How should hotels address social media complaints when operating during COVID-19?
The Public Relations Manager of a city hotel recently wrote to us, asking “When our hotel opens after Covid 19, we have implemented several processes in line with the recommended best practices. However, we know that there will be some dissatisfied parties who will negatively comment about us on social media. How do we respond to this effectively?”
First off, it must be understood that postings on social media are there for eternity. Such is the nature of anything posted on the Internet. It is possible to have social media posts taken down if they meet certain criteria, such as being highly malicious, inciting ethnic violence or blatantly illegal. However, even for these there are procedures that must be undertaken by the social media site, including investigation and vetting of the content. This means that in the case of complaints against a business, it is highly unlikely that such posts will be taken down.
The next thing that must be considered is the nature of the person writing the negative post. There are two types of person who one must be wary of. These are keyboard warriors and trolls. Keyboard warriors are people who become highly vocal and critical when protected behind the screen of their computer or phone. In person, they are usually very quiet and pleasant people. If you were to inquire of them how their stay at your hotel is going, they would usually respond in a positive light, even if internally they feel negative emotions.
Keyboard warriors can be a mere annoyance but the second category, called Trolls are more malicious. Trolls actively seek to spread disinformation about a company or brand with malicious intent. Trolls can come from competitors who are trying to discredit your brand, or even from disgruntled employees of your own brand!
However, there is an avenue to address this that doesn’t need any active participation, and that is silence. Never underestimate the power of silence. If your brand has a high standing with the community, thousands of positive experiences and is beloved, the community will often collectively put keyboard warriors and trolls in their place. You need not respond at all.
Now, let us assume it is not a keyboard warrior or troll, but a legitimate complaint. First things to remember is, do not give stock responses such as “we have received your complaint and will look into it seriously”. This tells the guest that nothing will come off the complaint, and will often alienate them. Also avoid giving snarky or witty responses, as very few brands can pull this off without incurring massive backlash and negative brand image from the wider community.
When crafting your response, do not be in a hurry. Take some time to investigate the entire situation. Be your own detective. Remember that if it were a newspaper story or television report, you would be very careful and meticulous in planning your response. Social media is no different, so extend it the same thorough process. Find out what went wrong, why it was not addressed, whether it went against the recommended norms (this is called backing up your facts with credible information from recognized sources). For example, if a guest refused to wear a mask in public areas and is complaining about being disallowed to walk through them as a result, you can cite the research of medical professionals worldwide who have proved that masks do in fact help reduce transmission of Covid 19.
If the investigation reveals that you are at fault, you must humbly apologise. Do not take the attitude that apologies signal weakness, it is the contrary. The brand that apologises will be held in far higher regard than those who try to circumvent it. Apologise and offer a remedy. But remember that this remedy must not be a stock one such as “discount voucher for our coffee shop”. Learn about the aggrieved party and offer a remedy that is likely to entice them back to your hotel. Do they have kids? Offer a free day at the pool for the kids.
Finally, remember to sign off with your name and designation. Do not use a stock response such as ‘PR Team, XXX Brand’. Show them that an actual human being has read their complaint and taken the time to respond. This speaks volumes about how your brand cares about customers.
Hospitality Sri Lanka
The above article is from our video series “19-Hospitality Related Questions on Covid-19", which can be viewed on our Youtube channel here Why not take a moment to share your experience with us, or if you have a question you'd like answered, get in touch through reachus@hospitalitysrilanka.com We hope to hear from you, and in the meantime, check out our social media feeds on Facebook and Instagram.
Shafeek Wahab - Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka
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