Tripadvisor - Excellent marketing tool

I've been away. "No shit, Sherlock," I hear you say. Both of my loyal readers wondered when I was going to blog again. Be careful what you wish for, say I!

Part of the time I was away I was touring the east coast of England. We had an amazing trip, my good friend Bernd and I. It's an annual 'boy's outing' where we choose a part of the UK and tour it with no real aim in mind except to see what is there. And we find Bed and Breakfast places to stay in when we want to stop driving.

And then, when we get back, I use Tripadvisor.com to write them up.

"Wait, you said this was a marketing tool, but members of the public do the write ups?"

Yup.

If the hotelier gets it right then they get a great write up. If they get it wrong then they get a good write up, but of their unpleasant accommodation.

That's great marketing. We and others praise what you do right, and we let the world know what you do wrong. And, as the owner, you get the chance to say what you have done to put bad stuff right. So you win even when you lose.

Unless you are a fool, of course!

Have a look at The Hare and Hounds in Wisbech and see what I mean. I'd like nothing more than to see a great reply there saying "Wow, we got that so wrong. But never again, and this is why..."