Fast forward 15 years things are so much more complex. With the combination of the internet, a mobile phone and social media, a complaint does not head to reception or the Hotels General Manager any more. It's broadcast via Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Instagram and the many other social media channels available today as the incidend that causes the complaint occurs.

With people today searching sites such as Tripadvisor, prior to booking a hotel it is more important than ever for Hotels, Motels, Serviced Apartments, Lodges and all the other accommodation types to track a customers discontent as well as thier compliments and engage with them.

As we all know things can go wrong in a Hotel or its bars and resteraunts. What a property needs to do is act quickly when this happens. If you are monitoing the social space you can make contact with the person and start engaging with them, provide them with feedback and action points. Its all about them being heard and the property listening and engageing with thier customers.

People will forgive a property if they see a complain and a respose from the property with a solution. They will stear away from accommodation providers that do not respond to an issue and the cost to your revenue can be great.

So the key points every accommodation provider needs to follow are:

• monitor the social media noise;
• locate customers that are commenting on your property;
• thank the people complimenting your property;
• engage with the guests making a complaint as quickly as possible, let others see that you are attempting to rectify the problem; and
• Engage Engage Engage with your guests.

Also, for those people out there who dont have any social media channels attached to thier propery, be warned. If a guest cannot find you on social media to make a complaint, they will make it anyway across a range of social media channels.  Its far better for a guest to make contact with you on your page/social stream where you can control it. Instead of them using a shotgun approach and complaining across the social channels they particpate in.

Never forget you are connected to your current and future guests 24/7

FIND US
www.facebook.com/thesocialtonic
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ABOUT US
Stephen Duggan is the Chief Engagement Officer at the SocialTonik. The Company help’s businesses across the globe to create, connect and engage with their communities by creating on-line social experiences that integrate business intelligence, social networks & mobile technologies. Our mission is to provide interactive solutions to assist organisation’s to optimise their on-line presence and to drive this medium to its fullest potential by developing tailor made on-line strategies for our clients to ensure their objectives and outcomes are achieved.

www.socialtonik.com

www.socialmediaengagement.com.au