Enough with the review requests!

Asking for reviews is completely out of hand, and the big companies, like Booking and TA, hound our guests with multiple requests.Stay at any hotel and you'll get them. Check in on Facebook at any location, and you'll be asked to review it. And now FB even badgers you to check in. Ding...It looks like you are at McDonald's. Would you like to check in now and tell your friends?
And the day after you check in, it's, you were at Pizza Hut yesterday. Can you tell us this restaurant's hours? Is it family friendly? And on and on.
I buy a lot from Amazon, and they are sending more and more requests too. How was the product? How was the service? How was the packaging? Did it arrive on time? Please review our requests for reviews. Well, haven't seen that one yet, but it's coming.
So today I went in and killed the "thanks for your stay" emails I used to send automatically three days after people left. At the bottom of this unnecessary intrusion in my guests' day, I had a request for a TA review. No more! Enough is enough! I only got about 1 review a quarter anyway.
[h2]
It's time to stand out from the crowd by NOT bothering people by asking for reviews![/h2]

Testify!

I delete them. I imagine our guests do also.

Everyone one is different, but as I've said elsewhere 75% of our guests who fill in our in room questionnaire say they picked us because of TA reviews, so I'll continue to play the game. I have noticed that the number of people I ask who actually leave a review has dropped over the past couple of years, review fatigue I guess. We get about 2-3 reviews a week and are rated as one of the top 5 B&Bs in the whole of the Highlands and I'm going to do my best to make sure it stays that way.
If people don't like us asking the worst will be they resolve not to come back, well most people no matter how much they love it never come back anyway, that's just the nature of the area, so hey-ho.
If everyone in the crowd is chattering you don't stand out by staying silent, you have to shout!

You can still say thank you without asking the guest to do another thing. I added Google review links to my email. Made no difference. Still no one reviews. So, will take that out, too.
Not sure who is staying with my competition, but they get 5-10 reviews/week.
Then again, just read an article about getting reviews and that one said you have to wow the guests AND ask repeatedly for reviews.

Morticia said:

You can still say thank you without asking the guest to do another thing. I added Google review links to my email. Made no difference. Still no one reviews. So, will take that out, too.
Not sure who is staying with my competition, but they get 5-10 reviews/week.
Then again, just read an article about getting reviews and that one said you have to wow the guests AND ask repeatedly for reviews..

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I would draw the line at repeatedly asking, one request only.

Anyone else seen the episode "Nosedive" of the TV show Black Mirror ???

Highlands John said:

Everyone one is different, but as I've said elsewhere 75% of our guests who fill in our in room questionnaire say they picked us because of TA reviews, so I'll continue to play the game. I have noticed that the number of people I ask who actually leave a review has dropped over the past couple of years, review fatigue I guess. We get about 2-3 reviews a week and are rated as one of the top 5 B&Bs in the whole of the Highlands and I'm going to do my best to make sure it stays that way.
If people don't like us asking the worst will be they resolve not to come back, well most people no matter how much they love it never come back anyway, that's just the nature of the area, so hey-ho.
If everyone in the crowd is chattering you don't stand out by staying silent, you have to shout!.

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No, you have to whisper. Then everyone shuts up to hear what's being said.
My guests may read reviews, but they don't write them. I've said it before, it's just like high school - I had my core friends, but no one else knew who I was. Same thing here. Core guests come back every year. Others drift in and back out.

I just think the requests are on the verge of being counterproductive. I'm going to stop asking, and I'll feel better about it, knowing I'm not piling one more request onto the 2 or 3 everybody gets daily anyway. I really don't think anything will change, one way or the other, but now I get to stop worrying about it!

Arks said:

I just think the requests are on the verge of being counterproductive. I'm going to stop asking, and I'll feel better about it, knowing I'm not piling one more request onto the 2 or 3 everybody gets daily anyway. I really don't think anything will change, one way or the other, but now I get to stop worrying about it!.

Click to expand...

Arks said:

I just think the requests are on the verge of being counterproductive. I'm going to stop asking, and I'll feel better about it, knowing I'm not piling one more request onto the 2 or 3 everybody gets daily anyway. I really don't think anything will change, one way or the other, but now I get to stop worrying about it!

Click to expand...

Good thinking. I just got a request to review whether or not I would tell friends to buy from Wayfair. Not a review of the product I bought, but if I'd be willing to refer my friends.
Then there are the surveys about booking and the local tourism infrastructure and whether or not the lack of J visas is impacting my business. Etc. Etc.

Thank you Arks for doing this. I have traveled quite a bit in the last year and I'm constantly being inundated by review requests. I hate them all. It's gotten so bad that I won't even do a review when I really liked the place!
I was in a supermarket the other night and while I usually don't have the location feature turned on my phone, this time I did. I did not check-in at the supermarket, but the next day, Google wanted me to review my trip to the supermarket! ENOUGH ALREADY!

I delete them all. I don't want to be bothered. If I am somewhere and pleased with place or service I will do a review on my own. No need to ask me. I bet most feel the same

Breakfast Diva said:

Thank you Arks for doing this. I have traveled quite a bit in the last year and I'm constantly being inundated by review requests. I hate them all. It's gotten so bad that I won't even do a review when I really liked the place!
I was in a supermarket the other night and while I usually don't have the location feature turned on my phone, this time I did. I did not check-in at the supermarket, but the next day, Google wanted me to review my trip to the supermarket! ENOUGH ALREADY!.

Click to expand...

There's a gas station I stop at every month when I travel to NY. All I buy is a carton of milk. At the register is this flashing, noisy screen asking me how the service is. Seriously?
I noticed 2 months ago the noisy part was missing. Last time it wasn't even blinking. I think the clerks are dismantling it piece by piece. Good for them.

Breakfast Diva said:

Thank you Arks for doing this. I have traveled quite a bit in the last year and I'm constantly being inundated by review requests. I hate them all. It's gotten so bad that I won't even do a review when I really liked the place!
I was in a supermarket the other night and while I usually don't have the location feature turned on my phone, this time I did. I did not check-in at the supermarket, but the next day, Google wanted me to review my trip to the supermarket! ENOUGH ALREADY!.

Click to expand...

You know me, the new smartphone owner. I had no idea having the location turned on would cause someone to think I'd like to review my experience. Of course, location was one of the first things I turned off.
But, if anyone wanted to respond, telling the store owners you were very disgruntled with your experience might help turn that feature off.
Blame the business. They're the ones who have this turned on. Like the ones that track your movements thru the store and send coupons as you're leaving.

Morticia said:

Breakfast Diva said:

Thank you Arks for doing this. I have traveled quite a bit in the last year and I'm constantly being inundated by review requests. I hate them all. It's gotten so bad that I won't even do a review when I really liked the place!
I was in a supermarket the other night and while I usually don't have the location feature turned on my phone, this time I did. I did not check-in at the supermarket, but the next day, Google wanted me to review my trip to the supermarket! ENOUGH ALREADY!.

Click to expand...

You know me, the new smartphone owner. I had no idea having the location turned on would cause someone to think I'd like to review my experience. Of course, location was one of the first things I turned off.
But, if anyone wanted to respond, telling the store owners you were very disgruntled with your experience might help turn that feature off.
Blame the business. They're the ones who have this turned on. Like the ones that track your movements thru the store and send coupons as you're leaving.
.

Click to expand...

Morticia said:

Blame the business. They're the ones who have this turned on. Like the ones that track your movements thru the store and send coupons as you're leaving.

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No, it's not the business doing it, it's google. I've had more google reviews this year than I've ever had before. I think my guests are getting this request from google! I now have 28 google reviews.

Morticia said:

Breakfast Diva said:

Thank you Arks for doing this. I have traveled quite a bit in the last year and I'm constantly being inundated by review requests. I hate them all. It's gotten so bad that I won't even do a review when I really liked the place!
I was in a supermarket the other night and while I usually don't have the location feature turned on my phone, this time I did. I did not check-in at the supermarket, but the next day, Google wanted me to review my trip to the supermarket! ENOUGH ALREADY!.

Click to expand...

There's a gas station I stop at every month when I travel to NY. All I buy is a carton of milk. At the register is this flashing, noisy screen asking me how the service is. Seriously?
I noticed 2 months ago the noisy part was missing. Last time it wasn't even blinking. I think the clerks are dismantling it piece by piece. Good for them.
.

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The clerks are probably more annoyed with it than you.

Breakfast Diva said:

Morticia said:

Breakfast Diva said:

Thank you Arks for doing this. I have traveled quite a bit in the last year and I'm constantly being inundated by review requests. I hate them all. It's gotten so bad that I won't even do a review when I really liked the place!
I was in a supermarket the other night and while I usually don't have the location feature turned on my phone, this time I did. I did not check-in at the supermarket, but the next day, Google wanted me to review my trip to the supermarket! ENOUGH ALREADY!.

Click to expand...

You know me, the new smartphone owner. I had no idea having the location turned on would cause someone to think I'd like to review my experience. Of course, location was one of the first things I turned off.
But, if anyone wanted to respond, telling the store owners you were very disgruntled with your experience might help turn that feature off.
Blame the business. They're the ones who have this turned on. Like the ones that track your movements thru the store and send coupons as you're leaving.
.

Click to expand...

Morticia said:

Blame the business. They're the ones who have this turned on. Like the ones that track your movements thru the store and send coupons as you're leaving.

Click to expand...

No, it's not the business doing it, it's google. I've had more google reviews this year than I've ever had before. I think my guests are getting this request from google! I now have 28 google reviews.
.

Click to expand...

Breakfast Diva said:

Morticia said:

Blame the business. They're the ones who have this turned on. Like the ones that track your movements thru the store and send coupons as you're leaving.

Click to expand...

No, it's not the business doing it, it's google. I've had more google reviews this year than I've ever had before. I think my guests are getting this request from google! I now have 28 google reviews.

Click to expand...

Ok, that's interesting. I thought the business had to have something activated. So, the begs the question why do we never get reviews from Google? You need, probably, to have a Gmail account connected to your phone.
We have 4 younger guests here. They arrived at 1 am. Did not ask if they stopped along the way. Possibly they left right after work and drove straight thru.
All thru breakfast all they did was read reviews and menus on their phones. Do you want to go here for dinner? This is the menu, here are the reviews. I think they are less likely to try something without reading reviews first. Two of them have been to the area before. So the other two kept asking if they had gone there and done that. Nothing new to be attempted.

Many people are being swayed by reviews. I hear it all the time ... 'How are the reviews?' 'Oh, they only have a couple reviews ... maybe we should go someplace else'
Crazy that reviews posted by total strangers mean so much.
And yet, I've been places and read a review and thought 'Were we really at the same place?! Were they paid for this review?'
I am stubborn, I rarely review. Sometimes I will when I feel a place has been slammed and I totally disagree ... or when it's the opposite and I am convinced the glowing reviews are fake and I want to give my real opinion. But I hate being pestered for reviews.
Shop online --- review your shopping experience, review the product. You didn't review us, did we do something wrong? Need support? Review how support was handled.
Leave me alone!
Remember back in the dark ages when a professional reviewer would write something about your restaurant or inn and it meant something? Some of those reviewers had real power to help make or break a place.

HMMM... interesting decision. Every business is different and each must determine for themselves how to get where they want to go. Reviews have a significant impact on the decisions guests make and are a primary form of marketing for small properties that have a limited budget for advertising. The value of reviews varies for properties depending on their location, their market, and their demand. No doubt, you have tossed in the towel. Nonetheless, it remains a powerful force in marketing and a tool that provides extreme benefits to many.
One consideration is the weight of a review. It would be foolish to compare a review of Walmart with a review of an independent property providing unique accommodations. Just as foolish would be the assumption that a guest's perception of a small properties request for support would equate to a request from Pizza Hut to rate the pizza you just bought. They are apples and oranges and elicit an entirely different response from the consumer.

seashanty said:

Many people are being swayed by reviews. I hear it all the time ... 'How are the reviews?' 'Oh, they only have a couple reviews ... maybe we should go someplace else'
Crazy that reviews posted by total strangers mean so much.
And yet, I've been places and read a review and thought 'Were we really at the same place?! Were they paid for this review?'
I am stubborn, I rarely review. Sometimes I will when I feel a place has been slammed and I totally disagree ... or when it's the opposite and I am convinced the glowing reviews are fake and I want to give my real opinion. But I hate being pestered for reviews.
Shop online --- review your shopping experience, review the product. You didn't review us, did we do something wrong? Need support? Review how support was handled.
Leave me alone!
Remember back in the dark ages when a professional reviewer would write something about your restaurant or inn and it meant something? Some of those reviewers had real power to help make or break a place..

Click to expand...

I would never judge a place based on a single or couple of reviews, but if two or three people complain about the same problem then it may put me off.
There's always a judgement call, if a place is cheap and right in the city where I want to be I might ignore a few complaint about noise and take a chance, if I want somewhere a bit more luxurious and willing to pay for it one comment about, say street noise would put me off.
I also always read product reviews for large items such as I just replaced a TV in one of the guest rooms, if someone had said the stand wasn't very good I don't care, it's wall mounted here, if someone says it's complicated to use I'd probably walk on by because I don't want guests comping down every 5 minutes because they can't work it.