Essay Sample on User-Generated Content

Introduction

User-generated content (UGC) is the best way to sell a product to customers since the reviews provided by users are authentic and non-biased, and therefore, the hotel does not pay them to have positive reviews. From these reviews, the restaurant can know how best to implement changes and what specific areas of their service delivery that needs improvements.

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The User-generated content platforms such as Yelp, Expedia and many more provide the hotel management with lessons on what the customers like and dislike their hotels. The managers would then give out responses to the reviews and maybe initiate change where necessary. Hotels like Morton's in downtown Houston and Hilton Garden Inn at the Galleria in Houston have some of the most visited hotels in Houston. As such, they have to obtain feedback from their past clients to get to know how they feel about their services and how quickly they would recommend to other people. The user-generated contents are not only used for recommendation but also to get customers loyalty.

Lessons Learned From The Reviews

From reading these reviews management get to learn a lot about what the customers think and feel about their restaurants. Some of the lessons would include:

Customers like the location of the restaurant. A user of the Hilton Garden Inn on the platform, TripAdvisor recommends the place because of its location. Other users of Hilton Garden Inn appreciated the hotel for its location. They wrote reviews that it is located near the mall and some few kilometres from the museum. The users also wrote that it is near other restaurants which was good for them (Min, 2018).

Customers are also concerned with how the restaurant's staff treat them. Customers appreciated the waiters and waitresses who treated them well and despised the ones who did not give them the right treatment. One customer of Hilton Garden Inn narrates how the front desk receptionist was friendly and welcoming. This warm behaviour encouraged clients to come back to the hotel. One user by name 63lkirbyf on TripAdvisor complains about a waitress in Morton's who acted rudely and unkind. The user even discourages other people from visiting the restaurant. It is now clear that consumers' past experiences can easily build or destroy a brand in this time of globalization and competition.

Nice and clean rooms are one of the things that customers consider when looking for a place to have their stay and meals. Clients appreciate very well-kept rooms and always want to stay in such rooms (Rubin et al, 2016). Cleanliness of the bathroom and even the room they spend their time are what the customers are appreciating. Well maintained beds are also an attraction to customers as they value their comfort on the beds. A user on Yelp by the name RiRi 'Truth Teller' writes about the cleanliness of rooms and how spacious the rooms at Hilton Garden Inn are.

Areas That Need Improvement

From the complaints of some users, it is evident that the hotel has to make some improvements in its service delivery.

Delays experienced by customers during check-ins need review. Some of the customers' reviews suggested that they experienced delays in the restaurant. Some of the delays are justified, while others are viewed as unnecessary. As such, the delays occasionally happen on the busiest days at these restaurants. During these hectic days, hotels get a lot of customers thereby, making their small number of staff and assistants overwhelmed. The management should therefore, rethink their recruitment processes in order to avert staff shortage as well as minimising costs. They can do so by having contract employees as well as outsourcing whenever need arises. This will go a long way in saving of time, a very important resource.

The staff needs to learn how to relate to the customers in a hospitable manner. Irene H and several other customers of Hilton Garden Inn wrote about a receptionist who was very rude to them and did not understand English. Some of the front desk receptionists were noncooperative with the clients. In hospitality, business staff need to be more welcoming and have a very positive attitude to serve the customers (Luo, 2016).

Several customers complained about the pricing of the food. They viewed it as too expensive for the quality of the meals that they received. Several customers of Morton's Restaurant gave their reviews that the amount charged on their meals was not worth the quality of the food. Several users on different platforms reviewed the pricing of breakfast at the Hilton Garden Inn as expensive. As such, this would need improvement from the hotel staff and management. The prices should compare to the quality delivered.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is evident that user-generated content is a good way for hotel management to learn more about their customers' experiences with them. The experience allows the administration to improves their quality of service and also make amends where there could be a problem. User-generated Content is a good way of marketing in the hospitality industry.

References

Luo, Z., & Qu, H. (2016). Guest-defined hotel service quality and its impacts on guest loyalty. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 17(3), 311-332.

Min, H. (2018). Measuring the service quality of luxury hotel chains in the USA. International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 30(4), 465-479.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g56003-d570279-r644292328-Hilton_Garden_Inn_Houston_Galleria_Area-Houston_Texas.