Synchronizing Reputation and Rev...Review Volume is Booming, but What About Guest Satisfaction?
In our recent Global Hotel Review Benchmark Report, we analyzed over 1.5 million reviews – representing half a million more than the quarter before. Review volume is well on its way to reaching pre-pandemic levels, but how are the guest satisfaction scores faring?
Read our Q2 Global Hotel Review Benchmark Report here.
Is Global Review Volume Reaching Pre-Pandemic Levels?
Global review volume had increased substantially in Q1 2022 compared to 2021, with an increase of 46.5%. Review volume continued to recover in the second quarter of the year, increasing by 31.5% over Q2 2021 levels. However, what happens when we compare these numbers to the pre-pandemic period? Compared to Q2 2019, volume was still 33.8% lower in Q2 2022, showing we’re still not reaching 2019 levels.
One thing that stands out is that review volume growth isn’t equal in all regions:
- Europe experienced the biggest growth in volume, growing 183.9% from Q2 2021 to Q2 2022.
- North America, on the other hand, experienced a decline in review volume of 11.8% compared to Q2 2021.
- The Asia Pacific region too showed an overall decline of 7.9% from Q2 2021, and when set side by side with Q2 2019, review volume has declined by 52.2%.
- In LATAM and the Caribbean review volume grew by 41.9% from Q2 2021 to Q2 2022
Overall, none of the regions has neared 2019 standards, and even the top-of-the-class region, Europe, is still performing 25.4% lower than in 2019.
… And What About Guest Satisfaction?
Looking at global guest satisfaction scores, unfortunately, we are seeing a different picture. To measure guest satisfaction, we have used the Global Review Index (GRI)™ as a benchmark, our proprietary score which is based on +140 review sources in +45 languages. Compared to Q2 2021 the GRI ™ fell by 0.8 points, landing at 86.4% in Q2 2022. This was the continuation of a downward trend that began following the outbreak of the pandemic and when we compare the results to Q2 2019, the GRI ™ dropped by a total of 2.0 points.
It is apparent that the many challenges hoteliers have faced during the pandemic, including safety protocols, staffing shortages, and scaled-back services, are weighing on the guest experience. Add to that climbing room rates and high guest expectations, and we are dealing with a challenging mix.
How Can Hoteliers Safeguard Guest Experience?
If you see your experience scores are in decline, the first step is to identify why. Look into guest data on a more granular level by looking at what guests are saying, or segmenting the data per market, department, etc. Then, start prioritizing the right changes that will positively impact your guest experience.
Based on global trends, we have seen that concepts like Staff and Experience remain key drivers for guest satisfaction and online reputation. Keep looking into ways to support staff to deliver the best possible guest experience. Here are some tips on how to support staff:
- Alleviate staff from simple and repetitive tasks by digitizing tasks like online check-in and check-out, or responding to queries, so they can free up time to focus on more meaningful tasks.
- Create streamlined and efficient operations by automating your processes.
- Always measure the impact of any operational or service change you have implemented, whether that’s about new mattresses, coffee providers, or guest-facing digital solutions.
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