Responding to negative reviews with ChatGPT

You should know that review sites like TripAdvisor and Google Reviews weigh their reviews based on how often hoteliers respond to customer reviews. This means it's vital that you respond to reviews, particularly negative ones. Not only for the algorithm, of course, also so that past customers feel heard. 

But it can be challenging to find the words to respond to these reviews after a long day. You’re smiling through gritted teeth, your feet are sore, and your hair smells like the breakfast buffet. How are you supposed to muster a tactful response? It can be tempting to procrastinate, but delay will hurt your reputation with the customer, and the algorithm. AI to the rescue!

‍

How ChatGPT can help you respond to negative reviews. 

If you haven’t used Chat GPT before, you might be surprised at how easy it is. Just provide your email to create your account and type your first chat in the box at the bottom of the page. 

Since ChatGPT was built to be a chatbot, you don’t need to come up with the perfect query right away, as you do with a search engine. Simply explain the situation and ask for advice, just as you would in a chat with a friend. 

Here’s a prompt you can use to get started:

Please respond to the following review like a hotel general manager. Format it like an email. Do not offer any incentives: 

Then paste your review in the chat box. 

Why do we tell it not to offer any incentives? Because you don’t want to give a dishonest person a reason to give you a bad review just to get an incentive for themselves! If you do want to offer a former customer an incentive to make up for poor service, reach out to them via email or chat—privately. 

‍

Tips on getting the best responses from ChatGPT.

Of course if ChatGPT’s first response is perfect, run with it. But if it’s not, don’t despair. Here are some tips on nudging ChatGPT in the right direction. 

Expand on the first response. 

Feel free to ask follow up questions if the results are not to your liking. Just as you would in an actual conversation with a friend, some back-and-forth is expected. 

For example, revising the chat bot’s response may be as simple as saying, “why did you put it that way?” Or “how would you phrase it differently if you knew the guest was lying?” You might even get a different response when you ask the exact same question!

Tell ChatGPT to write with your brand’s voice.

The communication coming from a small bed and breakfast in Vermont is going to be a bit different from a family resort attached to a theme park. ChatGPT is capable of handling this nuance, but you have to give it the context. 

Don’t let ChatGPT get carried away.

The first time we experimented with this, the response it gave was way too long. We rectified this by responding, “how would you put that in fewer than 200 words?” Even if a long response is called for, keep in mind that ChatGPT can get wonky after about 500 words. Keep it brief. 

Check your sources. 

If ChatGPT makes any kinds of claims, don’t assume they are true, any more than you would from an acquaintance you asked for advice. Just like people, ChatGPT sometimes makes mistakes, and will state those mistakes with confidence. It is still your job to ensure that everything you say is accurate, whether it’s the office hours or the average rainfall in Kalamazoo. 

‍

What’s better than responding to bad reviews? Preventing them. 

Akia’s surveys can automatically filter only the happy customers to review sites. Sign up for a demo to see for yourself how it works.