TripAdvisor - the customer has the power

Now, this isn't an advert for TripAdvisor (TA).. If you click on the image it will take you to the BBC News website where they've filmed a short piece demonstrating the effectiveness and power of TA.

Interviewing 2 Hotel owners on opposing sides, followed by an interview with the CEO of TA, Steve Kaufer, the feeling a business owner should be left with is a mixture of fear, awe and excitement.

• Fear - for the fact that one damning review could have an immediate damaging effect on your business
• Awe - at the power and reach these websites have. The influence they hold.
• Excitement - to know that this is free marketing, free advertising, free community making...

Ending with an insightful interview, a very interesting statistic from the TA website struck me - "The average review is extremely positive", with Mr Kaufer explaining the average is 4 out of 5 stars. The tendency in conversation is always to assume that people only ever write reviews when they've had a negative experience and that seems to be the case on some websites - let's not forget that writing a review is very different to telling the owner. Telling the owner usually means the customer wants something in return - compensation for a bad meal, a discount for positive feedback perhaps...But looking at TA specifically, the ethos it has is to make sure that the "travellers get their expectations met." 

With that frame of mind, the idea that your customer is helping other people, just like them, make sure they make the right decision - not based solely on whether it was good or bad, but on the experience as a whole.

There is no doubt that the resource is fantastic for the customer, but for the business it presents a problem - management.

A couple who own a B&B in Hastings, Medieval Lodge, were interviewed, complaining that their business had been ruined by a single review... I don't think this is the case... The average person will look at a sea of reviews for a product or service, weigh up the cons people talk about against the pros others mention. If there's more pro, then go for it. By that fairly normal measurement, this place should be doing quite well. But then I found it...

janet999hastings, Owner at Medieval Lodge Bed & Breakfast, responded to this review

22 November 2010

provide you can then put on a review on all our GENUINE customers will be very shocked at seeing this review because it is widely known what a hight service we actually provide from the minute a customer walks through the door to departure we make sure they want for nothing,some have even offered us more money stating we simply dont charge enough.if you look at the GENUINE reviews underneath some have stayed sept,oct and november which is after this person have stayed we work hard for our reviews so when some one trys to damage your reputation you worked so hard for by putting on a melicious review it makes us sad to think there are people out there that simply have nothing better to do.you see in the review it states the room was cluttered,we would like to know what with because the only thing that is in the rooms is ...

Oh... dear... It goes on too... From the owner of the establishment comes a terribly written, accusatory rant about how the persons opinion, their customers opinion, is wrong and how they're not genuine. TA has methods of reporting false reviews, but the review this is a reply to certainly doesn't read false and is still there. This is not the only occasion this happens, but I'll leave you to scroll through them if you want.

The true colours of the establishment are shown... "If you don't like it, you're wrong and we will drive you into the ground until you submit.." - that should be their moto.

They've got half the idea, but are just doing it wrong.

Keeping a hand in the trusted review sites is a must. Responding to bad reviews is essential to show that you actually care about people, their happiness and your business. Bear in mind that every reply from you is a public act. You're not replying to an individual, you're replying to everyone who reads that review. You're trying to allay future customers fears that this isn't a common occurrence, or that if it is you're grateful for their feedback which you will correct immediately. Do not write a reply at 3am just so you can sleep easier that night. Write a reply, post it in a day or two.

1 bad review doesn't kill a business. 1 bad reply from the business owner does.