Ms. Zoba

Social Media & PR

Show Up and Stand Out

By Holly Zoba, Senior VP of Sales - Hospitality, Signature Worldwide

Probably 20 years ago, there was (and still is) a quirky hotel in San Francisco with far more character than space, but it was always my hotel of choice whenever I visited. I read about it, not on TripAdvisor (since this was practically in prehistoric times), but in People magazine, of all places. The story mentioned that the hotel had a recorded poem on their phone system that entertained on-hold callers with stories about its previous famous guests. I can’t remember what I ate for breakfast this morning, but I remember several lines from this poem I heard 20 years ago...

"Lassie did a no-no here,
Cher did Sony Bono here,
If you’re holding, please don’t whine,
Frank Sinatra’s on the other line."

Of course I remembered the lines because I called the hotel at least 37 times and asked to be put on hold so I could share this hysterical poem with everyone I knew.

So imagine my surprise when I recently went on TripAdvisor to read the clever management responses I was certain I would find only to see... nothing. I went to Facebook – surely this hotel would not post about its “weekend special” but there it was. The most recent post: “Hurry and book your April Escape before Sunday! Rates from $109!” Say it isn’t so!

I blame the economy. Staff has been cut, hotels have to do more with less and discounting is the new black. I suppose it should not be surprising that the fun has gone out of even this unique venue.

And of course, it is not alone.

Over the last three or four months I have spoken at hotel conferences and written articles about managing your online reputation. I cover the basics – read your own reviews and read the reviews of your competitors. I strongly recommend responding to reviews – both the good and the bad.

I always suggest you identify and use your social media voice. Your voice is a reflection of your social media brand. Whether or not you have decided what your voice is, if you post responses or status updates on Facebook, your voice already exists. It just might be a high-pitch, squeaky and annoying voice. Or, perhaps you are a mumbler. Read through your posts and you will see what I mean.

However, as I remembered my quirky hotel story, it occurred to me that while it is important to cover the basics, hotels that apply a little creativity to the process have a great opportunity to differentiate their properties from the rest. By simply creating a clever hold message, this hotel was covered in a national magazine. Hundreds of people read your review responses, but imagine if you stepped out of the ordinary and allowed some personality to permeate your postings.

Guests are finding the time to be creative, as shown by this submission I came across on the TripAdvisor blog:

“The hotel is a bit like a beautiful girl you meet in a dark club wearing a wonder bra. You think you've found the girl of your dreams, but as you look a little closer, it really isn't that pretty, and as soon as you remove the top layer it really is very flat! And when you have a really good look in the cold light of day, you realize it's actually quite shabby, and not very clean, and you want out of there ASAP!”

How would you have responded to this post? Would you apologize for their stay and suggest they contact you offline? Or would you consider responding the way this hotel did to a negative review:

“Please Don't Stay Here
If you like high rise and concrete, and long waits to dine,
Elevator gridlock and standing in line,
Loud music, fowl language and the smell of stale beer,
Then no matter your budget, please don't stay here.
If you're not into nature and preservation's no issue.
You don't conserve water and you overuse tissue,
If you must have a stogie and throw butts far and near,
Then do what you wish, but please don't stay here.
If you're not into lodges with the crackling of a fire,
Wood floors that occasionally creak when you retire,
The whistle of the wind when a storm is near,
And traditional lodge racket, then please don't stay here.
If you need freeway exits, paved parking, a mall,
Rather see a skyscraper than a tree that is tall,
Bothered by mountain air that is fresh, dry and clear,
Then whatever you do, please don't stay here.
But, if you do see a value in a true getaway,
Want warm, bed and breakfast style service each day,
Enjoy dining and amenities that make your trip dear,
Then please be our guests, and PLEASE, DO STAY HERE.”

And my personal favorite:

“An obvious fake review
A terrible thing to do
We couldn’t help looking
There was no such booking
Sounds like they all stayed in the loo.”

There is an opportunity, every time you write a response, to post a status update or send out a tweet to generate some enthusiasm for your property. People do business with those they like and trust. They are looking for some reassurance when they come to TripAdvisor, and if you sound just like everyone else, why would they choose you?

Remember, you aren’t writing to only the person who wrote the review of your hotel; you are writing to the hundreds of people who are reading that review and your response. And if the review was noteworthy, they might “like” the review and then it shows up on their Facebook status. And hundreds of people may read that review.

The really exciting news is that it doesn’t cost a dime. You can show the world, or at least those looking at visiting your corner of it, an original hotel. Of course that isn’t entirely true, it does cost you some time, and that may be the most guarded resource you have (at least it should be!). However, the employee who wrote the poem for that quirky little hotel wasn’t a general manager or a director of sales. He was a PBX operator who dreamed of being a playwright. Chances are, if you offer social media opportunities to employees beyond the sales department, you may find all kinds of resources you never knew you had.

In the words of social media leader Scott Stratten, “people share awesome.” While awesome seems like a big challenge to create, anyone who has watched and passed along the 10-second sneezing panda video or the sleep-running dog will tell you it’s the little, out of the ordinary things that make a big impact.

In the ever-changing world of social media, what you post becomes your voice and your brand. Since TripAdvisor and Facebook puts you in the spotlight, why not give the audience something positive and exciting to talk about? Times have changed, but people haven’t. They still want to do business with those they like. Don’t be remembered for the negative response or scenario that happened on one of your bad days. It’s time to use your voice in a positive way to bring enthusiasm to your property.

Holly Zoba is Senior Vice President of Sales for the Hospitality Division of Signature Worldwide, the leading provider of training solutions for the hospitality industry. Ms. Zoba has more than 20 years of sales and marketing management experience in the hospitality industry and is responsible for managing Signature Worldwide’s sales effort by determining best-fit solutions for hoteliers — helping them improve customer service and increase revenue. Ms. Zoba can be contacted at 614-766-5101 or hollyzoba@signatureworldwide.com Extended Bio...

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