Research shows that you should let consumers’ photos speak for your business

 The advance of technology and the widespread adoption of smartphones and handheld devices in recent years have enabled us to publish our experience about a product or service through online photo or video sharing and provide a review.

Online review websites have also updated their features, making it easier for consumers to attach pictures or videos to their reviews. As both consumers and businesses adapt to the new photo-sharing trend, it becomes crucial to expand our knowledge regarding user-generated photos’ (UGPs’) effect on online reviews.

An empirical study about user-generated photos

I worked with a research team in an interdisciplinary project to assess UGPs’ effects on the helpfulness of hotel reviews. We published our findings in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research. The paper is entitled “Let photos speak: The effect of user-generated visual content on hotel review helpfulness.”

The hypotheses

We drew from the media richness theory and advanced five hypotheses for statistical analysis, including:

1. Online reviews attached with UGPs have significant positive effects on review helpfulness.
2. Online reviews attached with UGPs containing more guestroom objects are rated as more helpful than those containing fewer guestroom objects.
3. Online reviews attached with UGPs containing more F&B (food & beverage) objects are rated more helpful than those containing fewer F&B objects.
4. UGPs’ positive effect on review helpfulness is stronger for lower-priced hotels than higher-priced hotels.
5. UGPs’ positive effects on review helpfulness are stronger for negative reviews than positive reviews.

The data and the analysis

We used a Python-based web crawler to collect the data needed for hypothesis testing from Qunar.com, one of the largest online travel agent (OTA) sites in mainland China. The data covered 12,138 hotels in Beijing, with about 1.16 million valid reviews and over 464,000 photos published by close to 900,000 users between January 2014 and April 2018. In this sample, about 9.84% (114,000) reviews were attached with UGPs.

We adopted YOLOv3 (You Only Look Once version 3), a real-time object detection algorithm, to identify the guestroom and F&B objects in UGPs. The top 10 guestroom objects identified include bed (15.34%), chair (14.55%), TV (6.23%), sink, toilet, couch, clock, remote control, refrigerator, and laptop.

The top 10 F&B objects included bottle (8.45%), cup (4.39%), bowl (2.82%), dining table, microwave, spoon, wine glass, oven, cake, and knife. Compiling with other numerical data, such as the number of helpfulness votes a review received, star rating of a review, etc., we then tested the hypotheses in a series of linear regression models.

The results

Our analyses confirmed the user-generated visual content’s positive effects on review helpfulness. Moreover, consumers rated UGPs with more product-specific images more helpful than those with fewer product-specific images (guestroom or F&B objects for a lodging product in this case). Such a positive effect becomes more salient for lower-priced hotels (than higher-priced hotels) and reviews with lower ratings (than reviews with higher ratings).

What do the research findings mean?

Besides this study’s theoretical contributions, the research findings provide a few specific practical implications for hotel managers, web admins managing online review platforms, and the consumers relying on online reviews for decision-making. Here, it is imperative to note that the following actionable suggestions are exclusive content only available in this viewpoint article but not in the original journal publication.

Hotel managers

• Strategically respond to selected reviews with UGPs.
• Respond to most, if not all, reviews with more guestroom objects in UGPs.
• For hotels with various F&B offerings, respond to the reviews with more F&B objects in UGPs.
• It is unnecessary for hotels with limited F&B offerings to pay attention to the reviews with F&B objects in UGPs.
• For hotels of a lower price, make every attempt to answer reviews with UGPs.
• Make sure to respond to reviews of lower ratings and with UGPs.

Web admins in online review platforms

• List those consumer reviews with UGPs at the top, allowing easy access for potential customers.
• Promote the reviews with more guestroom objects in UGPs, regardless of how many F&B offerings a hotel has.
• Promote the reviews with UGPs containing more F&B objects for the hotels with various F&B offerings.
• Cross-list or promote the reviews with more F&B objects in UGPs for the hotels even when internet users search for restaurant reviews.
• It is unnecessary to promote reviews with F&B objects in UGPs for the hotels with minimal F&B offerings.
• Highlight the reviews with UGPs, especially for the hotels of a lower price.
• Display the ones with UGPs first when internet users want to check out the negative reviews.

Consumers using online review websites

• Pay attention to the information conveyed in the reviews with UGPs in general.
• Pay even more attention to the reviews with UGPs that show more guestroom objects.
• Quickly skip the online reviews with UGPs showing more F&B objects if a hotel has limited F&B offerings or if the traveler does not plan to use the F&B services offered in the hotel.
• Pay attention to the reviews with UGPs that show more F&B objects only when the traveler also wants to use the hotel’s F&B services.
• In a search for hotels of a lower price, make sure to check out the reviews with UGPs carefully.
• When browsing through a hotel’s reviews for decision-making, pay special attention to those reviews of lower ratings and with UGPs.

The conclusion

Although our work is not without limitations, our analysis with an integrated analytical model that incorporates both econometric analysis and image-processing techniques yielded additional insights about user-generated visual content’s effect on online reviews. Once again, this study shows that a picture is indeed worth a thousand words.

How much attention do you pay to the pictures or videos attached to online reviews? Are those reviews attached with pictures or videos more influential in your decision-making? If so, in what way?

Note: This post was first published on MultiBriefs.com; The picture was also downloaded from MultiBriefs.com. 

How job seekers’ social media profiles affect employability: Evidence from a research study

 

Social media plays an increasingly important role in recruitment and employee selection. Recruiters are tempted to check on job candidates’ social media profiles (SMPs) because SMPs could reveal more dynamic information about the candidates than their resumes alone. 

By checking the candidates’ SMPs, recruiters can discover their real personality, which cannot be easily achieved even through job interviews. Meanwhile, hiring managers can also assess job candidates’ social capital based on the size and the composition of their social networks.  

The study

 

To investigate how social media may affect recruiters’ hiring decisions, Antonio Muñiz, who graduated from the master’s program at the Collins College of Hospitality Management, Cal Poly Pomona, and I conducted a qualitative study together. We published our work in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management. This research answers:     

The two research questions

 

1. What information or job candidate’s personality traits revealed on their SMPs gets the hiring managers’ attention?  
2. How do such information or job candidates’ personality traits revealed on their SMPs affect managers’ hiring decisions?

 

The research method

 

We conducted 11 semi-structured interviews in 2018 with 11 managers in major hospitality companies, representing the restaurant, hotel, country club, even planning, and managed foodservice sectors. On average, these 11 managers had 19 years of work experience in the hospitality industry. They made hiring decisions, ranging from hiring two to 18 candidates a month. Following the suggestions of ensuring a qualitative study’s trustworthiness, we firstly recorded and transcribed the interviews. We then performed a content analysis of the qualitative data. Finally, we reported the narrative results with direct quotes from the informants. 

 

Finding 1: The recruiting channels and legal considerations

 

The informants rated Indeed and LinkedIn the preferred websites for recruitment and selection. Surprisingly, none of them were aware of any policies issued by their companies about using social media in screening and selection. Many informants also held reservations about using social media in screening because of privacy concerns, the uncertainty of the information revealed from the candidates’ SMPs, legal compliance, and time constraints. 

 

Finding 2: LinkedIn is the preferred platform

 

About half of the informants used LinkedIn in screening. Only one informant admitted that s/he screened candidates’ other SMPs besides LinkedIn. That is, s/he also looked at candidates’ posts, videos, and pictures on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

 

Finding 3: The preferable content on social media

 

Most informants favored pictures about food, catering, and events, news articles, and organizational social activities. Having a clear headshot/smiling, professional/appropriate content, positive/motivational content, and activities in general were mentioned once or twice only. 

 

Finding 4: The unfavorable content on social media

 

Inappropriate language or content, negative posts, personal information on LinkedIn, and anything discriminatory came to the top. 

 

Finding 5: The influential traits that may affect recruiters’ hiring decisions

 

Of the Big Five personality traits, hospitality managers looked for extroversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness. Additionally, leadership potentials, professionalism, a good match, the current position held, as well as skills and endorsements, can be influential. 

 

Finding 6: How candidates’ SMPs affect employability

 

Unfavorable content seemed to have a more substantial influence than favorable content. As far as a candidate’s starting salary is concerned, the informants only factored in the candidates’ skills and experience. 

 

The implications

 

Besides the research’s theoretical contributions, the findings provide helpful, practical implications for businesses, hiring managers, job seekers, and career counselors. We recommend: 

 

• Organizations should develop clear guidelines about using social media in recruitment and selection. 
• For a minimum, Organizations must provide guidelines or assessment rubrics that are specific to LinkedIn. 
• Hiring managers are advised to follow the company’s guidelines and policies if provided. 
• Hiring managers need to justify why and how SMPs are used in screening if no guidelines or policies are provided. 
• Job seekers are highly encouraged to build a complete LinkedIn profile with a professional picture that projects their personality. 
• Job seekers may consider sharing favorable content and should avoid the unfavorable content on their SMPs. 
• If possible, job seekers should have their LinkedIn profile and other SMPS critiqued by their friends, co-workers, and career advisors, as what they would do on their resumes and other application materials. 
• Career counselors should teach job seekers how to build professional SMPs, with specific examples of how they may strategically display the desired content favored by recruiters. 

 

Do job seekers need even more impeccable social media profiles during the pandemic? 

 

This study was conducted in 2018 before the pandemic hit the economy with numerous long-term effects. Nevertheless, I expect that job seekers’ SMPs may play an even more significant role in influencing recruiters’ hiring decisions for two reasons. On the one hand, more people are forced to leave their jobs, making it more challenging to secure a job offer in a competitive job market. On the other hand, more companies let their employees work from home permanently. The traditional screening methods, such as face-to-face job interviews in the workplace, may no longer be an option for hiring managers. 

 

Back in May 2020, it is reported that 84% of recruiters were adapting to new hiring practices that facilitate remote exchanges. Among them, 58% used LinkedIn, Facebook, and even Instagram to connect with potential hires. It is also believed that job candidates’ digital presence will matter even more in 2021 and beyond. 

 

Lastly, it is important to note that the above results were generated from 11 qualitative interviews. Although we took careful measures to ensure this qualitative inquiry’s trustworthiness, the results may not be generalized in other settings. Instead, this study’s strength relies on its in-depth, narrative results reported by those purposefully selected informants who have abundant first-hand experience of screening job candidates. 

Do you believe that people’s digital reputation is critical in a job search? How important are job candidates’ SMPs in helping them secure a job offer? 

Note: This post is also available on MultiBriefs.com; the picture was downloaded from ConstructionExec.com. 

CHRS 2017: Opportunities in the era of disruption

I was in Ithaca, New York, last week for the 2017 Cornell Hospitality Research Summit(#CHRS2017), where a good mix of industry professionals and academic researchers shared their viewpoints on the outlooks of the hospitality business and findings of relevant research.

This year, the conference's theme was "opportunities in the era of disruption."

So, what are the disruptions?

In fact, the hospitality industry is constantly facing challenges from disruptions. In today's economy, the following appears to be more salient:

• The advance of technologies, such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence (AI), facial recognition and data analytics, has transformed customer experience and is making innovative disruptions to operations.
• Airbnb brought new experiences to travelers, but also a tremendous supply of available rooms to the market almost overnight. Hotels are facing a big threat from room-sharing services and need to improve their practices in revenue management and asset management.
• Sustainability is going to become even more important in service operations even though not all consumers are willing to make extra effort for green products (yet).
• As hotels are responding to the changing needs of today's travelers, new brands/products are introduced to the market, with many still in construction. Newer properties also create threats to the older ones in the market.
• Managers should pay special attention to generation differences, such as the preferences of millennials.
• Online reviews and social media are still important, but not all generations pay attention to the same content or platform.
• Because OTAs (online travel agents) now have the business intelligence of both hotel sales and residential rentals, they should remain as an important strategic partner of hotels, even though hotels are pushing travelers to book-direct on their websites.
• There is a need for business to revamp their strategies in talent management as the industry is constantly being disrupted.

Remain positive when facing the disruptions

Shall we worry about the future because of these disruptions? We could, but feeling worrisome would not help business. Positive thinking is perhaps the only remedy to deal with challenges.

"Disruptions create opportunities," suggested Arthur Adler, the managing director and chairman of the Americas division of Jones Lang LaSalle's (JLL) Hotels and Hospitality Group, in the keynote opening session at #CHRS2017.

By reviewing the history of how the hotel business has evolved over time, Adler concluded that disruptions brought innovations to the industry (e.g., making reservations on the phone vs. on the internet). Rather than feeling worried about the future, we should all react to the new opportunities identified in the era of disruption.

New opportunities in the era of disruption

All attendees in the conference seemed to hold positive attitudes toward the disruptions. Particularly, the industry is highly encouraged to look at the following areas:

• Rethink guest experience and be innovative in product offerings.
• Utilize space more efficiently. For example, can a hotel's lobby or meeting space be "shared" as what is in the room-sharing and ride-sharing business?
• How can technology be used in providing customized service? For example, use AI and machine learning to predict guest preference.
• How can technology be better utilized in daily operations (e.g., making improvements in revenue management and productivity among staff members)?
• What can we learn from the room-sharing business?
• How can blockchain technology be used in the hospitality industry?
• What proactive approaches can be taken in sustainability? A good example in case is that the Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl is running a lodging business in a "plus energy building," meaning a building is so energy-efficient that it generates more energy than it consumes.

Do you agree that opportunities are often associated with risks, or disruptions in this case? What opportunities do you see in the era of disruption?

Note: This post is also available on MultiBrief.com; The picture was downloaded from the Twitter account of The Hotel School at Cornell University. 

Can hotels stop the growth of Airbnb?

As a substitute for the traditional lodging facilities, including hotels, hostels and short-term rentals, the increasing supply of Airbnb properties is no doubt making an impact on hotels' bottom lines. So, can hotels stop the growth of Airbnb? 

Hotels' strategies for fighting against Airbnb

#Airbnb #Hotels #Competition - http://bit.ly/kwok051117 

Hotels are working hard to fight against the competition from Airbnb, other room-sharing websites and online travel agents (OTAs). For example:

• Hotels are encouraging travelers to search and make reservations directly on the hotels' websites by offering special discounts if they book directly, even though this strategy might possibly push Airbnb and OTAs to work closely together against hotels.
• Hotels are reinventing loyalty programs to win more new travelers and, at the same time, keep their repeat customers.
• More hotels are adding local flavors to lure travelers. If travelers choose Airbnb over hotels because they want to gain some unique experience as a local resident, this strategy may work particularly well.
• Hotels are responding to the shifting needs of customers by introducing new brands and through acquisitions. The merger of Marriott and Starwood is a good example.
• Most recently, hotels are planning for a lobbying push over the Priceline-Expedia "monopoly," in addition to the legislation push toward Airbnb. Hotels want to play a "fair" game in the competition with Airbnb and OTAs. So far, hotels have successfully convinced legislators to impose stricter regulations on room-sharing operators in several locations, including San Francisco, Vancouver, Amsterdam, and London.

Challenges that Airbnb faces

Despite Airbnb's phenomenal growth since its inception in August 2008, the company is facing more challenges lately.

On one hand, hotels are gaining more success in combating Airbnb. For example, New York City just passed a new regulation, charging steep fines to those Airbnb hosts who break local housing rules, resulting in fewer qualified listings in the market. Airbnb is also more willing to work with local governments to collect taxes on room-sharing rentals, now at the same rate as the one for hotels. On the other hand, Airbnb is facing allegations for the hosts' racial discrimination against renters.

The question is: Will those challenges slow down Airbnb's growth?

Airbnb's strategies for growth

Airbnb wants to become more than just a leading room-sharing platform in the market, as suggested in the following moves taken by Airbnb recently:

• Airbnb acquired a couple of travel service companies, including Luxury Retreats and Tilt, as the company is getting ready to become a full-service travel company.
• Airbnb wants business travelers, too. Not only has the company launched a website that tailors to business travelers, but they also work closely with the hosts to ensure the listings meet business travelers' needs. The most recent move Airbnb took was to introduce new booking tools that were specifically designed for business travelers.
• Airbnb is working on a gadget that will provide travelers with reliable internet connections during their trip. For business travelers as well as those young leisure travelers, stable WiFi connections have become a must-have amenity for their stays.

Competition between Airbnb and hotels

It is unlikely that anyone can stop the growth of Airbnb. The competition between Airbnb and hotels is only going to get tougher.

Can you predict what the next moves for hotels or Airbnb might be? What suggestions would you make to hotels or Airbnb to win the battle?

* This discussion was first published at Multibriefs.com.

Looking forward to 2017 with a review of 2016

Are you ready for a new year? I know I am. As we are looking forward to 2017, let's review some of the key events and discussions in 2016 as published at MultiBriefs.com.  

Impacts from the major events in 2016

There were several surprising, if not revolutionary, changes in 2016 that need our special attention as we enter 2017. Here are some examples:

• Donald Trump will officially become the 45th president of the United States after the inauguration on Jan. 20. I do not believe his presidency or his comments about illegal immigrants will stop people from traveling to the U.S., but his foreign policies — such as tighter border controls and new regulations or procedures of handling visas for temporary visitors — might have a negative impact. Meanwhile, Trump's infrastructure plan may boost the travel and tourism industry, providing easier, faster and safer access to a destination.
• A growing number of terrorist attacks in Europe have made (or soon will make) it more difficult to travel from one country to another in Europe. Those tragic events also put people in great concern of their safety when traveling inside of Europe.
• Brexit is probably the most shocking news in 2016 for Europeans. This past weekend, Italian voters rejected a batch of reforms, and the resounding defeat has led to the resignation of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. Now, there is a strong chance Italy will become the second country to separate from the European Union (EU). The collapse of EU would make it more difficult to travel in Europe. The positive spin of Brexit is that the value of the pound is at a historic low, making a trip to Britain a great bargain.
• President Barack Obama's visit to Cuba helps to spur travel to the country.

The economy

• The U.S. dollar remained strong in 2016, and this trend will probably continue in 2017. We can expect a more diverse mix of international travelers visiting the U.S. as the number of visitors from Canada and Mexico drops. Meanwhile, more Americans are expected to travel overseas.
• Travelers have been taking more road trips in recent years due to low gas prices. Last week, however, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) reached an agreement to cut production, which may lead to higher gas prices in the future.
• The possible recession, as well as the rising minimum wages will continue pushing hospitality businesses to optimize efficiency in operations. More restaurants and hotels are rolling out new concepts, such as automatic service and no-tipping policies.

The evolving competitive landscape

2016 has been an exciting year for many hoteliers. Marriott and Starwood completed a merger and became the biggest hotel chain in the world. Yet the competition is just going to get tougher. For example:

• More hotels are luring travelers with local flavors.
• Hotels are reinventing their loyalty programs to win travelers, as reflected in 2016's top travel reward programs.
• Room-sharing websites, such as Airbnb, have become a big threat to hotels, even though some believe Airbnb's negative impact remains negligible.
• As hotels continue to fight with online travel agents (OTAs) using book-direct campaigns, we need to pay close attention to the possibility of Airbnb and OTAs working together against hotels.
• Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) and online reviews deserve continuous attention from businesses. I am going to share the results of my research on online reviews as soon as my papers become available on the journals' websites.

Travelers want more authentic experiences

In 2016, I also shared a few discussions about new hotel and travel trends. Today's travelers want to gain more authentic experience in a tourist destination. They want to try local flavors, demand efficient service with the aid of technology, stay healthy and practice sustainability.

Above is a highlight of the key events of 2016, as reflected in my discussions over the year. Do you recall any big events in 2016 that I missed? How would they impact the future of hospitality and tourism business?

References:
The picture was downloaded from ArmstrongEconomics.com.

Documenting the Changes of B2C Communications on Facebook from 2010 to 2014

Last, I published a research study in Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, and I shared a brief discussion about this study on MultiBriefs.com.  In this study, I led a research team to investigate how restaurants' B2C communication strategies evolved on Facebook over time and how consumers' reactions to a variety of Facebook messages changed over time. 

We analyzed 2,463 Facebook messages initiated by 10 restaurant chains in the fourth quarter of 2010, 2012, and 2014.  We have found status updates experienced a substantial decrease by restaurants while usage of photo updates increased dramatically in the same period.  Photo remained to be the most "popular" media type, receiving most "Likes," comments, and shares from consumers.  Video was not "popular" at all in 2010 but experienced a slight increase in usage and slowly emerged in 2012 and 2014 as another "popular" media. 

Drawing from the research findings, I made the following recommendations to businesses: 

1. Engage with Facebook users in a consistent manner. We found that companies could win more customers over time by posting about the same amount of messages over the years.
2. Post high-quality photos. Because it seems "everyone" knows the power of photos on Facebook, now it may take more than just a regular photo to catch people's attention.
3. Use other picture-based social media tools to engage customers, such as Instagram and Pinterest.
4. Choose an eye-catching screen shot for a video cover.

If you are interested in reading more of our findings and implications, please email me for a desk copy of the article for personal usage or download the article online on Emerald Insight.

Have you observed any changes among organizations' or people's behavior on Facebook? Would you mind sharing your observations with us?

#B2C #Communications #Facebook #Research #Longitudinal

Can Hotels Fine Guests for a Bad Review?

A hotel in Upstate NY has a policy to fine guests for bad reviews on online review sites.  Is it even legal?

The hotel says it never enforce the policy.  If so, why would this hotel put this policy out there for criticism?  Well, unless the management wants to get more attention, regardless if it is good or bad.

Check out more details in the following Fox News video.  

Are Customers Also Responsible for Their Dining Experience?

I recently read an interesting experiment from a famous restaurant in #NYC, where the owners compared customers' behavior of today and that of 10 years ago.  I wrote an article about it on MultiBriefs. 

 

Here is what was reported by the restaurant (and what I included in the article): 

July 1, 2004:

Customers walked in. 

They were seated with a menu.  Three out of 45 requested for a different seat. 

Customers spent about 8 minutes on the menu before closing it, indicating that they were ready to order. 

Servers instantly took the order. 

Appetizers were served in about 6 minutes (except for complex items). 

Two out of 45 customers sent items back. 

Servers remained attentive to customers. 

Checks were delivered when customers finished their meals. 

Customers left within 5 minutes. 

On average, it took 1 hour and 5 minutes from start to finish.

July 3, 2014:

Customers walked in. 

They were seated with a menu.  Eighteen out of 45 requested for a different seat.

Instead of opening the menu, they took their phones out. Some were taking pictures; others were just playing with their phones. 

Seven out of 45 had servers come over immediately. 

They showed something on their phone to the server and took about 5 minutes of the server’s time.  Later, the servers explained to the management team that the customers needed help with Wi-Fi connections for their phones. 

When servers approached customers for orders, most had not even opened the menu and asked the servers to wait.

Customers finally opened the menu, with their hands holding their phones on top of the menu. They were still playing with their phone. 

Servers came back to check with the customers. Customers asked for additional time. 

Customers were finally ready to order, with an average wait time of 21 minutes. 

Food began arriving in about 6 minutes (except for complex items). 

Twenty-six out of 45 customers spent about 3 minutes taking pictures of the food. 

Fourteen out of 45 customers spent an additional 4 minutes taking pictures of themselves or one another with the food in front of them. 

Nine out of 45 customers sent food back to reheat. 

Twenty-seven out of 45 customers asked servers to take a group picture for them.  On average, it took about 5 minutes of theirs and the server’s time until the customers were satisfied with the group picture. 

On average, customers spent 20 minutes more on the meal and 15 minutes more to pay and leave. 

Eight out of 45 bumped into somebody in the restaurant while they were texting and walking in/out of the restaurant. 

On average, it took 1 hour and 55 minutes from start to finish. 

I am thinking: Are customers also responsible for their dining experience?  How does technology has brought down (if it does in some way) people's dining experience?  In regarding to online reviews, what information matters most from online reviews --- The overall rating?  Service?  Quality of food? Or something else?