Getting feedbacks from guests

How to communicate with your potential renters - how to turn site visitors into enquiries, and enquiries into bookings.
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Tizfata
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Getting feedbacks from guests

Post by Tizfata »

Ciao!
I am sure there are tons of threads abot this matter, but I can't find them.
How do you obtain feedbacks from guests?
I used to email guests, after they were home again, but... I don't know... What do you do? And what do you write?
Do you ask for general impressions on the property or to point out the ups and downs for the property.
Sorry, I am confused. :?
Have a nice day
Tiziana
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Topcat
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Post by Topcat »

Tiziana, I always e-mail them when they get back and say that I hope they had a nice time. In my first year of renting I also used to add that I'd value any candid feedback, but now I've had plenty of feedback so I just ask about their holiday and see what they say. Mostly just that one question triggers a flurry of comments.

Personally I wouldn't be too specific in what you ask them. You don't want them to feel they've got to fill out a questionnaire!

TC
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Giddy Goat
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Post by Giddy Goat »

Good advice but don't forget to provide a guestbook at the property too Tiziana. You get some lovely contributions that way - little sketches from visiting kids occasionally, and we've had a couple of weeny poems too!

Guests just love reading each others' comments and it's also a useful source of information since they often talk about specific things they've enjoyed. It's one of the first things I do when I'm on a self-catering holiday!
Last edited by Giddy Goat on Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Topcat
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Post by Topcat »

That's a good point, GG. I don't do that myself, but it's certainly something I've given some thought to.

TC
Debut novelist at http://tinyurl.com/or89jle

http://wivenhoewriters.blogspot.co.uk/
Contributor to anthology 'In a Word: Murder'
Margaret
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Post by Margaret »

We also have a guestbook.

We also write a few days after they left, hoping they had a good journey home, reminding them they get a 10% discount in future and asking them if they wouldn't mind posting reviews on Trip Advisor or HR or whatever.
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pambon
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Post by pambon »

I also have a Guest Book and make it clear that their edited comments may be posted on my website - if they aren't happy with that then please don't post!

One guy seemed more smitten by me than the apartment...... :oops: :oops: But I love reading the comments they leave :)
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Hanorah
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Post by Hanorah »

We have a guest book that guests write detailed feedback in. It seems to follow on from previous guests had done and some write pages and pages almost like a journal of what they have done and enjoyed as well as comments about us and the villa.

Last year we hardly got any electronic feedback at all and I had wondered if there was a bad reason for this as we changed our villa management from family due to ill health to someone else. However when I visited there was lots of great feedback in the book. I am not sure how to transfer this to the website should I scan and have 2 pages one for online reviews and one for photocopied pages.

I do ask for electronic feedback as well but am never pushy in light of the detailed feedback in the guest book and they would probably think I am a bit cheeky if I expect both.

The guest book in all honesty if not as good for marketing purposes is much more useful to the guests when they actually arrive as they can see a totally independent view of where previous guests like to eat and go etc.
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e-richard
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Post by e-richard »

Hanorah wrote:...I am not sure how to transfer this to the website ...
Here is one pretty cool idea.

I think guest reviews are a major contributor to a website's success and there are many ways to accomplish it, but they must appear "genuine".
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
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pambon
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Post by pambon »

It looks good but rather complicated.........?

The idea of a page where the guest, on returning home, puts his feedback does not work for me as I find many guests on leaving here will not take (or be able to find) the time to dedicate to this.

(April 2007 departing guests promised to email me the pics they'd taken; they've emailed me twice since promising that when they have a moment.......I'm still waiting :!: )

To give a more genuine feel to the comments, as I said I make it clear that their comments will be edited & posted (shortened if neccessary without deleting negative comments - only one so far on the lack of long drink glasses - which has been remedied!) and guests are asked to sign/date/state country of residence which I also post.
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Mountain Goat
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Post by Mountain Goat »

I think that LV's guest book looks really great, and triggered me to look for WordPress compatible versions. There seem to be a least a dozen out there, and searching for WordPress flipbooks or flipping books or page flip produces a few.

Here's one from a French designer

and a whole load here plus a Filofax version.

MG
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Fil
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Post by Fil »

I leave a Guestbook and a Improvements Recomendations Book ate the apartment which has proved very useful.
People don't usually like or bother to write down on the GB if they think the lights are dim, the window is loose or wathever but happily do it in the recomendations book.
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pambon
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Post by pambon »

MG the FlippingBooks are great - can one not use them for a website instead of simply a blog or photo gallery or whatever :?:
I have visited a couple of sites in 'book' form which I like very much.....
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pambon
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Post by pambon »

Fil wrote:I leave a Guestbook and a Improvements Recomendations Book ate the apartment which has proved very useful.
People don't usually like or bother to write down on the GB if they think the lights are dim, the window is loose or wathever but happily do it in the recomendations book.
That's a good idea, I may try it....thanks Fil.
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Moliere
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Post by Moliere »

Just make sure that your guestbook is a spiral-type or similar, so you can undetectably rip out those (very occasional) comments which are incorrect or unfair.

Mols :wink:
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pambon
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Post by pambon »

:D :D That's very underhand Mols! And MOST undemocratic :o But I may consider implementing that too :oops:
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