A competitor got a bad review.

[Samster]

I applaud Todd for being caring. Nothing wrong with checking reviews, in fact it is silly if you don't keep abreast of them, like everything else in this tourism/hospitality industry that effects us. It is all a part of our life and our livelihood.
I asked on another thread about using TA reviews with a link back to them (legally) and got an eyeful about how pathetic to even consider using them in marketing, by one in particular. I was actually asking about it for our state parks system as I am a blogger there and we encourage social media interaction, with over 20,000+ followers. I wanted to use an example of a review I would trust vs a review I would not trust for those who follow the blog and Facebook. I use TA when I plan a trip, and obviously millions of other do!
You know me by now, I despise facebook, with a passion, but it is what it is. To put it simply. So while I don't embrace it, others do, so I have to go in from time to time. I can't throw the baby out with the bathwater..

effects us
It only effects us if we let it . Educate people about ta. and see how they feel about how ta handles the wrongs .YOU will be surprised. I had a guest that was upset because ta would not post their wedding pictures at the resort they were staying at. Pictures of the resort and the sea by the resort.
People are people there are leaders then there are followers .Some have to have other tell them what to see and how to see it. Others can make up their own minds. And do so. there are people that enjoy talking behind peoples backs.
We all try our best most of the time. We fail at times too. SO be it. Life goes on. after all it is not the end of the world. TA is just another form for now adays . The telphone used to be thee place for gossip. Now it is TA. There are so many places to have your people post reviews other then ta.
It is not the be all and end all! We use CAA to help us plan a trip also visitors centres.
.

I think review sites help people be more adventurous. There are folks coming thru my door who have never set foot inside a B&B before. Why are they coming? They were looking for places to stay and they kept finding my inn reviewed by previous guests. I do not have the best reviews on the planet. Quite a few other B&B's have many more and much better reviews.
But, they keep seeing reviews about my place. So, they veer off the standard 'let's go to a hotel where we know what we'll get' and they take what is not really even a chance. Because they had the opinions of other people letting them know this was a 'safe' place to stay. There is a big market out there looking for safe.
Sure, TA is not the only game in town, but it is the biggest. In a way like bb.com is to the directories. No one likes them, but a lot of people choose to not ignore them.
If you have no reviews on TA you will never hear from guests who didn't book because they didn't read your reviews there. It doesn't mean some guests didn't go looking for reviews on the biggest review site on the planet and, failing to find you, moved on to somewhere else.
That does not make those guests sheep. It means they have limited funds and time and want to get the biggest bang for their buck.
.

"they keep seeing reviews about my place"
Again, it is a proven fact that people read reviews. Not really sure what the argument is about, check your reviews, stay on top of your business, anything that impacts your business.
Otherwise leave the online forums and dig a hole and stuff your head in it. We live in a tech world, this is part of our business, this is our livelihood, it is our job to be good at it, to know as much as we can that will help us in what we do, to be the best. Unless you don't care about being good at it, or being the best at what you do.
There is another online forum and they are only now sharing the "6 newly ordained priests coming to your inn for 2 weeks" scam, where they are being scammed! They are there to warn people "what happened to us we don't want to happen to you..." I mean think about it, we have been sharing this info for 5 to 10 years now.
.

Otherwise leave the online forums and dig a hole and stuff your head in it. We live in a tech world, this is part of our business, this is our livelihood, it is our job to be good at it, to know as much as we can that will help us in what we do, to be the best. Unless you don't care about being good at it, or being the best at what you do.

Sorry, I just disagree. I AM THE BEST AT WHAT I DO. I don't need a review to tell me I am. Nothing anyone writes, says, etc. is going to change what I do. I live it every second of every day. I know what works for my home and business and what doesn't. I am 100% honest and fair. I always give as much as I can.
Thank you, I am now leaving this forum and going back to my hole in the sand...it is lovely, warm and comfortable there. Best of luck to all those looking for validation outside of themselves, you will never find it and to me that is so incredibly sad.
.

Yowsa! You are one confident innkeeper about your business and giving as much as you can.
Online reviews on a variety of sites is a fact of life. People read them, use them, post them, and take away what they will from them. There's really no way to ignore the fact that reviews can affect any business, good or bad. And, the Internet lives for a long time. Social media is now a fact of life, whether you want to embrace it personally or not.
We still have people calling us from reviews on the Internet and we've been closed for almost a year and a half and our listings on the review sites are down. I think that speaks volumes.
I'm not saying that it's good to obsess about reviews at all, or to use them as validataion for what innkeepers do, but they can be a mechanism for improvement or seeing things in a different light. And using positive reviews to promote a product can be a good thing.

 

[JBloggs]

I applaud Todd for being caring. Nothing wrong with checking reviews, in fact it is silly if you don't keep abreast of them, like everything else in this tourism/hospitality industry that effects us. It is all a part of our life and our livelihood.
I asked on another thread about using TA reviews with a link back to them (legally) and got an eyeful about how pathetic to even consider using them in marketing, by one in particular. I was actually asking about it for our state parks system as I am a blogger there and we encourage social media interaction, with over 20,000+ followers. I wanted to use an example of a review I would trust vs a review I would not trust for those who follow the blog and Facebook. I use TA when I plan a trip, and obviously millions of other do!
You know me by now, I despise facebook, with a passion, but it is what it is. To put it simply. So while I don't embrace it, others do, so I have to go in from time to time. I can't throw the baby out with the bathwater..

effects us
It only effects us if we let it . Educate people about ta. and see how they feel about how ta handles the wrongs .YOU will be surprised. I had a guest that was upset because ta would not post their wedding pictures at the resort they were staying at. Pictures of the resort and the sea by the resort.
People are people there are leaders then there are followers .Some have to have other tell them what to see and how to see it. Others can make up their own minds. And do so. there are people that enjoy talking behind peoples backs.
We all try our best most of the time. We fail at times too. SO be it. Life goes on. after all it is not the end of the world. TA is just another form for now adays . The telphone used to be thee place for gossip. Now it is TA. There are so many places to have your people post reviews other then ta.
It is not the be all and end all! We use CAA to help us plan a trip also visitors centres.
.

I think review sites help people be more adventurous. There are folks coming thru my door who have never set foot inside a B&B before. Why are they coming? They were looking for places to stay and they kept finding my inn reviewed by previous guests. I do not have the best reviews on the planet. Quite a few other B&B's have many more and much better reviews.
But, they keep seeing reviews about my place. So, they veer off the standard 'let's go to a hotel where we know what we'll get' and they take what is not really even a chance. Because they had the opinions of other people letting them know this was a 'safe' place to stay. There is a big market out there looking for safe.
Sure, TA is not the only game in town, but it is the biggest. In a way like bb.com is to the directories. No one likes them, but a lot of people choose to not ignore them.
If you have no reviews on TA you will never hear from guests who didn't book because they didn't read your reviews there. It doesn't mean some guests didn't go looking for reviews on the biggest review site on the planet and, failing to find you, moved on to somewhere else.
That does not make those guests sheep. It means they have limited funds and time and want to get the biggest bang for their buck.
.

"they keep seeing reviews about my place"
Again, it is a proven fact that people read reviews. Not really sure what the argument is about, check your reviews, stay on top of your business, anything that impacts your business.
Otherwise leave the online forums and dig a hole and stuff your head in it. We live in a tech world, this is part of our business, this is our livelihood, it is our job to be good at it, to know as much as we can that will help us in what we do, to be the best. Unless you don't care about being good at it, or being the best at what you do.
There is another online forum and they are only now sharing the "6 newly ordained priests coming to your inn for 2 weeks" scam, where they are being scammed! They are there to warn people "what happened to us we don't want to happen to you..." I mean think about it, we have been sharing this info for 5 to 10 years now.
.

Otherwise leave the online forums and dig a hole and stuff your head in it. We live in a tech world, this is part of our business, this is our livelihood, it is our job to be good at it, to know as much as we can that will help us in what we do, to be the best. Unless you don't care about being good at it, or being the best at what you do.

Sorry, I just disagree. I AM THE BEST AT WHAT I DO. I don't need a review to tell me I am. Nothing anyone writes, says, etc. is going to change what I do. I live it every second of every day. I know what works for my home and business and what doesn't. I am 100% honest and fair. I always give as much as I can.
Thank you, I am now leaving this forum and going back to my hole in the sand...it is lovely, warm and comfortable there. Best of luck to all those looking for validation outside of themselves, you will never find it and to me that is so incredibly sad.
.

Yowsa! You are one confident innkeeper about your business and giving as much as you can.
Online reviews on a variety of sites is a fact of life. People read them, use them, post them, and take away what they will from them. There's really no way to ignore the fact that reviews can affect any business, good or bad. And, the Internet lives for a long time. Social media is now a fact of life, whether you want to embrace it personally or not.
We still have people calling us from reviews on the Internet and we've been closed for almost a year and a half and our listings on the review sites are down. I think that speaks volumes.
I'm not saying that it's good to obsess about reviews at all, or to use them as validataion for what innkeepers do, but they can be a mechanism for improvement or seeing things in a different light. And using positive reviews to promote a product can be a good thing.
.

As owners of businesses, you can add DOZENS of photos to your listing for free, to the free listing. Again, why do this? For those who utlize TA it shows you care. Shows you are invested in what people see and read about you.
This thread reminded me to go and add more images. You can add ANY that are pertinent, so add some room photos, breakfast photos,grounds photos, go for it!!
I share so many things that are FREE with this forum, great marketing that is free, but majority just have zero interest in. This is free y'all, it is there whether you like it or not, so give it all ya got!

I am the cheerleader here, I want you to have the best guests and your cup to runneth over! Rah rah rah!

 

[Samster]

I applaud Todd for being caring. Nothing wrong with checking reviews, in fact it is silly if you don't keep abreast of them, like everything else in this tourism/hospitality industry that effects us. It is all a part of our life and our livelihood.
I asked on another thread about using TA reviews with a link back to them (legally) and got an eyeful about how pathetic to even consider using them in marketing, by one in particular. I was actually asking about it for our state parks system as I am a blogger there and we encourage social media interaction, with over 20,000+ followers. I wanted to use an example of a review I would trust vs a review I would not trust for those who follow the blog and Facebook. I use TA when I plan a trip, and obviously millions of other do!
You know me by now, I despise facebook, with a passion, but it is what it is. To put it simply. So while I don't embrace it, others do, so I have to go in from time to time. I can't throw the baby out with the bathwater..

effects us
It only effects us if we let it . Educate people about ta. and see how they feel about how ta handles the wrongs .YOU will be surprised. I had a guest that was upset because ta would not post their wedding pictures at the resort they were staying at. Pictures of the resort and the sea by the resort.
People are people there are leaders then there are followers .Some have to have other tell them what to see and how to see it. Others can make up their own minds. And do so. there are people that enjoy talking behind peoples backs.
We all try our best most of the time. We fail at times too. SO be it. Life goes on. after all it is not the end of the world. TA is just another form for now adays . The telphone used to be thee place for gossip. Now it is TA. There are so many places to have your people post reviews other then ta.
It is not the be all and end all! We use CAA to help us plan a trip also visitors centres.
.

I think review sites help people be more adventurous. There are folks coming thru my door who have never set foot inside a B&B before. Why are they coming? They were looking for places to stay and they kept finding my inn reviewed by previous guests. I do not have the best reviews on the planet. Quite a few other B&B's have many more and much better reviews.
But, they keep seeing reviews about my place. So, they veer off the standard 'let's go to a hotel where we know what we'll get' and they take what is not really even a chance. Because they had the opinions of other people letting them know this was a 'safe' place to stay. There is a big market out there looking for safe.
Sure, TA is not the only game in town, but it is the biggest. In a way like bb.com is to the directories. No one likes them, but a lot of people choose to not ignore them.
If you have no reviews on TA you will never hear from guests who didn't book because they didn't read your reviews there. It doesn't mean some guests didn't go looking for reviews on the biggest review site on the planet and, failing to find you, moved on to somewhere else.
That does not make those guests sheep. It means they have limited funds and time and want to get the biggest bang for their buck.
.

"they keep seeing reviews about my place"
Again, it is a proven fact that people read reviews. Not really sure what the argument is about, check your reviews, stay on top of your business, anything that impacts your business.
Otherwise leave the online forums and dig a hole and stuff your head in it. We live in a tech world, this is part of our business, this is our livelihood, it is our job to be good at it, to know as much as we can that will help us in what we do, to be the best. Unless you don't care about being good at it, or being the best at what you do.
There is another online forum and they are only now sharing the "6 newly ordained priests coming to your inn for 2 weeks" scam, where they are being scammed! They are there to warn people "what happened to us we don't want to happen to you..." I mean think about it, we have been sharing this info for 5 to 10 years now.
.

Otherwise leave the online forums and dig a hole and stuff your head in it. We live in a tech world, this is part of our business, this is our livelihood, it is our job to be good at it, to know as much as we can that will help us in what we do, to be the best. Unless you don't care about being good at it, or being the best at what you do.

Sorry, I just disagree. I AM THE BEST AT WHAT I DO. I don't need a review to tell me I am. Nothing anyone writes, says, etc. is going to change what I do. I live it every second of every day. I know what works for my home and business and what doesn't. I am 100% honest and fair. I always give as much as I can.
Thank you, I am now leaving this forum and going back to my hole in the sand...it is lovely, warm and comfortable there. Best of luck to all those looking for validation outside of themselves, you will never find it and to me that is so incredibly sad.
.

Yowsa! You are one confident innkeeper about your business and giving as much as you can.
Online reviews on a variety of sites is a fact of life. People read them, use them, post them, and take away what they will from them. There's really no way to ignore the fact that reviews can affect any business, good or bad. And, the Internet lives for a long time. Social media is now a fact of life, whether you want to embrace it personally or not.
We still have people calling us from reviews on the Internet and we've been closed for almost a year and a half and our listings on the review sites are down. I think that speaks volumes.
I'm not saying that it's good to obsess about reviews at all, or to use them as validataion for what innkeepers do, but they can be a mechanism for improvement or seeing things in a different light. And using positive reviews to promote a product can be a good thing.
.

As owners of businesses, you can add DOZENS of photos to your listing for free, to the free listing. Again, why do this? For those who utlize TA it shows you care. Shows you are invested in what people see and read about you.
This thread reminded me to go and add more images. You can add ANY that are pertinent, so add some room photos, breakfast photos,grounds photos, go for it!!
I share so many things that are FREE with this forum, great marketing that is free, but majority just have zero interest in. This is free y'all, it is there whether you like it or not, so give it all ya got!

I am the cheerleader here, I want you to have the best guests and your cup to runneth over! Rah rah rah!
.

I agree!! Embrace the FREE!! How many innkeepers here also have a FREE listing with Google?? Kayak? Yahoo?

Hip hip hooray! Free is the best!

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Review sites are there whether we like it or not. No, don't become obsessive about it, but if you ignore them, you're doing your business a disservice.
Most of you know about my last PITA situation regarding no cell coverage. The guests left and immediately left a horrible review. Had I not known it was there, it really would have cost me a lot of business. People read those reviews. When I check in guests now and go over the phone situation, 8 out of 10 people have commented "yes, I read that review". Believe me, I never bring it up first!
Instead of obsessing about it, I have encouraged more people to write reviews and we now have 5 more amazing reviews newer than the the bad one. It balances it out. I'm not worried about the bad one and I'm not changing the way I do business and treat my guests.
Online reputation will be more and more important as the years go by. If you put your head in the sand, it will catch up to you sooner or later. Heck, I wish we didn't have to deal with it, but in my opinion, we do.

 

[toddburme]

I applaud Todd for being caring. Nothing wrong with checking reviews, in fact it is silly if you don't keep abreast of them, like everything else in this tourism/hospitality industry that effects us. It is all a part of our life and our livelihood.
I asked on another thread about using TA reviews with a link back to them (legally) and got an eyeful about how pathetic to even consider using them in marketing, by one in particular. I was actually asking about it for our state parks system as I am a blogger there and we encourage social media interaction, with over 20,000+ followers. I wanted to use an example of a review I would trust vs a review I would not trust for those who follow the blog and Facebook. I use TA when I plan a trip, and obviously millions of other do!
You know me by now, I despise facebook, with a passion, but it is what it is. To put it simply. So while I don't embrace it, others do, so I have to go in from time to time. I can't throw the baby out with the bathwater..

effects us
It only effects us if we let it . Educate people about ta. and see how they feel about how ta handles the wrongs .YOU will be surprised. I had a guest that was upset because ta would not post their wedding pictures at the resort they were staying at. Pictures of the resort and the sea by the resort.
People are people there are leaders then there are followers .Some have to have other tell them what to see and how to see it. Others can make up their own minds. And do so. there are people that enjoy talking behind peoples backs.
We all try our best most of the time. We fail at times too. SO be it. Life goes on. after all it is not the end of the world. TA is just another form for now adays . The telphone used to be thee place for gossip. Now it is TA. There are so many places to have your people post reviews other then ta.
It is not the be all and end all! We use CAA to help us plan a trip also visitors centres.
.

I think review sites help people be more adventurous. There are folks coming thru my door who have never set foot inside a B&B before. Why are they coming? They were looking for places to stay and they kept finding my inn reviewed by previous guests. I do not have the best reviews on the planet. Quite a few other B&B's have many more and much better reviews.
But, they keep seeing reviews about my place. So, they veer off the standard 'let's go to a hotel where we know what we'll get' and they take what is not really even a chance. Because they had the opinions of other people letting them know this was a 'safe' place to stay. There is a big market out there looking for safe.
Sure, TA is not the only game in town, but it is the biggest. In a way like bb.com is to the directories. No one likes them, but a lot of people choose to not ignore them.
If you have no reviews on TA you will never hear from guests who didn't book because they didn't read your reviews there. It doesn't mean some guests didn't go looking for reviews on the biggest review site on the planet and, failing to find you, moved on to somewhere else.
That does not make those guests sheep. It means they have limited funds and time and want to get the biggest bang for their buck.
.

"they keep seeing reviews about my place"
Again, it is a proven fact that people read reviews. Not really sure what the argument is about, check your reviews, stay on top of your business, anything that impacts your business.
Otherwise leave the online forums and dig a hole and stuff your head in it. We live in a tech world, this is part of our business, this is our livelihood, it is our job to be good at it, to know as much as we can that will help us in what we do, to be the best. Unless you don't care about being good at it, or being the best at what you do.
There is another online forum and they are only now sharing the "6 newly ordained priests coming to your inn for 2 weeks" scam, where they are being scammed! They are there to warn people "what happened to us we don't want to happen to you..." I mean think about it, we have been sharing this info for 5 to 10 years now.
.

Otherwise leave the online forums and dig a hole and stuff your head in it. We live in a tech world, this is part of our business, this is our livelihood, it is our job to be good at it, to know as much as we can that will help us in what we do, to be the best. Unless you don't care about being good at it, or being the best at what you do.

Sorry, I just disagree. I AM THE BEST AT WHAT I DO. I don't need a review to tell me I am. Nothing anyone writes, says, etc. is going to change what I do. I live it every second of every day. I know what works for my home and business and what doesn't. I am 100% honest and fair. I always give as much as I can.
Thank you, I am now leaving this forum and going back to my hole in the sand...it is lovely, warm and comfortable there. Best of luck to all those looking for validation outside of themselves, you will never find it and to me that is so incredibly sad.
.

Yowsa! You are one confident innkeeper about your business and giving as much as you can.
Online reviews on a variety of sites is a fact of life. People read them, use them, post them, and take away what they will from them. There's really no way to ignore the fact that reviews can affect any business, good or bad. And, the Internet lives for a long time. Social media is now a fact of life, whether you want to embrace it personally or not.
We still have people calling us from reviews on the Internet and we've been closed for almost a year and a half and our listings on the review sites are down. I think that speaks volumes.
I'm not saying that it's good to obsess about reviews at all, or to use them as validataion for what innkeepers do, but they can be a mechanism for improvement or seeing things in a different light. And using positive reviews to promote a product can be a good thing.
.

As owners of businesses, you can add DOZENS of photos to your listing for free, to the free listing. Again, why do this? For those who utlize TA it shows you care. Shows you are invested in what people see and read about you.
This thread reminded me to go and add more images. You can add ANY that are pertinent, so add some room photos, breakfast photos,grounds photos, go for it!!
I share so many things that are FREE with this forum, great marketing that is free, but majority just have zero interest in. This is free y'all, it is there whether you like it or not, so give it all ya got!

I am the cheerleader here, I want you to have the best guests and your cup to runneth over! Rah rah rah!
.

I agree!! Embrace the FREE!! How many innkeepers here also have a FREE listing with Google?? Kayak? Yahoo?

Hip hip hooray! Free is the best!
.

I agree!! Embrace the FREE!! How many innkeepers here also have a FREE listing with Google?? Kayak? Yahoo?

Hip hip hooray! Free is the best!

thanks doing Kayak now. I love that site.

 

[Samster]

I applaud Todd for being caring. Nothing wrong with checking reviews, in fact it is silly if you don't keep abreast of them, like everything else in this tourism/hospitality industry that effects us. It is all a part of our life and our livelihood.
I asked on another thread about using TA reviews with a link back to them (legally) and got an eyeful about how pathetic to even consider using them in marketing, by one in particular. I was actually asking about it for our state parks system as I am a blogger there and we encourage social media interaction, with over 20,000+ followers. I wanted to use an example of a review I would trust vs a review I would not trust for those who follow the blog and Facebook. I use TA when I plan a trip, and obviously millions of other do!
You know me by now, I despise facebook, with a passion, but it is what it is. To put it simply. So while I don't embrace it, others do, so I have to go in from time to time. I can't throw the baby out with the bathwater..

effects us
It only effects us if we let it . Educate people about ta. and see how they feel about how ta handles the wrongs .YOU will be surprised. I had a guest that was upset because ta would not post their wedding pictures at the resort they were staying at. Pictures of the resort and the sea by the resort.
People are people there are leaders then there are followers .Some have to have other tell them what to see and how to see it. Others can make up their own minds. And do so. there are people that enjoy talking behind peoples backs.
We all try our best most of the time. We fail at times too. SO be it. Life goes on. after all it is not the end of the world. TA is just another form for now adays . The telphone used to be thee place for gossip. Now it is TA. There are so many places to have your people post reviews other then ta.
It is not the be all and end all! We use CAA to help us plan a trip also visitors centres.
.

I think review sites help people be more adventurous. There are folks coming thru my door who have never set foot inside a B&B before. Why are they coming? They were looking for places to stay and they kept finding my inn reviewed by previous guests. I do not have the best reviews on the planet. Quite a few other B&B's have many more and much better reviews.
But, they keep seeing reviews about my place. So, they veer off the standard 'let's go to a hotel where we know what we'll get' and they take what is not really even a chance. Because they had the opinions of other people letting them know this was a 'safe' place to stay. There is a big market out there looking for safe.
Sure, TA is not the only game in town, but it is the biggest. In a way like bb.com is to the directories. No one likes them, but a lot of people choose to not ignore them.
If you have no reviews on TA you will never hear from guests who didn't book because they didn't read your reviews there. It doesn't mean some guests didn't go looking for reviews on the biggest review site on the planet and, failing to find you, moved on to somewhere else.
That does not make those guests sheep. It means they have limited funds and time and want to get the biggest bang for their buck.
.

"they keep seeing reviews about my place"
Again, it is a proven fact that people read reviews. Not really sure what the argument is about, check your reviews, stay on top of your business, anything that impacts your business.
Otherwise leave the online forums and dig a hole and stuff your head in it. We live in a tech world, this is part of our business, this is our livelihood, it is our job to be good at it, to know as much as we can that will help us in what we do, to be the best. Unless you don't care about being good at it, or being the best at what you do.
There is another online forum and they are only now sharing the "6 newly ordained priests coming to your inn for 2 weeks" scam, where they are being scammed! They are there to warn people "what happened to us we don't want to happen to you..." I mean think about it, we have been sharing this info for 5 to 10 years now.
.

Otherwise leave the online forums and dig a hole and stuff your head in it. We live in a tech world, this is part of our business, this is our livelihood, it is our job to be good at it, to know as much as we can that will help us in what we do, to be the best. Unless you don't care about being good at it, or being the best at what you do.

Sorry, I just disagree. I AM THE BEST AT WHAT I DO. I don't need a review to tell me I am. Nothing anyone writes, says, etc. is going to change what I do. I live it every second of every day. I know what works for my home and business and what doesn't. I am 100% honest and fair. I always give as much as I can.
Thank you, I am now leaving this forum and going back to my hole in the sand...it is lovely, warm and comfortable there. Best of luck to all those looking for validation outside of themselves, you will never find it and to me that is so incredibly sad.
.

Yowsa! You are one confident innkeeper about your business and giving as much as you can.
Online reviews on a variety of sites is a fact of life. People read them, use them, post them, and take away what they will from them. There's really no way to ignore the fact that reviews can affect any business, good or bad. And, the Internet lives for a long time. Social media is now a fact of life, whether you want to embrace it personally or not.
We still have people calling us from reviews on the Internet and we've been closed for almost a year and a half and our listings on the review sites are down. I think that speaks volumes.
I'm not saying that it's good to obsess about reviews at all, or to use them as validataion for what innkeepers do, but they can be a mechanism for improvement or seeing things in a different light. And using positive reviews to promote a product can be a good thing.
.

As owners of businesses, you can add DOZENS of photos to your listing for free, to the free listing. Again, why do this? For those who utlize TA it shows you care. Shows you are invested in what people see and read about you.
This thread reminded me to go and add more images. You can add ANY that are pertinent, so add some room photos, breakfast photos,grounds photos, go for it!!
I share so many things that are FREE with this forum, great marketing that is free, but majority just have zero interest in. This is free y'all, it is there whether you like it or not, so give it all ya got!

I am the cheerleader here, I want you to have the best guests and your cup to runneth over! Rah rah rah!
.

I agree!! Embrace the FREE!! How many innkeepers here also have a FREE listing with Google?? Kayak? Yahoo?

Hip hip hooray! Free is the best!
.

I agree!! Embrace the FREE!! How many innkeepers here also have a FREE listing with Google?? Kayak? Yahoo?

Hip hip hooray! Free is the best!

thanks doing Kayak now. I love that site.
.

Kayak was the most responsive when we wanted to remove our listing. I have sent many requests to remove us from a couple of the other free sites and we're still there. Oh, well...... It's not worth my time now to hassle with it. Of course the paid listings, pulled us immediately. haha!

 

[gillumhouse]

I hate the trip adviser principle as I see no reason it should be annonomous if you are going to say something that affects a business or a person you should legally have to put your name to it..

It takes cohones to say something not nice (even if it is true) and actually admit who you are! Bashers like to hide behind the curtain so they can claim, "I never said that."

 

[MTLLodge]

Thanks for letting me know about Kayak. Thanks for all you share with us Joey!

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Several weeks ago I signed on to Kayak to take control of our listing. I was shocked that the website link instead of going directly to our website went to (are you sitting down?) our listing page on bb.com!!!!!! The photos that are shown were taken from bb.com. I have no idea how this happened, but maybe it happened when we were participating in the bb.com "book it now" system.
This is just one more example of them trying to get folks to their site so they can capture the commissions. IT'S JUST WRONG!! What's also wrong is on the same site, when you click on the map, then click on the town you're looking for a HO T WI RE window opens up! Again, trying to take everyone away from your listing so the innkeeper has to pay all their booking fees. I'm so disgusted.
If you have not gone to kayak to check your listing, you better check it closely!!

 

[Copperhead]

Just checked Kayak after it was mentioned in another thread... yes there I am with a link to b&b .com. On my list of things for tomorrow morning. I will be taking over my listing.
But lets not be so quick to bash b&b.com, your place was listed for those looking. I will take that as an effort to promote my listing - another marketing tool which I am paying for them to do - market my listing.
And regarding reviews - I am not wild about them myself but they are here to stay and turning a blinds eye to them could prove to be devastating to a business. And while each of us hopes we are doing everything right, there will be those that think something could be better.
Yes some are just sounding off and were just pills from the get go! You must know what is being said about your business!!! Just think before you never knew what they said to others, now at least you do and can provide a response if it is needed.
And just as an example of how online postings can have an affect on a company - look at Web erva tions - a change was taking place, we sounded off & while the change is still happening, they are making an impovement. And the phone service thread.... maybe they will make changes after hearing from a user here.

 

[Flower]

I hate the trip adviser principle as I see no reason it should be annonomous if you are going to say something that affects a business or a person you should legally have to put your name to it..

Here here. I agree whole heartly. ta was not meant to be for the B&Bs There are other sites that people go too. TA is not the be all and and all. Why or why would you want to be chained to TA for results.
Oh well I guess I will never understand Why? Life is far to short to be worried by people who cannot say to your face how they feel and feel so safe saying it behind your back.

 

[Basil Fawlty]

I applaud Todd for being caring. Nothing wrong with checking reviews, in fact it is silly if you don't keep abreast of them, like everything else in this tourism/hospitality industry that effects us. It is all a part of our life and our livelihood.
I asked on another thread about using TA reviews with a link back to them (legally) and got an eyeful about how pathetic to even consider using them in marketing, by one in particular. I was actually asking about it for our state parks system as I am a blogger there and we encourage social media interaction, with over 20,000+ followers. I wanted to use an example of a review I would trust vs a review I would not trust for those who follow the blog and Facebook. I use TA when I plan a trip, and obviously millions of other do!
You know me by now, I despise facebook, with a passion, but it is what it is. To put it simply. So while I don't embrace it, others do, so I have to go in from time to time. I can't throw the baby out with the bathwater..

effects us
It only effects us if we let it . Educate people about ta. and see how they feel about how ta handles the wrongs .YOU will be surprised. I had a guest that was upset because ta would not post their wedding pictures at the resort they were staying at. Pictures of the resort and the sea by the resort.
People are people there are leaders then there are followers .Some have to have other tell them what to see and how to see it. Others can make up their own minds. And do so. there are people that enjoy talking behind peoples backs.
We all try our best most of the time. We fail at times too. SO be it. Life goes on. after all it is not the end of the world. TA is just another form for now adays . The telphone used to be thee place for gossip. Now it is TA. There are so many places to have your people post reviews other then ta.
It is not the be all and end all! We use CAA to help us plan a trip also visitors centres.
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I think review sites help people be more adventurous. There are folks coming thru my door who have never set foot inside a B&B before. Why are they coming? They were looking for places to stay and they kept finding my inn reviewed by previous guests. I do not have the best reviews on the planet. Quite a few other B&B's have many more and much better reviews.
But, they keep seeing reviews about my place. So, they veer off the standard 'let's go to a hotel where we know what we'll get' and they take what is not really even a chance. Because they had the opinions of other people letting them know this was a 'safe' place to stay. There is a big market out there looking for safe.
Sure, TA is not the only game in town, but it is the biggest. In a way like bb.com is to the directories. No one likes them, but a lot of people choose to not ignore them.
If you have no reviews on TA you will never hear from guests who didn't book because they didn't read your reviews there. It doesn't mean some guests didn't go looking for reviews on the biggest review site on the planet and, failing to find you, moved on to somewhere else.
That does not make those guests sheep. It means they have limited funds and time and want to get the biggest bang for their buck.
.

"they keep seeing reviews about my place"
Again, it is a proven fact that people read reviews. Not really sure what the argument is about, check your reviews, stay on top of your business, anything that impacts your business.
Otherwise leave the online forums and dig a hole and stuff your head in it. We live in a tech world, this is part of our business, this is our livelihood, it is our job to be good at it, to know as much as we can that will help us in what we do, to be the best. Unless you don't care about being good at it, or being the best at what you do.
There is another online forum and they are only now sharing the "6 newly ordained priests coming to your inn for 2 weeks" scam, where they are being scammed! They are there to warn people "what happened to us we don't want to happen to you..." I mean think about it, we have been sharing this info for 5 to 10 years now.
.

Otherwise leave the online forums and dig a hole and stuff your head in it. We live in a tech world, this is part of our business, this is our livelihood, it is our job to be good at it, to know as much as we can that will help us in what we do, to be the best. Unless you don't care about being good at it, or being the best at what you do.

Sorry, I just disagree. I AM THE BEST AT WHAT I DO. I don't need a review to tell me I am. Nothing anyone writes, says, etc. is going to change what I do. I live it every second of every day. I know what works for my home and business and what doesn't. I am 100% honest and fair. I always give as much as I can.
Thank you, I am now leaving this forum and going back to my hole in the sand...it is lovely, warm and comfortable there. Best of luck to all those looking for validation outside of themselves, you will never find it and to me that is so incredibly sad.
.

Otherwise leave the online forums and dig a hole and stuff your head in it. We live in a tech world, this is part of our business, this is our livelihood, it is our job to be good at it, to know as much as we can that will help us in what we do, to be the best. Unless you don't care about being good at it, or being the best at what you do.

Sorry, I just disagree. I AM THE BEST AT WHAT I DO. I don't need a review to tell me I am. Nothing anyone writes, says, etc. is going to change what I do. I live it every second of every day. I know what works for my home and business and what doesn't. I am 100% honest and fair. I always give as much as I can.
Thank you, I am now leaving this forum and going back to my hole in the sand...it is lovely, warm and comfortable there. Best of luck to all those looking for validation outside of themselves, you will never find it and to me that is so incredibly sad.
Dear Mr. Draper - As an actor and an innkeeper - well - you can imagine how whole-heartedly I agree with you! First and foremost: Believe in your product and in your self - and your management of both. As Shakespeare wrote - "to thine ownself be true". This is our only basis for how we do what we do best! If we don't believe in the intrinsic value of our own creation - if we are at merely at sea with the ebb and tide of opinion, then we have no true center, or trust in ourselves - to operate from . The truth is that there is a constant evaluation between what we offer and what guests percieve - but the basis must be a core belief in our businesses! It is this core belief - this trust in ourselves as professionals - that will both adapt to the changing times and offer the stability of our establishments - places that guests have, over the years, come to value, trust and turn to again.

 

[Paradise]

I hate the trip adviser principle as I see no reason it should be annonomous if you are going to say something that affects a business or a person you should legally have to put your name to it..

Here here. I agree whole heartly. ta was not meant to be for the B&Bs There are other sites that people go too. TA is not the be all and and all. Why or why would you want to be chained to TA for results.
Oh well I guess I will never understand Why? Life is far to short to be worried by people who cannot say to your face how they feel and feel so safe saying it behind your back.
.

Why or why would you want to be chained to TA for results.
Oh well I guess I will never understand Why? Life is far to short to be worried by people who cannot say to your face how they feel and feel so safe saying it behind your back.

I'm not quite sure I understand the statement. We certainly don't WANT to be chained to TA, however folks post & folks utilize this site, thus many of our guests have been there & found us via this avenue.
Too, although, I agree in my personal life that it's certainly too short to be worried about what others might say behind my back, from a business perspective, I need to be aware of what is being said regarding our property.

 

[Alibi Ike]

Just checked Kayak after it was mentioned in another thread... yes there I am with a link to b&b .com. On my list of things for tomorrow morning. I will be taking over my listing.
But lets not be so quick to bash b&b.com, your place was listed for those looking. I will take that as an effort to promote my listing - another marketing tool which I am paying for them to do - market my listing.
And regarding reviews - I am not wild about them myself but they are here to stay and turning a blinds eye to them could prove to be devastating to a business. And while each of us hopes we are doing everything right, there will be those that think something could be better.
Yes some are just sounding off and were just pills from the get go! You must know what is being said about your business!!! Just think before you never knew what they said to others, now at least you do and can provide a response if it is needed.
And just as an example of how online postings can have an affect on a company - look at Web erva tions - a change was taking place, we sounded off & while the change is still happening, they are making an impovement. And the phone service thread.... maybe they will make changes after hearing from a user here..

My place has been listed there for a long time. My actual account states MY website, not bb.com, however, THEY get the free link with MY work. WRONG.
That is why I resubmitted it yesterday. If my account shows the 'updated' and it stills shows bb.com as the link, then I'll figure out how to get it removed. Entirely. No listing at all if all I am doing is giving bb.com FULL USE OF MY INFO WITH NO REMUNERATION.
Because, once a guest clicks that link, guess what? A zillion ads show up for OTHER places to stay. OTHER towns and states to go to.
Enough already with bb.com inserting themselves into my livelihood.
I have NEVER had the book it button or EVER been listed on any GDS sites thru bb.com and I want to keep it that way.
(Rant over.)

 

[toddburme]

Exactly.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Just checked Kayak after it was mentioned in another thread... yes there I am with a link to b&b .com. On my list of things for tomorrow morning. I will be taking over my listing.
But lets not be so quick to bash b&b.com, your place was listed for those looking. I will take that as an effort to promote my listing - another marketing tool which I am paying for them to do - market my listing.
And regarding reviews - I am not wild about them myself but they are here to stay and turning a blinds eye to them could prove to be devastating to a business. And while each of us hopes we are doing everything right, there will be those that think something could be better.
Yes some are just sounding off and were just pills from the get go! You must know what is being said about your business!!! Just think before you never knew what they said to others, now at least you do and can provide a response if it is needed.
And just as an example of how online postings can have an affect on a company - look at Web erva tions - a change was taking place, we sounded off & while the change is still happening, they are making an impovement. And the phone service thread.... maybe they will make changes after hearing from a user here..

My place has been listed there for a long time. My actual account states MY website, not bb.com, however, THEY get the free link with MY work. WRONG.
That is why I resubmitted it yesterday. If my account shows the 'updated' and it stills shows bb.com as the link, then I'll figure out how to get it removed. Entirely. No listing at all if all I am doing is giving bb.com FULL USE OF MY INFO WITH NO REMUNERATION.
Because, once a guest clicks that link, guess what? A zillion ads show up for OTHER places to stay. OTHER towns and states to go to.
Enough already with bb.com inserting themselves into my livelihood.
I have NEVER had the book it button or EVER been listed on any GDS sites thru bb.com and I want to keep it that way.
(Rant over.)
.

My updated link was changed in less than 24 hours. I'm sure you won't have any problems.
Isn't anybody else enraged that on the bb.com website, the link to your town opens up with a separate window to hotwire with your "competitors" listing if they participate in the book it now??

 

[Copperhead]

Just checked Kayak after it was mentioned in another thread... yes there I am with a link to b&b .com. On my list of things for tomorrow morning. I will be taking over my listing.
But lets not be so quick to bash b&b.com, your place was listed for those looking. I will take that as an effort to promote my listing - another marketing tool which I am paying for them to do - market my listing.
And regarding reviews - I am not wild about them myself but they are here to stay and turning a blinds eye to them could prove to be devastating to a business. And while each of us hopes we are doing everything right, there will be those that think something could be better.
Yes some are just sounding off and were just pills from the get go! You must know what is being said about your business!!! Just think before you never knew what they said to others, now at least you do and can provide a response if it is needed.
And just as an example of how online postings can have an affect on a company - look at Web erva tions - a change was taking place, we sounded off & while the change is still happening, they are making an impovement. And the phone service thread.... maybe they will make changes after hearing from a user here..

My place has been listed there for a long time. My actual account states MY website, not bb.com, however, THEY get the free link with MY work. WRONG.
That is why I resubmitted it yesterday. If my account shows the 'updated' and it stills shows bb.com as the link, then I'll figure out how to get it removed. Entirely. No listing at all if all I am doing is giving bb.com FULL USE OF MY INFO WITH NO REMUNERATION.
Because, once a guest clicks that link, guess what? A zillion ads show up for OTHER places to stay. OTHER towns and states to go to.
Enough already with bb.com inserting themselves into my livelihood.
I have NEVER had the book it button or EVER been listed on any GDS sites thru bb.com and I want to keep it that way.
(Rant over.)
.

Taking over YOUR listing was wrong, and I understand your position ... I was referring to those, like ME, that had not taken effort to list with them. Thanks to this forum, I will be taking over that listing as mine. Just completed the process and now the waiting game.

 

[gillumhouse]

Just checked Kayak after it was mentioned in another thread... yes there I am with a link to b&b .com. On my list of things for tomorrow morning. I will be taking over my listing.
But lets not be so quick to bash b&b.com, your place was listed for those looking. I will take that as an effort to promote my listing - another marketing tool which I am paying for them to do - market my listing.
And regarding reviews - I am not wild about them myself but they are here to stay and turning a blinds eye to them could prove to be devastating to a business. And while each of us hopes we are doing everything right, there will be those that think something could be better.
Yes some are just sounding off and were just pills from the get go! You must know what is being said about your business!!! Just think before you never knew what they said to others, now at least you do and can provide a response if it is needed.
And just as an example of how online postings can have an affect on a company - look at Web erva tions - a change was taking place, we sounded off & while the change is still happening, they are making an impovement. And the phone service thread.... maybe they will make changes after hearing from a user here..

My place has been listed there for a long time. My actual account states MY website, not bb.com, however, THEY get the free link with MY work. WRONG.
That is why I resubmitted it yesterday. If my account shows the 'updated' and it stills shows bb.com as the link, then I'll figure out how to get it removed. Entirely. No listing at all if all I am doing is giving bb.com FULL USE OF MY INFO WITH NO REMUNERATION.
Because, once a guest clicks that link, guess what? A zillion ads show up for OTHER places to stay. OTHER towns and states to go to.
Enough already with bb.com inserting themselves into my livelihood.
I have NEVER had the book it button or EVER been listed on any GDS sites thru bb.com and I want to keep it that way.
(Rant over.)
.

That is why I resubmitted it yesterday. If my account shows the 'updated' and it stills shows bb.com as the link, then I'll figure out how to get it removed. Entirely. No listing at all if all I am doing is giving bb.com FULL USE OF MY INFO WITH NO REMUNERATION.
(Rant over.)

I guarantee THEY will be getting THEIR renumeration!

 

[Alibi Ike]

Just checked Kayak after it was mentioned in another thread... yes there I am with a link to b&b .com. On my list of things for tomorrow morning. I will be taking over my listing.
But lets not be so quick to bash b&b.com, your place was listed for those looking. I will take that as an effort to promote my listing - another marketing tool which I am paying for them to do - market my listing.
And regarding reviews - I am not wild about them myself but they are here to stay and turning a blinds eye to them could prove to be devastating to a business. And while each of us hopes we are doing everything right, there will be those that think something could be better.
Yes some are just sounding off and were just pills from the get go! You must know what is being said about your business!!! Just think before you never knew what they said to others, now at least you do and can provide a response if it is needed.
And just as an example of how online postings can have an affect on a company - look at Web erva tions - a change was taking place, we sounded off & while the change is still happening, they are making an impovement. And the phone service thread.... maybe they will make changes after hearing from a user here..

My place has been listed there for a long time. My actual account states MY website, not bb.com, however, THEY get the free link with MY work. WRONG.
That is why I resubmitted it yesterday. If my account shows the 'updated' and it stills shows bb.com as the link, then I'll figure out how to get it removed. Entirely. No listing at all if all I am doing is giving bb.com FULL USE OF MY INFO WITH NO REMUNERATION.
Because, once a guest clicks that link, guess what? A zillion ads show up for OTHER places to stay. OTHER towns and states to go to.
Enough already with bb.com inserting themselves into my livelihood.
I have NEVER had the book it button or EVER been listed on any GDS sites thru bb.com and I want to keep it that way.
(Rant over.)
.

My updated link was changed in less than 24 hours. I'm sure you won't have any problems.
Isn't anybody else enraged that on the bb.com website, the link to your town opens up with a separate window to hotwire with your "competitors" listing if they participate in the book it now??
.

My updated link was changed in less than 24 hours. I'm sure you won't have any problems.
Isn't anybody else enraged that on the bb.com website, the link to your town opens up with a separate window to hotwire with your "competitors" listing if they participate in the book it now??

Good. I'm still 'pending'.