10 Ways to Get More Guest Feedback, More Hotel Bookings

I wrote this just for you, the hotel manager struggling with bad service scores and ugly reviews. This article is packed with useful tips and strategies to increase your customer service scores. Please let me know what you think. Comment below.

Join my Hospitality Marketing Newsletter.. Enjoy the read.

When it comes to feedback and reviews from hotel guests, there are plenty of hotel managers that would rather play deaf or turn a blind eye. What you don't know won't hurt you, right?

Wrong!

This is one of the things that differentiate successful hotels from the "plain, average" ones. For successful hotels, the more reviews they get, the better - even the not-so-positive ones because it gives them a concrete indication of what needs to be done in order to deliver a more positive experience to their guests. Knowing what your guests like and what they dislike is the first step to improving your property and ultimately, get more bookings.

Years of experience have taught us that there are three primary channels wherein you can solicit feedback from guests. Along with enumerating these three places, we're also giving you ten tactics to help you get more guest feedback and reviews and boost bookings for your hotel.

AT YOUR HOTEL
The best and easiest way to get feedback from your guests is to engage with them while they are still checked in at your hotel. This approach has two main benefits. One, it allows you to resolve any negative feedback right there and then. Two, the feedback you get are more authentic because your guests are giving their comments as they are experiencing your hotel.

While your guests are still within your property's premises, here are the tactics that you and your staff can use to get more comments and feedback:

1. Talk to Them
For some weird reason, a lot of hotel staff members are aloof when it comes to striking conversations with their guests - probably thinking that they might annoy the guests. You're in the hospitality industry for crying out loud! Talking to your hotel guests should be part of your nature.

If you're afraid that your guests might be unresponsive or get annoyed, the key is timing. Do not engage with them if you see that they are rushing, if they're attending to something or if it's obvious that they're in a bad mood. One of the things that we found out is that hotel guests are more amiable in the morning while having breakfast or while they are lounging in your lobby or amenities area. Maximize all these opportunities to engage them in a dialogue. Train your staff to ask the right questions in order to get the right response - without the guests feeling that they are being surveyed. Read my article on Building Hotel Engagement

2. Distribute Comment Cards
Comment cards may be all fashioned, but they are really effective. The problem with comment cards in most hotels is that they tend to be hidden in inconspicuous places - inside the drawer, together with the hotel's stationary, etc. Probably because a lot of hoteliers would rather not hear or are scared of what guests have to say about their property and service.

Again, don't be afraid.

Display comment cards prominently not just in your hotel rooms, but in strategic locations within your property - front lobby, breakfast or dining room, amenities area, etc. If you want, you can also have nice-looking drop boxes made. Just be sure to retrieve the comment cards several times within the day.

TIP: When they log in to access your hotel's internet/Wi-Fi connection, you can also redirect your guests to a Google Form where they can leave their comments. If you have the budget, you can also invest in a couple of tablets and have a comment form ready that your guests can fill out easily.

3. Scheduled Phone Calls
Your hotel has an phone system right? Well implement a system wherein your guest relations officers place a call to your guests' room to check how they are doing and if there are anything that they want to give feedback on. You won't only get more comments from your guests. You will also make them feel like VIP because you are taking extra care of them.

4. Ask for Feedback - We Care Cards
As its name implies, SmartGuests.com's We Care Cards will show your hotel guests that you care about them and that you value their opinion. Give these cards during checkout - while your front desk staff is processing their checkout documents. These cards are easy to fill out as they only contain two questions: (1) How was your stay? and (2) What is one thing we can we improve?

This allows you to get instant feedback from your guests and to pacify any angry guest or resolve any issue before they check out of your hotel. This tool also qualifies if you should ask for that important review or not.

ONLINE/SOCIAL MEDIA
The second channel or platform where you can easily get more guest feedback is online, more specifically, social media networks. With majority of travelers using their smartphones for social networking while on vacation, you will be surprised with the goldmine of insights that you can use for your hotel just by joining in on the conversation of your guests online.

Here are a few tactics you can implement.

5. Encourage Facebook Discussion among Your Current and Past Guests
Here's an example tactic you can implement. Have you heard about Throwback Thursday? Essentially, Facebook users post something on their Facebook accounts about a past memory or experience every Thursday. You can have a similar version for your hotel.

Every Thursday, encourage your past guests to share a memory that they have when they stayed at your hotel. If they can post a photo, the better. This is a good way to start a conversation among your guests and share their experience. Just be sure you are prepared just in case you get a negative post from a former guest.
Also Read: What to Do When Guests Threaten Your Hotel with a Bad Review?

6. Twitter Listening
When people are dissatisfied about something, they often turn to social media to vent or rant. Twitter is a favorite social network among dissatisfied hotel guests to express their grievances. This is why Twitter listening is important.

Assign one of your staff to check Twitter every two hours and see if there are any mention of your hotel. You can do this by simple typing the name of your hotel on the search box on the top right corner of Twitter and viewing all results. This will allow you to respond to any negative Tweets as soon as possible before the situation gets out of control.

But you do want your guests to Tweet about your hotel and you should encourage it - whether they give you good feedback or not. Have simple marketing materials inside your hotel informing your guests of your Twitter handle and that they can tag you if they have something to Tweet about their stay. Learn more about Social Listening Tools.

7. Online Review Sites
Of course, if you really want to see what guests are saying about you, online review sites such as TripAdvisor and Yelp should be on your list. Majority of travelers agree that online reviews are a crucial factor when they're choosing what hotel to book. If they don't see that you're not interacting with guests online, they won't see your hotel as a business that cares about its customers.

TIP: Use Staff Review Cards and CareFresheners to Boost Your Hotel's Review Count now.

At the same time, if there are just a small amount of reviews about your hotel, they will also be hesitant to book with you. Deliver exception hotel experience to your guests consistently and encourage them to post reviews. When they do, continue the conversation and encourage them to reach out to you - either via email or via phone - so you can continue the discussion offline. This will allow you to really drill down into their comment and get more insights on how you can improve your hotel.

EMAIL/DIRECT MAIL
Lastly, sending out emails or even snail mails can help you get more guest feedback and reviews. A lot of people underestimate the power of emails, but it is actually the online communication channel that produces the highest ROI - yep, even bigger than social media.

This is why it is important to build your email list and to always get the email address of your hotel guests. As long as you don't spam them and you send them relevant content, they won't mind getting an email from you. Use Constant Contact or MailChimp.

Here are the email marketing tactics that you can use.

8. Send Customer Feedback Survey
If your guests were not able to provide their feedback while they're still at your hotel, send them an email that links to an online survey. There are a lot of free tools that you can use online to create surveys such as Survey Monkey and Google Forms. Make sure that the questions are clear, easy to answer and relevant to their stay.

9. Create a Follow-up Autoresponder
An autoresponder is basically an emailing system that sends out emails automatically based on certain criteria that you set. For example, if a hotel guest does not reply to your email in 48 hours, the autoresponder automatically sends out a follow-up email.

Remember, people are busy and when your former guests received your email, they might be in the middle of something. Sending a follow up is necessary if you want to boost your survey response rates and continue the engagement with your guests even after they have checked out of your hotel.

10. Surprise them with a Snail Mail
People rarely get snail mails nowadays, which is why it would be a nice surprise if your former guests would receive a handwritten note from you - thanking them for their business and ending with short instruction about a survey you're conducting. You can send them a survey form together with the mail, but it might be a hassle for them to mail this back. Our suggestion is to just indicate a link on your note that will lead them to an online survey you prepared.

You can also send a postcard or a care package (i.e. local delicacies) together with your note.

It's inevitable. Hotel guests will talk. Either you stay away from the conversation or start the conversation yourself. Start the conversation, join the conversation and take charge of the conversation. You'll get insights on how to run your hotel and ultimately, get more bookings.

Have a successful day!

Rupesh Patel

PS - Be a Good Friend... Tell your buddy or fellow hotelier to become an exclusive member of the SmartGuests Newsletter. Sign Up here.

Like this? Here are more insights for your hotel
Free Guide: Get 35 Best Ways to Respond to Guest Reviews Emailed to You
Top 5 Reasons Why ALL Hospitality People Need Business Cards
How to WOW Hotel Guests at Check-in

__________________________________________________________________

About Rupesh
Rupesh Patel, hotelier and founder at SmartGuests.com, a U.S.-based hospitality marketing website that is dedicated to helping hotels make connections with their guests, using tools that result in positive reviews and increases in customer service scores. He regularly shares his passionate for customer engagement and marketing on numerous social sites and blogs.

Connect on LinkedIn: www.dhirubhai.net/in/rupeshpatel1/
Rupesh’s Twitter: @smartguestscom
Read my Blog: www.smartguests.com/blog
Facebook: www.facebook.com/smartguests
Love Pinning? Visit me on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/smartguests

Get more tips and the latest updates delivered to your inbox.
>Subscribe and Get a Free Marketing Tool Now <