Think of online reviews as the co-pilots of your franchise’s digital journey. They help chart your course through the vast expanse of the internet, guiding potential customers to your doorstep. Managing these co-pilots efficiently can steer your franchise’s digital reputation toward new horizons. No need for turbulence – it’s a smooth ride when you have the right digital strategies at your disposal. We’re about to take off into the friendly skies of online reviews!
ONLINE REVIEWS: THE SILENT CO-PILOTS OF YOUR DIGITAL JOURNEY
In the digital age, word-of-mouth has evolved into online reviews. These reviews hold incredible power – they can either rocket your franchise to new heights or send it into a nose-dive.
Did you know that 87%* of customers read online reviews before making a purchase decision? And here’s the kicker – they trust these reviews just as much as they would a recommendation from a friend or family member. In other words, an anonymous reviewer can hold as much influence over your potential customers as their closest confidants!
Making Your Co-pilots Work for You: Strategies to Manage Online Reviews
Ready to get your co-pilots working for you, not against you? Here are some ways you can manage online reviews and steer your franchise’s digital reputation towards success.
1. Welcoming All Passengers: Embrace All Reviews
Just like a good flight crew, treat every review – the good, the bad, and the ugly as valuable feedback. Positive reviews are your well-earned applause, and negative ones offer you a chance to improve and show off your dedication to customer satisfaction.
2. Perfecting Your In-Flight Announcements: Responding to Reviews
Responding to reviews is a delicate art. Lean too much on the defensive, and you might aggravate the reviewer. Act too dismissive, and you risk seeming uncaring. Aim for a balanced, respectful response. A simple ‘thank you’ for the compliments and a polite ‘we’ll work on it’ for the criticisms can go a long way in boosting your online image.
3. Identifying Your Frequent Flyers: Recognize the Reviewers
Pay attention to who is leaving reviews. Are they social media influencers with a large following? Or perhaps loyal customers who’ve stuck by your franchise through thick and thin? Recognizing these valuable passengers and giving them the extra attention they deserve can help amplify your franchise’s digital reputation.
4. Make Feedback Fun
Who says collecting feedback has to be dull? Make it fun with contests, giveaways, or interactive polls. The more engaged your customers are, the more likely they’ll be to leave reviews. Who knew feedback could be so entertaining?
FRANCHISE IN THE SPOTLIGHT: WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS
With a rich portfolio, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is one of the world’s leading hotel franchising companies. The high-end brands under its umbrella, like Wyndham Grand, Dolce Hotels and Resorts, and the Trademark Collection, cater to an upscale clientele. As these brands span multiple continents, a positive digital reputation is essential. Each online review can significantly influence a potential guest’s decision to book.
1. Embracing All Reviews
In addition to monitoring reviews across platforms like TripAdvisor and Google Reviews, Wyndham has taken a proactive approach by incorporating a “Hotel and Website Feedback” link on their website. This channel allows guests to share their experiences directly with the company. By offering a dedicated avenue for feedback, Wyndham shows its commitment to hearing from guests and continuously improving its services.
2. Responding to Reviews
Whether it’s feedback received via its website or a review left on a third-party platform, Wyndham standardizes its approach to responding to all reviews. By setting a specific response window and tailoring responses to address each guest’s concerns, Wyndham reassures guests that their feedback is valued and is making a difference.
3. Identifying Reviewers
By utilizing their Wyndham Rewards loyalty program, the company can identify frequent guests and incentivize them to leave reviews. Additional loyalty points for every review made, or even special recognition for high-profile guests such as influencers or travel bloggers, can help Wyndham spread the word about the quality of its services.
4. Learning and Development
Feedback received via the “Hotel and Website Feedback” link and other platforms are transformed into learning opportunities. By integrating these insights into staff training, Wyndham ensures that every team member is attuned to guests’ needs and expectations.
Managing online reputation is crucial in the upscale hospitality industry, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts provides a great example of how to do this effectively. From their proactive feedback mechanism to the creative ways they engage with guests, Wyndham demonstrates the art of turning online reviews into opportunities for learning, engagement, and continuous improvement.
Online reviews are more than just customer opinions – they’re the co-pilots guiding your franchise’s digital journey. Managing these reviews isn’t about suppressing the negative or only spotlighting the positive; it’s about learning, engaging, and evolving your franchise with the help of valuable customer insights. So, welcome aboard all feedback, engage with your reviewers, and watch as your franchise’s digital reputation soars to new heights!
Ready to take the pilot’s seat and confidently navigate your franchise’s digital journey? It’s time to leverage online reviews as the boosters propelling your franchise into the digital stratosphere. Every review is a conversation, an opportunity, a treasure trove of customer insight that, if managed right, can set your franchise on a trajectory of unprecedented online success.
And if you found this journey helpful, why not leave us a review? After all, we’re all fellow passengers in the exciting world of online reviews!
* Source: Local Consumer Review Survey by BrightLoca
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