I have posted a few of the comments from our previous guests on my ads. I have asked permission for these.
We thankfully have had only two negative comments, one was that there were only five sunbeds (not sure how we made that mistake) but the villa is for six people. We easily rectified that one.
The other was that the balconies were not clean enough, bird droppings. We do have a problem with birds, mostly swifts as you will have read on my bird nest post. It is difficult to keep the balconies clean. I cleaned them at easter when we were there and within two days they needed doing again. bit of a nightmare.
I didn't include these negative comments, but I wonder if there is a case for being honest?
All guestbook comments are full of how wonderful everything is, sometimes I read them and think, well, you would say that wouldn't you? I just wonder if adding a few small negatives would make the owner seem more honest?
I read one recently that said they had a problem knowing where to get rid of rubbish because they hadn't been told. But it was soon rectified once they rang the management company. That owner has obviously learnt from that comment.
I am just throwing this into the ring to see what others think.
Ruth
Negative guest comments
Hi Ruth
I'm not too sure I would include the negative comment about the bird poo, especially as it's a common occurence. It may turn people off.
The comment about the sunbeds is quite funny though and I'm sure it will endear you to some people
I often wonder how many negative comments owners actually do have but wont publish them.
I'm not too sure I would include the negative comment about the bird poo, especially as it's a common occurence. It may turn people off.
The comment about the sunbeds is quite funny though and I'm sure it will endear you to some people
I often wonder how many negative comments owners actually do have but wont publish them.
seriously...I agree...the sunbed thing was an honest oversight....I'd leave out the little nit-picky persoanl things though -
Normandy Cow
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I don't include any negative comments on my website (but there honestly hasn't been a single negative comment in our guest book 
).
However, I did experiment with publishing all my feedback forms on my blog. Not sure if many people ever get to read it, but it is there, so no-one can accuse me of hiding the truth!
It'd be interesting to see what you guys think! http://normandygite.wordpress.com/feedback-forms/
).However, I did experiment with publishing all my feedback forms on my blog. Not sure if many people ever get to read it, but it is there, so no-one can accuse me of hiding the truth!
It'd be interesting to see what you guys think! http://normandygite.wordpress.com/feedback-forms/
Last edited by Normandy Cow on Fri May 18, 2007 8:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.
We put everything in our guestbook, positive and negative. A few guests have even mentioned that they appreciated it.
And -- since we are asking for opinions here
-- I wouldn't feel at all comfortable leaving out comments, unless I were going to call them "Selected Guest Reviews" or "A Sampling of Guest Feedback" or somehow make it apparent that not all reviews are included. But including everything except the negative comments doesn't seem quite right...
I suppose the desire to tweak is why some people (like Garri, if I remember correctly? Forgive me if I misrepresent you, please!) give no weight whatsoever to guestbooks.
In addition, (1) the shear number of positive comments should greatly outweight the negative, (2) no one can please 100% of the people 100% of the time and every reasonable person knows it, and (3) I think people can generally tell what is nit-picky and what is genuine.
Besides, adding a negative comment gives you the opportunity to explain how you handled it. Positive PR points for you!
debk
And -- since we are asking for opinions here
-- I wouldn't feel at all comfortable leaving out comments, unless I were going to call them "Selected Guest Reviews" or "A Sampling of Guest Feedback" or somehow make it apparent that not all reviews are included. But including everything except the negative comments doesn't seem quite right...I suppose the desire to tweak is why some people (like Garri, if I remember correctly? Forgive me if I misrepresent you, please!) give no weight whatsoever to guestbooks.
In addition, (1) the shear number of positive comments should greatly outweight the negative, (2) no one can please 100% of the people 100% of the time and every reasonable person knows it, and (3) I think people can generally tell what is nit-picky and what is genuine.
Besides, adding a negative comment gives you the opportunity to explain how you handled it. Positive PR points for you!
debk
We intend our guestbooks to be 'visitors' information resources' (sorry if that sounds pretentious, not sure how else to describe it) about our property and our area, for the benefit of future guests. Therefore negative as well as positive comments are vital - if somebody had a bad experience at a children's play area or lousy service at a particular restaurant, it should be added to the common pot and future guests can make of it what they will. It could be a two-edged sword, of course, if somebody wrote derogatory comments specifically about our property or about us - fortunately only tiny things so far like the stone floor in the kitchen being cold when a guest made his early morning coffee in his bare feet.
However, as we live on site, we rectify problems as they arise when guests draw our attention to them. Then, if they do make a comment, it's usually to say how helpfully and speedily we sorted out the problem. So negative into positive. More difficult if you're living off-site, of course, when guests might make negative comments in the guestbook but with a positive intention - ie: to draw your attention to something.
Jim
However, as we live on site, we rectify problems as they arise when guests draw our attention to them. Then, if they do make a comment, it's usually to say how helpfully and speedily we sorted out the problem. So negative into positive. More difficult if you're living off-site, of course, when guests might make negative comments in the guestbook but with a positive intention - ie: to draw your attention to something.
Jim
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Hells Bells
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Alan Knighting
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I have one question to ask. Are you all talking about guest books which live in your properties or guest books which you publish on your Web Sites?
If it’s the former your guests don’t get to see them until it is too late. Your guests have already arrived; they’re in situ before they see your guest books.
If it’s the latter I think you could possibly use a little artistic licence in choosing which comments to publish. Is that what's called “being economical with the truth�?
Fluffy
If it’s the former your guests don’t get to see them until it is too late. Your guests have already arrived; they’re in situ before they see your guest books.
If it’s the latter I think you could possibly use a little artistic licence in choosing which comments to publish. Is that what's called “being economical with the truth�?
Fluffy
The latter in my case.I have posted a few of the comments from our previous guests on my ads.
Not sure what use putting previous guest comments in the visitors book at the villa would be?Ruth
Last edited by guest 4 on Sat May 19, 2007 5:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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