Responding to Reviews—Good and Bad

Our new RV Park & Campground Reviews on GoodSam.com enables guests to write reviews about their camping experiences. We know how important it is for you to be able to respond to guest reviews and have compiled the following tips when you do respond to a guest's feedback about your park – be it good or bad.

Positive Reviews
It's great to receive positive feedback about our business. And positive reviews are a great marketing tool for your park, so be sure to respond to all positive reviews as it shows you are genuinely interested in what your guests have to say.

Say Thank You. A simple 'thank you' acknowledging the compliment is often the best response.

Avoid offering a reward. Although your intentions are genuine by wanting to thank your guest for the positive feedback with a gift or special offer, you'll want to avoid these kinds of offers as they can be interpreted as a bribe.

Share the good news with your staff. Show the positive comments to members of your team and thank them for a job well done.

Negative Reviews
Negative reviews are inevitable—even top-rated businesses receive the occasional poor grades from customers. But if you handle the complaint correctly, you can turn the situation around and, in some cases, win the customer back.

Here are 7 tips for handling disgruntled guests:

  • Get the info. Talk to the staff to determine the source of the guest's grievance and make sure the issue doesn't arise again.
  • Reply promptly. Don't let the negative review fester—respond before other customers are swayed by the bad impression. Ideally, your response should appear directly below the complaint.
  • Stay professional. Don't argue with the customer and don't write a response that may appear condescending or disingenuous. Above all, don't blame the customer for the problem. Remember, an angry customer can copy and paste an inappropriate response to other social media sites.
  • Be constructive. Let the customer know that the problems they've encountered are being addressed. Thank them for taking the time to point out the problem and invite them back for a better stay. If the review is completely inaccurate, politely state your side of the story without appearing combative or going into too much detail. In some cases, a customer might just want to hear an apology.
  • Stay connected. Encourage the customer to contact you or your customer service line. This will help you keep your online response brief without divulging too many details that might hurt your business down the line.
  • Don't take it personally. Remember, potential customers are watching how you handle problems at your RV park. By conducting yourself in a professional and caring manner, you're creating a sense of trust that can pay off in future business.
  • Learn from the bad reviews. Keep track of the tips and suggestions left by guests and use this information constructively.