Guest feedback and reviews are vital for improving your guest service management and enhancing your reputation. However, soliciting and responding to them can be challenging and time-consuming. In this article, you will learn some best practices for collecting, analyzing, and acting on guest feedback and reviews.
The first step is to choose the right channels for soliciting and responding to guest feedback and reviews. You should consider your target audience, your goals, and your resources. For example, you can use online platforms, such as social media, review sites, and your own website, to reach a large and diverse audience and showcase your brand. You can also use offline methods, such as comment cards, surveys, and phone calls, to get more detailed and personal feedback from your guests. You should aim to use a mix of channels that suit your needs and preferences.
Depending on what type of Guest Service complaint, the majority are these are going to either come from In-Person (which is becoming more and more rare) or social media - it is just the fact of the industry we live in now.
The next step is to ask the right questions that will elicit useful and honest feedback and reviews from your guests. You should avoid asking too many, too vague, or too leading questions that might confuse or bias your guests. Instead, you should focus on specific, relevant, and measurable aspects of your guest service, such as quality, satisfaction, loyalty, and recommendations. You should also use a variety of question formats, such as open-ended, closed-ended, and rating scales, to capture different types of feedback and reviews.
Soliciting guest feedback and responding to reviews is crucial for improving your services. Begin by asking specific questions. Inquire about their experience with accommodation, staff, and amenities. Open ended questions like "What did you enjoy most?" or "Where can we improve?" encourage detailed responses. Once you receive reviews, respond promptly and courteously. Acknowledge their feedback, address any concerns, and express gratitude for their input. This helps build trust and shows a commitment to improvement.
Before you start asking questions, LISTEN. 95% of the issues can be solved simply by listening to the guest. People want to be heard and seen, and usually when they are complainging about something still, it's because the person before you did not accurately listen to what the guest was saying. Once you have an idea of what the guest is actually upset about, then is the time to ask the right questions. Dive into the root of what happened.
The third step is to analyze the data that you collect from your guests. You should use tools and techniques that will help you organize, visualize, and interpret the data. For example, you can use software, such as spreadsheets, dashboards, and analytics programs, to sort, filter, and aggregate the data. You can also use methods, such as sentiment analysis, text mining, and trend analysis, to identify patterns, themes, and insights from the data. You should aim to find out what your guests like, dislike, expect, and suggest about your guest service.
The fourth step is to respond to feedback and reviews that you receive from your guests. You should acknowledge, appreciate, and address every feedback and review, whether positive or negative. You should also be polite, professional, and personalized in your responses. For example, you can thank your guests for their feedback and reviews, apologize for any issues or problems, offer solutions or compensations, and invite them to return or contact you. You should aim to show your guests that you care about their opinions and experiences.
This is a key place that can either make or break the recovery. You need to be genuine in your intertaction here and ensure you truly understand what the problem was rooted from. Acknowledge the issue, empathize and finally provide the action that is being taken care of to remedy the issue.
The fifth step is to implement improvements based on the feedback and reviews that you collect and analyze. You should prioritize the most important and urgent issues and opportunities that affect your guest service. You should also involve your staff, partners, and stakeholders in the improvement process. For example, you can communicate, train, and motivate your staff to deliver better guest service, collaborate with your partners to enhance your products and facilities, and update your stakeholders on your progress and results. You should aim to improve your guest service continuously and consistently.
Basically be sure to implement any action that was promised to the guest prior. Be accountable for the actions and own the recovery.
The sixth step is to monitor and measure the results of your improvements. You should use indicators and metrics that will help you evaluate the impact and effectiveness of your improvements. For example, you can use feedback and reviews, such as ratings, comments, and testimonials, to measure your guest satisfaction and loyalty. You can also use business outcomes, such as revenue, occupancy, and referrals, to measure your guest retention and acquisition. You should aim to track and report your results regularly and objectively.
This is the last step to be taken care of and is much more of a back end piece. We all know protecting the guest experience is the most important piece in the "right now", but there are other implications that come from the recovery in the back end. Such as any cost to the company for anything comp provided, any loss in brand consistency and image, and finally, any negative talk/social media. This later piece can do a lot more harm than most think, staying on top of this from the start will ensure you have the control over the situation.