Enough with the review requests!

[Arks]

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..

HMMM... interesting decision. Every business is different and each must determine for themselves how to get where they want to go.

In my case, every guest was asked for a review, and I've only been getting about 1 review every 3 or 4 months. I used to get more, but I think people have been hounded to the point of giving fewer reviews than they used to.
It's not worth bothering everybody, for so few reviews. I'll bet, without asking, I still get almost as many as I was getting, and I won't be bothering people. Works for me!

 

[user 26]

and here you go ... pay for a service that will push the review us button for you . It is called bird eye. com I'm breaking up their link

 

[Arks]

and here you go ... pay for a service that will push the review us button for you . It is called bird eye. com I'm breaking up their link.

and here you go ... pay for a service that will push the review us button for you . It is called bird eye. com I'm breaking up their link

TA is happy to badger our guests for reviews, for free. I've never activated it, because I know they won't stop at one request. If the guest doesn't give a review, TA will send more requests, and the guest will, appropriately, blame both TA and me.

 

[Generic]

and here you go ... pay for a service that will push the review us button for you . It is called bird eye. com I'm breaking up their link.

and here you go ... pay for a service that will push the review us button for you . It is called bird eye. com I'm breaking up their link

TA is happy to badger our guests for reviews, for free. I've never activated it, because I know they won't stop at one request. If the guest doesn't give a review, TA will send more requests, and the guest will, appropriately, blame both TA and me.
.

I know that TA does that, but as we all know, they really don't seem to care about the law. My filling in that form giving them someone else's email address... a complete violation of our laws. Violates the privacy act but worse, now the anti-spam act. Not willing to get fined because they want to spam people.

 

[user 26]

This is such a great debate!
Thinking about it, I go to recipe sites and look to see what the reviews say before I try a new recipe.
And I will post a review and 'like' a facebook page of a new restaurant or other place in town to help get them on the map.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Don't get me wrong, I still think reviews are necessary and valuable. It's just HOW we get our reviews that I question. If someone loves their stay, I might mention doing an online review for us. If it happens, great, if not, oh well. I'm just not going to send them an e-mail to add to the many e-mail review requests that everyone is bombarded with these days. I'll get less reviews, but that's ok because we already have hundreds on different sites they can peruse. There will still be some fresh content, but not quite as much.

 

[happykeeper]

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..

HMMM... interesting decision. Every business is different and each must determine for themselves how to get where they want to go.

In my case, every guest was asked for a review, and I've only been getting about 1 review every 3 or 4 months. I used to get more, but I think people have been hounded to the point of giving fewer reviews than they used to.
It's not worth bothering everybody, for so few reviews. I'll bet, without asking, I still get almost as many as I was getting, and I won't be bothering people. Works for me!
.

That is entirely possible. Let us know if that ends up being the case.
I would add that my first, second, and third response to not getting any reviews from asking would be to change the content or context of how I am asking. Knowing how thoroughly you thought out your property management, I gotta figure you have tried a variety of approaches without seeing a bump.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

After ignoring all review requests, I just now got a txt asking for a review for one of my Drs! That takes a lot of nerve to txt my cell number. I find it incredibly invasive.

 

[Momma Smurf]

and here you go ... pay for a service that will push the review us button for you . It is called bird eye. com I'm breaking up their link.

and here you go ... pay for a service that will push the review us button for you . It is called bird eye. com I'm breaking up their link

TA is happy to badger our guests for reviews, for free. I've never activated it, because I know they won't stop at one request. If the guest doesn't give a review, TA will send more requests, and the guest will, appropriately, blame both TA and me.
.

I know that TA does that, but as we all know, they really don't seem to care about the law. My filling in that form giving them someone else's email address... a complete violation of our laws. Violates the privacy act but worse, now the anti-spam act. Not willing to get fined because they want to spam people.
.

We had a rogue 3 star review last month that knocked us down to 4.5. Today, finally, after actively soliciting 8 reviews, we finally went back to 5 stars. (Ridiculousness) I used Review Express and personalized each one. BTW, Arks, there is a specific box you can check NOT to send reminders.
My technique that recently yielded results, is to make a split-second decision when saying goodbyes to guest with extremely positive raves as they are bidding adieu. I then ask, so, do you do Trip Advisor reviews? They usually say yes, or no I haven't but I will. I then nail the deal and cover any violation of privacy and ask specifically "Do you mind if I sent you our link?" And they always say, Please do. And a day or two later, I send.

 

[Arks]

After ignoring all review requests, I just now got a txt asking for a review for one of my Drs! That takes a lot of nerve to txt my cell number. I find it incredibly invasive..

After ignoring all review requests, I just now got a txt asking for a review for one of my Drs! That takes a lot of nerve to txt my cell number. I find it incredibly invasive.

Lots of latecomers to the review solicitation bandwagon. This will get much worse before it gets better. I'm glad to be stopping it now, before my request is the last straw for someone who would just burn me out of spite, just for asking!
I've written lots of TA reviews. NEVER because I was asked. Always because I want to, to tell other travelers about this great place or, rarely, to warn them off of a bad one.

 

[happykeeper]

and here you go ... pay for a service that will push the review us button for you . It is called bird eye. com I'm breaking up their link.

and here you go ... pay for a service that will push the review us button for you . It is called bird eye. com I'm breaking up their link

TA is happy to badger our guests for reviews, for free. I've never activated it, because I know they won't stop at one request. If the guest doesn't give a review, TA will send more requests, and the guest will, appropriately, blame both TA and me.
.

I know that TA does that, but as we all know, they really don't seem to care about the law. My filling in that form giving them someone else's email address... a complete violation of our laws. Violates the privacy act but worse, now the anti-spam act. Not willing to get fined because they want to spam people.
.

We had a rogue 3 star review last month that knocked us down to 4.5. Today, finally, after actively soliciting 8 reviews, we finally went back to 5 stars. (Ridiculousness) I used Review Express and personalized each one. BTW, Arks, there is a specific box you can check NOT to send reminders.
My technique that recently yielded results, is to make a split-second decision when saying goodbyes to guest with extremely positive raves as they are bidding adieu. I then ask, so, do you do Trip Advisor reviews? They usually say yes, or no I haven't but I will. I then nail the deal and cover any violation of privacy and ask specifically "Do you mind if I sent you our link?" And they always say, Please do. And a day or two later, I send.
.

You got me thinking to try your strategy. We have always avoided asking in person, but maybe that would provide more of bond and mitigate some of the negative reaction a written request can generate. I'll give it a trial and see what we get. Thanks for giving us a nudge.

 

[Momma Smurf]

and here you go ... pay for a service that will push the review us button for you . It is called bird eye. com I'm breaking up their link.

and here you go ... pay for a service that will push the review us button for you . It is called bird eye. com I'm breaking up their link

TA is happy to badger our guests for reviews, for free. I've never activated it, because I know they won't stop at one request. If the guest doesn't give a review, TA will send more requests, and the guest will, appropriately, blame both TA and me.
.

I know that TA does that, but as we all know, they really don't seem to care about the law. My filling in that form giving them someone else's email address... a complete violation of our laws. Violates the privacy act but worse, now the anti-spam act. Not willing to get fined because they want to spam people.
.

We had a rogue 3 star review last month that knocked us down to 4.5. Today, finally, after actively soliciting 8 reviews, we finally went back to 5 stars. (Ridiculousness) I used Review Express and personalized each one. BTW, Arks, there is a specific box you can check NOT to send reminders.
My technique that recently yielded results, is to make a split-second decision when saying goodbyes to guest with extremely positive raves as they are bidding adieu. I then ask, so, do you do Trip Advisor reviews? They usually say yes, or no I haven't but I will. I then nail the deal and cover any violation of privacy and ask specifically "Do you mind if I sent you our link?" And they always say, Please do. And a day or two later, I send.
.

You got me thinking to try your strategy. We have always avoided asking in person, but maybe that would provide more of bond and mitigate some of the negative reaction a written request can generate. I'll give it a trial and see what we get. Thanks for giving us a nudge.
.

I also sometimes add a line to the request like: If not, no worries. Until perhaps we meet again...

 

[notAgrandma]

I send every guest a "thank you" email. I receive these from bigger hotels, too. I don't find them offensive. I think it's nice that they've acknowledged my stay. The heading of my email is "Thank you for your stay". If guests choose to delete it without reading it, that's fine. The template I have automatically fills in the guest's first name in the subject line & greeting. The template then goes on to ask if everything was ok during their stay & is there anything we should change. Most guests don't reply, which again is fine. For guests that reply & rave about their stay, I send another email asking them to copy & paste their rave review online. Other guests provide ridiculous "constructive" feedback. One guest commented that it would be nice to be able to turn on the bathroom fan with a separate switch instead of it turning on automatically with the light. Thanks lady, I'll rewire our bathroom asap!
For the really great guests who said that they loved their stay, I personalize their initial "Thank you". I'll add their partner's name, mention a restaurant they enjoyed, thank them for giving my dogs extra love & attention, etc. Then I mention that online reviews help our business. I include a link to our Google listing and offer a $25 gift certificate towards their next stay if they complete a review. I've had some success with this approach, though some guests still go straight to TA instead of Google <sigh>. This encourages repeat guests and boosts my SEO. Win-win!

 

[Arks]

I send every guest a "thank you" email. I receive these from bigger hotels, too. I don't find them offensive. I think it's nice that they've acknowledged my stay. The heading of my email is "Thank you for your stay". If guests choose to delete it without reading it, that's fine. The template I have automatically fills in the guest's first name in the subject line & greeting. The template then goes on to ask if everything was ok during their stay & is there anything we should change. Most guests don't reply, which again is fine. For guests that reply & rave about their stay, I send another email asking them to copy & paste their rave review online. Other guests provide ridiculous "constructive" feedback. One guest commented that it would be nice to be able to turn on the bathroom fan with a separate switch instead of it turning on automatically with the light. Thanks lady, I'll rewire our bathroom asap!
For the really great guests who said that they loved their stay, I personalize their initial "Thank you". I'll add their partner's name, mention a restaurant they enjoyed, thank them for giving my dogs extra love & attention, etc. Then I mention that online reviews help our business. I include a link to our Google listing and offer a $25 gift certificate towards their next stay if they complete a review. I've had some success with this approach, though some guests still go straight to TA instead of Google <sigh>. This encourages repeat guests and boosts my SEO. Win-win!.

I send every guest a "thank you" email. I receive these from bigger hotels, too. I don't find them offensive.

They're not offensive. They're intrusive. They weren't bad back when we got 1 a month. But now we (the public) get 1 or 2 a day. From every lodging on any vacation we take. From Amazon asking about our check out experience, or the packaging of our shipment. From our doctor. From pretty much any merchant who gets our email address. I'm saying, and I know you disagree and are free to, that it's becoming excessive and will soon begin to backfire on the senders.

I think it's nice that they've acknowledged my stay.

And I don't, because I know it's a computer generated form letter, and I think most people do. Nobody thinks someone at Hampton Inn actually sat down and wrote a post-stay email, and I'd say more and more people realize that most small inns don't write them personally, either. So it just becomes another intrusion into people's lives.

If guests choose to delete it without reading it, that's fine.

And that's pretty much the definition of spam. People HATE spam! They don't want to deal with it whatsoever.

 

[Morticia]

I send every guest a "thank you" email. I receive these from bigger hotels, too. I don't find them offensive. I think it's nice that they've acknowledged my stay. The heading of my email is "Thank you for your stay". If guests choose to delete it without reading it, that's fine. The template I have automatically fills in the guest's first name in the subject line & greeting. The template then goes on to ask if everything was ok during their stay & is there anything we should change. Most guests don't reply, which again is fine. For guests that reply & rave about their stay, I send another email asking them to copy & paste their rave review online. Other guests provide ridiculous "constructive" feedback. One guest commented that it would be nice to be able to turn on the bathroom fan with a separate switch instead of it turning on automatically with the light. Thanks lady, I'll rewire our bathroom asap!
For the really great guests who said that they loved their stay, I personalize their initial "Thank you". I'll add their partner's name, mention a restaurant they enjoyed, thank them for giving my dogs extra love & attention, etc. Then I mention that online reviews help our business. I include a link to our Google listing and offer a $25 gift certificate towards their next stay if they complete a review. I've had some success with this approach, though some guests still go straight to TA instead of Google <sigh>. This encourages repeat guests and boosts my SEO. Win-win!.

I send every guest a "thank you" email. I receive these from bigger hotels, too. I don't find them offensive.

They're not offensive. They're intrusive. They weren't bad back when we got 1 a month. But now we (the public) get 1 or 2 a day. From every lodging on any vacation we take. From Amazon asking about our check out experience, or the packaging of our shipment. From our doctor. From pretty much any merchant who gets our email address. I'm saying, and I know you disagree and are free to, that it's becoming excessive and will soon begin to backfire on the senders.

I think it's nice that they've acknowledged my stay.

And I don't, because I know it's a computer generated form letter, and I think most people do. Nobody thinks someone at Hampton Inn actually sat down and wrote a post-stay email, and I'd say more and more people realize that most small inns don't write them personally, either. So it just becomes another intrusion into people's lives.

If guests choose to delete it without reading it, that's fine.

And that's pretty much the definition of spam. People HATE spam! They don't want to deal with it whatsoever.
.

So, Arks, not even a thank you?

 

[Arks]

I send every guest a "thank you" email. I receive these from bigger hotels, too. I don't find them offensive. I think it's nice that they've acknowledged my stay. The heading of my email is "Thank you for your stay". If guests choose to delete it without reading it, that's fine. The template I have automatically fills in the guest's first name in the subject line & greeting. The template then goes on to ask if everything was ok during their stay & is there anything we should change. Most guests don't reply, which again is fine. For guests that reply & rave about their stay, I send another email asking them to copy & paste their rave review online. Other guests provide ridiculous "constructive" feedback. One guest commented that it would be nice to be able to turn on the bathroom fan with a separate switch instead of it turning on automatically with the light. Thanks lady, I'll rewire our bathroom asap!
For the really great guests who said that they loved their stay, I personalize their initial "Thank you". I'll add their partner's name, mention a restaurant they enjoyed, thank them for giving my dogs extra love & attention, etc. Then I mention that online reviews help our business. I include a link to our Google listing and offer a $25 gift certificate towards their next stay if they complete a review. I've had some success with this approach, though some guests still go straight to TA instead of Google <sigh>. This encourages repeat guests and boosts my SEO. Win-win!.

I send every guest a "thank you" email. I receive these from bigger hotels, too. I don't find them offensive.

They're not offensive. They're intrusive. They weren't bad back when we got 1 a month. But now we (the public) get 1 or 2 a day. From every lodging on any vacation we take. From Amazon asking about our check out experience, or the packaging of our shipment. From our doctor. From pretty much any merchant who gets our email address. I'm saying, and I know you disagree and are free to, that it's becoming excessive and will soon begin to backfire on the senders.

I think it's nice that they've acknowledged my stay.

And I don't, because I know it's a computer generated form letter, and I think most people do. Nobody thinks someone at Hampton Inn actually sat down and wrote a post-stay email, and I'd say more and more people realize that most small inns don't write them personally, either. So it just becomes another intrusion into people's lives.

If guests choose to delete it without reading it, that's fine.

And that's pretty much the definition of spam. People HATE spam! They don't want to deal with it whatsoever.
.

So, Arks, not even a thank you?
.

So, Arks, not even a thank you?

No dedicated thank you. Everybody gets a receipt email showing a zero balance. At the top, it thanks them for picking us. That's enough. They've moved on. Not interested in receiving a lengthy message about a place they stayed a few days ago.

 

[Morticia]

I send every guest a "thank you" email. I receive these from bigger hotels, too. I don't find them offensive. I think it's nice that they've acknowledged my stay. The heading of my email is "Thank you for your stay". If guests choose to delete it without reading it, that's fine. The template I have automatically fills in the guest's first name in the subject line & greeting. The template then goes on to ask if everything was ok during their stay & is there anything we should change. Most guests don't reply, which again is fine. For guests that reply & rave about their stay, I send another email asking them to copy & paste their rave review online. Other guests provide ridiculous "constructive" feedback. One guest commented that it would be nice to be able to turn on the bathroom fan with a separate switch instead of it turning on automatically with the light. Thanks lady, I'll rewire our bathroom asap!
For the really great guests who said that they loved their stay, I personalize their initial "Thank you". I'll add their partner's name, mention a restaurant they enjoyed, thank them for giving my dogs extra love & attention, etc. Then I mention that online reviews help our business. I include a link to our Google listing and offer a $25 gift certificate towards their next stay if they complete a review. I've had some success with this approach, though some guests still go straight to TA instead of Google <sigh>. This encourages repeat guests and boosts my SEO. Win-win!.

I send every guest a "thank you" email. I receive these from bigger hotels, too. I don't find them offensive.

They're not offensive. They're intrusive. They weren't bad back when we got 1 a month. But now we (the public) get 1 or 2 a day. From every lodging on any vacation we take. From Amazon asking about our check out experience, or the packaging of our shipment. From our doctor. From pretty much any merchant who gets our email address. I'm saying, and I know you disagree and are free to, that it's becoming excessive and will soon begin to backfire on the senders.

I think it's nice that they've acknowledged my stay.

And I don't, because I know it's a computer generated form letter, and I think most people do. Nobody thinks someone at Hampton Inn actually sat down and wrote a post-stay email, and I'd say more and more people realize that most small inns don't write them personally, either. So it just becomes another intrusion into people's lives.

If guests choose to delete it without reading it, that's fine.

And that's pretty much the definition of spam. People HATE spam! They don't want to deal with it whatsoever.
.

So, Arks, not even a thank you?
.

So, Arks, not even a thank you?

No dedicated thank you. Everybody gets a receipt email showing a zero balance. At the top, it thanks them for picking us. That's enough. They've moved on. Not interested in receiving a lengthy message about a place they stayed a few days ago.
.

Argggh, you're killing me!

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I send every guest a "thank you" email. I receive these from bigger hotels, too. I don't find them offensive. I think it's nice that they've acknowledged my stay. The heading of my email is "Thank you for your stay". If guests choose to delete it without reading it, that's fine. The template I have automatically fills in the guest's first name in the subject line & greeting. The template then goes on to ask if everything was ok during their stay & is there anything we should change. Most guests don't reply, which again is fine. For guests that reply & rave about their stay, I send another email asking them to copy & paste their rave review online. Other guests provide ridiculous "constructive" feedback. One guest commented that it would be nice to be able to turn on the bathroom fan with a separate switch instead of it turning on automatically with the light. Thanks lady, I'll rewire our bathroom asap!
For the really great guests who said that they loved their stay, I personalize their initial "Thank you". I'll add their partner's name, mention a restaurant they enjoyed, thank them for giving my dogs extra love & attention, etc. Then I mention that online reviews help our business. I include a link to our Google listing and offer a $25 gift certificate towards their next stay if they complete a review. I've had some success with this approach, though some guests still go straight to TA instead of Google <sigh>. This encourages repeat guests and boosts my SEO. Win-win!.

I send every guest a "thank you" email. I receive these from bigger hotels, too. I don't find them offensive.

They're not offensive. They're intrusive. They weren't bad back when we got 1 a month. But now we (the public) get 1 or 2 a day. From every lodging on any vacation we take. From Amazon asking about our check out experience, or the packaging of our shipment. From our doctor. From pretty much any merchant who gets our email address. I'm saying, and I know you disagree and are free to, that it's becoming excessive and will soon begin to backfire on the senders.

I think it's nice that they've acknowledged my stay.

And I don't, because I know it's a computer generated form letter, and I think most people do. Nobody thinks someone at Hampton Inn actually sat down and wrote a post-stay email, and I'd say more and more people realize that most small inns don't write them personally, either. So it just becomes another intrusion into people's lives.

If guests choose to delete it without reading it, that's fine.

And that's pretty much the definition of spam. People HATE spam! They don't want to deal with it whatsoever.
.

So, Arks, not even a thank you?
.

So, Arks, not even a thank you?

No dedicated thank you. Everybody gets a receipt email showing a zero balance. At the top, it thanks them for picking us. That's enough. They've moved on. Not interested in receiving a lengthy message about a place they stayed a few days ago.
.

Argggh, you're killing me!
.

I don't even do as much as Arks does. They get an invoice from me the morning of their departure, I give them a very warm personal goodbye & thank you. That's it.

 

[Arks]

I send every guest a "thank you" email. I receive these from bigger hotels, too. I don't find them offensive. I think it's nice that they've acknowledged my stay. The heading of my email is "Thank you for your stay". If guests choose to delete it without reading it, that's fine. The template I have automatically fills in the guest's first name in the subject line & greeting. The template then goes on to ask if everything was ok during their stay & is there anything we should change. Most guests don't reply, which again is fine. For guests that reply & rave about their stay, I send another email asking them to copy & paste their rave review online. Other guests provide ridiculous "constructive" feedback. One guest commented that it would be nice to be able to turn on the bathroom fan with a separate switch instead of it turning on automatically with the light. Thanks lady, I'll rewire our bathroom asap!
For the really great guests who said that they loved their stay, I personalize their initial "Thank you". I'll add their partner's name, mention a restaurant they enjoyed, thank them for giving my dogs extra love & attention, etc. Then I mention that online reviews help our business. I include a link to our Google listing and offer a $25 gift certificate towards their next stay if they complete a review. I've had some success with this approach, though some guests still go straight to TA instead of Google <sigh>. This encourages repeat guests and boosts my SEO. Win-win!.

I send every guest a "thank you" email. I receive these from bigger hotels, too. I don't find them offensive.

They're not offensive. They're intrusive. They weren't bad back when we got 1 a month. But now we (the public) get 1 or 2 a day. From every lodging on any vacation we take. From Amazon asking about our check out experience, or the packaging of our shipment. From our doctor. From pretty much any merchant who gets our email address. I'm saying, and I know you disagree and are free to, that it's becoming excessive and will soon begin to backfire on the senders.

I think it's nice that they've acknowledged my stay.

And I don't, because I know it's a computer generated form letter, and I think most people do. Nobody thinks someone at Hampton Inn actually sat down and wrote a post-stay email, and I'd say more and more people realize that most small inns don't write them personally, either. So it just becomes another intrusion into people's lives.

If guests choose to delete it without reading it, that's fine.

And that's pretty much the definition of spam. People HATE spam! They don't want to deal with it whatsoever.
.

So, Arks, not even a thank you?
.

So, Arks, not even a thank you?

No dedicated thank you. Everybody gets a receipt email showing a zero balance. At the top, it thanks them for picking us. That's enough. They've moved on. Not interested in receiving a lengthy message about a place they stayed a few days ago.
.

Argggh, you're killing me!
.

Argggh, you're killing me!

I think people these days, in general, are bombarded with too many solicitations and contacts, but I'll agree that knowing your clientele makes a difference. From what Mort has said in the past, most of her guests are older folks, many are retirees, who have time to spare, desire for, even expectation of, contact and interaction. These may be people who don't get a lot of spam anyway. For folks like that, sure, it's probably beneficial to follow up and keep the good times rolling.
Most of my guests are under 55. I get a lot of busy business travelers. I can tell they don't want, or have time for, a lot of correspondence. I don't think I've EVER gotten a TA review from a business traveler. But they do tell their friends, and I get a lot of guests who say they were referred by a colleague. So, know your audience, and act, or refrain from acting, accordingly.

 

[Jcam]

I send every guest a "thank you" email. I receive these from bigger hotels, too. I don't find them offensive. I think it's nice that they've acknowledged my stay. The heading of my email is "Thank you for your stay". If guests choose to delete it without reading it, that's fine. The template I have automatically fills in the guest's first name in the subject line & greeting. The template then goes on to ask if everything was ok during their stay & is there anything we should change. Most guests don't reply, which again is fine. For guests that reply & rave about their stay, I send another email asking them to copy & paste their rave review online. Other guests provide ridiculous "constructive" feedback. One guest commented that it would be nice to be able to turn on the bathroom fan with a separate switch instead of it turning on automatically with the light. Thanks lady, I'll rewire our bathroom asap!
For the really great guests who said that they loved their stay, I personalize their initial "Thank you". I'll add their partner's name, mention a restaurant they enjoyed, thank them for giving my dogs extra love & attention, etc. Then I mention that online reviews help our business. I include a link to our Google listing and offer a $25 gift certificate towards their next stay if they complete a review. I've had some success with this approach, though some guests still go straight to TA instead of Google <sigh>. This encourages repeat guests and boosts my SEO. Win-win!.

I send every guest a "thank you" email. I receive these from bigger hotels, too. I don't find them offensive.

They're not offensive. They're intrusive. They weren't bad back when we got 1 a month. But now we (the public) get 1 or 2 a day. From every lodging on any vacation we take. From Amazon asking about our check out experience, or the packaging of our shipment. From our doctor. From pretty much any merchant who gets our email address. I'm saying, and I know you disagree and are free to, that it's becoming excessive and will soon begin to backfire on the senders.

I think it's nice that they've acknowledged my stay.

And I don't, because I know it's a computer generated form letter, and I think most people do. Nobody thinks someone at Hampton Inn actually sat down and wrote a post-stay email, and I'd say more and more people realize that most small inns don't write them personally, either. So it just becomes another intrusion into people's lives.

If guests choose to delete it without reading it, that's fine.

And that's pretty much the definition of spam. People HATE spam! They don't want to deal with it whatsoever.
.

So, Arks, not even a thank you?
.

So, Arks, not even a thank you?

No dedicated thank you. Everybody gets a receipt email showing a zero balance. At the top, it thanks them for picking us. That's enough. They've moved on. Not interested in receiving a lengthy message about a place they stayed a few days ago.
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Argggh, you're killing me!
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Argggh, you're killing me!

I think people these days, in general, are bombarded with too many solicitations and contacts, but I'll agree that knowing your clientele makes a difference. From what Mort has said in the past, most of her guests are older folks, many are retirees, who have time to spare, desire for, even expectation of, contact and interaction. These may be people who don't get a lot of spam anyway. For folks like that, sure, it's probably beneficial to follow up and keep the good times rolling.
Most of my guests are under 55. I get a lot of busy business travelers. I can tell they don't want, or have time for, a lot of correspondence. I don't think I've EVER gotten a TA review from a business traveler. But they do tell their friends, and I get a lot of guests who say they were referred by a colleague. So, know your audience, and act, or refrain from acting, accordingly.
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Same with my business travelers - they travel all the time no inclination to do a review for somewhere they came at 8pm and left at 6am