Hospitality providers on Tripadvisor are passionate about their businesses and customers. So, a bad review can often be discouraging. But even the highest rated properties on Tripadvisor get bad reviews now and then. Brian Payea, Head of Tripadvisor Industry Relations, says, “What makes those properties great is how they incorporate the feedback to make the experience for the next guest even better.”
Here are three steps you can take after a bad review has come in:
1. Review what’s happened.
You’ve just finished reading a bad review. Take a deep breath. If needed, walk away for five minutes. Then look at the review impersonally with your team. What was the core problem that your guest experienced? Is this the first time you’ve seen this feedback, or is a trend developing? Getting the background can help you identify the root cause of any problem.
2. Incorporate the feedback.
Once you have some background, strategize with your staff on specific improvements that need to be made. Come up with an action plan for what your property will do and which team member will take the lead. If the issue is something you can’t fix, consider how to better-set expectations for guests, perhaps with updates to your website. Either way, be sure to monitor future reviews to make sure the same problems don’t come up again.
3. Complete a Management Response.
Write Management Responses to bad reviews as soon as possible. Your response explains the review to other potential guests on your property page. Be sure to share details of the action plan you’ve developed in your response. And don’t underestimate the power of a sincere apology. The most important thing your response should do is to answer unknown questions for future guests that the original review implied.
If necessary, submit a concern.
There are three circumstances where a review may be removed from your listing:
If the review doesn’t meet one of the circumstances above, it won’t be removed. Also, Tripadvisor won’t arbitrate or referee factual disputes between parties. Click here for more information.
To submit a concern about a review, go to the “Reviews” tab in the Management Center. Click the link under “Report a Review” and complete the form on the following page. This process can take up to two business days, and there is no guarantee that the review will be removed. That’s why it’s important to submit a Management Response with your perspective as quickly as possible for other potential guests to read.
