How to handle negative reviews on TripAdvisor

We’ve received a good number of reports on TripAdvisor, the majority of which have been glowing, and have helped us to climb the rankings of local destinations. However, after a spate of dubious reviews recently, I can’t help but wonder just how much credence we should give to these anonymous critics.

If someone were to stop you in the street and spout their opinions, no doubt you’d be inclined to question their level of authority on matters before taking their word as gospel. Yet when it comes to TripAdvisor, this rule cannot apply. The opinions of strangers not only contribute to, but entirely form your business’s most frequently viewed online reputation.

Love it or hate it, no one in our industry can afford to ignore TripAdvisor. It’s true that consumers should be discerning and that they ought to read reviews on this website with their own ‘idiot filter’ switched firmly on; but how should we as business owners interact with this volatile and public feedback forum?

Objectivity​

My advice, firstly, would be to monitor your page, but without obsession. You simply can’t expect all feedback to be positive, as people with a bone to pick will always be the first to let you know. Don’t let yourself get upset when you receive criticism.

Respond to reviews, diplomatically, and with as much objectivity as you can muster, giving as much attention to positive reviews as you do to negative ones. Keep in mind the public domain you’re entering into, so avoid slanging matches and bitter or dismissive responses at all cost, no matter how strong the urge. It just isn’t worth it.

Unfortunately, the fact is that if your business is successful, you’ll inevitably encounter the minefield of malicious or anti-competitive false reviews; this is just the nature of the beast. Try as it might, TripAdvisor cannot ensure all reviews are from genuine customers.

Ineffective​

Handling this is tricky. You can report reviews you consider false to TripAdvisor, which will, it claims, investigate and remove any that it believes to be suspicious; the difficulty being, of course, that it is almost impossible to prove reviews aren’t genuine. This process is, therefore, often frustratingly ineffective.

So, when it comes to TripAdvisor, my final piece of advice would be this: take everything you read with a good pinch of salt. Enjoy the positive reviews, take heed of the constructive criticism and, should you find yourself receiving false reviews, be flattered — someone considers you a threat!

John McEnroe once said: “Everybody loves success, but they hate successful people.” And with our industry getting tougher it’s no wonder the gloves are coming off.

Phil Davison is licensee at the Fox at Peasemore, Berkshire​