I agree with JBanczak. If you're doing a good job, you're guests will be quite happy to write a review for you. If they love you, they will want other people to know it. While I send an email to all departing guests, the majority do not write a review...even if they left a glowing note in the room journal. Mostly the email is a "thanks for staying with us, we appreciate your business, it's nice people like you that continue to make innkeeping such a pleasure for us...by the way, if you have a moment, we would appreciate you reviewing your stay for other travelers" kind of thing (fluffed up, of course). After that one email, I don't pester.
I know many Innkeepers don't ask because they're afraid of what the reviews will say...and some take it very personally if even one tiny little negative is mentioned...even in a positive overall review...so they would rather nothing get posted at all. But, the overwhelming majority use reviews to decide where to stay...I know my guests do...in fact the couple I just checked in said "It was obvious to us by reading your reviews that this was the place for us". You really can't buy that kind of positive exposure (well, I guess you could, if you were a cheater).
It's just another form of self-marketing, and one that costs you nothing. If you're confident in yourself and your place, then there's nothing to lose. Like review sites, or hate them, they're sticking around and people are going to continue to use them, so you may as well use them to YOUR advantage..
"If you're doing a good job, you're guests will be quite happy to write a review for you. If they love you, they will want other people to know it."
Now if that were really true, wouldn't 99% of us doing a good or great job, have guests who first ask us "how can I help promote your B&B?", then rush home and flood every review venue with glowing reviews?
We have guests who have been here 8 or 9 times in four years and didn't write a review for us until after their last stay. We've still never asked them to do it either. We just don't feel its our right to expect anything of or obligate our guests any further than the payment for the room, sharing whatever camaraderie they feel comfortable sharing with us while here and letting us know if there is anything we can do make their stay more enjoyable.
"Mostly the email is a "thanks for staying with us, we appreciate your business, it's nice people like you that continue to make innkeeping such a pleasure for us...by the way, if you have a moment, we would appreciate you reviewing your stay for other travelers" kind of thing (fluffed up, of course)."
That seems like a very nice way of putting it.
We have done a similar thank you but only put the review request in the one for people who volunteered that they found us and chose us because of reviews they read or online directories that offer reviews. We do give out the review card that B&B.com supplies us with, but I 'd say its about 1 out of 50 that take the time to fill it out.
"After that one email, I don't pester."
I would think most guests really appreciate the lack of pressure you apply.
"I know many Innkeepers don't ask because they're afraid of what the reviews will say...and some take it very personally if even one tiny little negative is mentioned...even in a positive overall review...so they would rather nothing get posted at all."
I can't agree with or begin to understand that mindset. We don't associate with any innkeepers who are that fixated on TA or in garnering reviews to begin with. Our closest colleagues and us share a very similar approach to both innkeeper and honoring the intended and inferred objectivity of consumer driven reviews.
I actually have grown to appreciate the two negative reviews out of 58 we've received on TA. They serve as warning flags to the same kind of inconsiderate, rude, drunken, disrespectful louts who wrote them to pick somewhere else to stay. They also act as proof to all the potential great guests out there who have had to share a B&B with lousy guests that we are innkeepers who have enough self-respect for ourselves and our other guests staying here that really bad behavior will not be tolerated even with the veiled or overt threat of a bad review hanging over our heads.
"But, the overwhelming majority use reviews to decide where to stay..."
I don't doubt that for a minute and it is our experience here as well. But that isn't the points or what i borught up in my response to John's post. I was posing questions about why most people DON"T write reviews. I think the reasons are a lot more innocent than what you've just suggested.
"It was obvious to us by reading your reviews that this was the place for us".
Like I said, if I had a nickel for every guest who has told us that and NOT written a review themselves, we'd be retired already. Which hopefully not to get too circular leads us back to the original source of comments.
"You really can't buy that kind of positive exposure (well, I guess you could, if you were a cheater).
"It's just another form of self-marketing, and one that costs you nothing."
No, its supposed to be a free, consumer driven portal designed to allow travelers the opportunity to share their experiences that deserves a lot more respect by business owners than it is currently receiving. Its been hijacked by manipulative, opportunistic business owners who feel entitled to claim it as a "form of self-marketing" to the detriment of its veracity and utlimately its trustworthiness. Its a golden goose whose integrity should be honored way more than I see happening.
"If you're confident in yourself and your place, then there's nothing to lose."
Confidence in one's self and business has no bearing on us all being entitled to manipulate the process in any way for our own ends.
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