This is the 1st of a 2 part journey to understanding the importance and capability of Hospitality Industry to MONITOR, CONTROL and RESPOND to customer feedback. Not only your Yelp or TripAdvisor star rating is at stake but also the reputation, which we all know; takes years to gain and seconds to loose. Just like Warren Buffett once said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it”.
For many hoteliers the start of a warmer season revolves around restructure and evaluation of the existing amenities and features; which enhance excellent customer service. Amongst many variant changes, the ability to identify and respond to poor customer feedback is one that should be approached on a continuous basis.
The key is to face the problem as it occurs.
The process of monitoring the customer service in the Hospitality Industry delivered on daily basis, should be a continuous home-run of improvements and actions that in result eliminate any pressure on company’s reputation. It would be honest to admit that sometimes even the best of us prefer to look in another direction than to face the problem. Unfortunately, the world we live in now does not allow for any slack or tardiness when it comes to responding to customer dissatisfaction. Customers have all the power in the world to make their complaints viral and therefore can draw negative attention to not only a single hotel or a resort but to it’s whole group that it lies within.
Hoteliers cannot afford to avoid poor reviews which can appear on the Internet, especially now, when it is so easily available to everyone. Not only the star rating is at stakes but also the reputation, which we all know; takes years to gain and seconds to loose. Do not let your hotel or a resort become “just another fish in the sea”, where small things tip the balance as to whether they will stay at your sanctuary or somebody else’s.
Hoteliers, it is time to support the wonders of technological advances.
The challenge is to be aware of poor feedback occurrences and the ability to respond instantly before it is too late to create a negative perception. This challenge is not the easiest to overcome however the willingness to implement technological advances can definitely raise the bar of excellence. Hoteliers who support such projects and allow amendments within their groups are more likely to benefit and therefore be responsive to the most individual of customers needs.
Questioning whether your hotel or a resort is able to monitor and therefore make adjustments to improve on your customer service performance is simply not enough! The time has come to introduce ways, which empower your feedback monitoring abilities. If actions of a single hotel or a resort in your group chain can have a negative effect on your overall profitability, performance and reputation, think how much of an asset would it be if it was the other way round. What if a single hotel in your group implemented a system that is easily applied in trial and therefore has minimal set up costs, more importantly proves to successfully provide you with the abilities to MONITOR, CONTROL and RESPOND to customer feedback, all day every day. Would you not want a taste of such success?
Rather than treating the likes of Yelp and TripAdvisor as your enemies look at them as your allies. Follow this story on Sunday to find out how we can help you keep your enemy closer than you can imagine. getWaiter! can help you improve your Yelp ratings or boost your or TripAdvisor ranking. See what Incremental Performance Improvements you may be inclined to implement before the season hits. See how they become a beneficial asset in your company resulting in an increased Market Share.
