Word of Mouth to Word of Mouse part ii
View(s):
(Manipulation of reviews to attract customers)
It was emphasised in a recent post how crucial it is to focus on online social media marketing, especially in the services industry. I must write on the other side of the coin, from the perspective of the consumer. We examined the possibilities taken into account while choosing goods and services under the heading of consumer behaviour. Consumers now clearly visit websites to read reviews. Since first-timers might not have any other way of learning more about the hotel or villa they want to book for their upcoming vacation, Trip Advisor, Booking.com, etc. are frequently used apps and websites for such reviews. The general public can rely on well-tested apps from intermediary service providers like trip advisor or booking.com to compare the costs and advantages of staying at a hotel or a villa while on vacation. However, it is evident that there may be situations where the evaluations are intentionally or unintentionally modified to trick visitors into making reservations.
How things get manipulated?
Example 01 – If you see this photo on the hotel’s website or in the booking.com photos, you could presume it represents the view from the room you’ll be staying in the next time you visit Anuradhapura. But in reality, this is a blown-up image printed on a board and placed in the hotel or property wall to provide the impression that it has a fantastic view.
Example 02 – Three of the four images presented here are of the sky, which can be seen from any location in Kandy. Why would a hotel publish these images on its website, Booking.com, or any other social media platform? To provide a clearer picture of the hotel, perhaps? In my opinion, no.
Example 03 – If a family or traveller from Sri Lanka were to read this review, they would undoubtedly book this hotel because, based on the comments, it appears to be fantastic. This was probably posted by a traveller looking for the best deal. However, the reality is that this location could not have a lift, making it challenging for elderly family members to traverse steps. Or perhaps the location isn’t as kid-friendly or clean as it first appears. However, images can be altered such that they appear to be incredibly lovely.
The fact that such an evaluation might be subjective and hence not be applicable to everyone is another problem. A foreigner who visits a location like this is likely to leave a positive review after obtaining helpful service from the workers. The reviews could be deceptive for all the previously mentioned and other reasons.
Is it only in Sri Lanka? No…
For violating consumer law by faking TripAdvisor reviews of its serviced apartments, Australian real estate business Meriton was fined $3 million.
During the period of November 2014 to October 2015, Meriton was found by the federal court to have concealed from the travel website the emails of customers who had complained or had an unpleasant experience.
WORD OF MOUSE might not be as trustworthy and credible as it may appear. It won’t be anything that can’t be controlled either. To handle this, modifications must be made to the consumer decision-making model. If the offered rates and perks, for instance, seem too good to be true, the traveller can choose a different choice in case the location needs to be altered.
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