Why You Shouldn't Hide From Bad Reviews

[Generic]

Interesting article at http://www.tnooz.com/2012/03/15/news/why-companies-should-not-hide-from-bad-reviews/ including a link to a white-paper. Interesting stats, too:
[COLOR= rgb(51, 51, 51)]Findings include:[/COLOR]

• Consumers spend four times as long on a site when they interact with bad reviews, trust what they are reading more and are more likely to convert
• 68% say they trust good reviews more when they see a mixed bag of opinions and scores
• 95% suspect fake reviews or censorship when they don’t see anything negative

 

[Madeleine]

I've heard that myself from guests.

 

[Arks]

Thanks for finding this. It will help a lot of us feel better about it all, and perhaps not hate TA quite as much!

 

[JBloggs]

6 of one half dozen of another.
Spoke to innmates yesterday about an inn that seems to swap guests with us (similar price range) who has an overbearing innkeeper who swears at his guests. And yet 90% of their reviews are stellar. In fact GLOWING! I have had guests tell me how horrible this man is, and I ask if they TA it? And they always say No. They won't.
So it is all relative isn't it.
Another inn I believe should not be open to the public has super reviews, and one person comes on TA and says "This place should be open! Are there not any inspections?! RUN AWAY FAST!" and is seen as the nutjob, but in reality that is the REAL review, imo.
People send us thank you cards but don't review online. What do you believe, those who feel they need to voice their opinion online moreso than those that don't? This is the catch I find.
The inn I referred someone to yesterday (which brought up the "bad innkeeper" inn also in that general vicinity) was told to me by repeat guests that it is not great, and I have found others who adore it! What these guests hated about it ("right in town") was what other guests love (Park it and walk in town).
So take it all with a grain of salt.

Hard to explain this to guests. and that whole absence of proof isn't proof of absence thing comes to mind again...

 

[Madeleine]

6 of one half dozen of another.
Spoke to innmates yesterday about an inn that seems to swap guests with us (similar price range) who has an overbearing innkeeper who swears at his guests. And yet 90% of their reviews are stellar. In fact GLOWING! I have had guests tell me how horrible this man is, and I ask if they TA it? And they always say No. They won't.
So it is all relative isn't it.
Another inn I believe should not be open to the public has super reviews, and one person comes on TA and says "This place should be open! Are there not any inspections?! RUN AWAY FAST!" and is seen as the nutjob, but in reality that is the REAL review, imo.
People send us thank you cards but don't review online. What do you believe, those who feel they need to voice their opinion online moreso than those that don't? This is the catch I find.
The inn I referred someone to yesterday (which brought up the "bad innkeeper" inn also in that general vicinity) was told to me by repeat guests that it is not great, and I have found others who adore it! What these guests hated about it ("right in town") was what other guests love (Park it and walk in town).
So take it all with a grain of salt.

Hard to explain this to guests. and that whole absence of proof isn't proof of absence thing comes to mind again....

You know I've BTDT in re stellar reviews at a place I stayed. Actually quite a few places I've stayed! Not sure what is wrong with my track record for picking places!
And I do know that guests definitely read the reviews because they tell me they do. But write a review? No, they don't do that.
We have the FB logo on our bulletin board and I tell guests they can like us and find out things going on in the area. 'No! I will not join that. It's an invasion of my privacy!' Case in point...in my newsletter I have a link to FB and I point it out. Yesterday I said, 'You can LOOK at it without joining, it's open to everyone,' and all of a sudden people are clicking on it to look at it. We do not get 'joiners' here. If the guest has to join to participate? Not happening.
That's what happens with reviews. If they hate us enough, they join. Or they review because they already joined at some other time. Sadly, we don't seem to move happy guests enough to join to review. They like us, they come back, but no can do on the reviews.

 

[Cbz]

The thing that confuses me the most is how do some B&Bs have hundreds or even thousands of "excellent" reviews within 1 year of starting up? Came across a few on TA who started an year ago and already got 300~700 "excellent" reviews - it's like everyday 2-3 persons check out of the place , reach their home land the same day & write a review?!
Moreover, how is it possible to have all the travellers post their reviews on TA? Black Magic?
No, really, how?!

 

[Joey Camb]

The thing that confuses me the most is how do some B&Bs have hundreds or even thousands of "excellent" reviews within 1 year of starting up? Came across a few on TA who started an year ago and already got 300~700 "excellent" reviews - it's like everyday 2-3 persons check out of the place , reach their home land the same day & write a review?!
Moreover, how is it possible to have all the travellers post their reviews on TA? Black Magic?
No, really, how?!.

some people are really assertive ie trip adviser does cards like business cards you can order and they staple one to every bill ie get home do a review kind of thing. I am sorry but I just don't believe in being that pushy.

 

[Madeleine]

The thing that confuses me the most is how do some B&Bs have hundreds or even thousands of "excellent" reviews within 1 year of starting up? Came across a few on TA who started an year ago and already got 300~700 "excellent" reviews - it's like everyday 2-3 persons check out of the place , reach their home land the same day & write a review?!
Moreover, how is it possible to have all the travellers post their reviews on TA? Black Magic?
No, really, how?!.

I think it's a matter of letting the guests know when they leave that an excellent review from them will help the new business succeed.

 

[Cbz]

The thing that confuses me the most is how do some B&Bs have hundreds or even thousands of "excellent" reviews within 1 year of starting up? Came across a few on TA who started an year ago and already got 300~700 "excellent" reviews - it's like everyday 2-3 persons check out of the place , reach their home land the same day & write a review?!
Moreover, how is it possible to have all the travellers post their reviews on TA? Black Magic?
No, really, how?!.

I think it's a matter of letting the guests know when they leave that an excellent review from them will help the new business succeed.
.

Uhm I do feel you need to be highly tactful to command all excellent reviews.... to the extent you need to be discriminating what type of guests to allow & which ones to ignore or how to "act" infront of the "chosen few"!
Keeping away the PITAs you know.

 

[Cbz]

Negative reviews can be blessing in disguise.
Had one recently where the person mentioned that we don't offer room service & we are 30 mins out of the town. This, as Joey points out, is something which some like while other's don't. Also, the mention of no room service has avoided us the misery of dealing with certain who book a room with us thinking all accommodation are hotels; B&B concept is non-existent here.
But yea, i was fuming when this review came up since we told him we don't provide room service before he booked & same was mentioned on booking page
If only people would read a 4 page website and useful information on booking page. Sigh.