Before asking guests to leave a review, you must understand the value of reviews for your hotel. Reviews are not just compliments for your hotel staff or service; they are crucial for any hospitality business. Reviews show potential guests what kind of stay they can expect in your hotel, motel, apartment, or vacation rental.
More positive reviews will get you more guests
Positive reviews will get you more guests and eventually more revenue.
It’s that simple.
It is likely that fewer people will want to stay in a hotel with only three reviews. Guests want to be confident about where they are staying and the kind of hospitality experience they will have before they spend their money.
If you are asking guests for reviews, you must first provide excellent service that makes them feel comfortable and welcomed in your accommodation. Ensure that your offering meets and exceeds their expectations.
If you want more positive reviews, you need to offer quality service and valuable amenities that guests will appreciate and be wowed by. Always aim to provide services like a 5-star hotel, regardless of how many stars your property has. If you are a rental owner, strive to provide remarkable service and a luxurious stay.
Your employees are crucial in obtaining good reviews. Train your staff to know how to make guests’ stays more comfortable and how to encourage them to leave a review. All employees are essential in this effort, from housekeepers and front desk agents to waitstaff and other staff members.
Set the timing
One of the most critical aspects of asking guests to leave a review is timing. Guests can write a review during their stay or after they have checked out.
One way to ask for a guest review is during the check-in process. While the receptionist is checking in the guest, they can prepare the guest for leaving a review.
What to say? One possible way to phrase it during check-in is: “Thank you for choosing (Hotel Name). We hope you have a pleasant stay with us, and we kindly ask that you leave us a review when you have the time.”
Or another option could be: “We are delighted that you have selected (Hotel Name) for your stay. We strive to provide excellent service and amenities to all of our guests. If you have the time, we would appreciate it if you could leave us a review to share your experience with others.
With WI-FI Log in
A second way to ask for a guest review is when they log on to the hotel’s Wi-Fi network. By this point, the guest is already in their room and has formed initial impressions of the accommodations, which may prompt them to leave a review if they had a positive experience.
Before accessing the Wi-Fi, guests may be prompted to complete a brief survey that can provide valuable feedback for the hotel. If they opt-out of the survey, the hotel can provide the option to leave their email address, which the hotel can later use to remind them to write a review. However, it is essential to ensure that personal data and email addresses are only kept for the hotel’s needs and not misused.
During the check-out process, which may still be performed in-person or online, the receptionist can have a brief conversation with the guest to determine their level of satisfaction with their stay. The receptionist should not bombard the guest with questions but engage in a friendly conversation to gauge their experience. If the guest expresses dissatisfaction, it may not be appropriate to remind them to leave a review. However, if the guest is satisfied, the receptionist can kindly remind them to leave a review.
It is essential to note that it is not recommended to use all three methods (Wi-Fi, check-in, and check-out) for a single stay, as this may be redundant and deter guests from leaving a review. It is best to use a maximum of two methods, such as check-in and check-out or Wi-Fi access and check-out.
Comment cards
Leave comment cards in the rooms so that guests can write their thoughts about their stay. The important thing with comment cards is that when guests write kind words about the hotel and their experience, you should contact them and ask if they can share their review online. This way, you will have a positive review that potential guests can read.
Make sure to brand the comment cards with your hotel’s logo and contact information. On one page of the comment cards, you can include a reminder that guests can leave a review online or on social media.
Here are some examples of what you can write on your comment cards:
“Thank you for choosing our hotel for your stay. If you enjoyed your time here, please share your experience with others. If you encountered any issues, please let us know, and we will do our best to improve.”
“We are delighted that you chose our hotel. We hope you had an excellent stay, and if so, we would appreciate it if you could share your experience with others. Thank you for your feedback.
Short survey
For a survey to be successful and well-received by guests, it is vital to be quick and not take up too much of their time. To get accurate results, choose questions that are clear and concise so that guests don’t get confused and provide inaccurate responses.
It’s also important to choose the right time to offer the survey. You wouldn’t want to disturb guests while they are resting in their room, so consider the same timing as when asking guests to write a review. A good time to offer the survey is during breakfast service. A waiter or waitress can ask the guest to share their opinion about their stay in the hotel after they have finished their meal.
Alternatively, you can offer the survey during check-out. This approach allows you to gather valuable feedback from guests who are leaving your hotel. If the guest evaluates your hotel positively, you can send them an email a few days after their departure asking them to share their experience with other travelers.
You can also offer a short survey when guests request access to the hotel Wi-Fi. This is an innovative method to find out about guests’ experiences while staying at your hotel, and it can work well in conjunction with comment cards.
When using comment cards, it’s important to brand them with your hotel’s logo and contact information. Include a reminder on the card that guests can leave a review online or on social media. Here are some examples of what to write:
“Thank you for choosing our hotel/accommodation for your stay. If you enjoyed your experience, please share it with others. If you have any feedback, we would appreciate hearing from you.”
“We are delighted that you chose to stay with us. We hope you had a wonderful time, and if you did, please let others know by leaving a review. Thank you for your feedback.”
Email them
If you miss the chance to ask for a review while the guest is still in your hotel, you have another option – ask via email. If the guest booked through your website, you have their email address.
Many hotels use this method to request reviews. When you send the guest their invoice, include a message reminding them to write a few words about their stay in your hotel. Create a template with carefully chosen words on how to remind the guest to write a review. In practice, it is better to have several different template examples, depending on the situation.
Don’t make templates too long or tedious to read. Keep them simple and not too time-consuming. If an email is too long, the guest probably won’t read it to the end. Use a readable and simple font.
When asking guests to write reviews, explain how important it is for you as a hotelier and for potential guests to read about the experiences of those who have already stayed in the hotel. Choose your own words – don’t copy templates from other hotels.
Printed materials
Promotional material can also be used to remind guests to leave a review. Flyers can be obtained for free from TripAdvisor.com, or you can create your own. You can also use business cards with the hotel logo on one side and the review reminder on the other.
When using printed advertising material, make sure you know the best time to give it to the guest. Breakfast is a good time, as the guest is likely to be in a good mood. Leaving printed materials in the room is also an option, but don’t overdo it. Place them on the nightstand, where the guest can see them every night. You can also leave flyers at the reception and attach one to the invoice when the guest checks out.
Printed materials should always be branded with the name of the hotel, logo, and contact information.
Having a specific spot for photos or selfies is also a good way to encourage guests to write reviews. A selfie spot is a contemporary way for guests to take pictures for social media. In this spot, include a sign asking guests to leave a review. This helps to market the hotel and also reminds guests to share their experiences.
Why will this kind of reminder work?
Well, whenever the guest looks at the photo, it will be a reminder for them to write a review.
Think about it. It is not something that you will need to spend a lot of money on. Everything you need is creativity.
The spot doesn’t have to be a wall with a frame, and that’s it. NO! A particularly creative spot for photos needs to be unobtrusive.
For example, you can have a unique exclusive chair in the room with a beautiful view of the city or the sea, and on the wall, you can have a sign with your message.
One hotel that I recently visited left a strong impression on me because of that specific spot where guests could take a selfie. Moreover, this particular spot was a wall in the lobby with the logo and name of the hotel. The wall was covered with English ivy, which made it look like a green waterfall. The lights were in the right position, and all of that together made a perfect photo that right away goes on social media.
It’s so simple, but it makes you notice and remember.
If you have a vacation house, you can make this spot for a selfie much more accessible, for example, by the front door. You can have a unique front door with the name of your house and make the perfect spot for a selfie. On one side of the wall next to the door, put a message: “Don’t forget to review us!”
Final thoughts
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the most crucial thing is to ensure that guests leave your property happy. That is the main reason why you will receive a positive review.
So, how can you do that?
Meet their expectations and exceed them. Always try to keep up with the newest trends on how to encourage guests to leave a review. Don’t use an old technique that guests have already seen and ignored.
I hope that this advice will help you encourage your guests to leave a review for your property, and very soon, you will have a ton of positive reviews.
Until next time.
0 Comments