Customer feedback is the lifeblood of the hotel industry and has the power to make or break a business. You need it to find out where your hotel is succeeding and where you need to make improvements, so it’s something that should always be welcomed.
Most customers are willing to talk to you about your service and their experience with your hotel, and this can improve every aspect of your business. In fact, 95% of consumers left an online review in 2022 or said that they would at least consider leaving one. However, there are plenty of reasons why customers don’t leave feedback, from being too busy to not wanting to come across as offensive.
To understand your audience on a deeper level, you should always encourage feedback where you can and search for ways in which you can make it easier for them to provide it.
Ways to Get your Customers to Engage in Feedback
Feedback can be collected in many different forms but the more inventive that you can be about it, the better. It needs to be convenient for the customers to do, so make it easy by – for example – sending an email or survey upon checkout. A little bit of incentivisation is always more likely to get someone to remember to provide feedback, too, so a scheme like offering discounts on future bookings when they do so could encourage repeat business.
While extensive feedback is obviously the most helpful, keeping the process short and simple is ideal so that customers don’t feel like you’re imposing on their time. Emailed surveys, in particular, mean that you can send personalised responses and enquire into specific issues with which customers are bringing up the most.
How to Secure Positive Feedback
Customers mainly visit hotels for comfort and relaxation so, if you’re looking to get more positive feedback, it’s important to keep your standards high. Rooms should be clean and the facilities provided should be modern – think extras like smart TVs and hair dryers; anything that makes their experience more convenient and better than expected.
You also need to consider how easy it is for customers to access other products that you provide, like food and room service.
The overall hotel atmosphere and maintenance will contribute to the quality of feedback that you receive. It’s important to keep the exterior of your hotel presentable, while being able to point to relevant hotel insurance can project a sense of safety and security.
How to Deal With Negative Feedback
Not all of the feedback that you’ll receive will be positive and, while it may seem disappointing, it’s important to know how to respond to it. Be appreciative of a customer’s individual experience and offer a sincere apology for any stress or negativity that they encountered at your hotel.
Use this feedback as a learning opportunity and create an action plan that addresses any complaints that you received. The best response is to take steps which show that you’re committed to improving the customer experience.
