How To Respond To Expedia Reviews: Everything You Need To Know

Knowing how to respond to Expedia reviews can be challenging.

First, there is the technical aspect of learning how to manage the site.

Just as importantly, there is communication expertise. A business owner needs to know how to handle both positive, negative, and mixed reviews in a tactful, professional manner to show current and potential clients the company can be relied on to provide top-tier service at all times.

This FAQ explores both aspects of how to respond to Expedia reviews. Furthermore, these tips can apply to any business on the site, be it an airline, hotel, cruise line, vehicle rental company, or a company offering vacation packages.

Why should a company bother responding to Expedia reviews?

Before learning how to respond to Expedia reviews, it’s important to understand why doing so is important. If you’re wondering whether the hassle is worth the effort, here are some points to take into consideration:

• Expedia is one of the top online travel agencies in the world. In 2019, the site accounted for over a third of all online travel agency revenue worldwide. Negative reviews on the site will likely be viewed by tens of millions of people. You need to share your side of the story in order to mitigate the effects of bad reviews.
• Statistics show that hotels that respond to reviews see a 12% increase in review ratings and a marginal increase in overall review ratings.
• Responding to negative reviews and a limited number of positive reviews improves a hotels’ financial performance.

How can a company create an Expedia account to reply to reviews?

If you haven’t registered your business on Expedia, you’ll need to do that first. Once your company is successfully registered, sign in to the Expedia Group Partner Central.

Next, click on “manage a property” to view the property you wish to see reviews for. On this page, click on “Today’s Opportunities”. Once there, you’ll see a button named “reviews” on the top half of the page. Click on it to view recent reviews of your business.

On the review page, you’ll be able to see recent reviews from a number of sites. Click on Expedia to filter out other online companies and only view Expedia reviews. You will then be redirected to a Guest Rating page, where you can view recent reviews of your business. Read through them and decide which ones you want to respond to (more on this below).

After selecting a review to answer, you’ll be prompted to put in a nickname. Choose a professional handle; it will be viewed by anyone looking at your online review page. Type in an appropriate review response in the space provided. When you are finished, hit the submit button.

Do all Expedia reviews merit a reply?

You don’t have to respond to every single review you receive. In fact, doing so can be detrimental to your business. A company that gets a lot of positive reviews should allow these reviews to speak for themselves. On the other hand, a relatively new company with a limited number of reviews may want to respond to each positive review.

Doing so reinforces your commitment to customers and encourages a long-term relationship with those who are already pleased with your business.

It’s a good idea to respond to any negative review you receive. A personalized comment, apology, or explanation can go a long way in helping irate customers view your company in a positive light. It also showcases your commitment to excellence.

Are comments on Expedia legitimate?

Sadly, fake online reviews are a common problem. In fact, one team of researchers estimates that close to 40% of all online reviews are fake.

Unethical businesses eager to knock a competitor out can hire people to submit fake reviews on that company’s website page. At the same time, the same company can hire people to write glowing 5-star reviews of its own business.

No website can guarantee that your business will never get a fake review, and Expedia does not check reviews for accurate content. While the site does promote “verified” reviews from people who make a booking via Expedia, it is possible for a person to make a booking, cancel it, and then post a fake review.

However, there are measures one can take to request the removal of certain types of reviews.

How can a company have bad reviews taken down from Expedia?

Expedia has strict guidelines for taking down online reviews. It will only consider removing reviews if:

• A review posts the full name of a company employee
• The image(s) accompanying the review show nudity or other inappropriate behavior
• The review contains evidence of serious injury or death of a guest
• The review contains evidence of mistreatment of a child

Expedia will also consider removing negative reviews if there has been a change in management or ownership, and/or major renovations have been made to a property.

In such an instance, you will need to submit an intake form explaining the details of the change and provide a legitimate reason for Expedia to remove reviews.

Do I have to respond to an Expedia review right away?

No. You have six months from the time a guest finishes using your services to respond to a positive or negative review.

However, it’s unwise to allow reviews to sit for months without comment. Check your reviews every day and respond quickly and appropriately to any reviews that merit your response.

How should a company respond to a negative review?

There is no “one size fits all” approach to responding to negative reviews. However, there are some general tips you should keep in mind when dealing with irate or disappointed customers:

• Keep your cool. Anger, name-calling, sarcasm, threats, and foul language will tarnish your business reputation more than any negative review ever could.
• Consider the person’s complaints. Are they fair or accurate? Try to understand why a customer feels a particular way.
• If your company is at fault, try to identify the root cause of the problem. Perhaps an employee made a mistake or had a bad day. On the other hand, don’t assume it’s a one-time problem. If more than one reviewer complains about the same issue, you may need to take action to avoid future negative reviews.
• Many negative reviews are the result of a misunderstanding about the services your company does (or does not) provide. In your comments, be sure to explain that your firm doesn’t offer certain services, amenities, or features. If you keep getting negative reviews of this nature, examine your Expedia page to ensure you are not inadvertently providing customers with inaccurate or misleading information.

It never hurts to apologize… even when it’s not your fault

If you feel your business is even partly at fault, apologize to the customer who had a negative experience. You may even want to consider offering some form of compensation.

A freebie or discount offer shows you care about your clients even if the person who submitted the negative review never takes you up on your offers.

It’s also a good idea to explain how you have resolved the problem. Perhaps you’ve provided more customer service training to your employees. Maybe the belligerent manager or employee was fired.

Maybe you’ve had your business professionally cleaned to boost the cleanliness standard, or you’ve had the HVAC units replaced to improve indoor air quality and comfort.

If portions of the review are inaccurate or reflect outdated information, tactfully explain your point of view. Perhaps temporary renovations caused excess noise or dust. Maybe a certain item advertised on your menu wasn’t available at the time and there was nothing you could do about it.

Providing context shows that while your company is committed to excellence, there are certain events beyond your control.

How should a company respond to a positive review?

Responding to a positive review is much easier than dealing with a negative one. In fact, you don’t need to say much at all. Simply thank the customer for his/her comment, note that you enjoyed hosting them, and state that you look forward to seeing them at some point in the future.

How to Respond to Online Reviews Without Making Mistakes

It’s not easy to know how to respond to Expedia reviews. Even those with good communication skills struggle to reply to reviews in an accurate, considerate, professional manner.

At the same time, managers and business owners often don’t have the time to check reviews as often as they would like. The delay could lead to negative reviews sitting on Expedia for days or even weeks, causing untold damage to your business.

Thankfully, you don’t have to do it all yourself. Our team of trained, experienced professionals has the tools and expertise needed to handle all your review response needs. We start by working with each of our clients to craft a review response strategy that best suits a company’s needs.

After this, we check your Expedia reviews faithfully and respond quickly and professionally to any reviews that need attention.

Would you like to boost your company’s online reputation to improve sales and performance? If so, call us at  844-445-6096  or get in touch via our website. We look forward to partnering with you.