Purpose

Engaging in webcare, i.e. responding to online reviews, can positively affect consumer attitudes, intentions and behavior. Research is often scarce or inconsistent regarding the effects of specific webcare strategies on business performance. Therefore, this study tests whether and how several webcare strategies affect hotel bookings.

Design/methodology/approach

We apply machine learning classifiers to secondary data (webcare messages) to classify webcare variables to be included in a regression analysis looking at the effect of these strategies on hotel bookings while controlling for possible confounds such as seasonality and hotel-specific effects.

Findings

The strategies that have a positive effect on bookings are directing reviewers to a private channel, being defensive, offering compensation and having managers sign the response. Webcare strategies to be avoided are apologies, merely asking for more information, inviting customers for another visit and adding informal non-verbal cues. Strategies that do not appear to affect future bookings are expressing gratitude, personalizing and having staff members (rather than managers) sign webcare.

Practical implications

These findings help managers optimize their webcare strategy for better business results and develop automated webcare.

Originality/value

We look into several commonly used and studied webcare strategies that affect actual business outcomes, being that most previous research studies are experimental or look into a very limited set of strategies.

中文翻译：

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网络护理对企业有利吗？管理者应对在线评论策略对酒店预订影响的研究

目的

参与网络关怀，即回应在线评论，可以对消费者的态度、意图和行为产生积极影响。关于特定网络护理策略对业务绩效的影响的研究通常很少或不一致。因此，本研究测试了几种网络护理策略是否以及如何影响酒店预订。

设计/方法论/途径

我们将机器学习分类器应用于辅助数据（网络护理消息），对网络护理变量进行分类，将其纳入回归分析中，研究这些策略对酒店预订的影响，同时控制可能的混杂因素，例如季节性和酒店特定的影响。

发现

对预订产生积极影响的策略包括将评论者引导至私人渠道、采取防御措施、提供补偿以及让经理签署回复。应避免的网络护理策略是道歉、仅仅要求更多信息、邀请客户再次访问以及添加非正式的非语言提示。似乎不会影响未来预订的策略包括表达感激之情、个性化以及让员工（而不是经理）签署网络护理。

实际影响

这些发现可帮助管理人员优化其网络维护策略，以获得更好的业务成果并开发自动化网络维护。

原创性/价值

我们研究了几种影响实际业务成果的常用和研究的网络护理策略，因为大多数先前的研究都是实验性的或研究的策略非常有限。