How many stars? Using reviews to build your hospitality brand - and why negative comments can be good news
Having a strong reputation for your hospitality or leisure business is one of the most important ways of building and maintaining your brand. But how does that work post- Covid? And what do you do if someone leaves a stinker of a review?
Improve your online communication Having a good website is fundamental to building your brand. However, the previous two years have seen an uplift in digital traffic generally, as more and more people have got used to interacting online rather than in person. As a result, it’s become vital for leisure and hospitality businesses to have an interactive online presence on social media and to utilise the review options on Facebook, Google and Trip Advisor, to actively encourage customers to leave your business a review. These sites are often the first place your customers will look to see if other customers have enjoyed their experience and whether it’s somewhere they’d still be interested in visiting. As well as this, it’s also a way for you to show your business’s personality - it’s important for you respond to any reviews left quickly and to respond to any questions asked. Respond to comments and reviews Speaking to your customers through social media can be challenging. There are a few fundamentals to bear in mind:
I’ve had a negative review – help! Online reviews are a fantastic way to help potential customers get an idea of what you do best, but there will almost always be a dreaded one-star review that pops up. But this doesn’t have to be a disaster. Reviews that include a critical comment on the customer’s experience should be taken seriously. Is it an issue that can be addressed? For example, a meat product which has been bought in that customers are saying is too salty can be easily rectified by talking to the supplier. Or an issue with reserving a table may mean that your online booking system may need improvements. A business that has purely five-star reviews can sometimes look a bit contrived. Having a balance of reviews shows you are authentic, especially when customers can see that you have responded promptly and sensitively to negative as well as positive comments. If it’s a really unpleasant review, then check the history of the reviewer: there are plenty of keyboard warriors out there who want to trash reputations. If they have a history of leaving only poor reviews, you are entitled to be suspicious. Alternatively, and if they had a genuinely poor experience, then why not invite them back and encourage them to leave a better review? Showing you have listened to them and handled the situation professionally will enhance your brand reputation.
Measure the customer experience Just as the numbers of people using social media has spiralled upwards in recent years, so the metrics and analytics have become more sophisticated. A good place to start is Google reviews which encourages people to leave comments and not just stars. Trip Advisor ratings are another obvious metric which can be measured and benchmarked against other similar businesses. Customer surveys is another route, and questions can be tailored to your own requirements – although it’s best to keep your questions brief and direct if you want to encourage feedback. Customers want to be heard What your customers are saying to you can help you to strengthen your business offering and ultimately your success. Talking to an independent business adviser will help you look at the key business metrics – such as sales and retention – and they can use their professional expertise to advise on improving your systems and processes, as well as ensuring you are compliant with financial regulations. Get in touch with a member of our hospitality and leisure team to find out more.
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Be alert to comments coming in from all online locations. Having a question or comment hanging about on a social media platform like Twitter for several days without a response looks like you don’t care about feedback from your customers. Reply to the comments. If they’ve had a good time, thank them for getting in touch, and pass their comments on to your team. If they didn’t, then empathise and explain what you’re doing to put it right. Try to be personal, and not to look like it’s an automatic response. If it’s a serious issue then take the conversation offline, and don’t get into an argument on social media. It never ends well.
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LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY | SCRUTTON BLAND | 3
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