Managing Online Reviews

In this digital age, the opportunities for patrons to deliver positive or negative feedback are endless. When it's positive, we pat ourselves on the back but every once in a while, no matter how wonderful we are, a customer slips through the cracks. Unfortunately when that happens, it ends up online either on your website, Facebook Wall, Twitter feed, Foursquare Page or local user review site almost immediately. 

As a response to this growing issue, Hotel News Resource published an article called "5 Steps to Manage Negative Guest Reviews Every Hotel Should Know" and focused on hospitality marketing company, Lodging Interactive. Although the piece is aimed at the hotel industry, there's something everyone can learn from this piece.

My number one take-away is that the old adage- "Kill them with kindness" rules the feedback world. Responding with a cool head and a positive tone will do wonders. See Lodging Interactive's five tips below:

1. Thank the guest for his or her comment
2. Acknowledge that there was a problem and offer an explanation
3. Tell how the situation is being corrected to improve the guest's experience 
4. Invite ongoing communication and provide direct management contact information 
5. Encourage the guest to return

Have you had to deal with a negative review? How did you manage it and do you have tips of your own to share? Use the comments below for posting your experiences.

Ada Walton
Digital Content Editor
Meetings + Events Magazine

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