Comments on: [Trip Advisor Tips and Techniques] Rainforestinn.com http://myblog.rainforestinn.com/2006/10/28/trip-advisor-tips-and-techniques/ The trials and tribulations of rennovating a bed and breakfast while it is open and without damaging the environment or disturbing the guests. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:43:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: The Maine Stay Inn http://myblog.rainforestinn.com/2006/10/28/trip-advisor-tips-and-techniques/comment-page-1/#comment-407 The Maine Stay Inn Sun, 11 Mar 2007 16:28:46 +0000 http://myblog.rainforestinn.com/2006/10/28/trip-advisor-tips-and-techniques/#comment-407 Hi Bill and Laurie, We just now read your article about Trip Advisor. It is very well written and expresses many of the thoughts we have (we thought we were alone). It was also very thoughtful that the Trip Advisor team responded in such a professional manner. We too had a very negative comment on Trip Advisor a couple of years back. It has bothered us to this day. The comment quite simply posted "lies". The guest who had made, well in advance, a 4-night reservation, had seen everything in Kennebunkport (in their opinion) after 2 days. They wanted the remaining two days refunded. When I told him we would abide by our cancellation policy, he explained that their remote control on the TV didn't work so they felt entitled to a refund of the remainder of their stay. I told him I would see if I could fix the remote. He warned me that, "if he had to stay on as a guest, I would be sorry." He later called from his cell phone to tell me that his wife recently had back surgery and the mattress in the room was agravating her medical condition. I offered to upgrade him, at no cost, to a different room (although all of our mattresses are firm). He said, his wife didn't want to move rooms. Believe it or not, the complaints continued from there as did my responses. Anyway, how does one gracefully respond to lies posted on Trip Advisor without sounding pathetic. It is beyond this innkeepers writing ability. Your comment that people have to be motivated to go to the effort to post something is correct and further, negative experiences are a far stronger motivator than positive. I applaud Trip Advisor for recognizing that fraud is happening. If they would take it a step further and admit that a tremendously high percentage of the posts are fraudulent (my opinion) I would applaud even more. Hopefully they also realize that they can set up as many teams and procedures as they choose but, they will never come close to stopping the vast majority of fraudulent posts (again, my opinion). One other thing, how about a link to our blog www.mainestayinn.blogspot.com ? Spring is coming here in Kennebunkport. We can't wait. Daylight Saving Time has started and, if I could get over those lies on Trip Advisor life would be perfect. We hope you are doing well and your winter was great. Hi Bill and Laurie,
We just now read your article about Trip Advisor. It is very well written and expresses many of the thoughts we have (we thought we were alone).
It was also very thoughtful that the Trip Advisor team responded in such a professional manner.
We too had a very negative comment on Trip Advisor a couple of years back. It has bothered us to this day. The comment quite simply posted “lies”. The guest who had made, well in advance, a 4-night reservation, had seen everything in Kennebunkport (in their opinion) after 2 days. They wanted the remaining two days refunded. When I told him we would abide by our cancellation policy, he explained that their remote control on the TV didn’t work so they felt entitled to a refund of the remainder of their stay. I told him I would see if I could fix the remote. He warned me that, “if he had to stay on as a guest, I would be sorry.”
He later called from his cell phone to tell me that his wife recently had back surgery and the mattress in the room was agravating her medical condition. I offered to upgrade him, at no cost, to a different room (although all of our mattresses are firm). He said, his wife didn’t want to move rooms.
Believe it or not, the complaints continued from there as did my responses.
Anyway, how does one gracefully respond to lies posted on Trip Advisor without sounding pathetic. It is beyond this innkeepers writing ability.
Your comment that people have to be motivated to go to the effort to post something is correct and further, negative experiences are a far stronger motivator than positive.
I applaud Trip Advisor for recognizing that fraud is happening. If they would take it a step further and admit that a tremendously high percentage of the posts are fraudulent (my opinion) I would applaud even more. Hopefully they also realize that they can set up as many teams and procedures as they choose but, they will never come close to stopping the vast majority of fraudulent posts (again, my opinion).

One other thing, how about a link to our blog http://www.mainestayinn.blogspot.com ?

Spring is coming here in Kennebunkport. We can’t wait. Daylight Saving Time has started and, if I could get over those lies on Trip Advisor life would be perfect. We hope you are doing well and your winter was great.

]]> By: Linking to TripAdvisor http://myblog.rainforestinn.com/2006/10/28/trip-advisor-tips-and-techniques/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Linking to TripAdvisor Thu, 14 Dec 2006 19:23:56 +0000 http://myblog.rainforestinn.com/2006/10/28/trip-advisor-tips-and-techniques/#comment-13 Hi Nathan (and all), Links to TripAdvisor may be created by making use of the information found at the following page: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/linkinginfo.html Best, Shawn TripAdvisor Support Team Hi Nathan (and all),

Links to TripAdvisor may be created by making use of the information found at the following page: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/linkinginfo.html

Best,

Shawn
TripAdvisor Support Team

]]> By: Nathan Allan http://myblog.rainforestinn.com/2006/10/28/trip-advisor-tips-and-techniques/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Nathan Allan Mon, 06 Nov 2006 01:05:19 +0000 http://myblog.rainforestinn.com/2006/10/28/trip-advisor-tips-and-techniques/#comment-3 How do you actually link to the reviews section on TripAdvisor for your specific inn? We have some good reviews, but would like to make it easier for guests to add more. How do you actually link to the reviews section on TripAdvisor for your specific inn?

We have some good reviews, but would like to make it easier for guests to add more.

]]> By: Brian Payea http://myblog.rainforestinn.com/2006/10/28/trip-advisor-tips-and-techniques/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Brian Payea Mon, 30 Oct 2006 18:59:39 +0000 http://myblog.rainforestinn.com/2006/10/28/trip-advisor-tips-and-techniques/#comment-2 Thanks for taking so much time to share your thoughts about TripAdvisor. We appreciate your observations about how importatnt TripAdvisor is to your business. One thing you didn't mention that you and other owners may wish to consider is the opportunity to post a management response when you feel a reviewer has unfairly characterized the experience. You could offer an explanation to the 3 am situation you described at: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/management_response.html and minimize the possibility of some one knowing only one side of the story. You mention that you don't recommend some of the "tricks" you list, and I'm glad you don't. Your readers may not realize that TripAdvisor has a significant number of experts on staff who inspect reviews looking for just that type of fraud you describe. We also have some automated tools to detect fraud. When they do confirm that a property has violtated our terms of service, the property's TripAdvisor ratings are affected, as you can imagine. Thanks again for creating such a lengthy "review" of our site. Being in the review business, we have a real appreciation for that kind of effort. Best Regards, Brian Payea Trade Relations Manager TripAdvisor Thanks for taking so much time to share your thoughts about TripAdvisor. We appreciate your observations about how importatnt TripAdvisor is to your business.

One thing you didn’t mention that you and other owners may wish to consider is the opportunity to post a management response when you feel a reviewer has unfairly characterized the experience. You could offer an explanation to the 3 am situation you described at: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/management_response.html
and minimize the possibility of some one knowing only one side of the story.

You mention that you don’t recommend some of the “tricks” you list, and I’m glad you don’t.

Your readers may not realize that TripAdvisor has a significant number of experts on staff who inspect reviews looking for just that type of fraud you describe. We also have some automated tools to detect fraud. When they do confirm that a property has violtated our terms of service, the property’s TripAdvisor ratings are affected, as you can imagine.

Thanks again for creating such a lengthy “review” of our site. Being in the review business, we have a real appreciation for that kind of effort.

Best Regards,
Brian Payea
Trade Relations Manager
TripAdvisor

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