Feefo - a bad experience

[klockstone]

We have our cottage with an agency that uses Feefo. Last Aug/Oct we had 2 bad reviews and 1 good one - that's all. Worst, most of the items were beyond our control. Feefo and the agency CEO refused us the right to reply which is a major drawback as far as we are concerned. The CEO did make replies in both cases that we did not find satisfactory.

It seems to us that Feefo does not represent the situation and that the 33% score is unrepresentative for 4 reasons:

1. Complaints will dominate, especially if clients think they can get a rebate.
2. Clients who are happy rarely come back and praise you on Feefo.
3. A total of 3 comments is statistically irrelevant.
4. That score will sit there for 12 months.

Keith.

[Annew]

Who is the Agency?

[Nemo]

It appears on Coast and Country Cottages. Sorry to read the comments - it must be very frustrating when you have no control over reviews like that.

[Casscat]

Can't you kick them in to touch at renewal time and list with someone else? Clearly their methods are not working for you. Are you on other sites as well or just this one?

[klockstone]

I've requested that they remove the Feefo info from our page on the agency web site. So far there's been no response.

One of the moans was about bad cleaning - so we've changed our cleaners to one the agency suggested. However this hasn't reached the Feefo comments.

Keith.

[anya752000]

Keith,
Is there any way you can contact some past guests and ask them to write a review so you can balance out the bad with some positive comments?

[klockstone]

We're not given any details of clients other than the bookers name plus the number of adults, children & babies. I doubt if the agency would be persuaded to contact previous clients.

The agency agreement is exclusive so we're locked in at the present time. Until June that is when it comes up for renewal.

I'm wondering if the Data Protection Act is relevant here. Plus I'm sure Trading Standards would take a dim view of the situation.

The difficulty is the front-line staff. Any whiff of a dispute with management and they stop recommending your property when a customer asks for advice. They must feel confident in recommending our cottage to customers. Previous experience highlights staff confidence as having a hugely significant influence on bookings.

I know of a case where a dispute with agency management resulted in a drop in yearly bookings from 16 to 6 weeks.

Keith.

[AndrewH]

I know of a case where a dispute with agency management resulted in a drop in yearly bookings from 16 to 6 weeks.

I would want to get shot of them in June. It seems these people are not working hard on your behalf, but working 100% for themselves. You might lose the bad Feefo review that way too.

[klockstone]

I know of a case where a dispute with agency management resulted in a drop in yearly bookings from 16 to 6 weeks.

I should point out that the agency involved in that case was Toad Hall Cottages.

Keith.

[Nemo]

edited post as contents incorrect.

[klockstone]

Sorry for second guessing klockstone, but it appears on the Coast and Country site too, so those reviews have got you more than once. Sad I'll edit my post to clarify.

You misunderstand - the Toad Hall reference was to something that happened 10 years ago, before Feefo existed. It happened after the cottage owner had a dispute with the agency manager. I'm suggesting that comments made in the agency office effected the morale of the girls on the switchboard and the effect was very significant. Please reverse your edit.

The point I was trying to make is that frontline staff are very important in an agency situation. If an enquirer is asking about our cottage and sees the bad Feefo score what are they going to be told? I very much doubt that they have been briefed to say 'they've got new cleaners so there isn't a problem'.

Keith.

[Nemo]

Done. I can't change the quote you took from my post though. I understand and agree with what you're saying. My first property was managed and when circumstances were changed beyond all recognition, including getting rid of the lovely cleaner to employ contract cleaners used to doing a twenty minute caravan clean, standards could only go one way. I took the property away from them within a few months.

I now have started acting as an agency for others, but on the basis of caring as much as the owners about the property. They get the right of reply to any review as after all it's their property as much as it forms part of my inventory.

[charles cawley]

We use Feefo. I have never heard of refusing the right to a reply. Indeed, unlike many other 'rights to reply' you can go on for as long as you like and decide to either keep the thread going or stop it. I suspect it was more to do with the booking agency involved (as a booking agent myself, the thought of not suggesting this has crossed my mind). The agreement between Feefo and your booking agent could have been the problem.

As for the other observations, look at our Feefo feedback: http://www.feefo.com/en/en/reviews/Coun ... &id=377108

You say:

1. Complaints will dominate, especially if clients think they can get a rebate.

Not in our experience.


2. Clients who are happy rarely come back and praise you on Feefo.

Not in our experience. "Clients?" Most cottage owners call people who stay 'guests'. This is very odd.


3. A total of 3 comments is statistically irrelevant.

True. Then, this problem applies to all feedback systems.


4. That score will sit there for 12 months.

It is a risk you need to take in feedback. When we get bad feedback, it hurts. Take a look at some of ours.


Feefo may not be perfect but your observations appear to be very strange. If there is a problem, I suggest you hold your booking agency responsible.

[klockstone]

1. Complaints will dominate, especially if clients think they can get a rebate.

Not in our experience.

A near neighbour has had this happen a number of times. In one incident, the cleaners left the keys on the kitchen table instead of putting them in the keysafe. The guests arrived and couldn't get in. The cleaners were called to let them in – and charged the owner £14 for a call out. Later, the agency, 'Helpful holidays', deducted a £100 rebate off the owner's money – without consultation.

When I relayed your comments he said 'it's common knowledge amongst agencies that this sort of thing happens'.

Not in our experience. "Clients?" Most cottage owners call people who stay 'guests'. This is very odd.

Where we are, both terms are used interchangeably. I agree that in big cities 'clients' may have a negative ring.

True. Then, this problem applies to all feedback systems.

The general public do not appreciate statistics. They probably know the saying one swallow doesn't make a summer but don't put it into practice. A statistician would add a health warning to such a small sample or not even quote it at all. To do otherwise would be considered unethical. Hence we asked for the Feefo link to be removed.

It is a risk you need to take in feedback. When we get bad feedback, it hurts. Take a look at some of ours.

In this case we weren't given the choice. We just noticed it one day and thought no more about it – until it started to effect our bookings. By May 1st last year, the agency had booked the high season weeks. This year they have booked none so far. So action has to be taken. Put up and shut up doesn't help either party.

I'm inclined to view Feefo as mechanised gossip – which we all enjoy until it bites us.

We are in discussion with the agency and so far they have acknowledged the problem and have updated their comments on Feefo.

Keith.

[charles cawley]

Quote:
"A near neighbour has had this happen a number of times. In one incident, the cleaners left the keys on the kitchen table instead of putting them in the keysafe. The guests arrived and couldn't get in. The cleaners were called to let them in – and charged the owner £14 for a call out. Later, the agency, 'Helpful holidays', deducted a £100 rebate off the owner's money – without consultation.

When I relayed your comments he said 'it's common knowledge amongst agencies that this sort of thing happens'."

This is a slur. If we behaved that way owners would talk to each other. We care for owners as much as we care for guests. I am not saying that mistakes or mismanagement do not happen but this is not 'common knowledge amongst agencies'- there is no conspiracy. Owners and Guests are both our customers, as you noted in another thread.

I am sorry about the use of the word 'slur' but I can find no adequate alternative. The implication is that all booking services are unprofessional or dishonest if only in tacit agreement with alleged practices in approval by silence.


Quote:
"Where we are, both terms are used interchangeably. I agree that in big cities 'clients' may have a negative ring."

'Guests' are people you show hospitality towards. 'Clients' are contractual. 'Guest' is the usual term in the holiday cottage business. That is why 'client' appeared very strange.

Quote:
"The general public do not appreciate statistics. They probably know the saying one swallow doesn't make a summer but don't put it into practice. A statistician would add a health warning to such a small sample or not even quote it at all. To do otherwise would be considered unethical. Hence we asked for the Feefo link to be removed."

Feefo is one small part of a global trend that has radically benefited millions of guests and has forced up standards. Why not focus on the way of the World? You could address Revoo, Trip Advisor, Trust Pilot etc: etc:.

People looking for a good deal are not as stupid as you imply.

Quote:
"In this case we weren't given the choice."

You contracted with a booking service. If it was in the package then you agreed to it. If it was not, then they are out of order. But you noticed it and appeared to tacitly agree by conduct, because you took no action. Contracts can be modified this way. It was down to you to say you did not want it.

"We just noticed it one day and thought no more about it – until it started to effect our bookings. By May 1st last year, the agency had booked the high season weeks. This year they have booked none so far. So action has to be taken. Put up and shut up doesn't help either party.

I'm inclined to view Feefo as mechanised gossip – which we all enjoy until it bites us."



Feedback has, now, become as important as photographs. If you opt out you will pay a price. We get 96% positive feedback and have a share of some unreasonable negativity. One person gave us the worst rating because they did not understand that we were asking for information about our service and not the cottage itself!

We took that on the nose. The value of feedback far outweighs unjust remarks. Booking services, as you have seemingly shown, are not the most popular business in the eyes of the public but we still get the vast majority of feedback as positive.


Quote:
"We are in discussion with the agency and so far they have acknowledged the problem and have updated their comments on Feefo. "

Your relationship with your Agency and how they choose to operate is the problem. Blaming Feefo for what appears to be a problem, elsewhere, appears unjust. As for your remark about booking services participating in and being aware of general dishonest or inappropriate practices.... Finally, I for one, do not like revelling in the supposed negativity of others and, oddly, not all gossip is bad. Have you never been tipped off about the danger of getting too close to someone who later proves to be dangerous company?

Gossip is as bad as those who do not judge well what they hear.