you think our review system is onerous... (not saying it isn't)

[Lawrene0]

Last week we stayed a night in a hotel.

We are not "better suited" to them. Our preferences for travel are hiking, mooching (staying with hapless family and friends), Airbnb, and hostels. 

But the nephew got married, and all out-of-towners were directed to book into a certain hotel. 

Good grief! You should see the review system for that! 15 pages of specifics ranging from check-in and whether we were informed of express check-in and other wonders, to every little thing in the room, the speed of the wifi, the comfort of the bed, the ease of parking, to whether anyone on staff was particularly helpful. 

I filled it out and gave them full stars. After all, the poor things get our better-suited-to rejects, right? Least we can do. 😉

[Alice595]

@Lawrene0  Is that a review or a customer survey?

[Lawrene0]

Good point, @Alice595 . I just looked up the email. They use the term "feedback". 

[Ann489]

@Lawrene0     Hmmmmm......what hotel was that? I don't think I ever received one of those....

[Lawrene0]

I shouldn't have been surprised to be hit with a review (or survey, more like, as @Alice595  points out) at the end of a hotel stay, @Ann489 , but I was. They sent two reminders in two days, and it was annoyingly long and designed with "tell us how to improve" that is reflected in the guest-host disconnect of our review system. 

I am frustrated by the Airbnb review system, but it seems to be the lot of everyone in every business these days. My car dealership sent me a note the other day asking for a score of 10 in all categories because anything less hurts them with head office. That hotel begged twice in 24 hours for "feedback" and I assumed heads would roll at the front counter if I didn't give a perfect score. 

So no point really. I was just reminded that it isn't just us being held to perfect scores. 

[Lawrene0]

It was a Best Western in Ontario, Canada, @Ann489 .

[Ann489]

@Lawrene0  yes, I have to admit, I have noticed an uptick in these "surveys" as well....whether it is for something I purchased online or otherwise....so far, i never had one for a hotel--yet.   But we are about to embark on a trip to Vancouver on a few weeks to drop our daughter off at UBC.....we are staying at a hotel downtown Vancouver, so we'll see.   😉

As far as Airbnb's review system is concerned....it is flawed to the gills--don't even get me started!  😉

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Lawrene0 @Ann489 @Alice595 

I was in a hotel in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, 25 years ago and I also got a printed form with all those questions + if anyone of the staff were especially helpful. I don't remember the name of the hotel.

I remember I went to their souvenir shop and the guy there was extremely friendly and chatty and polite and I was wondering why is he introducing himself to me with a full name and surname and when I got that review form I realized why.

It was the first time in my life to see some review-survey thing and didn't like it, I remember thinking about how it's pathetic but gave them perfect feedback. I never imagined some 25 years later I will depend on my guest's reviews. I still think it's pathetic

Guests are leaving shorter and shorter reviews and it is understandable - we are all bombarded with reviews every time we contact some support center, take UBER, etc...  it's so annoying

[Lawrene0]

Oh no, @Branka-and-Silvia0 ! I hope it wasn't Ontario that pioneered the guest review system! Ugh. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

I have no idea who invented it @Lawrene0 but I am sure it wasn't any ex/communist country 😄 ;D 😄 lol

[Helen350]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 LOL!!! 😄

[Kira32]

Hi @Lawrene0 

For a lot of companies it's free marketing material for them to let you fill out a form.

They'll need your overall opinion about the company and services they provide, and is not used as a personal matter towards the staffmembers ; )

Kira♡

[Dimitar27]

Crazy things becomes more popular in the hotel industry every year... There is no any practical reason to "bomb" the guest with a 15 pages feedback form.