Trip Advisor - Channel 4 @ 2100 Tonight (31 Oct)

JamesK10

Well I've just watched the programme including the first ten minutes on +1 that I missed.

I think the whole show was a set up job, the programme makers went out of their way to find extremes of hotelier/B and B owner, and also the most self-satisfied and nitpicking hardcore reviewers that would drive anyone mad. Also there were editing issues.

Moaning about the decor? If the hotelier didn't have pictures of the mounted animal heads, or art prints featuring etchings on his site, at least two of which featuring either nudity or sexual content then fair criticism about the potential reaction of a family. However "stu.bec" [EDIT] - as we now know 24 hours later, was edited so his one smug comment looked like he was !!!!!ing to high heaven for the whole 24 hours. The supermarket manager and his grandmother were probably the most rounded guests, as the grandmother talked some sense about how ridiculously obsessive her grandson was.

I should think that now his face is on TV, being shown defacing sheets with a pen and nicking tea and coffee he wasn't going to use just to see if more would be put out, that he's going to have to go to hotels with a false name, if I ran a hotel I'd just ban him end of story. Just look how self-satisfied he was when he was given the wrong drink. Then in steps the programme editor so we never find out whether he did specifically ask for the drink to be changed, it was just ammunition.

Next up The Hollies, where co-owner Beverley was shown as being hung up on. The editing didn't make it clear whether it was Trip Advisor itself hanging up on her, or a reviewer. The whole documentary was bookended by the second hotel where the reviewer was invited back for another meal, and basically played up to the cameras as much as the 60-year-old chef in having a diva-style double walkout at the end of the programme.

When Beverley of the Hollies actually met two reviewers face to face, same problem, they were acting like Christmas came early when they found faults and had no concept or clue of complaining right there and then and seeing if either of the owners fixed the problem - or maybe they did. Yet again, if it happened, it was edited out. To be fair, I don't know a single bathroom fan in any building I've ever been in that stops spinning instantly when you turn the light off, and if they didn't like it, they'd better get on and invent one rather than blaming this design on the owners who most likely took the place over with that kind of fan fitted. At least his eventual review as I found on TA was three stars and not that much of a hatchet job.

Mass manipulation all round, Channel 4 being the biggest culprits and Trip Advisor themselves being completely gutless and taking 45 minutes of free advertising without so much as a statement in response to the business owners' collective criticism. Maybe Channel 4 was trying to create some kind of Fawlty Towers homage using real people, well it didn't work.

[EDIT] and at least I didn't fall for the editing with any of the guests except stu.bec, I now have the word from the man himself in that link to see just how far the programme makers went to dramatise their documentary. I stand by my comments on the other reviewers and acknowledge that the woman with the glasses seems to have removed her review after all (unless I was looking at the wrong hotel of course).

phatbear

JamesK10 wrote: »

However "stu.bec" was getting off on the power and was pretending like he wasn't just ego-tripping on TV

He made me laugh sitting on the end of the bed saying "its my job to write these reviews on tripadvisor" no mate you're a "mature" student, so you haven't actually got a job.

JamesK10 wrote: »

the grandmother talked some sense about how ridiculously obsessive her grandson was.

I think nanny was the only person who spoke any sense on the whole of that programme.

I think the programme just highlighted all those keyboard warriors who feel posting on TA gives them a sense of power, bless their hearts

dickydonkin

One hotel I stay frequently in Bangkok actively encourages guests to submit a review on TA.

Yes - it is a fantastic establishment with very few negative reviews and after every visit, I receive an email from the hotel with the TA link and a questionnaire that goes directly to the hotel chain HQ.

People suggest that guests should complain immediately to the hotel if something is wrong, but many people feel unable to do this so by prompting reviews is in my opinion a proactive approach to ensure any issues are brought to the managements attention.

It was blatantly obvious that the 'selected' hoteliers on the programme could not (or would not) accept constructive criticism - although I have to concede that the reviewers the programme selected were indeed extreme.

Empty_pockets

I'm a fan of trip advisor. It dictates my hotels home and abroad. More often than not it dictates my dining choice.

Unfortunatley only caught snippets of the program, only had 2 hrs sleep in previous 36 so was dropping in and out of conciousness!

claire16c

dickydonkin wrote: »

One hotel I stay frequently in Bangkok actively encourages guests to submit a review on TA.

Yes - it is a fantastic establishment with very few negative reviews and after every visit, I receive an email from the hotel with the TA link and a questionnaire that goes directly to the hotel chain HQ.

People suggest that guests should complain immediately to the hotel if something is wrong, but many people feel unable to do this so by prompting reviews is in my opinion a proactive approach to ensure any issues are brought to the managements attention.

It was blatantly obvious that the 'selected' hoteliers on the programme could not (or would not) accept constructive criticism - although I have to concede that the reviewers the programme selected were indeed extreme.

Almost every single hotel I stayed at in vietnam asked me to write a review for them. They even took my email address and sent me about 2 emails when I got home reminding me to do it :rotfl: The hotels were really good and I just keep forgetting to get round to doing it.

I Sky+ the show last night so will watch it later today.

missPinky

I also use trip advisor before booking any hotel but i think you have to use your own judgement as the reviews vary.

What i think the problem is that hotels build this grand picture of the hotel and service they provide if you stay there on their website and when this fails to live up to the customer expectation obviously you will write that up in your review. What might be better is if they were more honest about their hotel. At the end of the day you are paying so you do want your moneys worth.

As for the hotel owner who was referring to some of the public/potetial customers as b*****ds then what does he expect. That clearily is not the right attitude needed when you are providing a service.

bap98189

You can tell which reviews are completely fake. You can also tell when people are slating a hotel for reasons that are not it's fault. The usual is people who expect the standards of the Hilton and complain when a £40 B&B doesn't live up the exact same standards.

Trip Advisor is superb, and I've never been disappointed with any accommodation I've booked after using the website, but you can't just rely on the ratings themselves, you have to read the actual reviews before booking anywhere.

cubegame

Tripadvisor is like a satnav. Very useful but you have to use common sense. I've learnt this through experience.

Some hotels get great reviews and when you stay it's obvious that the people who have given them have very low standards.

Unfortunately, like every review site you have to account for stupid people. However, as a business you should be able to trust that you should have a clientele whom can do this......

s_b

i use trip advisor to check before i go and i also now give feedback
i would never slam a place without speaking to the owners at the time though
i gave that programme 12 minutes of my time last night then turned it off as rubbish

davewes0

phatbear wrote: »

He made me laugh sitting on the end of the bed saying "its my job to write these reviews on tripadvisor" no mate you're a "mature" student, so you haven't actually got a job.



I think nanny was the only person who spoke any sense on the whole of that programme.

I think the programme just highlighted all those keyboard warriors who feel posting on TA gives them a sense of power, bless their hearts

I've seen a couple of these vindictive reviews about a very nice family run hotel I went to recently.

By all means be constructive but one reviewer felt it necessary to call the owner creepy and spooky but he was just a normal quiet bloke with a dry pleasant sense of humour who worked 24/7 trying to make the place successful. Luckily there were so many very complimentary reviews.

What a bunch of saddo egomaniacs we saw. As for that guy who went away with his grandma!! Supermarket manager?? What an old fashioned 26 year old! What will he be like at 60? I go on holiday to enjoy myself not spend my time trying to trick the staff by looking for replacement coffee sachets and putting ink marks on bed sheets! Grannie ordered a gin and lemonade and they served her with tonic. He didn't ask them to correct it he just put it in his "report"! What a spanner! It says a lot about his management style and it isn't the best.

There may very well be bad B&Bs out there but this anonymous vindictive stuff written by these self centred oddballs could do damage where normal communication is all that's needed. Or is that it? Do they find face to face conversation difficult? No wonder the B&B owners are trying to fight back. I wish them well.