How To Respond To Negative TripAdvisor Reviews (A Survival Guide)

We know you had that sinking feeling when you came across the negative TripAdvisor reviews for your business. But trust us, it is just a matter of time before you learn how to respond to them. 

According to the reports, Tripadvisor is the world’s largest travel platform, helping 463 million travelers monthly. Now imagine the impact of one negative Tripadvisor review for your business! 

However, there is one thing that can easily prevent you from tarnishing the image of your business. It is responding to the negative Tripadvisor reviews. If you are struggling to maintain a good, compassionate, or savage response to your business’s negative Tripadvisor Reviews, we are here to help. In this blog, we are going to talk about how you can respond to your negative Tripadvisor reviews. So without any further delay, let us get into it. 

How To Technically Respond To Negative TripAdvisor Reviews? 

TripAdvisor is one of the most powerful online review platforms when it comes to the hospitality industry. To stay on top of the platform and make your mark, ensure you are notified promptly in case your hospitality business receives a negative review. For this, it’s important to register with TripAdvisor’s Management Center. Once you receive a new review, follow these steps to respond:

1. Log in to the TripAdvisor Management Center and claim your listing (if not already done).
2. Click on “Respond to Reviews” under your primary photo or “See all Reviews” at the bottom of the page.
3. Select the review that you wish to respond to.
4. Write your response in the text box.
5. Click on “Submit” to post your response.

Do’s Of Responding To Negative Tripadvisor Reviews: 

So you have received bad Tripadvisor Reviews for your business. We understand that it feels bad. But instead of going into the rabbit hole of thinking about it all day, try responding to them. Take a look at some of the wisest ways to respond to negative Tripadvisor reviews. 

A). Do Not Take It Personally 

Before responding to negative Tripadvisor feedback, take a moment to think. The tip is not to take the negative reviews personally. Chances are you would want to thump on the keyboard and respond to Tripadvisor feedback harshly. Or probably, you would want to remove negative Tripadvisor reviews from your Tripadvisor timeline. In both cases, you will be harming your online reputation in the long run. 

Instead of getting carried away with the instant emotions, take a moment before you respond. Remember that, behind a negative review, there lies a customer who has had a bad experience and wants to be heard. Therefore, step back and breathe before you respond to that negative Tripadvisor feedback. 

B). Take Short Time To Reply 

While we suggest taking time before responding to negative Tripadvisor reviews, we also want you to not take a long time to respond. Replying promptly to your negative Tripadvisor customer review is an essential part of online reputation management. When you quickly respond to your negative TripAdvisor customer feedback, you seem like a proactive business to them. They feel you are approachable and value their opinion. It is best to respond to a negative Tripadvisor Review within 24 hours. 

This will show that you did not take much time to respond yet to take time to respond and understand their issue. 

C). Thank Your Customer

Thanking your customers for a negative review might sound odd at first.  However, It’s important to change your mindset, especially if you’re feeling emotional after receiving a negative review. 

Every piece of feedback, whether positive or negative, is valuable to your business. Therefore, it’s essential to acknowledge the reviewer’s effort and take the time to respond to their feedback. Doing so will help defuse the situation and provide an opportunity to continue the conversation. 

Instead of removing negative reviews from TripAdvisor, sometimes having a constructive conversation with the reviewer is enough to prompt them to update their review. Take a look at a simple response to negative Tripadvisor reviews, starting with expressing gratitude. 

Hi Sara, 
Thank you for taking the time to provide a testimonial to us.  We are saddened you had to go through it. To compensate, we would like to make a refund. Please shoot an email to [email protected]. One of our executives will assist you further. 
Thank you. 

D). Fix The Bug 

The good news is that you do not have to prepare an email to respond to your negative Tripadvisor reviews. If you have received a bad review on TripAdvisor, you don’t have to resolve the entire matter online with the world watching. Instead, you can respond to the complaint by acknowledging it. 

Then let your reviewer know that you have made the required changes in your services. 

If the complaint is particularly bad and requires further investigation, explain this in your response. It is important to make good on your promise and contact the guest to discuss their concerns. Speak to every member of staff who encountered the guest and decide how you can turn their bad experience into a positive one. 

After you have made appropriate changes, follow up with the upset reviewer. Ask if they have visited again or if the way you have remedied the issue is satisfactory. Here is an email or response template you can use. 

Hi Sara, 
We came across your review and were disheartened to know you had such an experience. Considering the points you mentioned in your review, we have made changes to our services. And we would like to invite you to a visit and change your bad experience into a good one. The treat is on us! 
Thank You. 

Chances are if they are satisfied with their next visit, kindly request that they update their review. In case you get positive reviews this time, you can easily embed Tripadvisor reviews on the website and enhance maximum traction out of it. This would only require you to pick an all-rounder review aggregator to fetch all the positive Tripadvisor reviews and showcase them on your website. 

E). Apologize For Their Bad Experience

Your slightest mistake can affect your customer. It might also ruin their vacation. Therefore, before you explain the mistake, apologize to them. 

While resolving a customer complaint, it’s important to take responsibility for the mistake. To begin with, you have to stop blaming the customer or making excuses for the inconvenience caused. 

Instead, admit your fault and apologize sincerely.  If you start your apology with, “Sorry, but… or Sorry, if you felt that way but…”, It may come across as dismissive and worsen the situation. 

Therefore, take full ownership of your mistake, no matter how small, by saying something like, 

We are sorry for [your mistake here].
Please let us know if we can make it up for you in any way.

This approach shows that you value the customer’s experience. Along with that, they will feel that you are willing to make amends for any inconvenience caused.

Don’ts Of Responding To Negative Tripadvisor Reviews: 

TripAdvisor, as a top review website in the hospitality niche,  values the interaction between travelers.  Along with that Tripadvisor also strives to maintain its reputation as a credible source of information and advice. there are certain guidelines that the users  should follow while responding to Tripadvisor reviews:

A). Don’t Talk Shop 

Do not include any promotional content while responding to Tripadvisor reviews. TripAdvisor will remove any responses that appear to be for personal gain, such as gifts, services, or cash. They will also remove any responses that contain external links that are not relevant to the review.

B). Be Relevant To The Review 

Keep your response relevant to the review. TripAdvisor is not a place to express personal thoughts and opinions about religion, politics, or TripAdvisor itself. It will not tolerate any threats to coerce or suppress a reviewer. Therefore while you are responding to any negative Tripadvisor review, make sure not to attack any reviewer personally. 

C). Follow The Privacy Policy 

Respect the reviewer’s privacy. As a business owner, you must not use personal information about your customers. This includes information such as their name, telephone number, and address. 

D). Respond From The Heart 

Make sure that your response is original and comes straight from your heart. Do not use any reviews or responses from any other reviews. Copying and pasting reviews from a different source is unacceptable and will only further frustrate your customers. And eventually, harm your relationship with the customer in the long run. However, you can seek help from the review response template.

The Final Word 

Negative TripAdvisor reviews can be detrimental to your business’s online reputation. However, responding to them in the right way can help you turn the situation around. Remember not to take the negative reviews personally, respond promptly, and thank the customer for their feedback. 

Do not forget to make the necessary changes to your services. Once you start following these tips, you can handle negative TripAdvisor reviews like a pro and turn them into a positive experience for your business. 

So, don’t let negative reviews get you down, respond to them wisely and keep your customers happy!