As a property owner, those online reviews probably feel like a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, a steady stream of glowing reviews is a sure-fire way to attract new bookings. But yikes, when a negative review pops up, it can sting – and dealing with disgruntled guests is never fun.
What if we told you that you could turn that ongoing guest feedback into a powerful tool for levelling up your entire operation? We tapped Amy Branford, Regional Sales Manager for GuestRevu, a NightsBridge partner, for advice.
As Amy puts it, monitoring and responding to reviews is “key for small properties to maintain visibility and a strong online reputation. It shows potential guests that you truly care about delivering an exceptional experience.”
Here’s Amy’s step-by-step game plan for turning guest reviews into a goldmine of insights:
Respond, Respond, Respond.
“You want to be responding to all new reviews as quickly as possible,” Amy stresses. That means reaching out to both the positive and negative ones. For shining reviews, a simple “thanks for the kind words!” goes a long way in making guests feel appreciated.
And about those critical reviews?” I know the gut reaction can be ‘This guest is just wrong’ or ‘They must have stayed somewhere else’ if it seems inaccurate,” says Amy. “But potential guests have no way to know that. Even if the review is fraudulent, handle it with kid gloves.”
Amy’s pro tip: Respond with compassion and kill them with kindness. “You want to make it clear that you care deeply about the guest experience, not just defending that individual review.” A tactful, empathetic response can totally turn the narrative around and reassure future guests browsing.
Find the Gems in Negative Feedback.
Negative reviews can be brutal to read, but Amy sees them as a gift. “Guests often point out issues or operational pain points that you’ve become totally blind to when you’re in the day-to-day grind,” she notes. An hour diving into negative feedback is like an “aha!” moment for understanding where you can improve.
Amy’s pro tip: look for patterns and consistent themes across multiple reviews. Are there recurring complaints about cleanliness, noise levels, maintenance needs, or service lapses? “Use a task like GuestRevu’s Service Tickets to assign those issues out to relevant team members for investigation and resolution,” she advises.
Double Down on Successes.
Of course, not all feedback is going to be negative. “You’ll probably notice aspects of your property or service that guests are raving about too,” says Amy. Maybe it’s the peaceful setting, incredible amenities, or delicious free breakfast. “Those rave reviews tell you what’s really resonating with guests, so promote those features!”
Use that positive feedback to inspire your marketing messaging, website updates, and on-site signage to reinforce what makes your guest experience so memorable. Amy also suggests sharing those kudos with staff to celebrate wins and boost morale. “Give shout-outs or small incentives to teams who are knocking it out of the park. It reinforces the exceptional service you want to deliver.”
Amy’s pro tip: For owners who may stress about their writing skills for crafting review responses, Amy offers a pro tip: feel free to use AI writing tools like ChatGPT as a starting point. But be warned, guests can sniff out an entirely AI-generated response from a mile away. “The occasional typo or imperfect grammar can actually work in your favour, signalling to people there’s a real human behind the curtain,” Amy notes.
Here’s your checklist managing guest reviews:
Daily.
Log into your review dashboards like Google and TripAdvisor (or into GuestRevu, where they are all in one place), sorting by the newest negative reviews first. These need addressing quickly. For any negative reviews under 24 hours old, read through them thoroughly to understand the guest’s perspective.
Start your response with “Thank you for the honest feedback.” Use “I apologise” statements and avoid accusatory language. Mention 1-2 specific issues they raised to show you read it closely. Explain how you’ll investigate and resolve those issues. Invite them to reach out directly if they have any other concerns. For new positive reviews, send a heartfelt thanks mentioning the specific things they praised. Then share those glowing reviews on your social media channels.
Weekly.
Export all the new negative reviews from the past week into a spreadsheet (a tool like GuestRevu’s comments reporting can help with this). Categorise each gripe – was it about noise, cleanliness, amenities, etc? Note the most frequent categories of complaints. Based on this, make a checklist of areas needing improvement, like buying better pillows or upgrading the breakfast selection. Finally, look through recent check-outs and message any guests who seemed highly satisfied, politely asking if they have a brief moment to leave an honest review.
Monthly.
Log into all your listings across Google, TripAdvisor, Booking.com and other major sites. Ensure your listing is claimed and verified so you’re able to respond to reviews. Review your policy on incentives – it’s okay to offer discounts or perks for guests who leave any honest reviews, not just positive ones. For any recurring issues that were raised in negative reviews that you’ve now improved, find those reviewers and email them about the upgrades you’ve implemented thanks to their feedback.
Stay on top of this routine and you’ll provide excellent customer service while constantly enhancing the guest experience based on that valuable feedback!
