest experience in a hotel, you can make guests feel special by using quality linens, towels, and toiletries. Choose lighting that is relaxing, and be sure to keep your hotel well-staffed so no guests go ignored. Consider implementing a rewards program to incentivize guests to stay at your hotel again.
How Can I Make My Hotel Room More Comfortable?
Guests feel most comfortable when they feel understood and listened to. Ask for their feedback before they even arrive by leaving a place for them to add special instructions when they book their stay. You can further improve hotel customer satisfaction by accommodating guests with special needs, including people with babies or disabilities.
How to Keep Guests Satisfied
Hotel guest satisfaction should start before hotel guests even arrive. Make a good first impression by creating a mobile-friendly website and sending automatic emails that make it easy to check in. Once the guest has arrived, be proactive about checking in on them and supplying anything they might need before they have to ask. Thank customers for positive online reviews, and immediately resolve any negative reviews.
Why Is Guest Service Important?
Guest service is the backbone of your business, shaping the way guests feel about your hotel. Even small mishaps during a stay can be outshined by excellent customer service. Happy guests will be more likely to recommend your hotel to their friends, using word of mouth and online reviews. Plus, a hotel that has many positive online reviews will bring in more customers over time.
How Would You Define Customer Satisfaction?
Ultimately, customer satisfaction is the measure of how customers feel about their interaction with any given business. Companies can measure customer satisfaction with surveys, ratings, and online reviews. This information can be used to improve customer experience and satisfaction.
What Is Guest Satisfaction in a Hotel?
Guest hotel customer satisfaction is a measure of how happy customers are with their stay. Online reviews are one of the best ways to gauge guest satisfaction in a hotel. A high rating on a review website indicates that the majority of guests have been satisfied with their hotel experience. Improve guest satisfaction by implementing feedback from online reviews.
Improve the online reputation of your business with RAY
Do you want people to speak well of your brand online? With an adequate strategy you can improve the user experience and with it, the online presence of your business.
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