Do you reply to your reviews?

[Stephanie]

 Hey there Hosts,

When a guest writes a review about their stay, the host can always reply to it. Do you often reply to your guest’s review? If you do, do you have your own personal guidelines on how you reply?

What are your top tips?

Thanks,

Stephanie

[Helen3]

I try to reply to most of the my guest reviews. If they have said something lovely. I want to recognise this and thank them.  (glad you liked my lovely garden type comment). If it is negative then I might want to challenge any inaccuracies (fortunately this only happened  once with my first horrible guests).

I think hosts who only respond to negative reviews or reviews they don't agree with, just make these reviews stand out more, so this is not a good strategy.

I have to say I cringe when I read some of the overlong diatribes that hosts write to respond to reviews they don't agree with.  (there is a huge difference between these and a short, professional response that challenges inaccuracies).

These diatribes (particularly those mentioning private feedback) just make the hosts look rather deranged and can put future guests off from booking with them.

[Emilia42]

"Cringe" is a good word to describe it! @Helen3 

[Debbie59]

I found out the hard way if you reply to a private comment on a review what was said to you is private but your reply is public. 

[LaRee0]

I have to agree with Helen on all her points.  Because I make an effort to meet my guests when they check in, I feel it makes the visit much more personal, part of their travel experience in our small town. So I do make a brief response to many of our reviews and I want to acknowledge the occasional “impossible suggestions” such as I should put in different kind of sink, when our place harkens back to the early 1900’s with original fixtures (claw foot tubs). Many of our guests become friends, which we enjoy.

[Beth80]

@Stephanie  When I first started hosting I thought to reply to the nice reviews but the system wouldn't let me do so through the app on my phone. The one time I've replied was to a slightly negative review so I could correct the inaccuracies. I had to do that on my computer. Since then I've not had another review that needed a response, so I don't know if the glitch with the app is fixed. But like the others I see no reason to thank a guest again and clutter up the reviews.

[Barry-and-Lera0]

We do not reply to reviews. We would if we had to but have never been in the situation or received a review that needed a reply.

[Robin4]

@Stephanie 

I respond to every review, although having said that my most recent 3 I have not responded to yet but I will.

I feel it makes a nice closing statement to the experience. It is like finishing the last chapter and closing the book.....and why would I not want to take the opportunity to thank someone for their kind words.

My experience now is Stephanie, most of my bookings come about as a result of my reviews. I regard reviews as 'money in the bank' ....that's what brings in the future bookings so, I make the most of them!

Cheers......Rob

[Stephanie]

@Robin4 

I love your organic snowball marketing campaign. Word of mouth is invaluable (both for good and bad press!)

Thanks

[LaRee0]

Once again I have agree with Rob, closing that experience with a kind word, or inviting  our  guests to return seems like an appropriate gesture.

[Esther359]

Totally agree with you! I respond to every review that I received too. 

[Linda108]

@Stephanie   I view reviews as part of my marketing plan.  Almost all my guests will mention reading my reviews was part of their decision to book my place.  Perhaps if I had multiple listings and did not develop a rapport with the guest I would not be so inclined to respond, but now, like @Robin4 , I enjoy acknowledging the review "kind words".  So far I have had to address 2 negative reviews and my responses were short, clarifying and professional.  For me, it is important to acknowledge that a guest has been in my home and has enjoyed both my home and my city/desert.  

[Jody79]

We haven't responded to the public reviews, however do add a private thank you message for each of our guests (minus the four unauthorized parties we had early on).  As a guest I spend a significant amount of time reading through reviews to help determine where I want to book.  The hosts response to a negative review definitely plays a role in whether or not I will consider them.  A short, professional response either clarifying or acknowledging the issue will usually keep them on my list of considerations.  A long, defensive and/or retaliatory type of response will immediately knock them off my list, even if majority of the reviews are positive.  I will try really hard to remember this when/if we run into a negative review on our place.  I will try to keep it short, simple and factual.

[Lawrene0]

In a double-review system, I feel the extra reply is unnecessary, @Stephanie . Thank you! No, thank you! No, thank you!

But it is nice to have the option, and I don't think hosts are wrong at all for using it for clarification, extra thanks, or advertising. 

We can all do what suits us best.

[Alon1]

@Lawrene0 

re: 'Thank you!' courtesy of Groucho

Thank you ... thank yo! - Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0p6VtgxbH0

[Sarah977]

I don't respond to reviews, but I always send private feedback to the guests thanking them for staying with often some follow up to something that happened during their stay ("I finally managed to capture that feral cat and take her in to get spayed"). 

I would respond to a negative review , which thankfully I've never gotten, if I felt there was a need to correct something false the guest had said in their public review. But it would be brief and factual, not some long rant, nor directed at the guest.