The owners of the Broadway Hotel in Blackpool are reportedly about to refund a £100 “fine” issued to a couple who described it on TripAdvisor as a “stinking hovel”.
A couple “fined” by a hotel after they wrote a damning review about it are to be given a refund, a councillor has said.
Tony and Jan Jenkinson said they were charged an extra £100 afterdescribing the Broadway Hotel in Blackpool as a “filthy, stinking hovel” on TripAdvisor.
When they queried the charge, they were said to have been told it was incurred under a “no bad review policy” included in the terms and conditions.
Blackpool Council said today that they understood that the hotel will reimburse them, as well as scrapping the policy.
Gillian Campbell, cabinet member responsible for public protection at the local authorty, said: “Our trading standards team became aware of this issue last week.
“As a result, we have spoken to the hotel owner and asked for the policy to be removed, which has now happened.
“This is a unique case and not one that we have come across before.”
Analysis: Use negative comments to your advantage
Commenting on the news, from Richard Harrison UK managing director, Reputation.com, said: “Bad online reviews are a reality for businesses, especially those in the tourism industry. This hotel shouldn’t be trying to stop them but rather see it as an opportunity to improve their service. As can clearly be seen in this case, one bad review handled poorly can cause serious damage to a business’ reputation.
“When you consider that 70 per cent of customers who complain will return if they consider their complaint to have been resolved to their satisfaction, it becomes apparent how valuable responding to negative reviews with empathy and commitment to do better can be. Especially given how many potential customers will be watching your response. Instead of trying to stop negative reviews, hotels need to be encouraging good reviews and taking the opportunity to improve when feedback is given.”
Read the original review here