Responding to Negative TripAdvisor Reviews

Every month,

million customers look through

TripAdvisor's

reviews

of

hotels, resorts, casinos, restaurants, and attractions.

TripAdvisor is the world's largest travel site and plays a highly influential role in where people decide to stay, eat, and do. And while the site is undeniably helpful for customers, it can be overwhelming, confusing, and even dangerous for businesses who don’t have a strong review management strategy in place. However, bad reviews are not reason enough to avoid TripAdvisor. If your business doesn’t have an active presence, it stands little chance against competitors who do. Instead of fearing negative feedback, accept it as an inevitable part of running a business and develop a plan to manage all of your reviews - both positive and negative. You’ll be amazed to find that this will not only reduce the impact of negative reviews — it will also lead to more positive reviews and ultimately more customers.

Here are our Five Tips for Leveraging the Power of TripAdvisor:

1. Claim and optimize your business listings. Make sure your business information, specifically your basic details are accurate and up-to-date. It sounds simple, but all too often there is inaccurate or incomplete information on these listings. Include links to your website and photos to make your profile informative and eye-catching.
2. Respond quickly and politely. This gives you a chance to solve problems before they escalate, and possibly even get the customer to take down their negative review. Service Metrics Group even has tools available that send automatic new review alerts straight to your phone so you don’t miss a word.
3. Add a personal touch. Remind the customer that you’re a person who cares, not a bot that’s been programmed to shoo them away. This builds trust and helps the customer stay calm and rational.
4. Thank the customer for their feedback. Negative or positive, customer feedback is the best way to understand how you’re doing and what needs work. Even if the reviewer is out of line, take the high road and express your gratitude for their opinion.
5. Know your audience. Remember that the reviewer is not the only one who sees your reply. Anyone who comes across your page can see it, too, and if they’re reading reviews, they’re a likely prospect. Prove to potential customers that you care about their happiness and know how to handle less-than-awesome situations like a pro.

Bottom line: Your customers and competitors are on TripAdvisor, and you should be too. Don’t worry about negative reviews–respond to them, learn from them and make improvements that lead to more positive reviews. When managed thoroughly and consistently, TripAdvisor reviews can become your most compelling and effective marketing content.