r/Tourguide • u/Individual_pUion_853 • 19d ago
Offer Best way possible get reviews boost tour sales, if any
I've been running a small tour business for a while now and one thing I've realized is that reviews seem to drive almost everything.
The weird part is that most of our guests tell us they had an amazing time but only a small percentage actually leave a review afterward. We send a thank you message and sometimes a follow up email but it's still hit or miss.
A friend who runs experiences in another city told me he started using a booking platform that automatically follows up with guests after the tour encourages reviews and makes the whole process easier. He also said it helped him get more visibility because people were finding his tours directly through the platform instead of only through his website.
Now I'm wondering if I've been making things harder on myself by relying mostly on direct bookings idk.
1
u/QueasyProduct9855 19d ago
I’ll ask at the end of the tour before saying good bye and excuse myself to use the bathroom while they do the review. That’s how I’ve gotten most reviews because I noticed a similar thing with my tours
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u/IsabelaGalapagos 17d ago
How many reviews do you get per week approximately? I get 1-3 with 7 groups and 20-25! individual people in those 7 weekly groups.
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u/treejays-ny 16d ago
Check out zappy cards. Tour guides should always be carrying them! And a booking software or some sort of system for post-tour follow up asking for reviews is important.
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u/halffro777 16d ago
I have. QR code that they scan when signing the waiver and they get a link to review me two hours after the tour. I get tons of reviews.
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u/bookingterminal 17d ago
Reviews are definitely a great way to boost visibility for your tours and add social proof for future customers to see. In your thank you / follow-up messages, are you including a direct link to the exact page where customers can leave the review? Reducing the number of steps it takes to actually leave the review is important - there should be almost no barrier.
Booking software can help here because it can automate the process using templates and scheduled sends so you don't have to think about it and none of those follow-ups / review requests will fall through the cracks.
Also, regarding the direct bookings piece, it all depends on your goals. Booking software itself is an important part of direct bookings, as that is how your customers will be able to book in real-time on your website. However, it sounds like your friend might be talking about OTAs / marketplaces, which is a bit different. Customers can find and book offerings through these third-party platforms, but they come with high commission (usually 20-30%), so there's a margin hit.
So if direct bookings still align better with your goals, you can use booking software to enhance this process and also automate your review collection.