Review Response Templates

Phase 1: Reputation Intake

1.1 Current State Audit

• [ ] Properties/locations in scope
• [ ] Review platforms active (Google, TripAdvisor, Yelp, Booking.com, Expedia, Facebook, OpenTable, Resy)
• [ ] Current review volume per month per platform
• [ ] Current average rating per platform
• [ ] Response rate per platform (% of reviews responded to)
• [ ] Response time median per platform (hours to first reply)
• [ ] Review monitoring tool in use (Revinate, Reputation.com, Birdeye, manual)
• [ ] Person(s) responsible for responses (GM, marketing, front office)

1.2 Review Sentiment Analysis

• [ ] Top 5 positive themes mentioned (use text analytics or manual tag)
• [ ] Top 5 negative themes mentioned
• [ ] Seasonal trend differences (summer vs. winter sentiment shifts)
• [ ] Channel-specific review patterns (Booking.com tends more negative; Google tends more positive)
• [ ] Language mix (% English, Spanish, Mandarin, German, etc.)
• [ ] Guest type behind complaints (leisure vs. business vs. group)

1.3 Brand Voice & Authority

• [ ] Who signs responses? (GM name, Owner, "The Team")
• [ ] First-person singular or plural? ("I" vs. "We")
• [ ] Formality level (professional, warm, conversational)
• [ ] Use of guest first name? (Yes on all platforms except if anonymous)
• [ ] Apology protocol (when to formally apologize vs. acknowledge)
• [ ] Escalation chain for serious complaints (legal, safety, discrimination)

1.4 Response Authority & SLA

• [ ] Who is authorized to offer compensation? (Front office manager, GM, corporate)
• [ ] Compensation ceiling per review (dollar or % of stay)
• [ ] SLA targets: first response time, resolution time
• [ ] Approval workflow for sensitive reviews
• [ ] Legal review trigger (defamation, threats, accessibility claims)

1.5 Data & Learning Loop

• [ ] Themes dashboard reviewed weekly by ops?
• [ ] Responses tagged by category for reporting?