HOTELMARKETING.COM recently published an article by Daniel Edward Craig, a hotel consultant, entitled “The Guest is always right, and why it sometimes pays not to respond to guest reviews.”  This article clearly has relevance to Bed and Breakfast Inns as well.  Craig’s premise is that word of mouth reviews from guests have “. . . been usurped by word of mouse.”  On-line reviews can inflict much more damage to the reputation of a business, especially a lodging establishment.  So let’s explore this in more detail to see whether the guest really is always right and what management of Inns and other lodging establishments should do about it.

First, we should define the issue more clearly.  Social Media such as Twitter and Facebook, and on-line review sites like TripAdvisor, Yelp, and IgoUgo, all have the ability to post on-line reviews or comments about a Bed and Breakfast or other lodging establishment.  We used to say that an unhappy guest will tell, on average, ten friends about a bad experience at an Inn.  Now, with the advent of these review sites, the potential is for damaging information to spread to  thousands or more people, and these negative reviews just never go away.  Once posted, they are always somewhere on the Web to be seen and impact peoples’ choices of where to travel.  This is a mighty sword, and unfortunately people with a grudge tend to use this indiscriminately.

Craig’s article questions whether it is always appropriate for hotels to use the manager’s comment provisions of these websites to respond to unfavorable comments.  Often, as he states, “. . . managers . . . come across as defensive or pompous, occasionally borderline illiterate. . . .”  He goes on to state that hotels may be better off just staying silent, hoping that “Travelers are smart enough to read between the lines, and there’s a good chance that the hotel’s fans will spring to its defense.”  His conclusion, however, is very important.  “It’s time we took a more active role in the dialogue.  The potential for generating awareness and driving business is far too great to ignore.”

Reputation Management is a key element in this whole new world of Social Media Marketing.  You need to be a part of the dialogue or else it will go on without you, and, perhaps, to your detriment.  First, you need to be aware of what people are saying about you, and define the tone or “voice” of your response to criticism.  In fact, this should be looked at as a real opportunity to communicate with your guests and really improve your performance.  The people who look at these reviews will understand the difference between an over-the-top rant and a truly honest critique of your performance.  Social Media is all about two-way conversations and trust.  You need to respond promptly to criticism and manage your on-line reputation.

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