What not to do in your management response to an online review.

The idea for this article came from this article http://lifehacker.com/5940640/how-can-i-deal-with-rude-emails which is about dealing with rude emails which is a very similar topic (I would recommend reading this article when you have finished as has a lot of good points.

Many of the points are similar -

(1) my first point is the same - Don't answer right away!!!! - I say this over and over again - DO NOT LET THE CRAZY OUT ON THE INTERNET! -  you will be hurt and right afterwards you will be angry but this is the most important thing to remember - this a problem DO NOT MAKE IT WORSE!

(2) So step 1 is shout a bit, kick the cat and write a real stonker of a response about how stupid and annoying they are etc then bin it! do not under any circumstances ever post your first attempt at a response it will be disaster. The number of people who say "we read the management responses of XYZ place and thought if that is what they are like we aren't going to stay there!" is high and that's only from the people who tell me! do not make your bed and breakfast, Guest House or Hotel one of those places with the loony owner! it only serves to re-enforce the review.

(3) if you can, get someone who you trust to give you their honest opinion to read it - do you sound like a loony? if so give it another shot. Remember you want to seem like someone who is nice to stay with (I always say my ambition is to be the cool aunt - everyone has one the aunt that always sends cool gifts and is fun to stay with? thats your target and who you want to show you are - not the crazy aunt who could do with locking  in the attic!

(4) do not ever use phrases like "well we can't get it right all the time" this was nearly put by a friend of mine on to trip adviser - your guests expect that you do get it right every time - its what they are paying you for! we all know full well real life isn't like that but frankly they don't care. They don't give a monkeys about your child/husband being sick or the shop running out of vegan spread (don't get me started on that one).

(5) Remember any review is an invaluable marketing opportunity be it good or bad so don't waste it. If you get a bad review of X room you can give an update of how you are renovating it, changing the drapes and so on so your future guests are aware of this. Take the opportunity to mention things completely unrelated to the review if you have added or improved something - people will not read web sites extensively but they will read reviews so here is your opportunity to put in a plug for yourself.

(6) If this was a nightmare guest and we all have them - special diet that they only told you when ordering breakfast, late check in, damage or drunk  - try and make it so that you are not having a go at them directly ie try and make the reader - read between the lines. I also try and put in a plug for booking directly at this point as well ie if you need a room on a lower floor (ie guest complains about the stairs), special diet, late check in etc please ring us directly so we can make sure that we can accommodate your requirements and give you the best possible service etc.

(7) People will complain about getting exactly what they booked ie we have 2 single rooms with private bathrooms ie not in the room - the description on booking.com is single with private external bathroom - reviewer comment was bathroom outside the room - well that is what you booked isn't it?
In cases like this the answer is "for future customers we advise that we do upgrade where we can but if you book a room with a private external bathroom you will not necessarily be in an ensuite room"

(8) My friend Mike has the best attitude to bad reviews (his place is cracking by the way so they are few and far between) - the problem is not with my place its with the customer - understand this simple truth and move on. Most bad reviews are caused by customers not understanding what they have booked - ie I am in a 4 story building - this is on my access statement on my web site in full detail with the number of steps to every floor, pictures of my entrance and exit included - and yet people with mobility issues do not put this on their booking and end up with the only double left on the top floor etc - If I had a pound for every person who asked me where the lift is I would have enough to block pave the front garden!

(9) - When you have done your response - let the review go - I know it is hard and I still have one or two which rankle and pop up in my mind now and again but don't let people like that have power over your life! do not let people that stupid ruin your day! Also (and I know its the ones you wish you could forget stick in your mind!) try and remember the multitude of nice guests who come through your door - the people who brought you flowers or left a little gift? these are the people that matter and don't forget it!

Just seen this article from fellow blogger - http://chocolatepillow.com/tripadvisor-management-responses-the-dos-donts/ - top notch!

Successful Tourism Marketing by Susan Briggs - Book Review

This is now quite an old volume published in 2001 but I bought it as I know the author Susan Briggs who teaches tourism marketing courses - http://www.tourismknowhow.com/ which has lots of free hints and tips. It is more an overview of tourism marketing for example locations, counties and more about large scale projects for example spittlefields market.

Feel it is more aimed at someone taking a tourism marketing course at university rather than the average joe therefore would not advise it as a read for accommodation providers- ISBN 0749434694

Making a reservation - the best way

Now this post is advice from a booking perspective for people who do not understand the inner workings of hotels or bed and breakfasts.

Never ring to make a hotel or BB reservation before 11am or after 5pm - why you ask? 7am to 11am is check out time and breakfast - this is the busiest time for our type of business, so do you really think you will have the full attention of the person on the phone? if you want a specific room, upgrade, have a special diet etc do you really think this is the best time to discuss this at length?
Some hotel chains for example the Holiday Inn do have central booking which is staffed all the time but in many hotels their reservations department goes home at 5pm, this means after this time reception picks up reservations from the 3rd party booking sites ie Laterooms or Booking.com about once an hour if you are lucky to put them into the computer - if it is very busy ie a wedding on etc then it may only be once in an evening. This being so you have just doubled the chance of your date being the one that is overbooked and you may not even get the hotel you want never mind the room you want.

Also if the on site reservations team have gone home and it has transferred over to the Central team they will have little or no knowledge of the hotel ie is there a function on that you don't want to be located directly over? or is the room directly opposite the lift with noise going on all night and early morning disturbing you? - they will not have the answer.

In a Bed and Breakfast it is usually the owner answering the phone and in many cases they are only a 2 man team - therefore do not ring before 10.30am and do not ring after 9pm. The busiest time of day is breakfast and check out - the owner will be cooking and or serving this - therefore you will either get the machine or asked to ring back later - this is not the time for complicated questions. I implore people don't ring BB owners after 9pm - this is when they are getting ready for bed as we work long hours 7 days a week - waking someone up will guarantee that you don't get a reservation. (or the room with the view of the bins!)

Also don't make online reservations for BB's after 8pm they will have to be processed and put into the booking system - in a small place that probably won't be till the morning after - so if 2 lots of people are trying to book at virtually the same time it is a recipe for disaster! so please keep your reservations to office hours if possible - I know its tempting while the kids are asleep and you are watching late night tv and have 10 minutes of quiet time - but please think twice it is in your interest.

Book Review - 500 Social Media Marketing Tips by Andrew Macarthy

Primarily bought this book as something I could dip into (in between guests etc!) and hopefully pick up a few tips and for the price of about £2.99 felt even if I didn't gain much I wasn't particularly out of pocket.

However was pleasantly surprised brought to my attention Pintrest and Instagram the second of which I had never even heard of, and I pride myself on keeping up to date. Picked up a few useful tips on blogging, Twitter and Facebook which I feel will be most useful for my product as an accommodation provider - feel instagram doesn't really appeal to my target market and product but at least I now know that.

Feel the author is aiming at perhaps larger businesses than mine as feel that finding an hour in the week for social media can be difficult at best for us little guys - so perhaps a section on what to do to be most effective with a limited time allowance could be useful.

The book is also compact with approximately 100 pages and according to the author is regularly updated (last update was August 2012 so is better in this way than a paper copy for this medium). Generally pleased with the purchase and feel the tips way of writing is good if you have to keep breaking off as it is in nice bite sized chunks.

Steven A. Shaw - Turning the Tables - Book Review

This is billed as the insiders guide to eating out and an in depth look at the back of house activities which as a customer you don't see in the restaurant world. To be fair Mr Shaw does follows the course of food from the purchasing in the market, the cultivation of oysters to the table which I am sure many people do not consider at all. As well he goes through how to get a reservation in highly sought after places, how and why to tip and how to behave which as a person in customer service is something I think many would benefit from being taught - aggressive bad behaviour should not be rewarded.

It is a light read but for myself would not say it was excessively informative or instructive however on the plus side it does leave the restaurant industry in a positive light where professionals are struggling to produce high quality food in a tough environment and is not one of these often touted industry exposes full of scandal.

Thinking about feet!

This may for any newbies out there seem a very odd point of conversation - however for a Bed and Breakfast owner there is only one thing more important than your feet and thats your back!

so point 1 look after your feet, wear sensible shoes at least some of the time and if you get corns etc then make sure you take the time to go to the choropodist and have them seen to. Believe me you will thank him/her for it.

2 - remember you only get 1 back! dont shake out duvets in an extended position as this is the absolute worst thing you can do. Also what does me in is hanging over the dishwasher!

Waiter Rant by Steve Dublanica - Book Review

Bought this as a bit of light reading packaged as a behind the scenes look at being a waiter in New York. To be frank its what it is, simply a bit of light reading with a tiny bit of kiss and tell thrown in. Perhaps I am cynical as have done my years in the trenches as a waitress during my uni years surrounded by drunk conventioneers who think the wait staff come as part of the package. If you have ever read Hotel Babylon it is written in a similar style though set over a period of time from when the author is made redundant and becomes a waiter to manage and never leaves.

So all in all a light read but in my opinion not a gripping page turner.