The Revinate Blog

Great new data about reviews and their importance

HotelNewsNow just published a great article with some exciting new stats from PhoCusWright about the importance of online reviews on OTA's. For example:

• According to a PhoCusWright study of 27,000 U.S. hotels comprising 65 major brands, two out of every three online traveler reviews were posted to an OTA. The remaining third, or 34%, were posted to a travel review site like TripAdvisor. (Of the reviews that Revinate monitors, we see 27.5% on TripAdvisor. See our distribution here.)
  
• Roughly 7% of unique visitors to any major OTA complete a booking within the same month. Of those who click through to read a full review, that percentage bumps up to 13%.
• Facebook, foursquare and Twitter helped the number of U.S. online travel reviews grow from roughly 880,000 in 2008 to nearly 1.1 million in 2010, according to PhoCusWright.
• Anywhere from 10,000 to 25,000 U.S consumers went to book a hotel room immediately after visiting a social review site like TripAdvisor from 2008 to 2010. Facebook dwarfed that count, sending upwards to half a million referrals during 2009 and 2010.

So what does this mean for hoteliers? For one thing, remember that you should be monitoring your reviews across the entire Web, not just on TripAdvisor. Revinate clients can use the reviews overview report to see which reviews sites and OTAs have a lot of reviews for your property, and which ones don't. Don't forget to see where your competitors are getting their reviews from and if you don't have fresh content on those OTAs, it's time to start encouraging your guests to write reviews.

With Facebook driving so many referrals, make sure you get your guests talking when they're on site. On a recent trip to Texas I was the recipient of a great amenity and I immediately turned to my social networks to share the news.   The post I shared with my friends is on the left. While proving an amenity to each and every guest isn't realistic, watch your Twitter activity to see who is tweeting while on site. These people are prime targets for surprise and delight since they're active sharers and will likely tell their networks about any extraordinary experiences on site.

Read the whole HotelNewsNow article here.

Distribution of Reviews

Revinate customers can click on the Reviews Overview Report to see where their reviews are coming from for any particular time period. I often get asked to look at a customer's chart to see whether it's 'normal' or not. While the chart will differ greatly from client to client depending on the OTAs that they work with as well as the markets that they are in, I wanted to provide a better answer as to the norm.

So a few weeks ago I asked our engineers to dive into our data to look at the distributions of all the reviews for the thousands of hotels that we monitor. Here's what we found:

27.5% come from TripAdvisor

18.25% come from Hotels.com

18.02% come from Priceline

10.11% come from Expedia

6.6% come from Orbitz

5.73% come from Booking.com

And the other review sites each have less than 5% share.

Please note that these numbers were run before we expanded our coverage to include large Asia Pacific and European review sources.

Management Response Rates

As you know, many online review sites and OTAs now allow managers to respond to reviews. If you follow this blog regularly, or are a Revinate customer, you know that we highly recommend that hotels take advantage of management responses as it's a great way to show customers that you are listening for feedback and that you care about the guest experience. But how many are responding to reviews? In April, TripAdvisor said that 7% of hotels across the world were responding to reviews.

We wanted to know if the hotels we track are doing any better so we looked at the thousands of hotels that we monitor to uncover these stats:

Over the last three months, 42.2% of hotels have responded to a TripAdvisor review.

Over the last three months, 4.3% of hotels have responded to an Expedia review.

Over the last three months, 3% of hotels have responded to a hotel.com review.

Over the last three months, 5.8% of hotels have responded to a Yelp review.

 

Online Review Clinic - Recording Available

Daniel Edward Craig and I held our July Online Review Clinic this morning. Hoteliers from all over the world joined the live Webinar to hear tips for responding to reviews and critiques of management responses that were submitted in advance.

If you missed the event, you can watch a recording, below, or download a PDF of the slides here.

As always, we would love your feedback and ideas for future webinars.

3rd Party Reviews Removed from Google Maps and Google Places

Interesting article and comments this morning on Tnooz about Google removing third party hotel reviews from its prominent place on Maps and Places products. Before, when you went to Google Maps or Places, you would be able to see TripAdvisor, Yelp and other 3rd party reviews. Now they're gone. In their place, just reviews written on Google's own platform by people with a Google ID.

Of the changes, the Google Lat Long Blog says, "Rating and review counts reflect only those that’ve been written by fellow Google users, and as part of our continued commitment to helping you find what you want on the web, we’re continuing to provide links to other review sites so you can get a comprehensive view of locations across the globe." The 3rd party reviews can be accessed by scrolling down the page, where plain text links allow you to see reviews from around the world on TripAdvisor, TravelPod and Booking.com, in Hotel Rex's case.

I am seeing a little bit of an outcry from hoteliers because, like TripAdvisor, reviews on Google's platform aren't verified at all. All you have to do is click "write a review," share your thoughts, and your review is published immediately.

Otherwise, most people see it as a sign that Google is looking to create a robust platform, driven by user generated content, and helpful because it knows who you are and who your friends are, thanks to the recently released Google+. Looking forward to seeing how this all plays out.

 

How Much Detail Should You Provide in Responses?

One piece of advice that both Daniel Edward Craig and I give when providing advice to hoteliers about responding to reviews is to keep it brief. While guests might write a mini-tome about their experience at your hotel, you don't have to match them word for word. Your response should send the message that you appreciate the guest's stay, you take guest feedback very seriously and you use it to improve your operations, and that you're sorry if you let the guest down.

Here's an example of an incredibly long review that was posted to TripAdvisor:

"Very Disappointing

I have stayed at many starwood hotels before. But I have NEVER had to pay for extra occupancy in a room. I had 2 hotel rooms with 3 people in a room. I have stayed in many hotels where this has never never been a problem. I come from a family of 5 and we have traveled for years with 2 rooms and never had a problem. At the Sheraton, they said three people were not allowed in a 2 person room and so I had to pay for 2 extra people a night!! On the request of a cot they said first- the room was not big enough (!) and that they had run out!!!! Additionally, If I wanted a room with 2 beds to sleep 3 people- we still had to pay for an extra person! Because the hotel could not accommodate us I had to pay!!!! Huge ripoff. Additionally I am a gold member at Starwood and it got me nowhere. I wasted points and money to stay at a hotel where it almost would have been the same if I had paid the normal rate. The rooms are very small as well.

The concierge was absolutely useless. I had bought a lonely planet guide to get a basic outline. I told her we were in the city for 4 days and inquired about what there was to do. She tried to sell me a tour where I could see the entire city in 4 hours- all major sites. If I had just told you I was going to be in the city for 4 days then why would I want to see everything in 4 hours? Then what would I do for the next 3 days? When I asked her what else there was to do besides the major attractions or what she recommended, she could only tell me the major attractions. One night I asked for a dinner recommendation for a really good local restaurant. In such a touristy city it is easy to go to a restaurant that is average and pay far to much. She handed me a brochure to a restaurant that I am sure she handed to everyone else. Just another tourist trap. The guidebook was a better help.

The hotel is about 10-15 minute from the old city. The surrounding area of the hotel is not great and it gets tiring walking back and forth between the old city and hotel.

I would not stay here again and hope the hotel has spent my money buying more cots or organizing bigger rooms so another person does not have to be robbed as well!"

First off, if I was the GM I would definitely respond to this review because the guest was not only disappointed, but he's loyal to the brand and angry. He deserves a thoughtful and apologetic response. Here's how I would respond:

"I was so sorry to read this review and learn of your frustrating experience at the hotel. There is no excuse for guests leaving us feeling like they had a less than perfect. I will be reviewing your feedback with the front desk and concierge staff to ensure that future guests are not left disappointed. While I am sorry that I couldn't resolve your issues when you were on-site, please feel free to contact me should you want to discuss it in more detail. And, if you plan to visit X city again, please let me know if you would be willing to give us another try as I would love to personally oversee your visit. Thank you for the feedback."

Want more advice or to discuss a troubling review? Attend our next Online Review Clinic on July 28th at 9am Pacific.

 

Should You Respond to Positive Reviews?

Hello from Zihuatenejo. I'm on vacation for a couple days at an incredible boutique hotel, La Casa Que Canta, and as I watch the boats bob in the ocean, I'm thinking about what I'm going to write in my hotel review when I get home. I love writing good reviews when I have a good stay because it's the gift that keeps on giving. But should I expect a response when I only have positive things to say? That's a question that I get a lot from hoteliers.

In fact, one of the reviews that was submitted for the last Online Review Clinic was extremely positive. It was written by a guest of Four Seasons Marrakesh. It reads:

“OMG! It must be a dream....because I felt like a queen.

Literally, my husband and I were the first guests to stay at this brand new property for three nights. Four Seasons does it again by going above and beyond our expectations and continues to make my family and I to stay at Four Seasons properties world wide during our vacations. Every arrangement was handled meticulously from the Four Seasons staff in Marrakech before check in and also during our stay. The true experience starts off by getting off the plane and swept away from private security at immigration and relaxing at a VIP lounge (while our bags and passports were being cleared) and then getting driven by a chauffeur to the hotel. We were then welcomed by VERY hospitable staff members at the property. The decor of the property complements Moroccan architecture and the details could not only be seen in the common areas but also in our suite. After drinking the fresh lemonade and mint drinks ( Moroccan hospitality drink) we were escorted and given details about the property till we reached our gorgeous one bedroom suite. The suite had beautiful floral arrangements, a fruit platter along with delicious dried fruit and assorted nuts platter (all of the above foods were replenished daily during our stay). Our view overlooked the pool courtyard and the private Four Seasons residences. The spa offered an array of treatments and the "1000 and 1 nights"- highly recommended. Our meals were flavorful and and the menus offered a great selection of worldly cuisines that we truly indulged."

When this review was submitted to me for coverage in the review clinic, it was the first TripAdvisor review that the hotel received. As a result, my advice is to respond to the review. It's great to show guests that staff, expecially at a new hotel, is listening for feedback. My general advice to responding to positive reviews is to respond to them as long as you can ensure they sound sincere and are totally tailored to the guest's experience. Here is how I might respond to this one:

"Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences at Four Seasons Hotel Marrakesh. As a brand new hotel, we read our reviews closely and use them for both employee recognition and to ensure that any kinks that are reported are worked out immediately. I will be sure to share your feedback with the whole hotel, restaurant and spa team so they can see how their attention to detail and great customer service pays off. As you are now part of our hotel's history, I hope you will return often to celebrate with us."

If you want to learn more about responding to reviews or have a review that's troubling you, please join our next review clinic on July 28th at 9am Pacific. Sign up here.

Study Shows TripAdvisor is Credible Source of Guest Satisfaction

While I rarely hear our customers doubt the validity of TripAdvisor reviews, I have seen articles and comments from people claiming that it's too easy to write a false review on the site and the company should be doing more to validate hotel stays. In an effort to determine whether or not TripAdvisor reviews can be considered a credible source of guest satisfaction, MarketMetrix conducted a study that compared results from TripAdvisor reviews with the Market Metrix Hospitality Index (MMHI).

The conclusion is that "the mean scores of hotels track very consistently and closely between TripAdvisor (CSI) and MMHI. This indicates that, when taken as a whole, the reviews for a particular hotel are a reliable measure of average customer satisfaction of that hotel, given adequate sample size."

As someone who works closely with hoteliers to turn online reviews into opportunities to improve operations and drive loyalty and sales, I can't say that I am surprised. The majority of our clients are already treating reviews as a critical measurement of guest satisfaction and responding to reviews to show how seriously they take the feedback. Some hotels and management groups are taking the next critical step and creating goals that are becoming part of comp packages and bonus plans. Revinate's GS2 Reports are making it easy to track goals and 'operationalize' review feedback. I expect many more will follow.

Read about the study and the results here, on HospitalityNET.

Help Responding to Reviews

This month, Daniel Edward Craig and I launched a Webinar series called the Review Clinic. You can see the recording from our first event in the previous blog post. The next free, online event will be Thursday, July 28th at 9am pacific/12pm eastern. Please sign up here.

We created the event because we know that many hotel professionals are still not comfortable responding publicly to reviews and we wanted to help. We invited hoteliers to submit reviews that they wanted us to discuss during the live event. Since we aren't able to cover every review that was submitted, I thought I would share some runners-up in the blog. Here is one review, copied exactly as it was submitted but with hotel names removed. (In other words, the spelling and grammar errors are not mine.)

"We arrived in the late afternoon. it was nice since the girl behind the desk had our info ready to it was a breeze....they gave us the gov rate - even though it was more expensive then their normal rate...which they changed when asked. We found out at check in that parking was 12 dollar and it was valet. Left the car and grabbed my bags...went to my room to have a shower. Room is nice, nothing special....nothing special....no Flat screen....looks like 1980's happend yesterday....the decor is dated.....and I think we were the only ones in the hotel. When I came back downstairs, my car was still in the drive way..with door open.....the valet being also the bell boy and the concierge....when asked about the car, he said he was busy - talking to the blonde girl behind the front desk. Finally parked the car. When we came back at 21:45 at night, we found the front ready for breakfeast, the staff giglling with some type of a husky dog in front...and we the only people in the hotel. For 175$ a night...and 12$ for parking...200$....WTF!!! .....the X Hotel, which is next door, and is far above this hotel was only 120$......seriously ....what a joke..."

Here is how I would go about writing a response:

First, there are a lot of topics mentioned in the review and you don't need to (and shouldn't) address all of them. Why? If you responded to each critique you would have to explain your policy on rates, parking fees, decor, occupancy, staffing, pets etc. Your response should be brief and to the point. Think of your response as signing a guest book with a thoughtful, genuine note. You want to send the message that you were there and you care, but you don't need to share your whole life story there. Likewise, you don't need to get into a debate on every point mentioned in the review. My advice is to pick one item and address it, without being defensive so it's clear you are not writing a form letter.

Second, this guest is upset and whether or not you did anything wrong, you need to apologize. He chose to spend his money at your hotel and your goal is to meet or exceed his expectations. If he's not happy, you should be sorry. You should also thank him for taking the time to write a review, even if it's not a positive one.

Third, you want to make sure that people that see this review know that you are reading them and using them to improve your operations so let them know that you use reviews to retrain employees, or as a basis for future operational changes.

Finally, let him know that you are in charge and you want to do better next time.

So here is how I would respond:

"Thank you for taking the time to write a review, and I am so sorry that your experience with us in June was disappointing. We take all guest feedback very seriously, and we're constantly improving all aspects of our service and facilities. We even use online reviews to retrain employees, so rest assured that your valet trouble won't happen in the future. I hope you will consider staying with us again so that we can demonstrate the level of service that we are known for. If you do plan to be in the area again, please contact me directly by asking for the general manager and I will personally oversee your stay. Thank you. Jane Doe, General Manager"

As always, let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

 

Review Clinic - Webinar Materials Available for Download

Thanks to everyone that joined us on the Webinar this morning to discuss responding to online reviews. A special thank you to Daniel Edward Craig for his expertise and to everyone that submitted reviews for us to look at.

If you were able to attend the event, please provide your feedback in the comments section. We would love to host these events on a regular basis but we want to ensure we're covering the most important topics. Our next Online Review Clinic will be on July 28th at 9am Pacific/noon Eastern. Sign up here and let us know what reviews to cover.

If you would like a copy of today's presentation, you can download it here. Please feel free to forward it to colleagues as well. And if you would like to view the Webinar in its entirety, please watch it below.