From Jan 28th 2016, TheatreDigsBooker offers both Hosts and Guests the opportunity to write reviews regarding completed bookings that have taken place via the site.
Both sides are also able to publicly respond to any comments made about them, their stay or their digs.
How To Write A Guest Review
1. Once the booking is complete, Hosts are prompted via email to write a review about their experience with their Guest. A link in the email will take you to your 'All Bookings' view - showing completed (and failed) bookings. (Click 'Show All Bookings' if you see the button - this is highlighted in red below).
2. Scroll down to find the correct booking - Once here you will see the 'Review This Guest' button - click the green button. (If the Guest has already submitted their 'Booking Review' you also have the opportunity to respond. This is explained later in this help article).
Please note: It will be tempting to just write a 'Review response' but please go on to write a 'Guest review' just below the response. It ensures reviews about the Guest can be seen by prospective Hosts.
3. Write a short review of your Guest which could help other Hosts make informed decisions regarding potential bookings. When complete, click 'Submit Your Review'.
Please Note: Because all reviews are currently moderated by the TheatreDigsBooker support team, it can take up to 7 working days before reviews are published. Only when they are published does the reviewee receive notice that they have a review.
How To Respond To A Booking Review
1. Guests are encouraged to write reviews about the digs they stay in. If you have received a Booking Review, 'Your Guest has reviewed this booking.' will appear on the booking. Click 'Read and Respond' to see what the Guest has said about you and feel free to respond (not required).
2. Here you can see the star rating the Guest has given for each criteria and any comments they have written. To respond, simply enter the comments in the text box and click 'Confirm Your Response':
What should I say?
TheatreDigsBooker aims to only send wonderful Guests to great Hosts but, as with any situation, there can be times when things don't work out perfectly. If there are some negatives, we ask all parties to be as constructive and objective as possible.
Got something good to say?
Fantastic! Let everyone know how great your Guest was by writing a review.
Got something bad to say?
Ok. Feedback is essential. Tell us your observations here but try to be constructive. These reviews are read by Guests and other potential Hosts so please try not to make it personal.
Received a negative review?
We ask Hosts and Guests to respond to their reviews. This is to allow fairness when a negative review is published.
In serious cases, listings are removed until we are satisfied the issues have been resolved. We would contact you to let you know if we have done this.
Likewise, if a Guest receives some negative comments, the Guest can respond with an explanation and both parties can ask the TheatreDigsBooker support team to mediate should the need arise.
The introduction of the 'Guest Review' and 'Response' features are in direct answer to the many requests we have received from both Hosts and Guests asking for more information and transparency. Hosts like to know as much as possible about the Guests they are considering welcoming into their homes and Guests like to know as much as possible about the digs they intend to stay in so they can make an informed choice.
Here are a few tips on responding to a review with negative elements publicly:
We fully appreciate that negative feedback can be very upsetting and can feel personal at the time.
However, we like to think of these situations as good opportunities for Hosts to review the quality of their accommodation and service from a Guest's perspective and feel that reviews are a good chance to share feedback with Hosts as there may be something simple that they can do to correct any issues.
If you have received some negative feedback via the review facility which you can easily correct, we recommend that you simply thank the Guest for the feedback in your public response and let them know what you have done to correct the issue.
If you have received some feedback which you cannot easily correct or you do not agree with the Guest's opinion, it is best not to argue with the Guest publicly but to thank them for their feedback in the first instance.
It may be that your digs description or photographs need to be updated so that future Guests are aware of a particular feature of your digs or any house-rules before booking (e.g. that you have a dog, that the kitchen is not accessible, that you are unable to check Guests in before 5pm). Make any corrections on your digs listing and let Guests know you have done this in your public response. This help article guides you through editing your digs listing and this one through editing your photographs.
Otherwise, it is best to thank the Guest for the feedback and advise them that you will consider their feedback carefully.
By doing this, future Guests will see that you have responded positively and this may ultimately lead to additional bookings.
It is worth noting that recent research suggests that perfect reviews can even make people suspicious! Northwestern University says:
- "As counterintuitive as it may seem, negative reviews have a positive impact because they help establish trust and authenticity. Consumers understand that a product can’t be all things to all people, and they appreciate negative reviews as an important element in their decision-making process."
- "Customers are most likely to buy something that has a 4.2-4.5 star rating than a 5-star rating, because perfect scores make customers suspicious."
Find out more here.
If you are worried about a negative review or simply want to discuss your response further, please get in touch with our friendly support team on 01335 818025 and we would be very happy to help (we are available from Monday to Friday, 9am until 5pm).
We hope you like the reviews feature and, as always, we welcome feedback to help us improve the service we offer to you.