Did you know a market research company discovered that 77% of people take time to read customer reviews before making a purchase? If you promote one or more holiday rentals online, it’s worth bearing this in mind. It shows just how important it is to encourage your visitors to leave comments and feedback on your website. This alone can increase the number of bookings you get.
How do you get the guest feedback?
There are several ways you can do it. One of the best is to leave a visitor feedback form in your holiday let for your guests to complete before they leave. It’s a good idea to leave this in a prominent place so it will be seen. Perhaps you could leave it with the welcome pack you leave for your guests to see when they arrive. They’re sure to remember it then!
It’s worth mentioning the form should ask permission to add the customer’s comments to your website. It’s also good to ask for a starred review as well, such as the one to five star reviews Amazon uses. Most people are familiar with the five star reviews so it’s worth building this in.
Another method to get customer reviews is to send an email reminder when your guests return home (you can check to see which guests have already left a review, so you don’t ask them again!). Within the email reminder send a link to your website testimonial page so they can add their feedback straight away. If they’ve left comments already, send an email anyway thanking them for their kind comments and to perhaps offer a discount off a future booking. If their feedback wasn’t positive, now is the best time to overcome any potential negative impact it might have. See our previous article on The Importance of Responding to Customer Feedback.
Display a guestbook
Even if you decide to provide feedback forms for your guests, make sure you also buy a good quality guestbook for your holiday let. Many people tend to sit down and leave comments in a guestbook on the last day of their holiday. The advantage of having a guestbook is it remains visibly in the holiday rental, so after a lovely holiday your visitors are more likely to take the time to write in it rather than putting it off and sending a review by email when they get home, when it’s more likely to be forgotten. The combination of a guestbook and a feedback form simply maximises your chances of getting those all important customer reviews.
Of course the other thing you can do is to ensure people are inspired to leave positive reviews. The last thing you want is a mediocre review – or worse, a bad one. Take an opportunity to look around your holiday accommodation to see whether there’s anything you could do to improve the quality of your guests stay. Even the smallest touches here and there can make a world of difference i.e. fresh flowers, a welcome basket, luxury towels, logs by the fireplace etc.
Finally, once you’ve got your guest reviews make sure you read through them all. Remember these are the best insights you have into ensuring your holiday rental is a success. If someone mentions something they weren’t 100% happy with, you can decide to change it (if you choose). You can then respond to that guest thanking them for their constructive comments and explaining what you’ve done to rectify it. This can turn a negative review into a positive one – which is good news for you.
Owners shouldn’t underestimate the positive influence reviews can have on bookings. Even if a guest hasn’t written in your guestbook, still follow up by email as many guests will still provide a review. I agree that a future booking discount can help ‘influence’ guests to write a review.
Don’t be afraid of average reviews, they can often have more influence that all 5 star reviews – especially if you respond.
Thanks for your comment Phil. Yes, many owners are concerned about the impact of reviews that aren’t overly positive, but they can be turned positive with the appropriate response. A good response can show that you care about your guests, you are open to feedback and willing to make necessary changes, which can only be seen as a positive.