A good reputation is one portion of the intangible “good will” value of a property. Here is a description from our articles on Real Estate on The B&B Team’s website.
“Good will is the price a person is willing to pay for a business’s marketplace presence (that would otherwise take time to establish), a guest or customer base and list, a good reputation, a track record, good staff and management, and, because of these things, the ability to generate a reliable stream of income.”
So we all know what a “good reputation’” needs right? Good reviews.
Trip Advisor’s Certificate of Excellence “recognizes establishments that consistently earn great Trip Advisor reviews from travelers.” When we see that one of our client’s inns has received this recognition, they are excited and proud and so are we. And proud they should be. It takes a lot of work to make sure those top reviews keep coming in and on a regular basis.
New in 2015 is Trip Advisor’s Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame. This is when an Inn has achieved the Award of Excellence 5 years in a row. “1 in 5 accommodations are Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame winners.”
The Inns at Blackberry Common in Camden Maine received the Hall of Fame Award 2015 from Trip Advisor. A big thumbs up to innkeepers Cyndi and Jim. We know they work hard at maintaining a quality Inn as well as offering exceptional hospitality. They well deserve this recognition.
Cyndi and Jim have been innkeepers since 1998, so they have seen some changes, especially in the transparency that occurs in social media, particularly online reviews. And they were smart; they caught on early to the importance of a good reputation established through Trip Advisor. They also understand the worth/good will it brings to their Inn.
As some of you may recall when Trip Advisor first came on the scene they were not looked upon with favor by many innkeepers. I am putting this in kindly terms, but in truth, there were some venomous words that passed innkeeper’s lips during those early years.
Time passed and travelers and diners started to rely on TA’s reviews first to check out a property and the location and then they started to make their booking decisions based on the reviews. Many other review sites jumped in but TA is still the 800 lb. gorilla and he/she is getting fatter.
More reason to strive to stay on top. Now we all know that nobody is perfect. That a less than glowing review will appear from time to time and will make you feel that they just called your baby (or dog) ugly, knifed you in the back and slugged you in the stomach, not a good day. Then you pick yourself up, write a short and to the point response that is written for the public and not the individual reviewer, wait a day, and then press send. It is hard not to take it personally but remember, there may be truth to the negative review and you may learn something. Or they may be crazy ranting you-know-whats, and you just have to let it go.
So…that Hall of Fame Award is something to be very proud of. After 17 years, Cyndi and Jim have listed the Inns at Blackberry Common for sale with The B&B Team. Knowing the hard work and dedication they have put into the Inn over the years will be valuable to the future owners. Inheriting a good reputation with the purchase of the Inn is big. An important part of the Inn’s good will.
Trip Advisor says, “These Hall of Fame businesses deserve to be especially proud.” Here is what Cyndi and Jim have said in response to the award. “It is a true source of pride for our entire team at the Inns at Blackberry Common and we’d like to thank all of our past guest who took the time to complete a review on TripAdvisor. There is no greater seal of approval than being recognized by our guests.”
The B&B Team is very proud of them too.
Thanks for Listening,
Janet Wolf
