Introduction:
In today’s highly competitive hospitality industry, hoteliers are constantly seeking
ways to increase revenue. One point that is often overlooked, even though it is a
highly effective strategy, involves prioritising and leveraging guest reviews. Guest
reviews not only provide valuable feedback but can also be a powerful tool to
enhance a hotel’s revenue management strategy and when using GuestFlip you
can optimise your revenue management to bring it to the next level.
In this blog post, we will explore how hotels can harness and maximise the power
of guest reviews to boost revenue.
1. Understanding the Importance of Guest Reviews
Before getting in to the ways to prioritise guest reviews for revenue management,
it’s crucial to recognise why these reviews matter as guest reviews provide insights
into guest experiences, allowing hoteliers to identify strengths and weaknesses.
They serve as a valuable source of data for making informed decisions to enhance
the guest experience and, subsequently, increase revenue.
– Trust and Credibility:
Positive reviews build trust among potential clients. When people see
positive feedback from others who have had a good experience, they are more
likely to trust and choose that service or product.
– Feedback for Improvement:
Negative reviews, when constructive, can provide businesses with insights
into areas that need improvement. This feedback allows businesses to address
issues, enhance their services, and demonstrate a commitment to customer
satisfaction.
– Continuous Improvement:
Regularly monitoring and analysing guest reviews can help businesses
identify trends and patterns, allowing them to continuously improve their offerings
and stay ahead of changing customer preferences.
2. Monitor and Respond to Reviews Promptly
The first step in prioritising guest reviews is to actively monitor them across various
online platforms such as TripAdvisor, Booking.com, and Google Reviews which
are put together in GuestFlip. This monitoring should be a continuous process, and
any review—positive or negative—should be addressed promptly. By responding
to guest reviews, hotels can show their commitment to guest satisfaction. This not
only helps in improving the hotel’s image but also encourages potential guests to
choose your establishment over competitors. Timely responses to negative
reviews can also mitigate potential damage by demonstrating a willingness to
address issues.
– Set Up Notifications:
• Google Alerts: Set up Google Alerts for your business name, product names, and
relevant keywords. This way, you’ll receive emails whenever new content matching
those terms is published.
• Review Platforms: Enable notifications on review platforms like Google My
Business, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and others. Most platforms allow you to receive email
alerts or push notifications for new reviews.
– Develop a Response Protocol:
• Establish Guidelines: Create guidelines for responding to both positive and
negative reviews. Ensure your responses are professional, empathetic, and
address specific concerns.
– Address Concerns:
• Negative Reviews: For negative reviews, address the specific concerns
raised. Apologise for any inconvenience and provide a solution if possible.
Encourage the reviewer to contact you offline for further resolution if needed.
– Tripadvisor, booking.com, google reviews and 50 more sites:
• There are over 50 review sites like Tripadvisor, Booking.com, and Google
Reviews that shape your business’s online reputation. Responding to reviews
shows you value feedback and helps boost your ranking and visibility across these
platforms.
3. Analyse Review Data for Trends
Guest reviews provide a wealth of data that can be analysed to identify trends and
patterns. By categorising reviews based on themes such as cleanliness, service
quality, amenities, and location, hotels can pinpoint areas that need improvement.
This data-driven approach allows for targeted investments to enhance the guest
experience and, in turn, drive higher revenue.
For instance, if several reviews highlight the need for improved breakfast options,
a hotel can revamp its breakfast offerings to cater to guest preferences. By
addressing these specific issues, the hotel can potentially increase its average
daily rate (ADR) and occupancy rates.
– Clean and Preprocess Data:
•Remove any irrelevant or duplicate reviews.
•Standardise text by converting everything to lowercase.
•Remove stop words (common words like “and,” “the,” etc.) to focus on
meaningful content.
•Perform sentiment analysis to categorise reviews as positive, negative, or
neutral.
– Sentiment Analysis:
•Conduct sentiment analysis to understand the overall sentiment of reviews.
•Break down sentiment by product, feature, or service to identify areas for
improvement in all languages.
– Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis:
•Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative insights from the actual review
text for a holistic understanding.
•Pay attention to specific comments and suggestions.
4. Implement Guest Feedback into Revenue Management Strategies
Once trends and areas for improvement have been identified, hotels should
integrate this feedback into their revenue management strategies. For instance, if
reviews consistently mention the need for room upgrades, consider offering
enticing upgrade options during the booking process. These upgrades can be
strategically priced to boost revenue.
Additionally, positive guest reviews can be used as a marketing tool. Highlighting
guest testimonials and positive feedback on the hotel’s website or in marketing
materials can influence potential guests’ decisions to book a room.
– Monitor and Iterate:
•Regularly monitor the effectiveness of changes made based on guest
feedback. Iterate and refine your strategies based on ongoing feedback and
performance metrics.
– Training and Staff Communication:
•Share guest feedback with relevant staff members and departments to ensure
continuous improvement. Provide training programmes based on the
feedback to address specific areas of concern.
– Integrate with Revenue Management Systems:
•Integrate feedback data with revenue management systems to enable
informed pricing and inventory decisions.
•Develop algorithms or models that use guest satisfaction scores as a key
factor in pricing strategies.
5. Encourage Positive Reviews
Encouraging guests to leave positive reviews can be an effective way to boost a hotel’s
online reputation. Consider implementing strategies such as offering incentives for
leaving reviews, sending post-stay emails requesting feedback, or simply providing
exceptional service that encourages guests to share their positive experiences.
Positive reviews not only improve a hotel’s online visibility but also contribute to higher
occupancy rates and ADR. Travellers are more likely to book a hotel with a strong
reputation and a track record of satisfied guests.
– Create a Review-Friendly Environment:
• Make it easy for guests to leave reviews. Include links to review sites in post-stay
emails or on your website and a seamless process increases the likelihood that
satisfied guests will take the time to write a review.
– Promptly Address Complaints:
• If a guest expresses dissatisfaction, address the issue promptly and
professionally showing that you care about resolving problems and improving the guest
experience.
– Utilise Guest Surveys:
• Implement guest satisfaction surveys to gather feedback on various aspects of
their stay. Use the insights to make improvements and showcase positive feedback on
your website or in promotional materials.
Conclusion:
Incorporating guest reviews into your hotel’s revenue management strategy can be a
game-changer in today’s competitive hospitality industry. By actively monitoring,
responding to, analysing, and implementing feedback from guest reviews, hotels can
enhance the guest experience, increase occupancy rates, and maximise revenue.
Remember that guest reviews are a valuable source of information that can help
identify areas for improvement and guide strategic decisions as reviews not only benefit
your bottom line but also ensures that your guests have memorable and satisfying
experiences, creating a win-win scenario for both your guests and your hotel.
