“Voice of the customer”

It’s a phrase that’s getting a lot of play these days. As avenues for customer input and interaction - forums, blogs, social networking sites, online reviews, etc - are growing exponentially, the opportunity for guests to rave about great hotel experiences or vent about bad ones are more prevalent than ever. This in-the-moment ability to get into their customers’ heads gives marketers the proverbial crystal ball look into their needs, wants, likes, dislikes, etc. The question many marketers have, however, is how to use this voice of the customer feedback to drive bottom line business results.

The answer is twofold: Listen and Act

Step one - Listen, and I mean really LISTEN. Not in a lip service fashion, but listen with the belief that there is wisdom in crowds. Listen with the purpose that small is the new big. One blogger, one reviewer, one online community not addressed can have serious impacts on a brand.

To stress further the value of listening to the online chatter about your hotel, consider these findings from travel market researcher PhocusWright. The firm found that social networking is one of the most powerful forces driving travel planning today, with social media ...