Skip to main content

Strategies for Responding to Online Reviews

Image
By
Voyager’s World --- an “India’s premier Travel and Tourism monthly” --- featured my comments about online reviews in its cover story of this month’s issue. I believe that no business can ignore online reviews anymore. It would be too late to fix a problem if a business has been labeled in the “worst list” of some sort by online review sites. Businesses can either manage their online presence with designated staff or pay for an agent to periodically feed the online reviews and comments about their establishments.

If monitoring online reviews is not a question, then how should a business respond to online reviews? Here are some suggestions: 

  • If the business makes a mistake, acknowledge it and fix the problem.
  • If customers repeatedly complain about one issue, it is very likely that this is a serious problem, and the business needs to address it.
  • If customers said anything good about the business, “publish” and “share” it on as many social networking sites as possible.
  • In particular, if a customer reported an “isolated” negative review about a business, the managers need to fix the problem immediately and more importantly, encourage other customers with positive experience to post their positive comments and reviews on social networking sites.

For example, I reported a personal negative experience about a dry cleaner on my blog and on Google. After the managers read my comments online, the store took immediate actions to acknowledge the issue and tried to find ways to fix it. The owners felt it was “unfortunate” that I had such a bad experience and took the approach to share my negative experience online. They assured that my experience was an isolated incident and that many loyal customers would not feel the same way as I did. I can trust the managers because I know this is an “old” family business in Syracuse, but I will not change my review because mine was still a negative experience. We cannot change what had happened in the past. The managers, however, can ask their loyal customers to post more positive comments about their business. Eventually, one “isolated” negative review will be buried by those positive comments. 

Regardless the “trustworthiness” issue of online reviews (as discussed in the cover story on Voyager’s World), I believe that authentic online reviews can benefit both customers and business. In my experience of dealing with the dry cleaner, I believe my negative review on Google helped me gain big attention from the owners. For businesses, the feedback they can get from real customers can also be priceless. The key is to develop a valid and reliable rating system that helps customers and managers measure the business performance. Fake reviews will not help. 

What are your experiences about online reviews? How do online review sites help you as a customer? If you are running a business, how important do online reviews mean to you? How much do the online review sites help you improve your operations? 

References:
Firoz Fazil (December, 2011). Is that review genuine? (cover story). Voyager's World, p. 12 - 15.
The picture was downloaded from CommonGroundWorks.com. 
Labels:

Comments

  1. Hosting companyDecember 18, 2011 at 11:35 PM

    This amazing posting generally seems to get an excessive amount of site guests.This method provides a lovely amazing forget over goods. Reckon getting a little something realistic or possibly vast to supply information on is an essential advantage.
    indian web hosting companies

    ReplyDelete
  2. jackeyDecember 21, 2011 at 2:04 AM

    Thanks for sharing nice information.I have been looking information on the hospitality profession .This discussion has solve my concern to a great extent..I am very grateful.
    ihm in Chandigarh

    ReplyDelete
  3. Best hosting company for small businessDecember 25, 2011 at 9:09 PM

    I admire the valuable information you offer in your articles. I will bookmark your blog and have my friends check up here often. I am quite sure they will learn lots of new stuff here than anybody else!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Best hosting company for small businessDecember 25, 2011 at 10:19 PM

    You make it entertaining and you still manage to keep it smart. This is really a great blog. Innovative concept..Its really very good.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Web hosting companies in indiaDecember 31, 2011 at 2:32 AM

    I go through your site..And you refer another one site I go through that site also..I got so much of information related to the hosting..

    ReplyDelete
  6. Reseller web hosting indiaJanuary 25, 2012 at 1:58 AM

    You got numerous positive points there. I made a search on the issue and found nearly all peoples will agree with your blog...Loving the information on this site..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Linchi KwokJanuary 25, 2012 at 6:37 AM

      Thank you. Look forward to hearing more comments from you in the future.

      Delete
  7. Sarah SmithJanuary 31, 2012 at 12:13 PM

    As a customer, I believe online reviews are a little bit annoying unless something negative happened in which case a customer is willing and excited to share the story or complaint. If everything was up to expectations, I never want to fill out those reviews. If I was running a business, I would pay special attention to customer reviews because if someone actually took the time to fill one out then it is important to hear what he or she has to say and this information should be used to improve ones operations. You always want to provide the best service for your customers so any feedback helps.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousOctober 4, 2012 at 9:01 PM

    I needed to thank you for this very good read!
    ! I definitely enjoyed every little bit of it. I have got you book-marked to
    look at new things you post…
    my webpage: small business web hosting

    ReplyDelete
  9. vinaysharmaSeptember 13, 2022 at 2:44 AM

    This blog is very informative! Reviews are indeed an important factor that should be considered in the marketing of the product.

    review management tool

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Luxury vs. Millennials and Their Technology: The Ritz-Carlton (By Julia Shorr)

By
Embodying the finest luxury experience, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC has been established since 1983. In 1998, Marriott International purchased the brand offering it more opportunity for growth while being independently owned and operated. They are known for their enhanced service level as the motto states, “Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen”. The luxury brand now carries 97 hotels and resorts internationally and is attempting to keep the aspects of luxury while keeping up with the trends of the technologically improving generations. The Varying Demographics of the Target Market The Ritz-Carlton’s typical target market includes: business executives, corporate, leisure travelers, typically middle-aged persons and elders, and families from the upper and upper-middle class section of society .   This infers a large range of types of travelers in which all are similar in that they are not opposed to spending extra for the luxurious ambiance. However, w...
4 comments
Read more

In what ways will AI affect restaurant operations?

By
A new wave of industrial revolution is here --- AI (artificial intelligence) will change everything we do. Undoubtedly, AI can improve restaurant operations.     Menu Engineering and Quality Control    AI can provide insights into a restaurant’s menu offerings and pricing strategies based on consumer data and market trends. Restaurant owners can adjust the recipes/menu and price accordingly.     AI can help restaurants monitor food temperature, cleanliness, and safety procedures, ensuring they comply with health and safety regulations. For example, AI can remind a sushi chef to replace a sushi plate that has been “sitting” on the conveyor belt for too long with a more popular item.     Consumer Experience   AI can help restaurants create location-based, personalized marketing campaigns to reach specific and targeted customers at the right time. Then, AI-empowered chatbots, reservation, and table management systems can help restaurants an...
18 comments
Read more

Is It OK for Hotel Staff to Wear Piercings and Tattoos?

By
Time has changed. I see more and more college students wearing piercings and tattoos nowadays, but is it OK for hotel staff to wear piercings and tattoos? The answer is “no, no, no.” According a report at USAToday.com, customers across the board do not want to see any hotel workers with pierced eyebrow, pierced tongue, tattooed arm, or nose ring. Some may argue that tattooed and pierced workers may seem more acceptable in edgy boutique hotels as compared to the big franchised hotels, but the survey results did not find any differences among a variety of lodging products. Many respondents believe people who wear visible tattoos and piercings are taking a high risk of their professional lives. If you stay in a hotel, do you mind being served by tattooed and/or pierced staff? What if you are the one who makes the hiring decision? References: USAToday.com: http://tinyurl.com/linchikwok08042010 Picture was downloaded from http://tinyurl.com/linchikwok08042010P
30 comments
Read more