Hotel Reviews, Quick Start Guide

by Rupesh Patel, Hotelier and CEO -SmartGuests.com

A Quick Beginner’s Guide to Getting More Reviews

Getting more positive reviews for your business does not need to be complicated. At SmartGuests.com, our roadmap to sucessfully managing your online reputation boils down to four simple steps. After you read these important steps, Take Action - Create a Free Account
 

Step 1.
Learn The Benefits Of Having Positive Reviews

Did you know positive reviews directly impact your business’ financial performance? A positive review can potentially bring in 20-30 new customers. A business with a great online reputation has the ability to charge more than one that does not. Knowing these benefits will fuel you to tirelessly get more positive reviews for your business.

In today's time, potential customers read anywhere from 3-10 reviews before making a purchase. So how do you get more reviews? Keep reading...
 

Step 2.
Use Tools to Ask and Remind Guests to Post Reviews

You cannot go to war without weapons! Same goes for your online reviews. You and your team need tools that will empower you to be more proactive in asking your customers for reviews. We have developed a sure-fire system that will increase the numbers of reviews and boost your customer satisfaction scores.

Here are the top 4 tools you need to starting getting more reviews.

•    Review Cards – Who interacts with your guests the most? Do they have their own business cards that can help them ask for reviews? Review Cards are the perfect tool to boost the number of reviews your hotel gets. These cards boost staff moral, remind guests who took care of them and get employees' name mentioned on reviews. 

Review Cards look like ordinary business card but better! It has details on the back that compels customers to publish a review about your business. They help you ask for reviews. 

•    We Care Cards – Prevent guests from leave upset or mad. Gone are the days of long, drawn out comment cards. As its name implies, these simplified feedback cards convey to your guests that your business cares and wants to get direct feedback Before they leave your hotel.

•    Reminder CareFresheners – Guests always seem to forget to post a review, right? Remind them with Reminder CareFresheners. Scent is a powerful marketing tool. Allow your customers to remember your hotel, give Reminder CareFresheners at checkout and benefit with an online review! 
 

Step 3.
Train Your Staff On How To Use These Tools

You cannot get reviews all by yourself... Get your team involved! Your hotel cannot get reviews if your staff is not motivated to provide great service and ask for reviews. Here is a valuable article on improving Staff-Guests Engagement

Set aside some time to show your staff how to engage with guests. Then convert your staff to an army of proactive review solicitors! 
 

Step 4.
Follow Up And Incentivize!

Maintaining a positive online reputation is not a launch-and-leave endeavor. You have to constantly train and coach your staff to make sure everyone is at their peak performance in terms of getting positive reviews for your business. Don’t forget to incentivize your staff every time their name is mentioned on a positive review. You don’t have to give them grand rewards. Small tokens of recognition will go a long way in boosting their morale.

Just make sure you provide these incentives on an on-going basis (every month). Create Goals with each staff member, then followup during the month. Finally, review the outcome to their goals and repeat. 

Tips: Create a competition within departments or amongst teams, "Let's see who can get the most reviews with their name mentioned" This will bring your team closer together and increase your online reputation!
 

I hope you now understand how important reviews are to the survival of your business. Your online reputation is the lifeline. Having bad online reviews is costing you a lot of money. Fix that problem, get educated and use tools.

TAKE ACTION NOW - Create a Free Account

If you have any question or need help, please use the form in the Contact Us page or shoot me an email at rupesh (at) smartguests.com. I am happy to help guide you in the right direction. 

Have a successful day!

- Rupesh Patel

CEO/Founder

​