It happens. A guest has left a negative review on TripAdvisor or has commented on your beautiful Instagram post speaking to the displeasure of their stay. Online reviews are public and the only thing you can do once they are out there is to perform quick damage control. What if you could get ahead of this negative attention with the most simple and discrete in-room function? Volo can help you and your guests stay on the same page ensuring that future informed travelers receive more good word of mouth than bad.
Potential guests begin forming an opinion about your hotel before ever stepping foot on your property. They do so by combing through review sites and checking multiple social media platforms for more information. The online reputation of a hotel takes considerable time to curate and is more competitive sport than passive advertisement these days. While your hotel’s online presence may include gorgeous pictures and witty posts, you cannot easily control what guests say on social media platforms, including reviews posted to TripAdvisor. And while there is great advice out there for responding to negative reviews and comments, it is certainly easier to deal with an unhappy customer privately before they have the chance to post on a public forum.
On-site, delivering excellence at every turn with impeccable service and noteworthy amenities is the goal for every hotelier and staff member. The challenge with this commitment is in the expectations and varied ways that guests evaluate the quality of their stay. Unique, too, is how guests prefer to voice their pleasure or lack thereof. Although every hotel has its share of squeaky wheel guests, it is extremely common for your staff to not know a stay at your hotel was less than stellar until a negative review pops up on social media or online travel sites.
Traditional methods of measuring guest experience often miss the mark. All guests want to feel like they are important and that their feedback is being received. But most surveys have a poor response rate and are often not read until after the guest checks out. These after the fact results do nothing to mitigate bad online posts. Therefore, a method that immediately takes stock of satisfaction is key to greater guest experience.
Enter Volo in-room concierge tablets. The onsite recovery feature we provide is perhaps the most simple yet effective function of our application and has the potential to increase future revenue for your property. A daily message delivered to each guest asks “Are you enjoying your stay?” with the option to click a thumbs up or thumbs down in answer to the question. A negative answer is immediately sent to your front desk so that staff can address problems while the guest is still onsite. Managing these responses and personally attending to any issues ensures you get ahead of any negative reviews. The straightforward nature of the question and discrete way to respond is attractive to guests who would otherwise hold their tongue. Knowing that you want their feedback and will respond accordingly boosts guest satisfaction.
The bottom line is, a hotel simply cannot afford to let their guests leave without knowing if they were completely satisfied. Positive assurance lets you know that a guest felt well attended to during their time at your property and allows you to manage their next stay accordingly. Receiving negative responses allows you the chance to personally and privately smooth over any issue. Either way, you have likely sidestepped a surprise negative review, therefore keeping your online reputation manageable and intact. Contact Volo today to learn more about our guest recovery functionality and other ways we can help you deliver high-level guest satisfaction.