How to Cope with Bad Reviews

With the increasing popularity of user-generated reviews, hoteliers may lament the loss of control over what is being said online, but, as Daniel Edward Craig says, they are  still in full control of how they react.
Below are some suggestions for using negative reviews to effect positive change in your hotel.
1. Speak up.
2. Engage.
3. Show leadership.
4. Take the high road.
5. Make reputation management a priority.
6. Create a cycle of positivity.
7. Prevent escalation.
8. Take the good with the bad.
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Best Practices for Responding to Online Hotel Reviews

As a hotel manager, when a guest comes to the front desk to register a complaint, do you: 
1) look busy;
2) skulk out the back door; or
3) handle the matter personally?
Not that difficult a question, is it? 
Then why do only 4% of negative reviews on TripAdvisor get a response? 
Daniel Edward Craig, a former hotel general manager turned consultant gives his views on how to respond to online hotel reviews

This is a summary

• Respond to any feedback that is damaging to your hotel’s reputation, even if simply to acknowledge the issue and apologize.

• Respond to positive reviews occasionally to show you’re listening, but don’t feel obliged to reply to each one.

• Responses should come from the highest level - but not necessarily from the owners themselves. “As a rule I discourage hotel owners from responding. They have too much at stake and aren’t always as diplomatic as managers.”

• Respond as soon as possible - the longer a complaint is left to fester, the more business it will drive away. Just make sure you have all the facts and the response is thorough.