How Innkeepers Get Good Customer Reviews

The guest is the most important part of any hospitality business.  They are what brings you to your job every day and help you make a living.  Whether you are an innkeeper, a rental property owner, or a manager, you are directly interacting with and serving your guests daily.  This could include making sure the guests’ bedding is properly washed, the necessary room accessories and amenities are in place, or that the meals being served are well-prepared.  Your ultimate goal is to keep your guests satisfied and make them want to come back.  It would also be nice if they were happy enough to recommend your business to their friends and increase your public image in a positive way.  This blog will explain why customers give good reviews and how to handle negative reviews.

Good Customer Reviews are Vital to Any Business’ Success

Good customer reviews and testimonials provide the general public with preliminary insight into the way you treat your guests and whether you are consistently meeting your guests’ expectations.  With the expansion of the internet, people can now simply go online and search for reviews on businesses to see what others think about them.  This is important because people might completely base their decision on whether to stay at your property based on those initial reviews.  One of the main reasons customers and guests will leave a good review is to share an experience.  They might have liked your staff, the location, or the food and want others to know about it.  A customer may also give a good review to reward your business.  Customers don’t have to write good reviews, but their positive experience at your facility could ignite them to take their own time and support your business by writing a review.  Generally, guests will want to make sure that others know they made a good purchasing decision to stay at your property through their positive review.

Negative Reviews will Happen

Every business is at risk of getting a negative review from time to time. It is hard to keep everyone completely satisfied all the time.  In many cases, a negative review can be turned into a positive one if it is handled properly. There are certain ways to handle poor reviews to counter the negativity.

• Call the guest with an apology and a solution to “make things right”.
• Ask the guest to remove the negative review.

If the guest refuses to remove the negative review,

• Respond to the review online in a positive, non-argumentative way.
• Stick to the facts and present your case.
  • If the guest’s issue could not be resolved, explain why and how you plan to avoid similar issues in the future.
  • If the guest’s issue was resolved, explain what was done and how you plan to avoid similar issues in the future.

Showing empathy and a willingness to “make things right” for the guest goes a long way in smoothing over otherwise damaging bad reviews.  Think about how you would react if you were the guest.  What would make you happy?

Guests who write negative reviews are often very outspoken and willing to tell anyone who will listen about their bad experience. Responding to a negative review in a positive way can often turn an outspoken naysayer into an outspoken advocate.

Ignoring Bad Reviews is Never a Good Idea

Ignoring bad reviews is like burying your head in the sand and hoping things will work themselves out.  They rarely do. Bad reviews require immediate attention.

Keeping Guests Satisfied Equals Good Customer Reviews

Obviously, it’s best to keep your guests satisfied with their stay so they want to write good reviews about your business.  As we’ve explain above, even negative reviews can deliver positive outcomes.

At InnStyle, it is our goal to give you the highest level of customer service possible.   We take pride in having an experienced and knowledgeable sales staff to help you with your bedding and hospitality needs.  We are always trying to improve and make sure we are serving our customers the best way possible.  If you have any hospitality questions about your property, please give us a call at 267-354-6020 or 800-877-4667.  You can also visit our website at https://www.innstyle.com/.