Responding to guests’ online reviews

Companies such as hotels use social media differently according to their mental models and specific historical antecedents. Accordingly, service providers’ online interactions with customers can produce different results in terms of value creation. This research project aims to explore the provider’s role in value (co-)creation in social-media contexts with specific reference to the hospitality industry. More specifically, it analyses hotels’ reactions in terms of (non-)responses to user-generated reviews. In addition, it investigates what type of value creation derives from the customer-provider online interaction and explores the communication approaches used by hotel managers in responding to their guests’ online reviews. In terms of methodological approach, it uses hotel responses publicly available on TripAdvisor and Booking.com.
The expected results can contribute to the literature about online value co-creation by suggesting a taxonomy of providers’ reactions to online reviews and reveal if hotel managers tend to adopt a company-focused or a customer-focused style in their responses.
Significant practical implications can be provided to hotel managers to effectively respond to online guest reviews.