Improve your trip advisor relations

As part of a personal project I have been doing for my own accommodation I have created some software trying to deal with trip advisor. I have come up with a solution that has been working for me and am trying to make it available for all.
It involves rather then sending out thankyou emails sending filter surveys and then different actions depending on the results. If people have had a negative time asking for a trip advisor review is a bad thing and you are also missing the opportunity to take action and improve on it.
I did a trial on my place, sorry I am a bit of a nerd for stats. During the two months for spring (Sep-Oct, I am down under) we had 512 guests for the 512 emails we sent we got 55 completed surveys, 42 positive replies, 13 negative ones and 33 positive reviews on trip advisor which was a massive increase on the 4 in the two months prior.
Do you guys think that this is something you guys might like? Am I wasting my time trying to make this available to others? I think its a really clear way to address a major buying factor.
This is my first post. Sorry if it is something inappropriate.

If I understand you correctly, you suggest sending a survey and based on that asking for a TA review?
I can't ask my guests to do that much work.
I usually can tell which guests to ask for a review upon check out.
Riki

Welcome!
Just like I hate bothering our guests while at the B&B I would not bother them after. You could put a survey in the guest rooms, a few innkeepers do that here. You need to have thick skin...

egoodell said:

If I understand you correctly, you suggest sending a survey and based on that asking for a TA review?
I can't ask my guests to do that much work.
I usually can tell which guests to ask for a review upon check out.
Riki.

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What happens is I send a two question survey and one comment area. If the answers to the question are positive. Then the comment is then used to prefill a trip advisor comment at the push of a button. With the trip advisor window opened and prefilled they only need to choose the rating (which invariably is good because they have answered that they have enjoyed the experience). The total time is about two minutes.
Also just as important, I feel you get more honest negative feedback this way. The further people are away the more willing they are to give you negative feedback.

I think this should be a function of property management software, and it should be up to the property owner whether a guest gets a request to file a ta review or not.

Joey Bloggs said:

Welcome!
Just like I hate bothering our guests while at the B&B I would not bother them after. You could put a survey in the guest rooms, a few innkeepers do that here. You need to have thick skin....

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Leaving the paper survey is what we started doing as well and found that the responses made it a waste of time.
I have found this to be a vast improvement in response rate. I think many people that are willing to help you by giving a positive review if asked at the appropriate time (eg when thay have access to the internet,not at the desk while leaving) and that sending one email is not really bothering them but different people have different opinions.

Highlands John said:

I think this should be a function of property management software, and it should be up to the property owner whether a guest gets a request to file a ta review or not..

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Yes John it should be but ones I have found haven't. Also what I have done which I think is the most important is the filter survey, it enables you only to send the people with positive experiences to trip advisor and people with negative experiences to have their problems addressed directly and in a timely manner.

But you can configure your property management software. Slight changes in the program can add the option of getting the user reviews, for more information read my article here.