Trip Advisor: Friend or Foe?

This raises a real dilemma for those of us in the trade – are such sites a friend or something that should be feared?

The split in opinions regarding such sites are turning them into the ‘marmite of the hospitality industry’!

As consumers, we like to make informed choices about many of our purchasing decisions, whether a physical product, a service or a meal out. Reviews and experiences from previous visitors/users are readily available online and, using mobile technology, available whenever and wherever they are needed. Such sites represent a great benchmark for whether a product/service is going to meet requirements, but we also need to be savvy enough to know that if a review is overly enthusiastic and utterly brilliant, it should raise suspicions and perhaps be taken a little tongue in cheek. For consumers, they are a very useful tool.

From a business perspective however, they can be an important business tool. We all know that reviews for restaurants and hotels are extremely important. We all want those precious 5* reviews and live in dread of those that are not so complementary. So they can represent a great opportunity, but also a threat.

Let’s have a closer look at Trip Advisor from a business perspective, and whether the site can boast the same characteristics of a true friend - honest, reliable, supportive, and there through the good and bad times.

Honesty

Let’s face facts. In life, some friends are more honest than others. And the same can very much be said for the site! Reviews are meant to be honest, fair and written by someone that has visited the establishment recently. But are they? In many cases they look to be ‘real’ and you should be able to recall which guests have left the feedback. Generally, reviews tend to say similar things, however, there are the spurious ones which raise concerns and are the ones that ‘stick’ and cause the damage. Unfortunately some people can be devious and cause trouble for the sake of it. It is a known fact that in certain industries, competitors have actually been accused of leaving negative feedback to increase their own business, and in some cases, disgruntled ex-staff and those that have been trying to negotiate a discount and failed have left inaccurate, negative opinions. Positive reviews are excellent, but you must be mindful of those wanting to ‘hurt’ your business.

Reliability

Many people claim to have left both positive and negative comments, only for it later to be removed by Trip Advisor - but why is this? In 2012, The Advertising Standards Authority began an investigation following an ongoing investigation and complaint from British firm KwikChex, who collated information on behalf of many hotels given poor reviews on Trip Advisor. The ASA was asked to rule on claims made by TripAdvisor about the services it offers, including: ‘Trip Advisor offers trusted advice from real travelers’ and ‘50million honest travel reviews and opinions from real travelers’. The conclusion was there was no evidence to say that any reviews were valid good or bad. The only thing Trip Advisor does is ask people to confirm they don’t work for the establishment. So, while reviews may appear absolutely genuine, again, you must be mindful about the reliability.

Supportive

5* reviews are obviously great for generating business and bringing your business higher up in Search engines. You can successfully turn minor upsets positively by responding immediately and rectifying/answering feedback in a reasonable manner. As mentioned, people do read reviews and this can have a great impact on your business. Just make sure you are quick to react!

Available

Reviews are constantly available online. Whether you are a new business, or have been established for some time, people will read reviews of your restaurant. If you encourage mainly positive reviews, it will be a great tool for your business!

Rewarding

Trip Advisor is a simple concept - people visit and let others know about their encounter. And it can be very rewarding. Those that offer great food and service will be rewarded by increased visits and more recommendations. HOWEVER, More than a couple of negative reviews and people begin to question whether they should ‘risk it’ especially when money is already scarce. So monitor the site regularly and deal with problems as they arise.

Makes you laugh or cry

If reviews are positive, everything should be happy, and visitor numbers should increase. However, you must be mindful that, as a restaurant owner, Trip Advisor can help make or break your business. You can’t remove yourself from there and believe me many have tried! A restaurant can have Hundreds of 5* reviews but just one bad one can really make people think about whether to visit.

So, Trip Advisor, friend or foe? You decide! Please share your experiences…