In today’s digital world, online reviews wield a significant influence and are an unavoidable part of doing business. According to BrightLocal, 98% of people read online reviews for local businesses before making their purchase. These reviews have the power to mold a tour operator’s reputation. Let’s dive into the essentials of reputation management in the tour industry.

The Significance of Positive Reviews

Customer reviews are more than just comments; they’re real-life stories told by those who’ve joined your tours. Positive reviews hold the potential to turn curious prospects into eager participants. It’s a psychological phenomenon – we tend to trust the experiences of our peers.

Imagine a traveler browsing through options. What catches their eye? Real stories from real people. Positive reviews work like magnets, drawing potential customers in, and assuring them of an exciting journey.

To build trust, you need a solid online reputation. Positive reviews are the foundation. They give your brand a personality, making it appealing to potential adventurers.

The Challenge of Negative Reviews

Not all reviews are glowing. Negative reviews, while uncomfortable, aren’t all bad. In fact, they can be turned into opportunities. Handling negative reviews well can lead to positive changes. Timely and professional responses, along with a willingness to learn, can mend fences and even improve your services.

The More Reviews, the Better! 

Sometimes, it’s the silence that’s noticeable. Few or no reviews can signal hesitation among potential customers. To combat this, encourage feedback! Small steps, like personalized requests and incentives, can kickstart a cycle of reviews. Lucky for you, TOMIS has a solution to offer. With post-trip review generation, customers can receive links via text to specific review platforms and leave your business a 5-star rating on their phone right after their tour.  

Reputation Management Best Practices

Crafting a strong reputation requires strategy and effort. Let’s explore some practical steps:

Monitoring and Engagement

Tools like TOMIS’ Unified Inbox make it simple. Never miss a message with our Unified Inbox. Keep all communications clear and respond to customers, regardless of how they reach out. Easily assign conversations to team members, add notes to customer profiles, and track interactions across platforms, enhancing the customer experience at every sales step. Monitoring and responding promptly—with a personal touch—makes all the difference. 

Building a Positive Review Ecosystem

Encouraging reviews throughout the customer journey can create a web of positive feedback. Happy customers can become your best promoters, amplifying the reach of your business and attracting more eyes and ears of new adventurers. This consumer report shows that 46% of consumers feel that online reviews are as trustworthy as personal recommendations from friends or family. 

Showcase Reviews Strategically

It’s not enough to gather reviews; showcasing them matters. Display reviews on your website and share them on social media to highlight your tour’s quality, demonstrating the real experiences and building a strong reputation that sets you apart from competitors.

Learning and Adapting

Listen to your customers through reviews—they’re a valuable source of feedback. Continuously evolving based on this input will ensure your business thrives in meeting customer expectations. By embracing reviews and adapting to customer feedback, you’ll build lasting relationships and foster a loyal customer base, driving sustained success for your business.

Embrace the Feedback Loop

In the realm of reputation management, each review counts. Positive, negative, or none at all—they’re all part of the puzzle. The goal is trust. It’s not about a string of five-star ratings, but about building confidence.

So, tour operators, reviews are your compass. They guide you toward success. Embrace the feedback loop, and let your customers shape your journey.

Never Miss Out On A 5-Star Review

Enter TOMIS. Within our platform, automated post-trip text messages and emails ensure that you are asking for reviews from customers when it matters. 

You’re in control—specify the preferred review locations, timing, and communication method for your customers. The TOMIS platform offers complete customization of your email or text content, lets you emphasize the review platforms that matter most to your business, and allows you to set specific timing parameters for your messages.

Our close collaboration with reservation systems, waiver software, and review platforms guarantees that the messages we deliver offer the best value to both you and your customers. Looking to communicate to your customers ahead of the scheduled tour? We can help with that too. 

Your Path to Success

Ready to master reputation management? Eager to leverage reviews to kick your business up a notch? We’re here to help. Let’s work together to cultivate trust, build credibility, and create a reputation that resonates with adventure seekers. Contact us to learn more today!