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Dirk Luttmann, landlord of the Uto Staffel restaurant on the Uetliberg …
Sarah FrattaroliDeputy Head of Economics
In no other industry are online ratings as crucial as in the hotel and catering industry: 86 percent of all users state that they read ratings on Tripadvisor, Booking.com or Google before deciding on the accommodation for their skiing holidays or the restaurant in the city decide on a holiday destination.
Negative reviews are a thorn in the side of many companies. Dirk Luttmann (56), landlord of the Uto Staffel restaurant on Zurich’s Uetliberg, can no longer stand the constant nagging of guests: he counters sarcastically, often aiming below the belt – and making headlines with it.
According to a Blick report, a wave of solidarity rolled over Luttmann. Many understand the landlord, who no longer wants to put up with the constant nagging.
Few one star reviews
However, other industry representatives paint a different picture. “Malicious comments are the exception,” says Andreas Züllig (64), President of Hotelleriesuisse. “Most reviews are positive.”
This is not due to the fact that Züllig does a particularly good job in his Hotel Schweizerhof in Lenzerheide GR, but can also be backed up with data: Alexander Zaugg (40) is the founder and CEO of the software provider Re:spondelligent, which is based on specializes in online reviews. He analyzes thousands of restaurant reviews in Switzerland every year. “86 percent of people give four or five-star ratings,” Zaugg calculates, “only five percent are one-star ratings.”
“Google is less serious”
Good ratings are free advertising for hotels and restaurants. And Züllig can even get something positive out of the negative comments: “The vast majority of complaints have a reason. The evaluations serve us as a management tool. So we know where we can improve.”
However, Züllig has reservations about Google, because anyone can write reviews there – regardless of whether they have ever stayed in a hotel or eaten in a restaurant. “Booking.com, Holidaycheck or Tripadvisor check that better,” says Züllig. “Google is less serious there.”
Dealing with comments is part of the training
Regardless of the platform, hoteliers and restaurateurs do well to respond to customer comments – both negative and positive. Otherwise, the critics are given relatively too much attention, warn those in the know.
Prospective hoteliers already learn how to deal with online reviews in hotel management school or during an apprenticeship. The phenomenon is not entirely new either: Tripadvisor has been around since the year 2000. Hoteliers and restaurateurs have meanwhile become second nature to the fact that they should make a good trap online.
Sniffy feedback like that from the innkeeper on the Uetliberg is not effective, according to industry experts Züllig and Zaugg in unison. Instead of waging a public feud, they advise restaurateurs to remain constructive and to seek direct dialogue with the comment writers – and, if necessary, to issue a voucher if a guest rightly complains.