Unscrambling the Puzzling Matter of Online Consumer ... · Philips Hospitality Americas Chris...
Transcript of Unscrambling the Puzzling Matter of Online Consumer ... · Philips Hospitality Americas Chris...
Cornell Hospitality ReportVol 11 No 16 August 2011
Unscrambling the Puzzling Matter of Online Consumer Ratings An Exploratory Analysis
by Pradeep Racherla PhD Daniel Connolly PhD and Nastasa Christodoulidou PhD
Advisory Board
The Robert A and Jan M Beck Center at Cornell UniversityBack cover photo by permission of The Cornellian and Jeff Wang
Cornell Hospitality Reports Vol 11 No 16 (August 2011)
copy 2011 Cornell University This report may not be reproduced or distributed without the express permission of the publisher
Cornell Hospitality Report is produced for the benefit of the hospitality industry by The Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University
Rohit Verma Executive DirectorJennifer Macera Associate DirectorGlenn Withiam Director of Publications
Center for Hospitality ResearchCornell University School of Hotel Administration489 Statler HallIthaca NY 14853
Phone 607-255-9780Fax 607-254-2922wwwchrcornelledu
Niklas Andreacuteen Group Vice President Global Hospitality amp Partner Marketing Travelport GDS
Rarsquoanan Ben-Zur Chief Executive Officer French Quarter Holdings Inc
Scott Berman Principal Real Estate Business Advisory Services Industry Leader Hospitality amp Leisure PricewaterhouseCoopers
Raymond Bickson Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Taj Group of Hotels Resorts and Palaces
Stephen C Brandman Co-Owner Thompson Hotels IncRaj Chandnani Vice President Director of Strategy WATGBenjamin J ldquoPatrickrdquo Denihan Chief Executive Officer
Denihan Hospitality GroupBrian Ferguson Vice President Supply Strategy and Analysis
Expedia North AmericaChuck Floyd Chief Operating OfficerndashNorth America
HyattGregg Gilman Partner Co-Chair Employment Practices
Davis amp Gilbert LLP
Tim Gordon Senior Vice President Hotels pricelinecomSusan Helstab EVP Corporate Marketing
Four Seasons Hotels and ResortsJeffrey A Horwitz Chair Lodging + Gaming and Co-Head
Mergers + Acquisitions ProskauerKevin J Jacobs Senior Vice President Corporate Strategy amp
Treasurer Hilton WorldwideKenneth Kahn PresidentOwner LRP PublicationsKirk Kinsell President of Europe Middle East and Africa
InterContinental Hotels GroupRadhika Kulkarni PhD VP of Advanced Analytics RampD
SAS InstituteGerald Lawless Executive Chairman Jumeirah GroupMark V Lomanno CEO Smith Travel ResearchBetsy MacDonald Managing Director HVS Global Hospitality
ServicesDavid Meltzer Senior Vice President Global Business
Development Sabre Hospitality SolutionsWilliam F Minnock III Senior Vice President Global
Operations Deployment and Program Management Marriott International Inc
Mike Montanari VP Strategic Accounts Sales - Sales Management Schneider Electric North America
Shane OrsquoFlaherty President and CEO Forbes Travel GuideThomas Parham Senior Vice President and General Manager
Philips Hospitality AmericasChris Proulx CEO eCornell amp Executive EducationCarolyn D Richmond Partner Hospitality Practice Fox
Rothschild LLPSusan Robertson CAE EVP of ASAE (501(c)6) amp President of
the ASAE Foundation (501(c)3) ASAE FoundationSteve Russell Chief People Officer Senior VP Human
Resources McDonaldrsquos USAMichele Sarkisian Senior Vice President MaritzJanice L Schnabel Managing Director and Gaming Practice
Leader Marshrsquos Hospitality and Gaming PracticeTrip Schneck Managing Partner District Hospitality PartnersK Vijayaraghavan Chief Executive Sathguru Management
Consultants (P) LtdAdam Weissenberg Vice Chairman and US Tourism
Hospitality amp Leisure Leader Deloitte amp Touche USA LLP
FriendsBerkshire Healthcare bull Center for Advanced Retail Technology bull Cruise Industry News bull DK Shifflet amp Associates bull ehoteliercom bull EyeforTravel bull 4Hotelierscom bull Gerencia de Hoteles amp Restaurantes bull Global Hospitality Resources bull Hospitality Financial and Technological Professionals bull hospitalityInsidecom bull hospitalitynetorg bull Hospitality Technology Magazine bull HotelExecutivecom bull International CHRIE bull International Hotel Conference bull International Society of Hospitality Consultants bull iPerceptions bull JDA Software Group Inc bull JD Power and Associates bull The Lodging Conference bull Lodging Hospitality bull Lodging Magazine bull LRA Worldwide Inc bull Milestone Internet Marketing bull MindFolio bull Mindshare Technologies bull PhoCusWright Inc bull PKF Hospitality Research bull Resort and Recreation Magazine bull The Resort Trades bull RestaurantEdgecom bull Shibata Publishing Co bull Synovate bull The TravelCom Network bull Travel + Hospitality Group bull UniFocus bull USA Today bull WageWatch Inc bull The Wall Street Journal bull WIWIHCOM bull Wyndham Worldwide
Thank you to our generous Corporate Members
PartnersDavis amp Gilbert LLP Deloitte amp Touche USA LLPDenihan Hospitality GroupeCornell amp Executive EducationExpedia Inc Forbes Travel GuideFour Seasons Hotels and Resorts Fox Rothschild LLP French Quarter Holdings Inc HVS Hyatt InterContinental Hotels Group Jumeirah GroupLRP PublicationsMarriott International IncMarshrsquos Hospitality Practice MaritzpricelinecomPricewaterhouseCoopersProskauer Sabre Hospitality SolutionsSathguru Management Consultants (P) Ltd Schneider Electric Thayer Lodging Group Thompson HotelsTravelportWATG
Senior PartnersASAE FoundationCarlson HotelsHilton WorldwideMcDonaldrsquos USAPhilips HospitalitySASSTRTaj Hotels Resorts and Palaces
4 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
AbouT The AuThors
UnscramblingthePuzzlingMatterofOnlineConsumerRatings
An Exploratory AnalysisbyPradeepRacherlaDanielConnolly
andNatasaChristodoulidou
Pradeep racherla PhD is an assistant professor of marketing at the College of Business West Texas AampM University (pracherlawtamuedu ) He earned a PhD in business administration from the Fox School of
Business Temple University His research interests include consumer generated media healthcare marketing social networks knowledge management and collaborative systems He has written several research papers
and technical reports that have been published or forthcoming in prestigious journals such as Journal of Consumer Behavior Journal of Marketing amp Management Journal of Management Information Systems
Annals of Tourism Research and Cornell Hospitality Quarterly He has presented at numerous conferences both nationally and internationally
Daniel J Connolly PhD is an associate professor of information technology at the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver with a dual appointment in the School of Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Management and in the Department of Information Technology and Electronic Commerce He also serves as director of undergraduate programs His teaching research and consulting interests focus on the strategic application of information technology and electronic commerce He has written or co-authored numerous publications including articles that have appeared in the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly the FIU Hospitality Review Information Technology in Hospitality and Journal of Hospitality and Leisure Marketing His book Technology Strategies for the Hospitality Industry (Pearson Prentice Hall 2005) is the industryrsquos first book on technology strategy
Natasa Christodoulidou PhD is a faculty member in the management and marketing department at California State University where she teaches internet marketing and other related marketing courses at the
undergraduate and MBA level Her research interests are in the areas of hospitality technology travel and tourism electronic commerce hospitality electronic distribution and electronic marketing She is a member of
the Decision Sciences Institute and the Western Decision Sciences Institute She has published more than 20 articles in the past five years in academic and professional journals She presents regularly at academic and
professional conferences around the world such as Eye for Travel FSTEC DSI and WDSI Among her speaking engagements this year are Las Vegas Hawaii France and Singapore
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 5
exeCuTive suMMAry
Thisstudyexploresthepatternsofonlinereviewsofvacationhomesfromacommunity-basedtraveladvisorywebsitewithagoalofunderstandingthebiasesinherentinonlinewordofmouth(WOM)relatedtotourismandhospitalityservicesAnanalysisofnearly3200reviewsfrom
ldquoReviewsitecomrdquo(apseudonym)whichpostsreviewsofvacationrentalpropertiesacrosstheUSAfindsanoverwhelmingpreponderanceof favorable reviewsMore to thepoint relatively few
ldquomoderaterdquoreviewsarepostedandthesecond-highestcategoryisextremelynegativecommentsUsingsemanticprocessingtechniquesontheaggregatereviewtextthestudyidentifiesthenuancedopinionsandconcernsofthetravelerswhowritereviewsNegativereviewstendtobelengthyandargumentativeoftendetailingdisappointmentoverexpectationsnotmetPositivereviewsontheotherhandtendtoberelativelybriefandconfirmtheoverallratingConsumerswhowroteldquohighrdquoreviewsplacedgreaterimportanceonvalueformoneycleanlinessandcomfortthandidthosewhowrotenegativereviewsThosewhowroteldquolowrdquoreviewsplacedtheiremphasisontheserviceprovidedbythepropertystaffandmanagementNegativereviewsweremorelikelytoinvolveahigherpriceaccommodationThisanalysisindicates that the overall numerical ratings typically used in review systems may not be the idealindicator of perceived service quality The results suggest that review sites should develop bettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishthereviewcontentsparticularlythenumericalratingsThisandotherreviewsitesshowtheaverageofallthepoint-scaleratingsbutsuchsimplemeansdonottakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsInsteadthesitesshouldprovidemore information and heuristics to help the consumers navigate through the clutter and get theinformationtheydesire
6 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
CorNell hosPiTAliTy rePorT
Giventhatconsumersareincreasinglyrelyingonsearchenginestoacquireinformationabout hotels restaurants and travel purveyors (among many other services)consumer-generated online reviews will inevitably change the structure andaccessibilityofinformationalongwithconsumersrsquoperceptionsofvariousservices
ThepopularityofonlinereviewshasledtoaproliferationofonlinereviewsitesincludingpopularsitessuchasHotelscomTripadvisorcomandYelpcomArecentstudybyForresterIncfoundthatmorethan80percentofwebshoppersreadandconsiderotherconsumersrsquoreviews1SimilarlyCompeteIncfoundthatnearly50percentofpurchasersvisitedamessageboardforumoronlinecommunityforinformationconnectedwiththeironlinetravelpurchasingandoneinthreeofthesebuyerssaidthatconsumer reviews helped with their purchase decision2 Almost half of these consumers said thatconsumersrsquoopinionsactuallycausedthemtochangetheirmindaboutwhattheypurchasedMoreoveramongthosebuyers25percentsaidtheyalsopostedareviewonaconsumerreviewsiteaftermakingtheirpurchase
1ForresterldquoFortyFactsaboutUSOnlineShoppersrdquoForresterInc20062CompeteldquoEmbracingConsumerBuzzCreatesMeasurementChallengesforMarketersrdquoCompeteInc2006
UnscramblingthePuzzlingMatterofOnlineConsumerRatings
An Exploratory Analysis
byPradeepRacherlaDanielConnollyandNatasaChristodoulidou
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 7
Howevertheexistingunderstandingofonlinetourism-relatedreviewsisrelativelyweakeventhoughweknowthatwordofmouth(WOM)ismoreimportantandinfluentialwithinaservicescontextthaninproductmarketingscenariosRecentlysomestudieshaveexploredtourism-andhospital-ity-relatedonlineWOM3Yetresearchhassofaroverlookedcertaininterestingaspectsofonlinereviewsasfollows
Onlinereviewstypicallyuseldquooverallstarratingsrdquoaspri-maryindicatorsofperceivedservicequalitymdashratingsthatarenotrelatedinanywaytotheformalstardesignationsawardedbyForbesorMichelinConsumersrsquomeanstarratingsaretypi-callyaggregatedfromtheratingsgivenbyindividualconsum-ersineachreviewWhatwedonrsquotknowishowconsumersdeterminethestarstheyassigntoaservicewhentheypostareviewonawebsiteThatisdostarratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquosentimentsregardingvariousattributesofserviceprovidersThisisavitalissuegiventheexperientialandin-tangiblenatureoftravelservicesandthefactthatconsumersusetheoverallratingasanimportantheuristicwhilenarrow-ingdownchoices
FurtherstudieshaveoverlookedtherelationshipbetweenthereviewsandvariousattributesofservicesandserviceprovidersSinceonlinereviewsareaformofWOMvariablessuchasconsumerinvolvementpricingandlengthofstaymayhaveanimpactonthefinalratingandpostingofthereviewprovidedbyconsumersItisimportanttouncovertheserelationshipstobetterunderstandthedynamicsofonlinereviews
FewstudieshaveanalyzedthequalitativeaspectofonlinereviewsOnlinereviewsareessentiallyopen-endedtext-basedconsumer-to-consumer(c2c)communicationsThetextcontentmaycontainnuancedviewsoftheservicesandserviceproviders(fromthereviewwritersrsquopointofview)thatcannotbeexpressedusingcrudenumericalratings4Hencethereisaneedtoanalyzethetextportionofthereviewsandidentifytheissuesthatconsumersaremostlyconcernedwithwhenwritingandpostingonlinerelatedreviews
WeaddresstheabovepointsinthisstudyThefollowingquestionsguidedus
3KHYooandUGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp TourismVol10(2008)pp283-295andZXiangandUGretzelldquoRoleofSocialMediainOnlineTravelInformationSearchrdquoTourism Management20094AGhoseandPGIpeirotisldquoEstimatingtheSocio-economicImpactofProductReviewsMiningTextandReviewerCharacteristicsrdquoInformation Systems Research2008
1 Dooverallratingsreflecttheperceivedqualityoftheserviceproviders(asderivedfromtheconsumersrsquoexpressedsentimentinthereviews)Whataretheunderlyingpatternsoftheoverallratingsinonlinereviews
2 Whatarethelinkagesamongthevariousattributesoftheserviceprovidersandcustomerreviewsand
3 WhataretheissuesthatconsumersmostlytalkaboutinthetextportionofonlinereviewsDotheseis-suesdifferfromtheratingsthattheconsumershaveprovidedviathestandardvariablesprovidedbythereviewsites
ResearchSettingandDataCollectionThisstudyisbasedonreviewscollectedfromldquoReviewsitecomrdquoaswehavecalledthecommunity-driventravelsitethatweanalyzedThesiteprovidesreviewsofverifiedrentalpropertiesandorganizesthereputationofvacationpropertiesThepropertylistingwithinthesiteisbasednotontherevenuesharingmodelthatisgenerallypracticedbyotherreviewsitesbutonthereputationtrustandfeedbackfromcustomerswhohavestayedatthevacationrentalpropertiesReviewsitecomisafreeservicethatoperatesonserviceproviderfeesandadvertisingrevenuesUn-likesometravelreviewsitesthefirmrsquosreviewsolicitationstrategyistosendpersonalizedinvitationsonlytothosecustomerswhosestayhasbeenverifiedbythepropertymanagementThesitersquosmanagementbelievesthatthisstrategytoalargeextenteliminatesfakereviews
Thefirmprovideduswith3300reviewsforanalysisAfterinitialdatacleanupabout100reviewswithincom-pleteorunusableinformationwereeliminatedand3197reviewswereusedfortheanalysisThereviewscontainedthefollowingattributesbull Theoverallratingassignedtotheserviceprovider
basedontheaggregationoftheratingsassignedbyindividualreviewers
bull Consumersrsquoratingsonthefollowingsixattributesvaluecleanlinesscomfortservicelocationandcheck-in
bull Thereviewtext(Semanticprocessingtechniqueswereappliedontheaggregatereviewtexttoidentifythenuancedopinionsandconcernsofthetravelerswhowrotereviews)
8 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
bull Agerangeoftherevieweronan1-4ordinalscale(25-3435-4445-54and55andabove)
bull Averagepriceperdayand
bull Wordcount(usedinthequantitativeanalysis)
PreliminaryHypothesesandResultsTheagegroupsofthereviewwritersareshowninExhibit1Alargepercentageofthecustomerswhoreviewedthepropertiesfallunder44yearsofageThisisconsistentwithpreviousstudiesinthisrealmwhichshowthatgenerationXandGenerationYaremoreactiveintheWOMforums
ReviewRatingDistribution Websitesthathostonlinereviewsgiveconsumerstheoptiontoassignaratingtotheserviceproviderstypicallyonascaleof1to5or1to7Manysitesaggregatethesenumeri-calorstarratingstodetermineanoverall(mean)starratingWeseethisoverallratingasanimportantelementinonlineWOMsinceconsumersoftenusethisratingtonarrowdowntheirconsiderationsetStudiesthathaveusedtheratingastheprimarypredictoroftheserviceprovidersrsquoperceivedqualityorcustomersatisfactiontodeterminetheimpactofonlinereviewsonproductsaleshavearrivedatmixedfind-ings5Howeverthesestudiesarebasedonthefundamentalassumptionthatthenumericalratingsassignedtoservice
5ForexampleseeJChevalierandDMayzlinldquoTheEffectofWordofMouthOnlineOnlineBookReviewsrdquoJournal of Marketing ResearchVol43(2006)pp345-354andWDuanBGuandABWhinstonldquoDoOnlineReviewsMattermdashAnEmpiricalInvestigationofPanelDatardquoDecision Support SystemsVol45(2008)pp1007-1016
providersareanaccurateestimateofthequalityperceivedbythecustomerThispracticefollowsthebasicassumptionofbehavioraltheoriststhatanydatasetwithalargenumberofconsumerresponsestendstofollowanormal(Gaussian)distributionRecentstudieshavequestionedthisassump-tionForinstanceDellaracosandNarayanrsquosstudyonmoviereviewsinYahoocomfoundthatonlytheextremelysatisfiedandextremelydissatisfiedcustomersarelikelytopubliclyexpresstheiropinionsascomparedtocustomerswithmod-erateopinions6SimilarlystudiesusingdatafromTripadvi-sorcomandAmazoncomfoundthatthestarratingsexhibitatruncateddistributioninwhichthemajorityofreviewsarepositive7
TotestthisassumptionweranasimplefrequencychartasshowninExhibit2Inkeepingwithotherstudiesthedistributionisheavilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratings1-pointreviews32(1)2-pointreviews95(3)3-pointreviews458(14)4-pointreviews688(22)and5-pointreviews1912(60)Totestfortherobustnessofthisdistri-butionweappliedtheKolmogorov-Smirnovtestofnormal-ityTheresultsconfirmthenon-normaldistributionofthestarratingsandtheheavyskewtowardspositivereviews
Threeexplanationsarepossibleforsuchadistribution
6CDellarocasandRNarayanldquoAStatisticalMeasureofaPopulationrsquosPropensitytoEngageinPost-purchaseOnlineWord-of-mouthrdquoStatisti-cal ScienceVol21(2006)pp2777ATalwarandRFBoiJurcaUnderstandingUserBehaviorinOnlineFeedbackReportingrdquoinElectronic CommerceSanDiegoCalifornia(2007)pp134-142
Exhibit 1
Distribution of age ranges
Exhibit 2
Distribution of overall ldquostar ratingsrdquo
55 and above 45ndash54
years
35ndash44 years
18ndash34 years
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
Num
ber o
f rev
iew
s
3295
458 688
1912
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 9
1 AmajorityofthepropertiesthatarelistedonthewebsitehaveoutstandingperceivedqualityandprovidesatisfactoryservicestocustomersWhilethisistheo-reticallypossibleitseemsunlikelywhenappliedtoallthepropertieslistedonthewebsite8
2 ThereviewsdonotconstituteatrulyrepresentativesampleofconsumeropinionBasedonotherstud-iesthisexplanationseemsplausibleConsumerswithmoderateviewsmayseelittleincentivetoreporttheirviewsinanonlineforumandasaconsequenceonlythoseconsumerswhohavepolarizedviewsarelikelytoposttheircomments
3 ThedistributioncouldalsobeanartifactofthefirmrsquosreviewsolicitingstrategyRecentstudiessupportthisideabysuggestingthatcustomersengageinsociallydesirablebehavioreveninimpersonalinteractionswiththeserviceproviders9Inthiscaseitmaybethattheywillprovideareasonablypositiverevieweveniftheexperiencehasnotbeenuptothemark
StarRatingsandPerceivedServiceQualityLetrsquosreturntothefirstquestionweaskedattheoutsetArestarratingsatruerepresentationofserviceprovid-ersrsquoperceivedqualityasreflectedbytheconsumersrsquostatedsentimentsThisbecomesanimportantquestionfortwo
8AKadetldquoRah-RahRatingsOnlinerdquoSmartMoney20079YGreacutegoireandRJFisherldquoCustomerBetrayalandRetaliationWhenYourBestCustomersbecomeYourWorstEnemiesrdquoJournal of the Acad-emy of Marketing ScienceVol36(2008)pp247-261
reasons(a) ratingsaretheprimaryevidencethatconsum-ersconsiderwhileshoppingonlineforinformationand(b)thetruncatednatureofratingdistributionsmeansthatthereviewsavailablemaynottrulyrepresentconsumeropinionortheserviceprovidersrsquoperceivedqualityIfonlythosewithextremeviewspostreviewsthenconsumersshouldalwayslookforserviceprovidersthathavea5-starratingOnthecontraryifthereviewsaccuratelyreflectallconsumersrsquoviewsthenconsumersarebetteroffsearchingforreviewswitha3ratingsincethesetendtobemorebalancedandenablebetterproductanalysisRecentlyHu et aluseddatafromAmazoncomshowthatnumericalscoresdonotreflectbooksrsquotrueperceivedquality10AstheysuggestldquohellipratherthescorereflectsthebalanceofdiverseopinionsInotherwordswhenabookrsquosoverallscoreisaround3itdoesnotsuggestthatconsumersgenerallyagreethatthisisanaver-agebookItrathersuggeststhatroughlyequalnumberofconsumersthinkthatthebookiseitheranoutstandingbookoranabysmalbookrdquo
Totestthisassertionweappliedaregressionequationwithsixpropertyattributes(ievalueformoneycheck-inlocationcleanlinesscomfortandservice)asindependentvariablesandstarratingasthedependentvariableThisanalysisisbasedontheassumptionthatforagivenpropertyifstarratingstrulyrepresenttheperceivedqualityoftheproperties(aswellastheconsumersrsquosentiment)thenthestarratingsandratingsofthesixotherpropertyattributes
10NHuJZhangandPAPavlouOvercomingtheJ-shapedDistribu-tionofProductReviewsrdquoCommunications of the ACMVol52(2009)pp144-147
low reviews t-value high reviews t-value(Constant) 1618 18353 2400 34186vAlue 0254 13726 0378 8767CheCKiN -0083 -3701 -0053 -1192loCATioN 0104 6132 0079 2117CleAN 0144 7574 0112 2808CoMForT 0267 13993 0129 3088serviCe 0098 4209 0107 2401r2 0331 0338F-statistic 5038 24714
Exhibit 3
regression analysis of ldquolowrdquo and ldquohighrdquo reviews
Notes Coefficients (t-statistics reported) Significance is as follows significant at 0001 level significant at 05 level significant at 010 level Dependent variable is overall rating
10 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
moderateratingsonalltheattributesbutwasstillwillingtoprovideahighoverallstarratingtothepropertyThisexamplesuggeststhatconsumersplacesignificantemphasisontheoverallexperientialvalueprovidedbythepropertiesThisexpectationofvalueismanytimesintangibleanddoesnotnecessarilydependonthefunctioningorratingoftheindividualfeaturesoftheproperty
RelationshipbetweenRatingsandReviewAttributesTounderstandconsumersrsquoword-of-mouthbehavioritisimportanttoconsidervariousfactorssuchasperceivedexpectationsofcostsandbenefitsimportanceofthepur-chase(involvement)personalcharacteristicsandsituationalinfluencesWeconsidertwofactorsthatareknowntoaffecttheintensityandvalence(positiveornegative)ofwordofmouthpriceandwordcount
PricePriceisanimportantfactorthatcontributestopre-purchaseexpectationsTheintensityofexpectations(andtheirfulfillment)partlydrivenbypriceisdirectlypropor-tionaltoconsumersrsquosatisfactionlevelsandWOMpropensityThismaybethereasonthatthetendencytocomplainisdirectlyrelatedtothecostoftheservice11Themoreexpen-siveanitemthegreaterwillbetheperceivedlossesandthegreaterlikelihoodthatdissatisfactionwillresultinacom-plaintSimilarlythelikelihoodofword-of-mouthbeingtrig-geredbythelevelofexpectationndashdisconfirmationincreases
11BeardenWOandTeelJE(1983)Selecteddeterminantsofcon-sumersatisfactionandcomplaintreportsJournal of Marketing Research 2021-28
willshowahighcorrelationFortheanalysiswetookintoconsiderationthefactmostreviewsarepositive(ie4-and5-pointratings)Thereforewedividedthereviewsintotwocategorieshighreviews(starratingabove3n=2597)andlowreviews(ratingsbeloworequalto3n=600)andranseparateregressionanalysesonthesetwogroupsasshowninExhibit3
AninterestingfindingistheweakrelationshipbetweentheattributeratingsandoverallstarratingforeachpropertyTheR-squareoftheregressionequationwithallsixvariablesandtheoverallstarratingsislessthan40percentThatiseveniftheconsumersprovidedhigherratingsonindividualattributestheiroverallratingwasusuallylowandthere-versewasalsotrueThistrendisobservedinboththehighandlowreviewgroups
TheanalysissuggeststhatinhighreviewsconsumersplacedgreaterimportanceonvalueformoneycleanlinessandcomfortThehighertheratingsofaconsumerontheseattributesthehigheristhelikelihoodthattheconsumerwillprovideahigherstarratingCheck-inlocationandservicedidnotprominentlyfigureintheiroverallevalu-ationsofthepropertieseventhoughtheseattributeswereratedhigh
ThelowreviewsshowsimilarresultsinthesensethattheloweraconsumerratesvaluecleanlinessandcomfortthelowerthelikelihoodofapositiveratingInadditioninthecaseoflowreviewsconsumersplacedemphasisontheserviceprovidedbythepropertystaffandmanagement
TheaboveresultisillustratedinoneoftheldquohighrdquoreviewsshowninExhibit4Thereviewergavelowto
star rating Text Commentary
This was our 1st time renting a house vs a condo This house was great If you wanted to spend a little time by yourself you could so many rooms to go to The house was so comfortable like being at home It was our home for the week Thank you Hope to rent it next year if we havent bought one ourselves
ratings for specific Attributes
value Check-in location Clean Comfort service
3 2 3 2 4 3
Exhibit 4
example of a ldquohighrdquo review
Avg rating for Property Attributes
30
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 11
withthecostoftheproduct12Giventhegreaterperceivedriskinservicescustomerswouldseekmoretrustworthyser-viceproviderswithagoodreputationofsatisfyingcustomerneeds13ThisinturnincreasestheexpectationsandleadstomoreextremereactionsfromtheconsumersHenceonecanspeculatethatthehigherthepriceshigherwillbetheaver-agenegativeorpositiveratingsforaservice
Word countThenumberofwordsinareviewmayserveasaproxyfortheamountofinformationinthereviewsHowevertheevidenceonthisaspectofWOMofalltypesisequivocalForinstanceconsumersgenerallyengageinpositiveWOMtoavoidfeelingsofguiltandas-sociationwithbadnewsandtoreducecognitivedissonanceOntheotherhandacustomerwhoishighlydisappointedwillprovideapersuasiveargumenttomakesurethatothercustomersaredissuadedfromrentingthesamepropertyResearchonconventionalwordofmouthhasofferedampleevidencetosuggestthatdissatisfiedcustomersengageintwotothreetimesasmuchWOMassatisfiedcustomers14Webelievethatthislogicextendstoonlinereviewsdespitethefactthatexistingstudiesareequivocalatbest15Thereforeitcanbeassumedthatreviewswitheitherextremelypositiveorextremelynegativeratingswillhavegreaterwordcountasopposedtomoremoderatereviews
TotesttheseassumptionsweappliedANOVAwithpriceandwordcountasdependentvariablesandthereviewratingasfactorsAsillustratedinExhibits5and6theresultsshowthatpriceandwordcountshowasignificantnegativecorrelationwithstarratingThatisreviewswithlowerratingsaretypicallyassociatedwithgreaterwordcountandrepresentpropertiesthatchargehighrates
TheresultonthewordcountsuggeststhatconsumerswhoareunhappywitharentalpropertytendtowritemoretoexpresstheirdissatisfactionAsshowninthisexhibitlowerratingsareassociatedwithhighernumberofwordsinthereviewsandviceversaSimilarlypropertypriceseemstobestronglyassociatedwithnegativewordofmouthsup-portingtheprinciplethathighercostincreasestheconsum-ersrsquoinvolvementinthepurchase
12BeardenWOandMasonJB(1984)AninvestigationofinfluencesonconsumercomplaintreportsAdvancesinConsumerResearch11490-49513WetzerIMZeelenbergMandPietersR(2007)ldquoNevereatinthatrestaurantIdidrdquoExploringwhypeopleengageinnegativeword-of-mouthcommunicationPsychology and Marketing24661-68014SchlossbergH(1991)CustomersatisfactionNotafadbutawayoflifeMarketing News25andWestbrookR(1987)ProductConsump-tion-basedAffectiveResponsesandPost-purchaseProcessesJournal of Marketing Research 24258-27015AlexMSusskindldquoIToldYouSoRestaurantCustomersrsquoofWord-of-MouthCommunicationPatternsrdquoCornell Hotel and Restaurant Adminis-tration QuarterlyVol43No2(April2002)pp75-85
Exhibit 5
Differences in word count across star ratings
Exhibit 6
Differences in average price per day across ratings
Aver
age
pric
e pe
r day
of t
he re
ntal
pro
pert
y
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
1504
1563
1804
19861987
Aver
age
wor
d co
unt o
f rev
iew
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
836837
121
15751543
160
140
120
100
80
200
190
180
170
160
150
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
12 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
thereviewersThesecanbeclassifiedas(a)attributesorfea-turesofthepropertythatfigureprominentlyandcontributetothepositiveornegativeratings(egroomsbeddishesfurnitureorservice)and(b)thepositiveornegativewordsthatrepresentthesentimentofthereviewer(eggreatamazingdirtyandwonderful)Theresultsofthequalitativeanalysisareasfollows
Syntactic featuresTheoveralltoneofthelowreviewsisratherargumentativeThereviewerstendtobeforcefulinpresentingtheirpointofviewTheylayoutagreatamountofreasoningandprovidespecificexamplestodrivehometheirargumentThisisreflectedinthegreaterpercentageofnegativeconnectorwords(34)suchasbut however as ifandeven thoughItisinterestingtonotethatreviewersinthiscategoryspeakdirectlytotheotherconsumersnotablythroughgreateruseofwordssuchasyou(46)andlooktoinfluencetheirdecisionmaking
InthehighreviewsbycontrasttheoveralltonetendstobeenunciativeandthereviewersusethetexttomerelyreinforcetheirnumericalratingsusingfewerwordsonaveragethanthenegativereviewersInthesereviewstheconsumersfocusontheirpersonalexperiencesandappealtotheaudiencethroughemotionsratherthanlogicandreasoningasevidentfromgreateruseofpositiveadjectives
QualitativeAnalysisoftheReviewTextTheaboveanalysisemphasizestheimportanceofthetextcontentinconsumerreviewsWhilenumericalratingsallowthereviewerstoratetheserviceprovideronvariousattributesitisthetextthatprovidesthemwiththeopportu-nitytoarticulatethenuancesoftheiroverallexperienceandconveyusefulinformationaboutaserviceproviderrsquostransac-tionsandservicecapabilitiesThereforesemanticanalysisofthetextcontentprovidesuswithanopportunitytothethirdquestionpresentedattheoutsetofthisreportwhatdoconsumerstalkaboutintheirreviews
Tothisendweanalyzed600eachofrandomlyselectedhighandlowreviewsusingsemanticprocessingtechniquesWeusedcenteringresonanceanalysis(CRA)amodeofnet-work-basedtextanalysisthatrepresentsthecontentoflargesetsoftextsbyidentifyingthemostimportantwordsthatlinkotherwordsinthenetwork16OuranalysisexaminedsyntacticandsemanticfeaturesSyntacticfeaturesincludethepercentageofthewordsthatareopenclass(ienounsverbsadjectives)Semanticfeaturesrepresentthespecial-izedvocabularythatreflectstheoverallopinionexpressedby
16CormanSandDooleyK(2006)CrawdadTextAnalysisSystem12CrawdadTechnologiesLLCChandlerAZ
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Comments
bedroom beds linen sheets 383
Also the same bedroom and bathroom did not have any door separating the bedroom from the bathroom no privacy
Sleeping arrangements were very awkward The listing sheet described 2 full beds We brought our own linens the beds were queen sized Had to purchase sheet
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 297
You must not forget to step up when yoursquore walking out of the kitchen into the dining room otherwise yoursquoll trip over the 3-foot step up
No potholders in the kitchen and it didnrsquot seem like there were as many kitchen supplies as before We just had to make do without
beach beaches beachfront 296
The week was the best vacation we have ever had as a family The beach house was a class act
Disappointment 1 It looks like this house is very close to beach but to get there you have to go around through public path
Pool Poolside 218
The pool was too dirty to use We checked in on Thursday and the pool was not cleaned until Saturday
Also it is inconvenient to have to call to get someone to open the pool Didnrsquot understand why Jacuzzi was open and not the pool
bathroom(s) bath bathtub shower 202
The next problem was in another bathroom (main floor)mdashthe wall heater did not work so showering in here was a bit chilly The next problem was in the ldquomasterrdquo bathroom (connected to the bedroom with the King bed) The sliding shower doors need to be totally replaced
Bathtub drains clogged in three second floor bathrooms
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in low reviews
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 13
suchasgreat fantastic andawesome(45)andpersonalpronounssuchasweandI(54)
Semantic featuresExhibits7and8showthemainissuesoraspectsthatareprominentlydiscussedinthelowreviewsTheorderoftheseissuesisbasedonthestatisti-callysignificantfrequencyoftheiroccurrenceinthe1200reviews
WefurtherinvestigatedtheuseofvarioussentimentwordsInterestinglytheprominentissuesdiscussedinthepositivereviewssometimesdonotevenfigureintheratingscalesprovidedtothereviewersOveralltheresultsofthesemanticanalysiscanbesummarizedasfollows
Thepropertyanditsfeaturesaremorecommonlycon-nectedwithextremelypositivesentimentwordssuchasgreat wonderfulandamazinginthehighreviewsthaninthelowreviewsIncomparisonthepropertiesandtheirfea-turesinthelowreviewsaremorelikelytobecharacterizedwithmoderatelypositivewordssuchasniceandokay
Negativereviewsreflecttheextentofexpectationndashdis-confirmationthattheconsumersfaceduringtheirstayintherentalpropertyThesereviewshaveagreaterproportionofwordsexpressingdisappointment(egnotasexpected)Furtherextremelynegativesentimentwords(egdiscom-fortfilthy)andadjectivesaremorelikelytobeassociatedwithfeaturesinlowreviewsthaninhighreviews
Almost40percentoftheconsumerswhowrotehighreviewsexpresstheirwillingnesstoreturntothepropertyasopposedtoonly9percentofthosewritingnegativereviewsFurthermorethan20percentoftheconsumersgivinghighreviewsexpresstheirstrongdesiretorecommendtheprop-ertytotheirfriendsandfamilymembersasopposedtoonly5percentinlowreviews
ReviewofFindingsOurexploratorystudyofconsumerreviewsofUSvacationhomesonReviewsitecomwashighlightedbyoverwhelm-inglypositivereviews
Theoveralldistributionofthereviewswasheav-ilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratingsMorecriticallythisfindingsuggeststhatthereisalackofmoderateandbalancedopinionsWetheorizethatthisiseitherduetopurchasingbias(sincecustomerswentthroughthetroubleofpurchasingandexperiencingthefacilitiestheytendtobepositivelybiasedtowardstheirpurchase)orunder-reportingbias(customersdonothavestrongenoughincentivestotakethetroubleofreportingtheiropinionsandthefewmotivatedindividualswhoprovidetheirreviewsbecomeaself-selectedsample)
Theoverall(mean)starratingtypicallyusedintravelerreviewsitesisprobablynotthemostaccurateindicatorofcustomersrsquoperceptionsofserviceprovidersrsquoqualityWe
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Commentsbeach beaches beachfront 506 Perfect rental property for those who enjoy the activity of the beach and the serenity
of the Sound The house is just down the road from ocean
The large porch offered a beautiful view of the beach and comfortable new rocking chairs
Pool Poolside 218 The outdoor shower dipping pool and screen in porch were an added bonus Perfect house for a low key weekend
House was great for kids Pool was terrific and the playroom was perfectlocation 192 We had a wonderful time My wife loves fishing and the cottage was in a perfect
location to go fishing on the pier
The home is somewhat dated but the location was great We have vacationed in the Chatham area for many summers and this time it was great too
bedroom beds 186 The family suite is huge with a king size and twin bed and still room for a pack-n-play The kitchen and dining room were huge clean and nice
The only comments that I would say to the negative is the front bed room by the front door always seemed damp which seem to attract more bugs
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 178 All of the amenities in the house are upscalemdashloved the kitchen and plasma TVs
The kitchen had good basic utensils dishes and cooking pans
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in high reviews
14 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
foundacorrelationbetweenthestarratingandratingsonotherpropertyattributesoflessthan40percentinmostcases
AhighwordcountinthereviewsiscorrelatedwithalowoverallratingThatisconsumerswhoareextremelydissatisfiedtendtoexpendmoretimeandenergyontheircritiqueofthepropertyitsamenitiesandservicesPriceofthepropertyalsoseemstopositivelycorrelatewithextremenegativereviewsperhapsbecauseahighpriceheightenstravelersrsquoexpectations
Numericalratingsdonotoftencapturetheactualsentimentandthevarietyofdimensionsonwhichtravel-ersevaluatepropertiesBecausenumericalratingsdonotcapturereviewersrsquoopinionsaboutspecificattributestheycanbedeceivingandmaynotrevealthetruequalityofthepropertyortheactualintentionofthereviewerWefoundforinstancethatconsumersvaluelocation(egclosenesstothebeach)andcleanliness(egswimmingpoolareas)morethansuchfeaturesascheck-inandserviceSimilarlyinthenegativereviewsissuessuchaslackofbedroomparapher-naliaorkitchenitemsseemtoberankedhigherinimpor-tancethanissuessuchaslocationandcheck-inThereforeevenwhenapropertyscoreshighonthecertaindimensionstheoverallratingmayremainlowbecauseotherfactorsovershadowthefavorableaspects
WhatItMeansforManagersWeseeimplicationsforonlinereviewsitesandbyexten-sionforproprietorsofvacationhomesandserviceopera-tionsgenerallyWithregardtothereviewsitesifconsumersconsistentlydetectafavorablebiasthereviewsitesmaylosethecriticalaspectsofcredibilityandtrustAlthoughconsumersaregenerallysmartandrationalandcanworkaroundobviousbiasesrecentevidencesuggeststhatcon-sumersaregraduallydefectingfromsomeonlinesitesduetounbalancedreviews17InthisregardsiteadministratorsaswellaspropertymanagersshouldtakestepstoattractthoseconsumerswhoarewillingtoprovideareasonablybalancedanalysisoftheamenitiesandservicesBythiswemeanreviewsthatpresentcomprehensiveandobjectiveanalysisoftheserviceproviderratherthanjustravesorrants
Tothatendsiteoperatorsshouldtakestepstoun-derstandcustomersrsquoreviewwritingbehaviorandtoat-tractmorebalancedreviewsOnewaytodothisistogivepersonalizedinformationtotheconsumerdemonstratingthecontributionmadebyhisorherreviewandthevalueofthereviewtostakeholdersForinstanceLinget alfoundapositivecorrelationbetweenwillingnesstowritereviewsandtheconsumersrsquoperceptionthattheircontributionswouldbeuniqueandhelpfultoothercustomersaswellasperusedby
17HarteveldtHHJohnsonCStarkEandGeldernKV(2009)Us-ingDigitalChannelsToCalmTheAngryTravelerForresterResearch
theserviceproviders18Simplyputthepropensitytowritereviewsincreaseswhentheconsumersfeelthattheirreviewisactuallyhelpingothers(boththeserviceproviderandotherconsumers)
WesuggestthatreviewsitesdevelopbettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishspecificreviewcommentsaswellasnumericalratingsFirstmanagersshouldtakeintoconsiderationthelowcorrelationbetweentheoverallratingsandconsumersrsquoassessmentsofvariouspropertyattributes(aswellastheresultsfromthetextanalysis)Theimplicationofsuchaweakcorrelationisthatreviewsitesneedtoexpandonthelistofpossiblevariablessothattheratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquoneedsandexpectationsregardingserviceproviders
Furthersitemanagersmayhavetorethinkthecurrentpracticeofaveragingalltheratingsforagivenpropertybe-causesuchameanratingfailstotakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsAsanexamplethisstudyfindssignificantunder-reportingbiasinthisonlinereviewsiteAcustomerrsquosdecisiontonotpostonlinereviewsmaymeanthelossofimportantinformationthatcanassisttheusersofthesitestomakemorereliableinferencesThemajorityoftodayrsquosfeedbackmechanismsdonotpubliclydisclosethenumberofsilenttransactions(ietransactionsforwhichnofeedbackwaspostedbycustomers)Suchinfor-mationshouldbecomeapartofaserviceproviderrsquosonlineprofileonratingsitesandotherfeedbackmechanismsItisimportanttoprovidemoreinformationandheuristicstohelptheconsumersnavigatethroughtheclutterandgettheinformationtheywantandseek
Itisimportanttoapplymodernsemanticanalysisandsentimentclassificationtechniquestostudythecontentofthereviewsandidentifyvariousdimensionsonwhichcon-sumersevaluatevacationhomesThedetailsprovidedinthereviewtextareinmanywaysabetterreflectionofcustomersatisfactionServiceproviderscanbetterpositionthemselvesusingthedimensionsuncoveredthroughtextanalysisandtargettheneedsandpreferencesoftheircustomers
TheresultsinthisstudyshowthatnegativereviewsaretypicallyassociatedwithagreaterwordcountthanpositivereviewsItisusefultofocusspecificallyonthesenegativereviewsbecausetheycanrevealpatternsofdeficienciesintheservicestandardsanddeliveryThesereviewsshouldbetreatedthesameascustomercommentcardsorletters19Furthercustomerswhowritesuchlengthynegativereviews
18LingKimberlyGerardBeenenPaulLudfordXiaoxingWangKevinChangXinLiDanCosleyDanFrankowskiLorenTerveenAlMRashidandRobertKrautldquoUsingSocialPsychologytoMotivateContributionstoOnlineCommunitiesrdquoJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication10no4(2005)19MilanR(2007)10thingsyoucandoinresponsetotravelerreviewsinHotelmarketingcom
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 15
aremostlikelytospreadnegativeword-of-mouthaboutthepropertyLengthyreviewsareexcellentsourcesofinforma-tionandshouldbeusedasthebasestounderstandthecomplainingbehavioroftheconsumer
WordcountmaybeusedasanadditionalsegmentationvariabletoidentifythoseconsumerswhoaremoreinvolvedandwillingtoprovidebalancedfeedbacktoboththereviewsiteaswellastopropertymanagementVariousotherresearchmethodssuchastelephoneinterviewsorfocusgroupsshouldbeusedtoelicitdetailedfeedbackfromsuchconsumersTheseactionsalsohelpinservicerecoverypost-purchaseengagementandrelationshipbuilding
OutlookWeforeseethreepotentialareasinvestigationthatcanaddvaluetocurrentbestpracticesWestilldonrsquotknowmuchaboutconsumersrsquomotivationtowriteonlinereviews20Recentstudiesidentifyvariousantecedentsofreviewwritingbutsufferfromsamplingbiassincetheysurveyaself-select-edsampleofconsumerswhoalreadyprovidedreviewsAstheresultsinthisstudyindicateunder-reportingbias(lackofmoderateandlowreviews)remainsprevalentinonlinereviewsitesFutureresearchshouldidentifysocio-psycho-logicalfactorsthatincreaseconsumersrsquopropensitytowriteonlinereviews
Futureresearchshouldexploretheimpactofthepres-ence(orlack)ofextremelynegativereviewswithinalargecorpusofpositivereviewsTheevidenceontheimpactofre-
20WangYandFesenmaierDR(2003)AssessingMotivationofCon-tributioninOnlineCommunitiesAnEmpiricalInvestigationofanOn-lineTravelCommunityElectronic Markets1333-45andYooKyungHandUlrikeGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp Tourism10No4(2008)283-95
viewvalence(negativeorpositive)isequivocalProponentsofconfirmatorybiassuggestthatconsumerslookforaffir-mativeevidencesupportingaproductchoicealreadymadeIfthatisthecasepositivereviewsaremorelikelytohaveagreatereffectonconsumeractionsOntheotherhandthenotionofnegativitybiassuggeststhatwhenconsumersareneutralnegativereviewstendtobecomemoresalientthanpositivereviews21Inthepresenceoflargenumbersofposi-tivereviewsconsumersspecificallyseeknegativereviewsthattheyfeelwillhelpthemidentifyspecificproblemswithaserviceUnderstandinghowconsumersreconciletheinformationprovidedbybothnegativeandpositivereviewshasimplicationsforthedesignandmanagementofreviewsites
Finallyareviewrsquoswordcounthasimportantimplica-tionsforconsumersrsquotrustinthereviewsWhenconsumersarewillingtoreadandcompareopen-endedcommentsfromotherconsumerstheamountofinformationinareviewcanmatterWOMforhighinvolvementproductsismorepersuasiveandincreasesthedecisionmakerrsquosconfi-dencewhenthemessagesenderprovidesgreaternumberofreasonsfortheiroverallratingLongerreviewsprovidemoreinformationandarelikelytobeperceivedasmorehelpfulandpersuasivethanshorterreviewsThewaysinwhichareviewiswrittenframedandpresentedisaninterestingfactorwhichhasrarelybeeninvestigatedandhasimportantimplicationsparticularlygivenourfindingthattheamountofinformationinareview(wordcount)variessignificantlywiththeratingsofthereviewn
21BaSandPavlouPA(2002)EvidenceoftheEffectofTrustBuildingTechnologyinElectronicMarketsPricePremiumsandBuyerBehaviorMIS Quarterly26243-268
Cornell Hospitality Quarterlyhttpcqxsagepubcom
2011 ReportsVol11No15DesigningaSelf-HealingServiceSystemAnIntegrativeModelbyRobertCFordandMichaelCSturman
Vol11No14ReversingtheGreenBacklashWhyLargeHospitalityCompaniesShouldWelcomeCrediblyGreenCompetitorsbyMichaelGiebelhausenPhDandHaeEunHelenChunPhD
Vol11No13DevelopingaSustainabilityMeasurementFrameworkforHotelsTowardanIndustry-wideReportingStructurebyEricRicaurte
Vol11No12CreatingValueforWomenBusinessTravelersFocusingonEmotionalOutcomesbyJudiBrownellPhD
Vol11No11CustomerLoyaltyANewLookattheBenefitsofImprovingSegmentationEffortswithRewardsProgramsbyClayVoorheesPhDMichaelMcCallPhDandRogerCalantonePhD
Vol11No10CustomerPerceptionsofElectronicFoodOrderingbySherylEKimes
Vol11No92011TravelIndustryBenchmarkingStatusofSeniorDestinationandLodgingMarketingExecutivesbyRohitVermaPhDandKenMcGill
Vol11No8SearchOTAsandOnlineBookingAnExpandedAnalysisoftheBillboardEffectbyChrisAndersonPhD
Vol11No7OnlineMobileandTextFoodOrderingintheUSRestaurantIndustrybySherylEKimesPhDandPhilippFLaqueacute
Vol11No6HotelGuestsrsquoReactionstoGuestRoomSustainabilityInitiativesbyAlexSusskindPhDandRohitVermaPhD
Vol11No5TheImpactofTerrorismandEconomicShocksonUSHotelsbyCathyAEnzRenaacutetaKosovaacuteandMarkLomannoVol11No4ImplementingHumanResourceInnovationsThreeSuccessStoriesfromtheServiceIndustrybyJustinSunandKateWalshPhD
Vol11No3Compendium2011
Vol11No2PositioningaPlaceDevelopingaCompellingDestinationBrandbyRobertJKwortnikPhDandEthanHawkesMBA
Vol11No1TheImpactofHealthInsuranceonEmployeeJobAnxietyWithdrawalBehaviorsandTaskPerformancebySeanWayPhDBillCarrollPhDAlexSusskindPhDandJoeCYLeng
2011 Hospitality ToolsVol2No1TheGameHasChangedANewParadigmforStakeholderEngagementbyMaryBethMcEuen
2011 Industry PerspectivesNo7MegaTips2TwentyTestedTechniquesforIncreasingYourTipsbyMichaelLynn
2011 ProceedingsVol3No5BuildingBrandsintheInternetAgeAnalyticsLoyaltyandCommunicationbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No4BraveNewWorldOnlineHotelDistributionbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No3SocialMediaandtheHospitalityIndustryHoldingtheTigerbytheTailbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No2TheChallengeofHotelandRestaurantSustainabilityFindingProfitinldquoBeingGreenrdquobyGlennWithiam
Vol3No1CautiousOptimismCHRSExaminesHospitalityIndustryTrendsbyGlennWithiam
2010 ReportsVol10No18HowTravelersUseOnlineandSocialMediaChannelstoMakeHotel-choiceDecisionsbyLauraMcCarthyDebraStockandRohitVermaPhD
Vol10No17PublicorPrivateTheHospitalityInvestmentDecisionbyQingzhongMaPhDandAthenaWeiZhangPhD
Vol10No16BestPracticesinSearchEngineMarketingandOptimizationTheCaseoftheStJamesHotelbyGregBodenlcosVictorBogertDanGordonCarterHearneandChrisKAndersonPhD
Vol10No15TheImpactofPrix Fixe MenuPriceFormatsonGuestsrsquoDealPerceptionbyShuoWangandMichaelLynnPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
Publication Indexwwwchrcornelledu
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
No2RetaliationWhyanIncreaseinClaimsDoesNotMeantheSkyIsFallingbyDavidSherwynJDandGreggGilmanJD
2009 ToolsToolNo12MeasuringtheDiningExperienceTheCaseofVitaNovabyKeshPrasadandFredJDeMiccoPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality ResearchPublication Index
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
visit our website to apply
wwwchrcornell edu
Advisory Board
The Robert A and Jan M Beck Center at Cornell UniversityBack cover photo by permission of The Cornellian and Jeff Wang
Cornell Hospitality Reports Vol 11 No 16 (August 2011)
copy 2011 Cornell University This report may not be reproduced or distributed without the express permission of the publisher
Cornell Hospitality Report is produced for the benefit of the hospitality industry by The Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University
Rohit Verma Executive DirectorJennifer Macera Associate DirectorGlenn Withiam Director of Publications
Center for Hospitality ResearchCornell University School of Hotel Administration489 Statler HallIthaca NY 14853
Phone 607-255-9780Fax 607-254-2922wwwchrcornelledu
Niklas Andreacuteen Group Vice President Global Hospitality amp Partner Marketing Travelport GDS
Rarsquoanan Ben-Zur Chief Executive Officer French Quarter Holdings Inc
Scott Berman Principal Real Estate Business Advisory Services Industry Leader Hospitality amp Leisure PricewaterhouseCoopers
Raymond Bickson Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Taj Group of Hotels Resorts and Palaces
Stephen C Brandman Co-Owner Thompson Hotels IncRaj Chandnani Vice President Director of Strategy WATGBenjamin J ldquoPatrickrdquo Denihan Chief Executive Officer
Denihan Hospitality GroupBrian Ferguson Vice President Supply Strategy and Analysis
Expedia North AmericaChuck Floyd Chief Operating OfficerndashNorth America
HyattGregg Gilman Partner Co-Chair Employment Practices
Davis amp Gilbert LLP
Tim Gordon Senior Vice President Hotels pricelinecomSusan Helstab EVP Corporate Marketing
Four Seasons Hotels and ResortsJeffrey A Horwitz Chair Lodging + Gaming and Co-Head
Mergers + Acquisitions ProskauerKevin J Jacobs Senior Vice President Corporate Strategy amp
Treasurer Hilton WorldwideKenneth Kahn PresidentOwner LRP PublicationsKirk Kinsell President of Europe Middle East and Africa
InterContinental Hotels GroupRadhika Kulkarni PhD VP of Advanced Analytics RampD
SAS InstituteGerald Lawless Executive Chairman Jumeirah GroupMark V Lomanno CEO Smith Travel ResearchBetsy MacDonald Managing Director HVS Global Hospitality
ServicesDavid Meltzer Senior Vice President Global Business
Development Sabre Hospitality SolutionsWilliam F Minnock III Senior Vice President Global
Operations Deployment and Program Management Marriott International Inc
Mike Montanari VP Strategic Accounts Sales - Sales Management Schneider Electric North America
Shane OrsquoFlaherty President and CEO Forbes Travel GuideThomas Parham Senior Vice President and General Manager
Philips Hospitality AmericasChris Proulx CEO eCornell amp Executive EducationCarolyn D Richmond Partner Hospitality Practice Fox
Rothschild LLPSusan Robertson CAE EVP of ASAE (501(c)6) amp President of
the ASAE Foundation (501(c)3) ASAE FoundationSteve Russell Chief People Officer Senior VP Human
Resources McDonaldrsquos USAMichele Sarkisian Senior Vice President MaritzJanice L Schnabel Managing Director and Gaming Practice
Leader Marshrsquos Hospitality and Gaming PracticeTrip Schneck Managing Partner District Hospitality PartnersK Vijayaraghavan Chief Executive Sathguru Management
Consultants (P) LtdAdam Weissenberg Vice Chairman and US Tourism
Hospitality amp Leisure Leader Deloitte amp Touche USA LLP
FriendsBerkshire Healthcare bull Center for Advanced Retail Technology bull Cruise Industry News bull DK Shifflet amp Associates bull ehoteliercom bull EyeforTravel bull 4Hotelierscom bull Gerencia de Hoteles amp Restaurantes bull Global Hospitality Resources bull Hospitality Financial and Technological Professionals bull hospitalityInsidecom bull hospitalitynetorg bull Hospitality Technology Magazine bull HotelExecutivecom bull International CHRIE bull International Hotel Conference bull International Society of Hospitality Consultants bull iPerceptions bull JDA Software Group Inc bull JD Power and Associates bull The Lodging Conference bull Lodging Hospitality bull Lodging Magazine bull LRA Worldwide Inc bull Milestone Internet Marketing bull MindFolio bull Mindshare Technologies bull PhoCusWright Inc bull PKF Hospitality Research bull Resort and Recreation Magazine bull The Resort Trades bull RestaurantEdgecom bull Shibata Publishing Co bull Synovate bull The TravelCom Network bull Travel + Hospitality Group bull UniFocus bull USA Today bull WageWatch Inc bull The Wall Street Journal bull WIWIHCOM bull Wyndham Worldwide
Thank you to our generous Corporate Members
PartnersDavis amp Gilbert LLP Deloitte amp Touche USA LLPDenihan Hospitality GroupeCornell amp Executive EducationExpedia Inc Forbes Travel GuideFour Seasons Hotels and Resorts Fox Rothschild LLP French Quarter Holdings Inc HVS Hyatt InterContinental Hotels Group Jumeirah GroupLRP PublicationsMarriott International IncMarshrsquos Hospitality Practice MaritzpricelinecomPricewaterhouseCoopersProskauer Sabre Hospitality SolutionsSathguru Management Consultants (P) Ltd Schneider Electric Thayer Lodging Group Thompson HotelsTravelportWATG
Senior PartnersASAE FoundationCarlson HotelsHilton WorldwideMcDonaldrsquos USAPhilips HospitalitySASSTRTaj Hotels Resorts and Palaces
4 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
AbouT The AuThors
UnscramblingthePuzzlingMatterofOnlineConsumerRatings
An Exploratory AnalysisbyPradeepRacherlaDanielConnolly
andNatasaChristodoulidou
Pradeep racherla PhD is an assistant professor of marketing at the College of Business West Texas AampM University (pracherlawtamuedu ) He earned a PhD in business administration from the Fox School of
Business Temple University His research interests include consumer generated media healthcare marketing social networks knowledge management and collaborative systems He has written several research papers
and technical reports that have been published or forthcoming in prestigious journals such as Journal of Consumer Behavior Journal of Marketing amp Management Journal of Management Information Systems
Annals of Tourism Research and Cornell Hospitality Quarterly He has presented at numerous conferences both nationally and internationally
Daniel J Connolly PhD is an associate professor of information technology at the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver with a dual appointment in the School of Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Management and in the Department of Information Technology and Electronic Commerce He also serves as director of undergraduate programs His teaching research and consulting interests focus on the strategic application of information technology and electronic commerce He has written or co-authored numerous publications including articles that have appeared in the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly the FIU Hospitality Review Information Technology in Hospitality and Journal of Hospitality and Leisure Marketing His book Technology Strategies for the Hospitality Industry (Pearson Prentice Hall 2005) is the industryrsquos first book on technology strategy
Natasa Christodoulidou PhD is a faculty member in the management and marketing department at California State University where she teaches internet marketing and other related marketing courses at the
undergraduate and MBA level Her research interests are in the areas of hospitality technology travel and tourism electronic commerce hospitality electronic distribution and electronic marketing She is a member of
the Decision Sciences Institute and the Western Decision Sciences Institute She has published more than 20 articles in the past five years in academic and professional journals She presents regularly at academic and
professional conferences around the world such as Eye for Travel FSTEC DSI and WDSI Among her speaking engagements this year are Las Vegas Hawaii France and Singapore
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 5
exeCuTive suMMAry
Thisstudyexploresthepatternsofonlinereviewsofvacationhomesfromacommunity-basedtraveladvisorywebsitewithagoalofunderstandingthebiasesinherentinonlinewordofmouth(WOM)relatedtotourismandhospitalityservicesAnanalysisofnearly3200reviewsfrom
ldquoReviewsitecomrdquo(apseudonym)whichpostsreviewsofvacationrentalpropertiesacrosstheUSAfindsanoverwhelmingpreponderanceof favorable reviewsMore to thepoint relatively few
ldquomoderaterdquoreviewsarepostedandthesecond-highestcategoryisextremelynegativecommentsUsingsemanticprocessingtechniquesontheaggregatereviewtextthestudyidentifiesthenuancedopinionsandconcernsofthetravelerswhowritereviewsNegativereviewstendtobelengthyandargumentativeoftendetailingdisappointmentoverexpectationsnotmetPositivereviewsontheotherhandtendtoberelativelybriefandconfirmtheoverallratingConsumerswhowroteldquohighrdquoreviewsplacedgreaterimportanceonvalueformoneycleanlinessandcomfortthandidthosewhowrotenegativereviewsThosewhowroteldquolowrdquoreviewsplacedtheiremphasisontheserviceprovidedbythepropertystaffandmanagementNegativereviewsweremorelikelytoinvolveahigherpriceaccommodationThisanalysisindicates that the overall numerical ratings typically used in review systems may not be the idealindicator of perceived service quality The results suggest that review sites should develop bettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishthereviewcontentsparticularlythenumericalratingsThisandotherreviewsitesshowtheaverageofallthepoint-scaleratingsbutsuchsimplemeansdonottakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsInsteadthesitesshouldprovidemore information and heuristics to help the consumers navigate through the clutter and get theinformationtheydesire
6 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
CorNell hosPiTAliTy rePorT
Giventhatconsumersareincreasinglyrelyingonsearchenginestoacquireinformationabout hotels restaurants and travel purveyors (among many other services)consumer-generated online reviews will inevitably change the structure andaccessibilityofinformationalongwithconsumersrsquoperceptionsofvariousservices
ThepopularityofonlinereviewshasledtoaproliferationofonlinereviewsitesincludingpopularsitessuchasHotelscomTripadvisorcomandYelpcomArecentstudybyForresterIncfoundthatmorethan80percentofwebshoppersreadandconsiderotherconsumersrsquoreviews1SimilarlyCompeteIncfoundthatnearly50percentofpurchasersvisitedamessageboardforumoronlinecommunityforinformationconnectedwiththeironlinetravelpurchasingandoneinthreeofthesebuyerssaidthatconsumer reviews helped with their purchase decision2 Almost half of these consumers said thatconsumersrsquoopinionsactuallycausedthemtochangetheirmindaboutwhattheypurchasedMoreoveramongthosebuyers25percentsaidtheyalsopostedareviewonaconsumerreviewsiteaftermakingtheirpurchase
1ForresterldquoFortyFactsaboutUSOnlineShoppersrdquoForresterInc20062CompeteldquoEmbracingConsumerBuzzCreatesMeasurementChallengesforMarketersrdquoCompeteInc2006
UnscramblingthePuzzlingMatterofOnlineConsumerRatings
An Exploratory Analysis
byPradeepRacherlaDanielConnollyandNatasaChristodoulidou
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 7
Howevertheexistingunderstandingofonlinetourism-relatedreviewsisrelativelyweakeventhoughweknowthatwordofmouth(WOM)ismoreimportantandinfluentialwithinaservicescontextthaninproductmarketingscenariosRecentlysomestudieshaveexploredtourism-andhospital-ity-relatedonlineWOM3Yetresearchhassofaroverlookedcertaininterestingaspectsofonlinereviewsasfollows
Onlinereviewstypicallyuseldquooverallstarratingsrdquoaspri-maryindicatorsofperceivedservicequalitymdashratingsthatarenotrelatedinanywaytotheformalstardesignationsawardedbyForbesorMichelinConsumersrsquomeanstarratingsaretypi-callyaggregatedfromtheratingsgivenbyindividualconsum-ersineachreviewWhatwedonrsquotknowishowconsumersdeterminethestarstheyassigntoaservicewhentheypostareviewonawebsiteThatisdostarratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquosentimentsregardingvariousattributesofserviceprovidersThisisavitalissuegiventheexperientialandin-tangiblenatureoftravelservicesandthefactthatconsumersusetheoverallratingasanimportantheuristicwhilenarrow-ingdownchoices
FurtherstudieshaveoverlookedtherelationshipbetweenthereviewsandvariousattributesofservicesandserviceprovidersSinceonlinereviewsareaformofWOMvariablessuchasconsumerinvolvementpricingandlengthofstaymayhaveanimpactonthefinalratingandpostingofthereviewprovidedbyconsumersItisimportanttouncovertheserelationshipstobetterunderstandthedynamicsofonlinereviews
FewstudieshaveanalyzedthequalitativeaspectofonlinereviewsOnlinereviewsareessentiallyopen-endedtext-basedconsumer-to-consumer(c2c)communicationsThetextcontentmaycontainnuancedviewsoftheservicesandserviceproviders(fromthereviewwritersrsquopointofview)thatcannotbeexpressedusingcrudenumericalratings4Hencethereisaneedtoanalyzethetextportionofthereviewsandidentifytheissuesthatconsumersaremostlyconcernedwithwhenwritingandpostingonlinerelatedreviews
WeaddresstheabovepointsinthisstudyThefollowingquestionsguidedus
3KHYooandUGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp TourismVol10(2008)pp283-295andZXiangandUGretzelldquoRoleofSocialMediainOnlineTravelInformationSearchrdquoTourism Management20094AGhoseandPGIpeirotisldquoEstimatingtheSocio-economicImpactofProductReviewsMiningTextandReviewerCharacteristicsrdquoInformation Systems Research2008
1 Dooverallratingsreflecttheperceivedqualityoftheserviceproviders(asderivedfromtheconsumersrsquoexpressedsentimentinthereviews)Whataretheunderlyingpatternsoftheoverallratingsinonlinereviews
2 Whatarethelinkagesamongthevariousattributesoftheserviceprovidersandcustomerreviewsand
3 WhataretheissuesthatconsumersmostlytalkaboutinthetextportionofonlinereviewsDotheseis-suesdifferfromtheratingsthattheconsumershaveprovidedviathestandardvariablesprovidedbythereviewsites
ResearchSettingandDataCollectionThisstudyisbasedonreviewscollectedfromldquoReviewsitecomrdquoaswehavecalledthecommunity-driventravelsitethatweanalyzedThesiteprovidesreviewsofverifiedrentalpropertiesandorganizesthereputationofvacationpropertiesThepropertylistingwithinthesiteisbasednotontherevenuesharingmodelthatisgenerallypracticedbyotherreviewsitesbutonthereputationtrustandfeedbackfromcustomerswhohavestayedatthevacationrentalpropertiesReviewsitecomisafreeservicethatoperatesonserviceproviderfeesandadvertisingrevenuesUn-likesometravelreviewsitesthefirmrsquosreviewsolicitationstrategyistosendpersonalizedinvitationsonlytothosecustomerswhosestayhasbeenverifiedbythepropertymanagementThesitersquosmanagementbelievesthatthisstrategytoalargeextenteliminatesfakereviews
Thefirmprovideduswith3300reviewsforanalysisAfterinitialdatacleanupabout100reviewswithincom-pleteorunusableinformationwereeliminatedand3197reviewswereusedfortheanalysisThereviewscontainedthefollowingattributesbull Theoverallratingassignedtotheserviceprovider
basedontheaggregationoftheratingsassignedbyindividualreviewers
bull Consumersrsquoratingsonthefollowingsixattributesvaluecleanlinesscomfortservicelocationandcheck-in
bull Thereviewtext(Semanticprocessingtechniqueswereappliedontheaggregatereviewtexttoidentifythenuancedopinionsandconcernsofthetravelerswhowrotereviews)
8 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
bull Agerangeoftherevieweronan1-4ordinalscale(25-3435-4445-54and55andabove)
bull Averagepriceperdayand
bull Wordcount(usedinthequantitativeanalysis)
PreliminaryHypothesesandResultsTheagegroupsofthereviewwritersareshowninExhibit1Alargepercentageofthecustomerswhoreviewedthepropertiesfallunder44yearsofageThisisconsistentwithpreviousstudiesinthisrealmwhichshowthatgenerationXandGenerationYaremoreactiveintheWOMforums
ReviewRatingDistribution Websitesthathostonlinereviewsgiveconsumerstheoptiontoassignaratingtotheserviceproviderstypicallyonascaleof1to5or1to7Manysitesaggregatethesenumeri-calorstarratingstodetermineanoverall(mean)starratingWeseethisoverallratingasanimportantelementinonlineWOMsinceconsumersoftenusethisratingtonarrowdowntheirconsiderationsetStudiesthathaveusedtheratingastheprimarypredictoroftheserviceprovidersrsquoperceivedqualityorcustomersatisfactiontodeterminetheimpactofonlinereviewsonproductsaleshavearrivedatmixedfind-ings5Howeverthesestudiesarebasedonthefundamentalassumptionthatthenumericalratingsassignedtoservice
5ForexampleseeJChevalierandDMayzlinldquoTheEffectofWordofMouthOnlineOnlineBookReviewsrdquoJournal of Marketing ResearchVol43(2006)pp345-354andWDuanBGuandABWhinstonldquoDoOnlineReviewsMattermdashAnEmpiricalInvestigationofPanelDatardquoDecision Support SystemsVol45(2008)pp1007-1016
providersareanaccurateestimateofthequalityperceivedbythecustomerThispracticefollowsthebasicassumptionofbehavioraltheoriststhatanydatasetwithalargenumberofconsumerresponsestendstofollowanormal(Gaussian)distributionRecentstudieshavequestionedthisassump-tionForinstanceDellaracosandNarayanrsquosstudyonmoviereviewsinYahoocomfoundthatonlytheextremelysatisfiedandextremelydissatisfiedcustomersarelikelytopubliclyexpresstheiropinionsascomparedtocustomerswithmod-erateopinions6SimilarlystudiesusingdatafromTripadvi-sorcomandAmazoncomfoundthatthestarratingsexhibitatruncateddistributioninwhichthemajorityofreviewsarepositive7
TotestthisassumptionweranasimplefrequencychartasshowninExhibit2Inkeepingwithotherstudiesthedistributionisheavilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratings1-pointreviews32(1)2-pointreviews95(3)3-pointreviews458(14)4-pointreviews688(22)and5-pointreviews1912(60)Totestfortherobustnessofthisdistri-butionweappliedtheKolmogorov-Smirnovtestofnormal-ityTheresultsconfirmthenon-normaldistributionofthestarratingsandtheheavyskewtowardspositivereviews
Threeexplanationsarepossibleforsuchadistribution
6CDellarocasandRNarayanldquoAStatisticalMeasureofaPopulationrsquosPropensitytoEngageinPost-purchaseOnlineWord-of-mouthrdquoStatisti-cal ScienceVol21(2006)pp2777ATalwarandRFBoiJurcaUnderstandingUserBehaviorinOnlineFeedbackReportingrdquoinElectronic CommerceSanDiegoCalifornia(2007)pp134-142
Exhibit 1
Distribution of age ranges
Exhibit 2
Distribution of overall ldquostar ratingsrdquo
55 and above 45ndash54
years
35ndash44 years
18ndash34 years
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
Num
ber o
f rev
iew
s
3295
458 688
1912
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 9
1 AmajorityofthepropertiesthatarelistedonthewebsitehaveoutstandingperceivedqualityandprovidesatisfactoryservicestocustomersWhilethisistheo-reticallypossibleitseemsunlikelywhenappliedtoallthepropertieslistedonthewebsite8
2 ThereviewsdonotconstituteatrulyrepresentativesampleofconsumeropinionBasedonotherstud-iesthisexplanationseemsplausibleConsumerswithmoderateviewsmayseelittleincentivetoreporttheirviewsinanonlineforumandasaconsequenceonlythoseconsumerswhohavepolarizedviewsarelikelytoposttheircomments
3 ThedistributioncouldalsobeanartifactofthefirmrsquosreviewsolicitingstrategyRecentstudiessupportthisideabysuggestingthatcustomersengageinsociallydesirablebehavioreveninimpersonalinteractionswiththeserviceproviders9Inthiscaseitmaybethattheywillprovideareasonablypositiverevieweveniftheexperiencehasnotbeenuptothemark
StarRatingsandPerceivedServiceQualityLetrsquosreturntothefirstquestionweaskedattheoutsetArestarratingsatruerepresentationofserviceprovid-ersrsquoperceivedqualityasreflectedbytheconsumersrsquostatedsentimentsThisbecomesanimportantquestionfortwo
8AKadetldquoRah-RahRatingsOnlinerdquoSmartMoney20079YGreacutegoireandRJFisherldquoCustomerBetrayalandRetaliationWhenYourBestCustomersbecomeYourWorstEnemiesrdquoJournal of the Acad-emy of Marketing ScienceVol36(2008)pp247-261
reasons(a) ratingsaretheprimaryevidencethatconsum-ersconsiderwhileshoppingonlineforinformationand(b)thetruncatednatureofratingdistributionsmeansthatthereviewsavailablemaynottrulyrepresentconsumeropinionortheserviceprovidersrsquoperceivedqualityIfonlythosewithextremeviewspostreviewsthenconsumersshouldalwayslookforserviceprovidersthathavea5-starratingOnthecontraryifthereviewsaccuratelyreflectallconsumersrsquoviewsthenconsumersarebetteroffsearchingforreviewswitha3ratingsincethesetendtobemorebalancedandenablebetterproductanalysisRecentlyHu et aluseddatafromAmazoncomshowthatnumericalscoresdonotreflectbooksrsquotrueperceivedquality10AstheysuggestldquohellipratherthescorereflectsthebalanceofdiverseopinionsInotherwordswhenabookrsquosoverallscoreisaround3itdoesnotsuggestthatconsumersgenerallyagreethatthisisanaver-agebookItrathersuggeststhatroughlyequalnumberofconsumersthinkthatthebookiseitheranoutstandingbookoranabysmalbookrdquo
Totestthisassertionweappliedaregressionequationwithsixpropertyattributes(ievalueformoneycheck-inlocationcleanlinesscomfortandservice)asindependentvariablesandstarratingasthedependentvariableThisanalysisisbasedontheassumptionthatforagivenpropertyifstarratingstrulyrepresenttheperceivedqualityoftheproperties(aswellastheconsumersrsquosentiment)thenthestarratingsandratingsofthesixotherpropertyattributes
10NHuJZhangandPAPavlouOvercomingtheJ-shapedDistribu-tionofProductReviewsrdquoCommunications of the ACMVol52(2009)pp144-147
low reviews t-value high reviews t-value(Constant) 1618 18353 2400 34186vAlue 0254 13726 0378 8767CheCKiN -0083 -3701 -0053 -1192loCATioN 0104 6132 0079 2117CleAN 0144 7574 0112 2808CoMForT 0267 13993 0129 3088serviCe 0098 4209 0107 2401r2 0331 0338F-statistic 5038 24714
Exhibit 3
regression analysis of ldquolowrdquo and ldquohighrdquo reviews
Notes Coefficients (t-statistics reported) Significance is as follows significant at 0001 level significant at 05 level significant at 010 level Dependent variable is overall rating
10 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
moderateratingsonalltheattributesbutwasstillwillingtoprovideahighoverallstarratingtothepropertyThisexamplesuggeststhatconsumersplacesignificantemphasisontheoverallexperientialvalueprovidedbythepropertiesThisexpectationofvalueismanytimesintangibleanddoesnotnecessarilydependonthefunctioningorratingoftheindividualfeaturesoftheproperty
RelationshipbetweenRatingsandReviewAttributesTounderstandconsumersrsquoword-of-mouthbehavioritisimportanttoconsidervariousfactorssuchasperceivedexpectationsofcostsandbenefitsimportanceofthepur-chase(involvement)personalcharacteristicsandsituationalinfluencesWeconsidertwofactorsthatareknowntoaffecttheintensityandvalence(positiveornegative)ofwordofmouthpriceandwordcount
PricePriceisanimportantfactorthatcontributestopre-purchaseexpectationsTheintensityofexpectations(andtheirfulfillment)partlydrivenbypriceisdirectlypropor-tionaltoconsumersrsquosatisfactionlevelsandWOMpropensityThismaybethereasonthatthetendencytocomplainisdirectlyrelatedtothecostoftheservice11Themoreexpen-siveanitemthegreaterwillbetheperceivedlossesandthegreaterlikelihoodthatdissatisfactionwillresultinacom-plaintSimilarlythelikelihoodofword-of-mouthbeingtrig-geredbythelevelofexpectationndashdisconfirmationincreases
11BeardenWOandTeelJE(1983)Selecteddeterminantsofcon-sumersatisfactionandcomplaintreportsJournal of Marketing Research 2021-28
willshowahighcorrelationFortheanalysiswetookintoconsiderationthefactmostreviewsarepositive(ie4-and5-pointratings)Thereforewedividedthereviewsintotwocategorieshighreviews(starratingabove3n=2597)andlowreviews(ratingsbeloworequalto3n=600)andranseparateregressionanalysesonthesetwogroupsasshowninExhibit3
AninterestingfindingistheweakrelationshipbetweentheattributeratingsandoverallstarratingforeachpropertyTheR-squareoftheregressionequationwithallsixvariablesandtheoverallstarratingsislessthan40percentThatiseveniftheconsumersprovidedhigherratingsonindividualattributestheiroverallratingwasusuallylowandthere-versewasalsotrueThistrendisobservedinboththehighandlowreviewgroups
TheanalysissuggeststhatinhighreviewsconsumersplacedgreaterimportanceonvalueformoneycleanlinessandcomfortThehighertheratingsofaconsumerontheseattributesthehigheristhelikelihoodthattheconsumerwillprovideahigherstarratingCheck-inlocationandservicedidnotprominentlyfigureintheiroverallevalu-ationsofthepropertieseventhoughtheseattributeswereratedhigh
ThelowreviewsshowsimilarresultsinthesensethattheloweraconsumerratesvaluecleanlinessandcomfortthelowerthelikelihoodofapositiveratingInadditioninthecaseoflowreviewsconsumersplacedemphasisontheserviceprovidedbythepropertystaffandmanagement
TheaboveresultisillustratedinoneoftheldquohighrdquoreviewsshowninExhibit4Thereviewergavelowto
star rating Text Commentary
This was our 1st time renting a house vs a condo This house was great If you wanted to spend a little time by yourself you could so many rooms to go to The house was so comfortable like being at home It was our home for the week Thank you Hope to rent it next year if we havent bought one ourselves
ratings for specific Attributes
value Check-in location Clean Comfort service
3 2 3 2 4 3
Exhibit 4
example of a ldquohighrdquo review
Avg rating for Property Attributes
30
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 11
withthecostoftheproduct12Giventhegreaterperceivedriskinservicescustomerswouldseekmoretrustworthyser-viceproviderswithagoodreputationofsatisfyingcustomerneeds13ThisinturnincreasestheexpectationsandleadstomoreextremereactionsfromtheconsumersHenceonecanspeculatethatthehigherthepriceshigherwillbetheaver-agenegativeorpositiveratingsforaservice
Word countThenumberofwordsinareviewmayserveasaproxyfortheamountofinformationinthereviewsHowevertheevidenceonthisaspectofWOMofalltypesisequivocalForinstanceconsumersgenerallyengageinpositiveWOMtoavoidfeelingsofguiltandas-sociationwithbadnewsandtoreducecognitivedissonanceOntheotherhandacustomerwhoishighlydisappointedwillprovideapersuasiveargumenttomakesurethatothercustomersaredissuadedfromrentingthesamepropertyResearchonconventionalwordofmouthhasofferedampleevidencetosuggestthatdissatisfiedcustomersengageintwotothreetimesasmuchWOMassatisfiedcustomers14Webelievethatthislogicextendstoonlinereviewsdespitethefactthatexistingstudiesareequivocalatbest15Thereforeitcanbeassumedthatreviewswitheitherextremelypositiveorextremelynegativeratingswillhavegreaterwordcountasopposedtomoremoderatereviews
TotesttheseassumptionsweappliedANOVAwithpriceandwordcountasdependentvariablesandthereviewratingasfactorsAsillustratedinExhibits5and6theresultsshowthatpriceandwordcountshowasignificantnegativecorrelationwithstarratingThatisreviewswithlowerratingsaretypicallyassociatedwithgreaterwordcountandrepresentpropertiesthatchargehighrates
TheresultonthewordcountsuggeststhatconsumerswhoareunhappywitharentalpropertytendtowritemoretoexpresstheirdissatisfactionAsshowninthisexhibitlowerratingsareassociatedwithhighernumberofwordsinthereviewsandviceversaSimilarlypropertypriceseemstobestronglyassociatedwithnegativewordofmouthsup-portingtheprinciplethathighercostincreasestheconsum-ersrsquoinvolvementinthepurchase
12BeardenWOandMasonJB(1984)AninvestigationofinfluencesonconsumercomplaintreportsAdvancesinConsumerResearch11490-49513WetzerIMZeelenbergMandPietersR(2007)ldquoNevereatinthatrestaurantIdidrdquoExploringwhypeopleengageinnegativeword-of-mouthcommunicationPsychology and Marketing24661-68014SchlossbergH(1991)CustomersatisfactionNotafadbutawayoflifeMarketing News25andWestbrookR(1987)ProductConsump-tion-basedAffectiveResponsesandPost-purchaseProcessesJournal of Marketing Research 24258-27015AlexMSusskindldquoIToldYouSoRestaurantCustomersrsquoofWord-of-MouthCommunicationPatternsrdquoCornell Hotel and Restaurant Adminis-tration QuarterlyVol43No2(April2002)pp75-85
Exhibit 5
Differences in word count across star ratings
Exhibit 6
Differences in average price per day across ratings
Aver
age
pric
e pe
r day
of t
he re
ntal
pro
pert
y
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
1504
1563
1804
19861987
Aver
age
wor
d co
unt o
f rev
iew
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
836837
121
15751543
160
140
120
100
80
200
190
180
170
160
150
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
12 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
thereviewersThesecanbeclassifiedas(a)attributesorfea-turesofthepropertythatfigureprominentlyandcontributetothepositiveornegativeratings(egroomsbeddishesfurnitureorservice)and(b)thepositiveornegativewordsthatrepresentthesentimentofthereviewer(eggreatamazingdirtyandwonderful)Theresultsofthequalitativeanalysisareasfollows
Syntactic featuresTheoveralltoneofthelowreviewsisratherargumentativeThereviewerstendtobeforcefulinpresentingtheirpointofviewTheylayoutagreatamountofreasoningandprovidespecificexamplestodrivehometheirargumentThisisreflectedinthegreaterpercentageofnegativeconnectorwords(34)suchasbut however as ifandeven thoughItisinterestingtonotethatreviewersinthiscategoryspeakdirectlytotheotherconsumersnotablythroughgreateruseofwordssuchasyou(46)andlooktoinfluencetheirdecisionmaking
InthehighreviewsbycontrasttheoveralltonetendstobeenunciativeandthereviewersusethetexttomerelyreinforcetheirnumericalratingsusingfewerwordsonaveragethanthenegativereviewersInthesereviewstheconsumersfocusontheirpersonalexperiencesandappealtotheaudiencethroughemotionsratherthanlogicandreasoningasevidentfromgreateruseofpositiveadjectives
QualitativeAnalysisoftheReviewTextTheaboveanalysisemphasizestheimportanceofthetextcontentinconsumerreviewsWhilenumericalratingsallowthereviewerstoratetheserviceprovideronvariousattributesitisthetextthatprovidesthemwiththeopportu-nitytoarticulatethenuancesoftheiroverallexperienceandconveyusefulinformationaboutaserviceproviderrsquostransac-tionsandservicecapabilitiesThereforesemanticanalysisofthetextcontentprovidesuswithanopportunitytothethirdquestionpresentedattheoutsetofthisreportwhatdoconsumerstalkaboutintheirreviews
Tothisendweanalyzed600eachofrandomlyselectedhighandlowreviewsusingsemanticprocessingtechniquesWeusedcenteringresonanceanalysis(CRA)amodeofnet-work-basedtextanalysisthatrepresentsthecontentoflargesetsoftextsbyidentifyingthemostimportantwordsthatlinkotherwordsinthenetwork16OuranalysisexaminedsyntacticandsemanticfeaturesSyntacticfeaturesincludethepercentageofthewordsthatareopenclass(ienounsverbsadjectives)Semanticfeaturesrepresentthespecial-izedvocabularythatreflectstheoverallopinionexpressedby
16CormanSandDooleyK(2006)CrawdadTextAnalysisSystem12CrawdadTechnologiesLLCChandlerAZ
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Comments
bedroom beds linen sheets 383
Also the same bedroom and bathroom did not have any door separating the bedroom from the bathroom no privacy
Sleeping arrangements were very awkward The listing sheet described 2 full beds We brought our own linens the beds were queen sized Had to purchase sheet
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 297
You must not forget to step up when yoursquore walking out of the kitchen into the dining room otherwise yoursquoll trip over the 3-foot step up
No potholders in the kitchen and it didnrsquot seem like there were as many kitchen supplies as before We just had to make do without
beach beaches beachfront 296
The week was the best vacation we have ever had as a family The beach house was a class act
Disappointment 1 It looks like this house is very close to beach but to get there you have to go around through public path
Pool Poolside 218
The pool was too dirty to use We checked in on Thursday and the pool was not cleaned until Saturday
Also it is inconvenient to have to call to get someone to open the pool Didnrsquot understand why Jacuzzi was open and not the pool
bathroom(s) bath bathtub shower 202
The next problem was in another bathroom (main floor)mdashthe wall heater did not work so showering in here was a bit chilly The next problem was in the ldquomasterrdquo bathroom (connected to the bedroom with the King bed) The sliding shower doors need to be totally replaced
Bathtub drains clogged in three second floor bathrooms
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in low reviews
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 13
suchasgreat fantastic andawesome(45)andpersonalpronounssuchasweandI(54)
Semantic featuresExhibits7and8showthemainissuesoraspectsthatareprominentlydiscussedinthelowreviewsTheorderoftheseissuesisbasedonthestatisti-callysignificantfrequencyoftheiroccurrenceinthe1200reviews
WefurtherinvestigatedtheuseofvarioussentimentwordsInterestinglytheprominentissuesdiscussedinthepositivereviewssometimesdonotevenfigureintheratingscalesprovidedtothereviewersOveralltheresultsofthesemanticanalysiscanbesummarizedasfollows
Thepropertyanditsfeaturesaremorecommonlycon-nectedwithextremelypositivesentimentwordssuchasgreat wonderfulandamazinginthehighreviewsthaninthelowreviewsIncomparisonthepropertiesandtheirfea-turesinthelowreviewsaremorelikelytobecharacterizedwithmoderatelypositivewordssuchasniceandokay
Negativereviewsreflecttheextentofexpectationndashdis-confirmationthattheconsumersfaceduringtheirstayintherentalpropertyThesereviewshaveagreaterproportionofwordsexpressingdisappointment(egnotasexpected)Furtherextremelynegativesentimentwords(egdiscom-fortfilthy)andadjectivesaremorelikelytobeassociatedwithfeaturesinlowreviewsthaninhighreviews
Almost40percentoftheconsumerswhowrotehighreviewsexpresstheirwillingnesstoreturntothepropertyasopposedtoonly9percentofthosewritingnegativereviewsFurthermorethan20percentoftheconsumersgivinghighreviewsexpresstheirstrongdesiretorecommendtheprop-ertytotheirfriendsandfamilymembersasopposedtoonly5percentinlowreviews
ReviewofFindingsOurexploratorystudyofconsumerreviewsofUSvacationhomesonReviewsitecomwashighlightedbyoverwhelm-inglypositivereviews
Theoveralldistributionofthereviewswasheav-ilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratingsMorecriticallythisfindingsuggeststhatthereisalackofmoderateandbalancedopinionsWetheorizethatthisiseitherduetopurchasingbias(sincecustomerswentthroughthetroubleofpurchasingandexperiencingthefacilitiestheytendtobepositivelybiasedtowardstheirpurchase)orunder-reportingbias(customersdonothavestrongenoughincentivestotakethetroubleofreportingtheiropinionsandthefewmotivatedindividualswhoprovidetheirreviewsbecomeaself-selectedsample)
Theoverall(mean)starratingtypicallyusedintravelerreviewsitesisprobablynotthemostaccurateindicatorofcustomersrsquoperceptionsofserviceprovidersrsquoqualityWe
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Commentsbeach beaches beachfront 506 Perfect rental property for those who enjoy the activity of the beach and the serenity
of the Sound The house is just down the road from ocean
The large porch offered a beautiful view of the beach and comfortable new rocking chairs
Pool Poolside 218 The outdoor shower dipping pool and screen in porch were an added bonus Perfect house for a low key weekend
House was great for kids Pool was terrific and the playroom was perfectlocation 192 We had a wonderful time My wife loves fishing and the cottage was in a perfect
location to go fishing on the pier
The home is somewhat dated but the location was great We have vacationed in the Chatham area for many summers and this time it was great too
bedroom beds 186 The family suite is huge with a king size and twin bed and still room for a pack-n-play The kitchen and dining room were huge clean and nice
The only comments that I would say to the negative is the front bed room by the front door always seemed damp which seem to attract more bugs
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 178 All of the amenities in the house are upscalemdashloved the kitchen and plasma TVs
The kitchen had good basic utensils dishes and cooking pans
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in high reviews
14 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
foundacorrelationbetweenthestarratingandratingsonotherpropertyattributesoflessthan40percentinmostcases
AhighwordcountinthereviewsiscorrelatedwithalowoverallratingThatisconsumerswhoareextremelydissatisfiedtendtoexpendmoretimeandenergyontheircritiqueofthepropertyitsamenitiesandservicesPriceofthepropertyalsoseemstopositivelycorrelatewithextremenegativereviewsperhapsbecauseahighpriceheightenstravelersrsquoexpectations
Numericalratingsdonotoftencapturetheactualsentimentandthevarietyofdimensionsonwhichtravel-ersevaluatepropertiesBecausenumericalratingsdonotcapturereviewersrsquoopinionsaboutspecificattributestheycanbedeceivingandmaynotrevealthetruequalityofthepropertyortheactualintentionofthereviewerWefoundforinstancethatconsumersvaluelocation(egclosenesstothebeach)andcleanliness(egswimmingpoolareas)morethansuchfeaturesascheck-inandserviceSimilarlyinthenegativereviewsissuessuchaslackofbedroomparapher-naliaorkitchenitemsseemtoberankedhigherinimpor-tancethanissuessuchaslocationandcheck-inThereforeevenwhenapropertyscoreshighonthecertaindimensionstheoverallratingmayremainlowbecauseotherfactorsovershadowthefavorableaspects
WhatItMeansforManagersWeseeimplicationsforonlinereviewsitesandbyexten-sionforproprietorsofvacationhomesandserviceopera-tionsgenerallyWithregardtothereviewsitesifconsumersconsistentlydetectafavorablebiasthereviewsitesmaylosethecriticalaspectsofcredibilityandtrustAlthoughconsumersaregenerallysmartandrationalandcanworkaroundobviousbiasesrecentevidencesuggeststhatcon-sumersaregraduallydefectingfromsomeonlinesitesduetounbalancedreviews17InthisregardsiteadministratorsaswellaspropertymanagersshouldtakestepstoattractthoseconsumerswhoarewillingtoprovideareasonablybalancedanalysisoftheamenitiesandservicesBythiswemeanreviewsthatpresentcomprehensiveandobjectiveanalysisoftheserviceproviderratherthanjustravesorrants
Tothatendsiteoperatorsshouldtakestepstoun-derstandcustomersrsquoreviewwritingbehaviorandtoat-tractmorebalancedreviewsOnewaytodothisistogivepersonalizedinformationtotheconsumerdemonstratingthecontributionmadebyhisorherreviewandthevalueofthereviewtostakeholdersForinstanceLinget alfoundapositivecorrelationbetweenwillingnesstowritereviewsandtheconsumersrsquoperceptionthattheircontributionswouldbeuniqueandhelpfultoothercustomersaswellasperusedby
17HarteveldtHHJohnsonCStarkEandGeldernKV(2009)Us-ingDigitalChannelsToCalmTheAngryTravelerForresterResearch
theserviceproviders18Simplyputthepropensitytowritereviewsincreaseswhentheconsumersfeelthattheirreviewisactuallyhelpingothers(boththeserviceproviderandotherconsumers)
WesuggestthatreviewsitesdevelopbettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishspecificreviewcommentsaswellasnumericalratingsFirstmanagersshouldtakeintoconsiderationthelowcorrelationbetweentheoverallratingsandconsumersrsquoassessmentsofvariouspropertyattributes(aswellastheresultsfromthetextanalysis)Theimplicationofsuchaweakcorrelationisthatreviewsitesneedtoexpandonthelistofpossiblevariablessothattheratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquoneedsandexpectationsregardingserviceproviders
Furthersitemanagersmayhavetorethinkthecurrentpracticeofaveragingalltheratingsforagivenpropertybe-causesuchameanratingfailstotakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsAsanexamplethisstudyfindssignificantunder-reportingbiasinthisonlinereviewsiteAcustomerrsquosdecisiontonotpostonlinereviewsmaymeanthelossofimportantinformationthatcanassisttheusersofthesitestomakemorereliableinferencesThemajorityoftodayrsquosfeedbackmechanismsdonotpubliclydisclosethenumberofsilenttransactions(ietransactionsforwhichnofeedbackwaspostedbycustomers)Suchinfor-mationshouldbecomeapartofaserviceproviderrsquosonlineprofileonratingsitesandotherfeedbackmechanismsItisimportanttoprovidemoreinformationandheuristicstohelptheconsumersnavigatethroughtheclutterandgettheinformationtheywantandseek
Itisimportanttoapplymodernsemanticanalysisandsentimentclassificationtechniquestostudythecontentofthereviewsandidentifyvariousdimensionsonwhichcon-sumersevaluatevacationhomesThedetailsprovidedinthereviewtextareinmanywaysabetterreflectionofcustomersatisfactionServiceproviderscanbetterpositionthemselvesusingthedimensionsuncoveredthroughtextanalysisandtargettheneedsandpreferencesoftheircustomers
TheresultsinthisstudyshowthatnegativereviewsaretypicallyassociatedwithagreaterwordcountthanpositivereviewsItisusefultofocusspecificallyonthesenegativereviewsbecausetheycanrevealpatternsofdeficienciesintheservicestandardsanddeliveryThesereviewsshouldbetreatedthesameascustomercommentcardsorletters19Furthercustomerswhowritesuchlengthynegativereviews
18LingKimberlyGerardBeenenPaulLudfordXiaoxingWangKevinChangXinLiDanCosleyDanFrankowskiLorenTerveenAlMRashidandRobertKrautldquoUsingSocialPsychologytoMotivateContributionstoOnlineCommunitiesrdquoJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication10no4(2005)19MilanR(2007)10thingsyoucandoinresponsetotravelerreviewsinHotelmarketingcom
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 15
aremostlikelytospreadnegativeword-of-mouthaboutthepropertyLengthyreviewsareexcellentsourcesofinforma-tionandshouldbeusedasthebasestounderstandthecomplainingbehavioroftheconsumer
WordcountmaybeusedasanadditionalsegmentationvariabletoidentifythoseconsumerswhoaremoreinvolvedandwillingtoprovidebalancedfeedbacktoboththereviewsiteaswellastopropertymanagementVariousotherresearchmethodssuchastelephoneinterviewsorfocusgroupsshouldbeusedtoelicitdetailedfeedbackfromsuchconsumersTheseactionsalsohelpinservicerecoverypost-purchaseengagementandrelationshipbuilding
OutlookWeforeseethreepotentialareasinvestigationthatcanaddvaluetocurrentbestpracticesWestilldonrsquotknowmuchaboutconsumersrsquomotivationtowriteonlinereviews20Recentstudiesidentifyvariousantecedentsofreviewwritingbutsufferfromsamplingbiassincetheysurveyaself-select-edsampleofconsumerswhoalreadyprovidedreviewsAstheresultsinthisstudyindicateunder-reportingbias(lackofmoderateandlowreviews)remainsprevalentinonlinereviewsitesFutureresearchshouldidentifysocio-psycho-logicalfactorsthatincreaseconsumersrsquopropensitytowriteonlinereviews
Futureresearchshouldexploretheimpactofthepres-ence(orlack)ofextremelynegativereviewswithinalargecorpusofpositivereviewsTheevidenceontheimpactofre-
20WangYandFesenmaierDR(2003)AssessingMotivationofCon-tributioninOnlineCommunitiesAnEmpiricalInvestigationofanOn-lineTravelCommunityElectronic Markets1333-45andYooKyungHandUlrikeGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp Tourism10No4(2008)283-95
viewvalence(negativeorpositive)isequivocalProponentsofconfirmatorybiassuggestthatconsumerslookforaffir-mativeevidencesupportingaproductchoicealreadymadeIfthatisthecasepositivereviewsaremorelikelytohaveagreatereffectonconsumeractionsOntheotherhandthenotionofnegativitybiassuggeststhatwhenconsumersareneutralnegativereviewstendtobecomemoresalientthanpositivereviews21Inthepresenceoflargenumbersofposi-tivereviewsconsumersspecificallyseeknegativereviewsthattheyfeelwillhelpthemidentifyspecificproblemswithaserviceUnderstandinghowconsumersreconciletheinformationprovidedbybothnegativeandpositivereviewshasimplicationsforthedesignandmanagementofreviewsites
Finallyareviewrsquoswordcounthasimportantimplica-tionsforconsumersrsquotrustinthereviewsWhenconsumersarewillingtoreadandcompareopen-endedcommentsfromotherconsumerstheamountofinformationinareviewcanmatterWOMforhighinvolvementproductsismorepersuasiveandincreasesthedecisionmakerrsquosconfi-dencewhenthemessagesenderprovidesgreaternumberofreasonsfortheiroverallratingLongerreviewsprovidemoreinformationandarelikelytobeperceivedasmorehelpfulandpersuasivethanshorterreviewsThewaysinwhichareviewiswrittenframedandpresentedisaninterestingfactorwhichhasrarelybeeninvestigatedandhasimportantimplicationsparticularlygivenourfindingthattheamountofinformationinareview(wordcount)variessignificantlywiththeratingsofthereviewn
21BaSandPavlouPA(2002)EvidenceoftheEffectofTrustBuildingTechnologyinElectronicMarketsPricePremiumsandBuyerBehaviorMIS Quarterly26243-268
Cornell Hospitality Quarterlyhttpcqxsagepubcom
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Vol11No14ReversingtheGreenBacklashWhyLargeHospitalityCompaniesShouldWelcomeCrediblyGreenCompetitorsbyMichaelGiebelhausenPhDandHaeEunHelenChunPhD
Vol11No13DevelopingaSustainabilityMeasurementFrameworkforHotelsTowardanIndustry-wideReportingStructurebyEricRicaurte
Vol11No12CreatingValueforWomenBusinessTravelersFocusingonEmotionalOutcomesbyJudiBrownellPhD
Vol11No11CustomerLoyaltyANewLookattheBenefitsofImprovingSegmentationEffortswithRewardsProgramsbyClayVoorheesPhDMichaelMcCallPhDandRogerCalantonePhD
Vol11No10CustomerPerceptionsofElectronicFoodOrderingbySherylEKimes
Vol11No92011TravelIndustryBenchmarkingStatusofSeniorDestinationandLodgingMarketingExecutivesbyRohitVermaPhDandKenMcGill
Vol11No8SearchOTAsandOnlineBookingAnExpandedAnalysisoftheBillboardEffectbyChrisAndersonPhD
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Vol11No6HotelGuestsrsquoReactionstoGuestRoomSustainabilityInitiativesbyAlexSusskindPhDandRohitVermaPhD
Vol11No5TheImpactofTerrorismandEconomicShocksonUSHotelsbyCathyAEnzRenaacutetaKosovaacuteandMarkLomannoVol11No4ImplementingHumanResourceInnovationsThreeSuccessStoriesfromtheServiceIndustrybyJustinSunandKateWalshPhD
Vol11No3Compendium2011
Vol11No2PositioningaPlaceDevelopingaCompellingDestinationBrandbyRobertJKwortnikPhDandEthanHawkesMBA
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2011 Hospitality ToolsVol2No1TheGameHasChangedANewParadigmforStakeholderEngagementbyMaryBethMcEuen
2011 Industry PerspectivesNo7MegaTips2TwentyTestedTechniquesforIncreasingYourTipsbyMichaelLynn
2011 ProceedingsVol3No5BuildingBrandsintheInternetAgeAnalyticsLoyaltyandCommunicationbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No4BraveNewWorldOnlineHotelDistributionbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No3SocialMediaandtheHospitalityIndustryHoldingtheTigerbytheTailbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No2TheChallengeofHotelandRestaurantSustainabilityFindingProfitinldquoBeingGreenrdquobyGlennWithiam
Vol3No1CautiousOptimismCHRSExaminesHospitalityIndustryTrendsbyGlennWithiam
2010 ReportsVol10No18HowTravelersUseOnlineandSocialMediaChannelstoMakeHotel-choiceDecisionsbyLauraMcCarthyDebraStockandRohitVermaPhD
Vol10No17PublicorPrivateTheHospitalityInvestmentDecisionbyQingzhongMaPhDandAthenaWeiZhangPhD
Vol10No16BestPracticesinSearchEngineMarketingandOptimizationTheCaseoftheStJamesHotelbyGregBodenlcosVictorBogertDanGordonCarterHearneandChrisKAndersonPhD
Vol10No15TheImpactofPrix Fixe MenuPriceFormatsonGuestsrsquoDealPerceptionbyShuoWangandMichaelLynnPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
Publication Indexwwwchrcornelledu
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
No2RetaliationWhyanIncreaseinClaimsDoesNotMeantheSkyIsFallingbyDavidSherwynJDandGreggGilmanJD
2009 ToolsToolNo12MeasuringtheDiningExperienceTheCaseofVitaNovabyKeshPrasadandFredJDeMiccoPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality ResearchPublication Index
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
visit our website to apply
wwwchrcornell edu
FriendsBerkshire Healthcare bull Center for Advanced Retail Technology bull Cruise Industry News bull DK Shifflet amp Associates bull ehoteliercom bull EyeforTravel bull 4Hotelierscom bull Gerencia de Hoteles amp Restaurantes bull Global Hospitality Resources bull Hospitality Financial and Technological Professionals bull hospitalityInsidecom bull hospitalitynetorg bull Hospitality Technology Magazine bull HotelExecutivecom bull International CHRIE bull International Hotel Conference bull International Society of Hospitality Consultants bull iPerceptions bull JDA Software Group Inc bull JD Power and Associates bull The Lodging Conference bull Lodging Hospitality bull Lodging Magazine bull LRA Worldwide Inc bull Milestone Internet Marketing bull MindFolio bull Mindshare Technologies bull PhoCusWright Inc bull PKF Hospitality Research bull Resort and Recreation Magazine bull The Resort Trades bull RestaurantEdgecom bull Shibata Publishing Co bull Synovate bull The TravelCom Network bull Travel + Hospitality Group bull UniFocus bull USA Today bull WageWatch Inc bull The Wall Street Journal bull WIWIHCOM bull Wyndham Worldwide
Thank you to our generous Corporate Members
PartnersDavis amp Gilbert LLP Deloitte amp Touche USA LLPDenihan Hospitality GroupeCornell amp Executive EducationExpedia Inc Forbes Travel GuideFour Seasons Hotels and Resorts Fox Rothschild LLP French Quarter Holdings Inc HVS Hyatt InterContinental Hotels Group Jumeirah GroupLRP PublicationsMarriott International IncMarshrsquos Hospitality Practice MaritzpricelinecomPricewaterhouseCoopersProskauer Sabre Hospitality SolutionsSathguru Management Consultants (P) Ltd Schneider Electric Thayer Lodging Group Thompson HotelsTravelportWATG
Senior PartnersASAE FoundationCarlson HotelsHilton WorldwideMcDonaldrsquos USAPhilips HospitalitySASSTRTaj Hotels Resorts and Palaces
4 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
AbouT The AuThors
UnscramblingthePuzzlingMatterofOnlineConsumerRatings
An Exploratory AnalysisbyPradeepRacherlaDanielConnolly
andNatasaChristodoulidou
Pradeep racherla PhD is an assistant professor of marketing at the College of Business West Texas AampM University (pracherlawtamuedu ) He earned a PhD in business administration from the Fox School of
Business Temple University His research interests include consumer generated media healthcare marketing social networks knowledge management and collaborative systems He has written several research papers
and technical reports that have been published or forthcoming in prestigious journals such as Journal of Consumer Behavior Journal of Marketing amp Management Journal of Management Information Systems
Annals of Tourism Research and Cornell Hospitality Quarterly He has presented at numerous conferences both nationally and internationally
Daniel J Connolly PhD is an associate professor of information technology at the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver with a dual appointment in the School of Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Management and in the Department of Information Technology and Electronic Commerce He also serves as director of undergraduate programs His teaching research and consulting interests focus on the strategic application of information technology and electronic commerce He has written or co-authored numerous publications including articles that have appeared in the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly the FIU Hospitality Review Information Technology in Hospitality and Journal of Hospitality and Leisure Marketing His book Technology Strategies for the Hospitality Industry (Pearson Prentice Hall 2005) is the industryrsquos first book on technology strategy
Natasa Christodoulidou PhD is a faculty member in the management and marketing department at California State University where she teaches internet marketing and other related marketing courses at the
undergraduate and MBA level Her research interests are in the areas of hospitality technology travel and tourism electronic commerce hospitality electronic distribution and electronic marketing She is a member of
the Decision Sciences Institute and the Western Decision Sciences Institute She has published more than 20 articles in the past five years in academic and professional journals She presents regularly at academic and
professional conferences around the world such as Eye for Travel FSTEC DSI and WDSI Among her speaking engagements this year are Las Vegas Hawaii France and Singapore
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 5
exeCuTive suMMAry
Thisstudyexploresthepatternsofonlinereviewsofvacationhomesfromacommunity-basedtraveladvisorywebsitewithagoalofunderstandingthebiasesinherentinonlinewordofmouth(WOM)relatedtotourismandhospitalityservicesAnanalysisofnearly3200reviewsfrom
ldquoReviewsitecomrdquo(apseudonym)whichpostsreviewsofvacationrentalpropertiesacrosstheUSAfindsanoverwhelmingpreponderanceof favorable reviewsMore to thepoint relatively few
ldquomoderaterdquoreviewsarepostedandthesecond-highestcategoryisextremelynegativecommentsUsingsemanticprocessingtechniquesontheaggregatereviewtextthestudyidentifiesthenuancedopinionsandconcernsofthetravelerswhowritereviewsNegativereviewstendtobelengthyandargumentativeoftendetailingdisappointmentoverexpectationsnotmetPositivereviewsontheotherhandtendtoberelativelybriefandconfirmtheoverallratingConsumerswhowroteldquohighrdquoreviewsplacedgreaterimportanceonvalueformoneycleanlinessandcomfortthandidthosewhowrotenegativereviewsThosewhowroteldquolowrdquoreviewsplacedtheiremphasisontheserviceprovidedbythepropertystaffandmanagementNegativereviewsweremorelikelytoinvolveahigherpriceaccommodationThisanalysisindicates that the overall numerical ratings typically used in review systems may not be the idealindicator of perceived service quality The results suggest that review sites should develop bettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishthereviewcontentsparticularlythenumericalratingsThisandotherreviewsitesshowtheaverageofallthepoint-scaleratingsbutsuchsimplemeansdonottakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsInsteadthesitesshouldprovidemore information and heuristics to help the consumers navigate through the clutter and get theinformationtheydesire
6 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
CorNell hosPiTAliTy rePorT
Giventhatconsumersareincreasinglyrelyingonsearchenginestoacquireinformationabout hotels restaurants and travel purveyors (among many other services)consumer-generated online reviews will inevitably change the structure andaccessibilityofinformationalongwithconsumersrsquoperceptionsofvariousservices
ThepopularityofonlinereviewshasledtoaproliferationofonlinereviewsitesincludingpopularsitessuchasHotelscomTripadvisorcomandYelpcomArecentstudybyForresterIncfoundthatmorethan80percentofwebshoppersreadandconsiderotherconsumersrsquoreviews1SimilarlyCompeteIncfoundthatnearly50percentofpurchasersvisitedamessageboardforumoronlinecommunityforinformationconnectedwiththeironlinetravelpurchasingandoneinthreeofthesebuyerssaidthatconsumer reviews helped with their purchase decision2 Almost half of these consumers said thatconsumersrsquoopinionsactuallycausedthemtochangetheirmindaboutwhattheypurchasedMoreoveramongthosebuyers25percentsaidtheyalsopostedareviewonaconsumerreviewsiteaftermakingtheirpurchase
1ForresterldquoFortyFactsaboutUSOnlineShoppersrdquoForresterInc20062CompeteldquoEmbracingConsumerBuzzCreatesMeasurementChallengesforMarketersrdquoCompeteInc2006
UnscramblingthePuzzlingMatterofOnlineConsumerRatings
An Exploratory Analysis
byPradeepRacherlaDanielConnollyandNatasaChristodoulidou
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 7
Howevertheexistingunderstandingofonlinetourism-relatedreviewsisrelativelyweakeventhoughweknowthatwordofmouth(WOM)ismoreimportantandinfluentialwithinaservicescontextthaninproductmarketingscenariosRecentlysomestudieshaveexploredtourism-andhospital-ity-relatedonlineWOM3Yetresearchhassofaroverlookedcertaininterestingaspectsofonlinereviewsasfollows
Onlinereviewstypicallyuseldquooverallstarratingsrdquoaspri-maryindicatorsofperceivedservicequalitymdashratingsthatarenotrelatedinanywaytotheformalstardesignationsawardedbyForbesorMichelinConsumersrsquomeanstarratingsaretypi-callyaggregatedfromtheratingsgivenbyindividualconsum-ersineachreviewWhatwedonrsquotknowishowconsumersdeterminethestarstheyassigntoaservicewhentheypostareviewonawebsiteThatisdostarratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquosentimentsregardingvariousattributesofserviceprovidersThisisavitalissuegiventheexperientialandin-tangiblenatureoftravelservicesandthefactthatconsumersusetheoverallratingasanimportantheuristicwhilenarrow-ingdownchoices
FurtherstudieshaveoverlookedtherelationshipbetweenthereviewsandvariousattributesofservicesandserviceprovidersSinceonlinereviewsareaformofWOMvariablessuchasconsumerinvolvementpricingandlengthofstaymayhaveanimpactonthefinalratingandpostingofthereviewprovidedbyconsumersItisimportanttouncovertheserelationshipstobetterunderstandthedynamicsofonlinereviews
FewstudieshaveanalyzedthequalitativeaspectofonlinereviewsOnlinereviewsareessentiallyopen-endedtext-basedconsumer-to-consumer(c2c)communicationsThetextcontentmaycontainnuancedviewsoftheservicesandserviceproviders(fromthereviewwritersrsquopointofview)thatcannotbeexpressedusingcrudenumericalratings4Hencethereisaneedtoanalyzethetextportionofthereviewsandidentifytheissuesthatconsumersaremostlyconcernedwithwhenwritingandpostingonlinerelatedreviews
WeaddresstheabovepointsinthisstudyThefollowingquestionsguidedus
3KHYooandUGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp TourismVol10(2008)pp283-295andZXiangandUGretzelldquoRoleofSocialMediainOnlineTravelInformationSearchrdquoTourism Management20094AGhoseandPGIpeirotisldquoEstimatingtheSocio-economicImpactofProductReviewsMiningTextandReviewerCharacteristicsrdquoInformation Systems Research2008
1 Dooverallratingsreflecttheperceivedqualityoftheserviceproviders(asderivedfromtheconsumersrsquoexpressedsentimentinthereviews)Whataretheunderlyingpatternsoftheoverallratingsinonlinereviews
2 Whatarethelinkagesamongthevariousattributesoftheserviceprovidersandcustomerreviewsand
3 WhataretheissuesthatconsumersmostlytalkaboutinthetextportionofonlinereviewsDotheseis-suesdifferfromtheratingsthattheconsumershaveprovidedviathestandardvariablesprovidedbythereviewsites
ResearchSettingandDataCollectionThisstudyisbasedonreviewscollectedfromldquoReviewsitecomrdquoaswehavecalledthecommunity-driventravelsitethatweanalyzedThesiteprovidesreviewsofverifiedrentalpropertiesandorganizesthereputationofvacationpropertiesThepropertylistingwithinthesiteisbasednotontherevenuesharingmodelthatisgenerallypracticedbyotherreviewsitesbutonthereputationtrustandfeedbackfromcustomerswhohavestayedatthevacationrentalpropertiesReviewsitecomisafreeservicethatoperatesonserviceproviderfeesandadvertisingrevenuesUn-likesometravelreviewsitesthefirmrsquosreviewsolicitationstrategyistosendpersonalizedinvitationsonlytothosecustomerswhosestayhasbeenverifiedbythepropertymanagementThesitersquosmanagementbelievesthatthisstrategytoalargeextenteliminatesfakereviews
Thefirmprovideduswith3300reviewsforanalysisAfterinitialdatacleanupabout100reviewswithincom-pleteorunusableinformationwereeliminatedand3197reviewswereusedfortheanalysisThereviewscontainedthefollowingattributesbull Theoverallratingassignedtotheserviceprovider
basedontheaggregationoftheratingsassignedbyindividualreviewers
bull Consumersrsquoratingsonthefollowingsixattributesvaluecleanlinesscomfortservicelocationandcheck-in
bull Thereviewtext(Semanticprocessingtechniqueswereappliedontheaggregatereviewtexttoidentifythenuancedopinionsandconcernsofthetravelerswhowrotereviews)
8 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
bull Agerangeoftherevieweronan1-4ordinalscale(25-3435-4445-54and55andabove)
bull Averagepriceperdayand
bull Wordcount(usedinthequantitativeanalysis)
PreliminaryHypothesesandResultsTheagegroupsofthereviewwritersareshowninExhibit1Alargepercentageofthecustomerswhoreviewedthepropertiesfallunder44yearsofageThisisconsistentwithpreviousstudiesinthisrealmwhichshowthatgenerationXandGenerationYaremoreactiveintheWOMforums
ReviewRatingDistribution Websitesthathostonlinereviewsgiveconsumerstheoptiontoassignaratingtotheserviceproviderstypicallyonascaleof1to5or1to7Manysitesaggregatethesenumeri-calorstarratingstodetermineanoverall(mean)starratingWeseethisoverallratingasanimportantelementinonlineWOMsinceconsumersoftenusethisratingtonarrowdowntheirconsiderationsetStudiesthathaveusedtheratingastheprimarypredictoroftheserviceprovidersrsquoperceivedqualityorcustomersatisfactiontodeterminetheimpactofonlinereviewsonproductsaleshavearrivedatmixedfind-ings5Howeverthesestudiesarebasedonthefundamentalassumptionthatthenumericalratingsassignedtoservice
5ForexampleseeJChevalierandDMayzlinldquoTheEffectofWordofMouthOnlineOnlineBookReviewsrdquoJournal of Marketing ResearchVol43(2006)pp345-354andWDuanBGuandABWhinstonldquoDoOnlineReviewsMattermdashAnEmpiricalInvestigationofPanelDatardquoDecision Support SystemsVol45(2008)pp1007-1016
providersareanaccurateestimateofthequalityperceivedbythecustomerThispracticefollowsthebasicassumptionofbehavioraltheoriststhatanydatasetwithalargenumberofconsumerresponsestendstofollowanormal(Gaussian)distributionRecentstudieshavequestionedthisassump-tionForinstanceDellaracosandNarayanrsquosstudyonmoviereviewsinYahoocomfoundthatonlytheextremelysatisfiedandextremelydissatisfiedcustomersarelikelytopubliclyexpresstheiropinionsascomparedtocustomerswithmod-erateopinions6SimilarlystudiesusingdatafromTripadvi-sorcomandAmazoncomfoundthatthestarratingsexhibitatruncateddistributioninwhichthemajorityofreviewsarepositive7
TotestthisassumptionweranasimplefrequencychartasshowninExhibit2Inkeepingwithotherstudiesthedistributionisheavilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratings1-pointreviews32(1)2-pointreviews95(3)3-pointreviews458(14)4-pointreviews688(22)and5-pointreviews1912(60)Totestfortherobustnessofthisdistri-butionweappliedtheKolmogorov-Smirnovtestofnormal-ityTheresultsconfirmthenon-normaldistributionofthestarratingsandtheheavyskewtowardspositivereviews
Threeexplanationsarepossibleforsuchadistribution
6CDellarocasandRNarayanldquoAStatisticalMeasureofaPopulationrsquosPropensitytoEngageinPost-purchaseOnlineWord-of-mouthrdquoStatisti-cal ScienceVol21(2006)pp2777ATalwarandRFBoiJurcaUnderstandingUserBehaviorinOnlineFeedbackReportingrdquoinElectronic CommerceSanDiegoCalifornia(2007)pp134-142
Exhibit 1
Distribution of age ranges
Exhibit 2
Distribution of overall ldquostar ratingsrdquo
55 and above 45ndash54
years
35ndash44 years
18ndash34 years
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
Num
ber o
f rev
iew
s
3295
458 688
1912
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 9
1 AmajorityofthepropertiesthatarelistedonthewebsitehaveoutstandingperceivedqualityandprovidesatisfactoryservicestocustomersWhilethisistheo-reticallypossibleitseemsunlikelywhenappliedtoallthepropertieslistedonthewebsite8
2 ThereviewsdonotconstituteatrulyrepresentativesampleofconsumeropinionBasedonotherstud-iesthisexplanationseemsplausibleConsumerswithmoderateviewsmayseelittleincentivetoreporttheirviewsinanonlineforumandasaconsequenceonlythoseconsumerswhohavepolarizedviewsarelikelytoposttheircomments
3 ThedistributioncouldalsobeanartifactofthefirmrsquosreviewsolicitingstrategyRecentstudiessupportthisideabysuggestingthatcustomersengageinsociallydesirablebehavioreveninimpersonalinteractionswiththeserviceproviders9Inthiscaseitmaybethattheywillprovideareasonablypositiverevieweveniftheexperiencehasnotbeenuptothemark
StarRatingsandPerceivedServiceQualityLetrsquosreturntothefirstquestionweaskedattheoutsetArestarratingsatruerepresentationofserviceprovid-ersrsquoperceivedqualityasreflectedbytheconsumersrsquostatedsentimentsThisbecomesanimportantquestionfortwo
8AKadetldquoRah-RahRatingsOnlinerdquoSmartMoney20079YGreacutegoireandRJFisherldquoCustomerBetrayalandRetaliationWhenYourBestCustomersbecomeYourWorstEnemiesrdquoJournal of the Acad-emy of Marketing ScienceVol36(2008)pp247-261
reasons(a) ratingsaretheprimaryevidencethatconsum-ersconsiderwhileshoppingonlineforinformationand(b)thetruncatednatureofratingdistributionsmeansthatthereviewsavailablemaynottrulyrepresentconsumeropinionortheserviceprovidersrsquoperceivedqualityIfonlythosewithextremeviewspostreviewsthenconsumersshouldalwayslookforserviceprovidersthathavea5-starratingOnthecontraryifthereviewsaccuratelyreflectallconsumersrsquoviewsthenconsumersarebetteroffsearchingforreviewswitha3ratingsincethesetendtobemorebalancedandenablebetterproductanalysisRecentlyHu et aluseddatafromAmazoncomshowthatnumericalscoresdonotreflectbooksrsquotrueperceivedquality10AstheysuggestldquohellipratherthescorereflectsthebalanceofdiverseopinionsInotherwordswhenabookrsquosoverallscoreisaround3itdoesnotsuggestthatconsumersgenerallyagreethatthisisanaver-agebookItrathersuggeststhatroughlyequalnumberofconsumersthinkthatthebookiseitheranoutstandingbookoranabysmalbookrdquo
Totestthisassertionweappliedaregressionequationwithsixpropertyattributes(ievalueformoneycheck-inlocationcleanlinesscomfortandservice)asindependentvariablesandstarratingasthedependentvariableThisanalysisisbasedontheassumptionthatforagivenpropertyifstarratingstrulyrepresenttheperceivedqualityoftheproperties(aswellastheconsumersrsquosentiment)thenthestarratingsandratingsofthesixotherpropertyattributes
10NHuJZhangandPAPavlouOvercomingtheJ-shapedDistribu-tionofProductReviewsrdquoCommunications of the ACMVol52(2009)pp144-147
low reviews t-value high reviews t-value(Constant) 1618 18353 2400 34186vAlue 0254 13726 0378 8767CheCKiN -0083 -3701 -0053 -1192loCATioN 0104 6132 0079 2117CleAN 0144 7574 0112 2808CoMForT 0267 13993 0129 3088serviCe 0098 4209 0107 2401r2 0331 0338F-statistic 5038 24714
Exhibit 3
regression analysis of ldquolowrdquo and ldquohighrdquo reviews
Notes Coefficients (t-statistics reported) Significance is as follows significant at 0001 level significant at 05 level significant at 010 level Dependent variable is overall rating
10 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
moderateratingsonalltheattributesbutwasstillwillingtoprovideahighoverallstarratingtothepropertyThisexamplesuggeststhatconsumersplacesignificantemphasisontheoverallexperientialvalueprovidedbythepropertiesThisexpectationofvalueismanytimesintangibleanddoesnotnecessarilydependonthefunctioningorratingoftheindividualfeaturesoftheproperty
RelationshipbetweenRatingsandReviewAttributesTounderstandconsumersrsquoword-of-mouthbehavioritisimportanttoconsidervariousfactorssuchasperceivedexpectationsofcostsandbenefitsimportanceofthepur-chase(involvement)personalcharacteristicsandsituationalinfluencesWeconsidertwofactorsthatareknowntoaffecttheintensityandvalence(positiveornegative)ofwordofmouthpriceandwordcount
PricePriceisanimportantfactorthatcontributestopre-purchaseexpectationsTheintensityofexpectations(andtheirfulfillment)partlydrivenbypriceisdirectlypropor-tionaltoconsumersrsquosatisfactionlevelsandWOMpropensityThismaybethereasonthatthetendencytocomplainisdirectlyrelatedtothecostoftheservice11Themoreexpen-siveanitemthegreaterwillbetheperceivedlossesandthegreaterlikelihoodthatdissatisfactionwillresultinacom-plaintSimilarlythelikelihoodofword-of-mouthbeingtrig-geredbythelevelofexpectationndashdisconfirmationincreases
11BeardenWOandTeelJE(1983)Selecteddeterminantsofcon-sumersatisfactionandcomplaintreportsJournal of Marketing Research 2021-28
willshowahighcorrelationFortheanalysiswetookintoconsiderationthefactmostreviewsarepositive(ie4-and5-pointratings)Thereforewedividedthereviewsintotwocategorieshighreviews(starratingabove3n=2597)andlowreviews(ratingsbeloworequalto3n=600)andranseparateregressionanalysesonthesetwogroupsasshowninExhibit3
AninterestingfindingistheweakrelationshipbetweentheattributeratingsandoverallstarratingforeachpropertyTheR-squareoftheregressionequationwithallsixvariablesandtheoverallstarratingsislessthan40percentThatiseveniftheconsumersprovidedhigherratingsonindividualattributestheiroverallratingwasusuallylowandthere-versewasalsotrueThistrendisobservedinboththehighandlowreviewgroups
TheanalysissuggeststhatinhighreviewsconsumersplacedgreaterimportanceonvalueformoneycleanlinessandcomfortThehighertheratingsofaconsumerontheseattributesthehigheristhelikelihoodthattheconsumerwillprovideahigherstarratingCheck-inlocationandservicedidnotprominentlyfigureintheiroverallevalu-ationsofthepropertieseventhoughtheseattributeswereratedhigh
ThelowreviewsshowsimilarresultsinthesensethattheloweraconsumerratesvaluecleanlinessandcomfortthelowerthelikelihoodofapositiveratingInadditioninthecaseoflowreviewsconsumersplacedemphasisontheserviceprovidedbythepropertystaffandmanagement
TheaboveresultisillustratedinoneoftheldquohighrdquoreviewsshowninExhibit4Thereviewergavelowto
star rating Text Commentary
This was our 1st time renting a house vs a condo This house was great If you wanted to spend a little time by yourself you could so many rooms to go to The house was so comfortable like being at home It was our home for the week Thank you Hope to rent it next year if we havent bought one ourselves
ratings for specific Attributes
value Check-in location Clean Comfort service
3 2 3 2 4 3
Exhibit 4
example of a ldquohighrdquo review
Avg rating for Property Attributes
30
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 11
withthecostoftheproduct12Giventhegreaterperceivedriskinservicescustomerswouldseekmoretrustworthyser-viceproviderswithagoodreputationofsatisfyingcustomerneeds13ThisinturnincreasestheexpectationsandleadstomoreextremereactionsfromtheconsumersHenceonecanspeculatethatthehigherthepriceshigherwillbetheaver-agenegativeorpositiveratingsforaservice
Word countThenumberofwordsinareviewmayserveasaproxyfortheamountofinformationinthereviewsHowevertheevidenceonthisaspectofWOMofalltypesisequivocalForinstanceconsumersgenerallyengageinpositiveWOMtoavoidfeelingsofguiltandas-sociationwithbadnewsandtoreducecognitivedissonanceOntheotherhandacustomerwhoishighlydisappointedwillprovideapersuasiveargumenttomakesurethatothercustomersaredissuadedfromrentingthesamepropertyResearchonconventionalwordofmouthhasofferedampleevidencetosuggestthatdissatisfiedcustomersengageintwotothreetimesasmuchWOMassatisfiedcustomers14Webelievethatthislogicextendstoonlinereviewsdespitethefactthatexistingstudiesareequivocalatbest15Thereforeitcanbeassumedthatreviewswitheitherextremelypositiveorextremelynegativeratingswillhavegreaterwordcountasopposedtomoremoderatereviews
TotesttheseassumptionsweappliedANOVAwithpriceandwordcountasdependentvariablesandthereviewratingasfactorsAsillustratedinExhibits5and6theresultsshowthatpriceandwordcountshowasignificantnegativecorrelationwithstarratingThatisreviewswithlowerratingsaretypicallyassociatedwithgreaterwordcountandrepresentpropertiesthatchargehighrates
TheresultonthewordcountsuggeststhatconsumerswhoareunhappywitharentalpropertytendtowritemoretoexpresstheirdissatisfactionAsshowninthisexhibitlowerratingsareassociatedwithhighernumberofwordsinthereviewsandviceversaSimilarlypropertypriceseemstobestronglyassociatedwithnegativewordofmouthsup-portingtheprinciplethathighercostincreasestheconsum-ersrsquoinvolvementinthepurchase
12BeardenWOandMasonJB(1984)AninvestigationofinfluencesonconsumercomplaintreportsAdvancesinConsumerResearch11490-49513WetzerIMZeelenbergMandPietersR(2007)ldquoNevereatinthatrestaurantIdidrdquoExploringwhypeopleengageinnegativeword-of-mouthcommunicationPsychology and Marketing24661-68014SchlossbergH(1991)CustomersatisfactionNotafadbutawayoflifeMarketing News25andWestbrookR(1987)ProductConsump-tion-basedAffectiveResponsesandPost-purchaseProcessesJournal of Marketing Research 24258-27015AlexMSusskindldquoIToldYouSoRestaurantCustomersrsquoofWord-of-MouthCommunicationPatternsrdquoCornell Hotel and Restaurant Adminis-tration QuarterlyVol43No2(April2002)pp75-85
Exhibit 5
Differences in word count across star ratings
Exhibit 6
Differences in average price per day across ratings
Aver
age
pric
e pe
r day
of t
he re
ntal
pro
pert
y
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
1504
1563
1804
19861987
Aver
age
wor
d co
unt o
f rev
iew
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
836837
121
15751543
160
140
120
100
80
200
190
180
170
160
150
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
12 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
thereviewersThesecanbeclassifiedas(a)attributesorfea-turesofthepropertythatfigureprominentlyandcontributetothepositiveornegativeratings(egroomsbeddishesfurnitureorservice)and(b)thepositiveornegativewordsthatrepresentthesentimentofthereviewer(eggreatamazingdirtyandwonderful)Theresultsofthequalitativeanalysisareasfollows
Syntactic featuresTheoveralltoneofthelowreviewsisratherargumentativeThereviewerstendtobeforcefulinpresentingtheirpointofviewTheylayoutagreatamountofreasoningandprovidespecificexamplestodrivehometheirargumentThisisreflectedinthegreaterpercentageofnegativeconnectorwords(34)suchasbut however as ifandeven thoughItisinterestingtonotethatreviewersinthiscategoryspeakdirectlytotheotherconsumersnotablythroughgreateruseofwordssuchasyou(46)andlooktoinfluencetheirdecisionmaking
InthehighreviewsbycontrasttheoveralltonetendstobeenunciativeandthereviewersusethetexttomerelyreinforcetheirnumericalratingsusingfewerwordsonaveragethanthenegativereviewersInthesereviewstheconsumersfocusontheirpersonalexperiencesandappealtotheaudiencethroughemotionsratherthanlogicandreasoningasevidentfromgreateruseofpositiveadjectives
QualitativeAnalysisoftheReviewTextTheaboveanalysisemphasizestheimportanceofthetextcontentinconsumerreviewsWhilenumericalratingsallowthereviewerstoratetheserviceprovideronvariousattributesitisthetextthatprovidesthemwiththeopportu-nitytoarticulatethenuancesoftheiroverallexperienceandconveyusefulinformationaboutaserviceproviderrsquostransac-tionsandservicecapabilitiesThereforesemanticanalysisofthetextcontentprovidesuswithanopportunitytothethirdquestionpresentedattheoutsetofthisreportwhatdoconsumerstalkaboutintheirreviews
Tothisendweanalyzed600eachofrandomlyselectedhighandlowreviewsusingsemanticprocessingtechniquesWeusedcenteringresonanceanalysis(CRA)amodeofnet-work-basedtextanalysisthatrepresentsthecontentoflargesetsoftextsbyidentifyingthemostimportantwordsthatlinkotherwordsinthenetwork16OuranalysisexaminedsyntacticandsemanticfeaturesSyntacticfeaturesincludethepercentageofthewordsthatareopenclass(ienounsverbsadjectives)Semanticfeaturesrepresentthespecial-izedvocabularythatreflectstheoverallopinionexpressedby
16CormanSandDooleyK(2006)CrawdadTextAnalysisSystem12CrawdadTechnologiesLLCChandlerAZ
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Comments
bedroom beds linen sheets 383
Also the same bedroom and bathroom did not have any door separating the bedroom from the bathroom no privacy
Sleeping arrangements were very awkward The listing sheet described 2 full beds We brought our own linens the beds were queen sized Had to purchase sheet
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 297
You must not forget to step up when yoursquore walking out of the kitchen into the dining room otherwise yoursquoll trip over the 3-foot step up
No potholders in the kitchen and it didnrsquot seem like there were as many kitchen supplies as before We just had to make do without
beach beaches beachfront 296
The week was the best vacation we have ever had as a family The beach house was a class act
Disappointment 1 It looks like this house is very close to beach but to get there you have to go around through public path
Pool Poolside 218
The pool was too dirty to use We checked in on Thursday and the pool was not cleaned until Saturday
Also it is inconvenient to have to call to get someone to open the pool Didnrsquot understand why Jacuzzi was open and not the pool
bathroom(s) bath bathtub shower 202
The next problem was in another bathroom (main floor)mdashthe wall heater did not work so showering in here was a bit chilly The next problem was in the ldquomasterrdquo bathroom (connected to the bedroom with the King bed) The sliding shower doors need to be totally replaced
Bathtub drains clogged in three second floor bathrooms
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in low reviews
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 13
suchasgreat fantastic andawesome(45)andpersonalpronounssuchasweandI(54)
Semantic featuresExhibits7and8showthemainissuesoraspectsthatareprominentlydiscussedinthelowreviewsTheorderoftheseissuesisbasedonthestatisti-callysignificantfrequencyoftheiroccurrenceinthe1200reviews
WefurtherinvestigatedtheuseofvarioussentimentwordsInterestinglytheprominentissuesdiscussedinthepositivereviewssometimesdonotevenfigureintheratingscalesprovidedtothereviewersOveralltheresultsofthesemanticanalysiscanbesummarizedasfollows
Thepropertyanditsfeaturesaremorecommonlycon-nectedwithextremelypositivesentimentwordssuchasgreat wonderfulandamazinginthehighreviewsthaninthelowreviewsIncomparisonthepropertiesandtheirfea-turesinthelowreviewsaremorelikelytobecharacterizedwithmoderatelypositivewordssuchasniceandokay
Negativereviewsreflecttheextentofexpectationndashdis-confirmationthattheconsumersfaceduringtheirstayintherentalpropertyThesereviewshaveagreaterproportionofwordsexpressingdisappointment(egnotasexpected)Furtherextremelynegativesentimentwords(egdiscom-fortfilthy)andadjectivesaremorelikelytobeassociatedwithfeaturesinlowreviewsthaninhighreviews
Almost40percentoftheconsumerswhowrotehighreviewsexpresstheirwillingnesstoreturntothepropertyasopposedtoonly9percentofthosewritingnegativereviewsFurthermorethan20percentoftheconsumersgivinghighreviewsexpresstheirstrongdesiretorecommendtheprop-ertytotheirfriendsandfamilymembersasopposedtoonly5percentinlowreviews
ReviewofFindingsOurexploratorystudyofconsumerreviewsofUSvacationhomesonReviewsitecomwashighlightedbyoverwhelm-inglypositivereviews
Theoveralldistributionofthereviewswasheav-ilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratingsMorecriticallythisfindingsuggeststhatthereisalackofmoderateandbalancedopinionsWetheorizethatthisiseitherduetopurchasingbias(sincecustomerswentthroughthetroubleofpurchasingandexperiencingthefacilitiestheytendtobepositivelybiasedtowardstheirpurchase)orunder-reportingbias(customersdonothavestrongenoughincentivestotakethetroubleofreportingtheiropinionsandthefewmotivatedindividualswhoprovidetheirreviewsbecomeaself-selectedsample)
Theoverall(mean)starratingtypicallyusedintravelerreviewsitesisprobablynotthemostaccurateindicatorofcustomersrsquoperceptionsofserviceprovidersrsquoqualityWe
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Commentsbeach beaches beachfront 506 Perfect rental property for those who enjoy the activity of the beach and the serenity
of the Sound The house is just down the road from ocean
The large porch offered a beautiful view of the beach and comfortable new rocking chairs
Pool Poolside 218 The outdoor shower dipping pool and screen in porch were an added bonus Perfect house for a low key weekend
House was great for kids Pool was terrific and the playroom was perfectlocation 192 We had a wonderful time My wife loves fishing and the cottage was in a perfect
location to go fishing on the pier
The home is somewhat dated but the location was great We have vacationed in the Chatham area for many summers and this time it was great too
bedroom beds 186 The family suite is huge with a king size and twin bed and still room for a pack-n-play The kitchen and dining room were huge clean and nice
The only comments that I would say to the negative is the front bed room by the front door always seemed damp which seem to attract more bugs
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 178 All of the amenities in the house are upscalemdashloved the kitchen and plasma TVs
The kitchen had good basic utensils dishes and cooking pans
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in high reviews
14 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
foundacorrelationbetweenthestarratingandratingsonotherpropertyattributesoflessthan40percentinmostcases
AhighwordcountinthereviewsiscorrelatedwithalowoverallratingThatisconsumerswhoareextremelydissatisfiedtendtoexpendmoretimeandenergyontheircritiqueofthepropertyitsamenitiesandservicesPriceofthepropertyalsoseemstopositivelycorrelatewithextremenegativereviewsperhapsbecauseahighpriceheightenstravelersrsquoexpectations
Numericalratingsdonotoftencapturetheactualsentimentandthevarietyofdimensionsonwhichtravel-ersevaluatepropertiesBecausenumericalratingsdonotcapturereviewersrsquoopinionsaboutspecificattributestheycanbedeceivingandmaynotrevealthetruequalityofthepropertyortheactualintentionofthereviewerWefoundforinstancethatconsumersvaluelocation(egclosenesstothebeach)andcleanliness(egswimmingpoolareas)morethansuchfeaturesascheck-inandserviceSimilarlyinthenegativereviewsissuessuchaslackofbedroomparapher-naliaorkitchenitemsseemtoberankedhigherinimpor-tancethanissuessuchaslocationandcheck-inThereforeevenwhenapropertyscoreshighonthecertaindimensionstheoverallratingmayremainlowbecauseotherfactorsovershadowthefavorableaspects
WhatItMeansforManagersWeseeimplicationsforonlinereviewsitesandbyexten-sionforproprietorsofvacationhomesandserviceopera-tionsgenerallyWithregardtothereviewsitesifconsumersconsistentlydetectafavorablebiasthereviewsitesmaylosethecriticalaspectsofcredibilityandtrustAlthoughconsumersaregenerallysmartandrationalandcanworkaroundobviousbiasesrecentevidencesuggeststhatcon-sumersaregraduallydefectingfromsomeonlinesitesduetounbalancedreviews17InthisregardsiteadministratorsaswellaspropertymanagersshouldtakestepstoattractthoseconsumerswhoarewillingtoprovideareasonablybalancedanalysisoftheamenitiesandservicesBythiswemeanreviewsthatpresentcomprehensiveandobjectiveanalysisoftheserviceproviderratherthanjustravesorrants
Tothatendsiteoperatorsshouldtakestepstoun-derstandcustomersrsquoreviewwritingbehaviorandtoat-tractmorebalancedreviewsOnewaytodothisistogivepersonalizedinformationtotheconsumerdemonstratingthecontributionmadebyhisorherreviewandthevalueofthereviewtostakeholdersForinstanceLinget alfoundapositivecorrelationbetweenwillingnesstowritereviewsandtheconsumersrsquoperceptionthattheircontributionswouldbeuniqueandhelpfultoothercustomersaswellasperusedby
17HarteveldtHHJohnsonCStarkEandGeldernKV(2009)Us-ingDigitalChannelsToCalmTheAngryTravelerForresterResearch
theserviceproviders18Simplyputthepropensitytowritereviewsincreaseswhentheconsumersfeelthattheirreviewisactuallyhelpingothers(boththeserviceproviderandotherconsumers)
WesuggestthatreviewsitesdevelopbettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishspecificreviewcommentsaswellasnumericalratingsFirstmanagersshouldtakeintoconsiderationthelowcorrelationbetweentheoverallratingsandconsumersrsquoassessmentsofvariouspropertyattributes(aswellastheresultsfromthetextanalysis)Theimplicationofsuchaweakcorrelationisthatreviewsitesneedtoexpandonthelistofpossiblevariablessothattheratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquoneedsandexpectationsregardingserviceproviders
Furthersitemanagersmayhavetorethinkthecurrentpracticeofaveragingalltheratingsforagivenpropertybe-causesuchameanratingfailstotakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsAsanexamplethisstudyfindssignificantunder-reportingbiasinthisonlinereviewsiteAcustomerrsquosdecisiontonotpostonlinereviewsmaymeanthelossofimportantinformationthatcanassisttheusersofthesitestomakemorereliableinferencesThemajorityoftodayrsquosfeedbackmechanismsdonotpubliclydisclosethenumberofsilenttransactions(ietransactionsforwhichnofeedbackwaspostedbycustomers)Suchinfor-mationshouldbecomeapartofaserviceproviderrsquosonlineprofileonratingsitesandotherfeedbackmechanismsItisimportanttoprovidemoreinformationandheuristicstohelptheconsumersnavigatethroughtheclutterandgettheinformationtheywantandseek
Itisimportanttoapplymodernsemanticanalysisandsentimentclassificationtechniquestostudythecontentofthereviewsandidentifyvariousdimensionsonwhichcon-sumersevaluatevacationhomesThedetailsprovidedinthereviewtextareinmanywaysabetterreflectionofcustomersatisfactionServiceproviderscanbetterpositionthemselvesusingthedimensionsuncoveredthroughtextanalysisandtargettheneedsandpreferencesoftheircustomers
TheresultsinthisstudyshowthatnegativereviewsaretypicallyassociatedwithagreaterwordcountthanpositivereviewsItisusefultofocusspecificallyonthesenegativereviewsbecausetheycanrevealpatternsofdeficienciesintheservicestandardsanddeliveryThesereviewsshouldbetreatedthesameascustomercommentcardsorletters19Furthercustomerswhowritesuchlengthynegativereviews
18LingKimberlyGerardBeenenPaulLudfordXiaoxingWangKevinChangXinLiDanCosleyDanFrankowskiLorenTerveenAlMRashidandRobertKrautldquoUsingSocialPsychologytoMotivateContributionstoOnlineCommunitiesrdquoJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication10no4(2005)19MilanR(2007)10thingsyoucandoinresponsetotravelerreviewsinHotelmarketingcom
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 15
aremostlikelytospreadnegativeword-of-mouthaboutthepropertyLengthyreviewsareexcellentsourcesofinforma-tionandshouldbeusedasthebasestounderstandthecomplainingbehavioroftheconsumer
WordcountmaybeusedasanadditionalsegmentationvariabletoidentifythoseconsumerswhoaremoreinvolvedandwillingtoprovidebalancedfeedbacktoboththereviewsiteaswellastopropertymanagementVariousotherresearchmethodssuchastelephoneinterviewsorfocusgroupsshouldbeusedtoelicitdetailedfeedbackfromsuchconsumersTheseactionsalsohelpinservicerecoverypost-purchaseengagementandrelationshipbuilding
OutlookWeforeseethreepotentialareasinvestigationthatcanaddvaluetocurrentbestpracticesWestilldonrsquotknowmuchaboutconsumersrsquomotivationtowriteonlinereviews20Recentstudiesidentifyvariousantecedentsofreviewwritingbutsufferfromsamplingbiassincetheysurveyaself-select-edsampleofconsumerswhoalreadyprovidedreviewsAstheresultsinthisstudyindicateunder-reportingbias(lackofmoderateandlowreviews)remainsprevalentinonlinereviewsitesFutureresearchshouldidentifysocio-psycho-logicalfactorsthatincreaseconsumersrsquopropensitytowriteonlinereviews
Futureresearchshouldexploretheimpactofthepres-ence(orlack)ofextremelynegativereviewswithinalargecorpusofpositivereviewsTheevidenceontheimpactofre-
20WangYandFesenmaierDR(2003)AssessingMotivationofCon-tributioninOnlineCommunitiesAnEmpiricalInvestigationofanOn-lineTravelCommunityElectronic Markets1333-45andYooKyungHandUlrikeGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp Tourism10No4(2008)283-95
viewvalence(negativeorpositive)isequivocalProponentsofconfirmatorybiassuggestthatconsumerslookforaffir-mativeevidencesupportingaproductchoicealreadymadeIfthatisthecasepositivereviewsaremorelikelytohaveagreatereffectonconsumeractionsOntheotherhandthenotionofnegativitybiassuggeststhatwhenconsumersareneutralnegativereviewstendtobecomemoresalientthanpositivereviews21Inthepresenceoflargenumbersofposi-tivereviewsconsumersspecificallyseeknegativereviewsthattheyfeelwillhelpthemidentifyspecificproblemswithaserviceUnderstandinghowconsumersreconciletheinformationprovidedbybothnegativeandpositivereviewshasimplicationsforthedesignandmanagementofreviewsites
Finallyareviewrsquoswordcounthasimportantimplica-tionsforconsumersrsquotrustinthereviewsWhenconsumersarewillingtoreadandcompareopen-endedcommentsfromotherconsumerstheamountofinformationinareviewcanmatterWOMforhighinvolvementproductsismorepersuasiveandincreasesthedecisionmakerrsquosconfi-dencewhenthemessagesenderprovidesgreaternumberofreasonsfortheiroverallratingLongerreviewsprovidemoreinformationandarelikelytobeperceivedasmorehelpfulandpersuasivethanshorterreviewsThewaysinwhichareviewiswrittenframedandpresentedisaninterestingfactorwhichhasrarelybeeninvestigatedandhasimportantimplicationsparticularlygivenourfindingthattheamountofinformationinareview(wordcount)variessignificantlywiththeratingsofthereviewn
21BaSandPavlouPA(2002)EvidenceoftheEffectofTrustBuildingTechnologyinElectronicMarketsPricePremiumsandBuyerBehaviorMIS Quarterly26243-268
Cornell Hospitality Quarterlyhttpcqxsagepubcom
2011 ReportsVol11No15DesigningaSelf-HealingServiceSystemAnIntegrativeModelbyRobertCFordandMichaelCSturman
Vol11No14ReversingtheGreenBacklashWhyLargeHospitalityCompaniesShouldWelcomeCrediblyGreenCompetitorsbyMichaelGiebelhausenPhDandHaeEunHelenChunPhD
Vol11No13DevelopingaSustainabilityMeasurementFrameworkforHotelsTowardanIndustry-wideReportingStructurebyEricRicaurte
Vol11No12CreatingValueforWomenBusinessTravelersFocusingonEmotionalOutcomesbyJudiBrownellPhD
Vol11No11CustomerLoyaltyANewLookattheBenefitsofImprovingSegmentationEffortswithRewardsProgramsbyClayVoorheesPhDMichaelMcCallPhDandRogerCalantonePhD
Vol11No10CustomerPerceptionsofElectronicFoodOrderingbySherylEKimes
Vol11No92011TravelIndustryBenchmarkingStatusofSeniorDestinationandLodgingMarketingExecutivesbyRohitVermaPhDandKenMcGill
Vol11No8SearchOTAsandOnlineBookingAnExpandedAnalysisoftheBillboardEffectbyChrisAndersonPhD
Vol11No7OnlineMobileandTextFoodOrderingintheUSRestaurantIndustrybySherylEKimesPhDandPhilippFLaqueacute
Vol11No6HotelGuestsrsquoReactionstoGuestRoomSustainabilityInitiativesbyAlexSusskindPhDandRohitVermaPhD
Vol11No5TheImpactofTerrorismandEconomicShocksonUSHotelsbyCathyAEnzRenaacutetaKosovaacuteandMarkLomannoVol11No4ImplementingHumanResourceInnovationsThreeSuccessStoriesfromtheServiceIndustrybyJustinSunandKateWalshPhD
Vol11No3Compendium2011
Vol11No2PositioningaPlaceDevelopingaCompellingDestinationBrandbyRobertJKwortnikPhDandEthanHawkesMBA
Vol11No1TheImpactofHealthInsuranceonEmployeeJobAnxietyWithdrawalBehaviorsandTaskPerformancebySeanWayPhDBillCarrollPhDAlexSusskindPhDandJoeCYLeng
2011 Hospitality ToolsVol2No1TheGameHasChangedANewParadigmforStakeholderEngagementbyMaryBethMcEuen
2011 Industry PerspectivesNo7MegaTips2TwentyTestedTechniquesforIncreasingYourTipsbyMichaelLynn
2011 ProceedingsVol3No5BuildingBrandsintheInternetAgeAnalyticsLoyaltyandCommunicationbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No4BraveNewWorldOnlineHotelDistributionbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No3SocialMediaandtheHospitalityIndustryHoldingtheTigerbytheTailbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No2TheChallengeofHotelandRestaurantSustainabilityFindingProfitinldquoBeingGreenrdquobyGlennWithiam
Vol3No1CautiousOptimismCHRSExaminesHospitalityIndustryTrendsbyGlennWithiam
2010 ReportsVol10No18HowTravelersUseOnlineandSocialMediaChannelstoMakeHotel-choiceDecisionsbyLauraMcCarthyDebraStockandRohitVermaPhD
Vol10No17PublicorPrivateTheHospitalityInvestmentDecisionbyQingzhongMaPhDandAthenaWeiZhangPhD
Vol10No16BestPracticesinSearchEngineMarketingandOptimizationTheCaseoftheStJamesHotelbyGregBodenlcosVictorBogertDanGordonCarterHearneandChrisKAndersonPhD
Vol10No15TheImpactofPrix Fixe MenuPriceFormatsonGuestsrsquoDealPerceptionbyShuoWangandMichaelLynnPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
Publication Indexwwwchrcornelledu
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
No2RetaliationWhyanIncreaseinClaimsDoesNotMeantheSkyIsFallingbyDavidSherwynJDandGreggGilmanJD
2009 ToolsToolNo12MeasuringtheDiningExperienceTheCaseofVitaNovabyKeshPrasadandFredJDeMiccoPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality ResearchPublication Index
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
visit our website to apply
wwwchrcornell edu
4 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
AbouT The AuThors
UnscramblingthePuzzlingMatterofOnlineConsumerRatings
An Exploratory AnalysisbyPradeepRacherlaDanielConnolly
andNatasaChristodoulidou
Pradeep racherla PhD is an assistant professor of marketing at the College of Business West Texas AampM University (pracherlawtamuedu ) He earned a PhD in business administration from the Fox School of
Business Temple University His research interests include consumer generated media healthcare marketing social networks knowledge management and collaborative systems He has written several research papers
and technical reports that have been published or forthcoming in prestigious journals such as Journal of Consumer Behavior Journal of Marketing amp Management Journal of Management Information Systems
Annals of Tourism Research and Cornell Hospitality Quarterly He has presented at numerous conferences both nationally and internationally
Daniel J Connolly PhD is an associate professor of information technology at the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver with a dual appointment in the School of Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Management and in the Department of Information Technology and Electronic Commerce He also serves as director of undergraduate programs His teaching research and consulting interests focus on the strategic application of information technology and electronic commerce He has written or co-authored numerous publications including articles that have appeared in the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly the FIU Hospitality Review Information Technology in Hospitality and Journal of Hospitality and Leisure Marketing His book Technology Strategies for the Hospitality Industry (Pearson Prentice Hall 2005) is the industryrsquos first book on technology strategy
Natasa Christodoulidou PhD is a faculty member in the management and marketing department at California State University where she teaches internet marketing and other related marketing courses at the
undergraduate and MBA level Her research interests are in the areas of hospitality technology travel and tourism electronic commerce hospitality electronic distribution and electronic marketing She is a member of
the Decision Sciences Institute and the Western Decision Sciences Institute She has published more than 20 articles in the past five years in academic and professional journals She presents regularly at academic and
professional conferences around the world such as Eye for Travel FSTEC DSI and WDSI Among her speaking engagements this year are Las Vegas Hawaii France and Singapore
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 5
exeCuTive suMMAry
Thisstudyexploresthepatternsofonlinereviewsofvacationhomesfromacommunity-basedtraveladvisorywebsitewithagoalofunderstandingthebiasesinherentinonlinewordofmouth(WOM)relatedtotourismandhospitalityservicesAnanalysisofnearly3200reviewsfrom
ldquoReviewsitecomrdquo(apseudonym)whichpostsreviewsofvacationrentalpropertiesacrosstheUSAfindsanoverwhelmingpreponderanceof favorable reviewsMore to thepoint relatively few
ldquomoderaterdquoreviewsarepostedandthesecond-highestcategoryisextremelynegativecommentsUsingsemanticprocessingtechniquesontheaggregatereviewtextthestudyidentifiesthenuancedopinionsandconcernsofthetravelerswhowritereviewsNegativereviewstendtobelengthyandargumentativeoftendetailingdisappointmentoverexpectationsnotmetPositivereviewsontheotherhandtendtoberelativelybriefandconfirmtheoverallratingConsumerswhowroteldquohighrdquoreviewsplacedgreaterimportanceonvalueformoneycleanlinessandcomfortthandidthosewhowrotenegativereviewsThosewhowroteldquolowrdquoreviewsplacedtheiremphasisontheserviceprovidedbythepropertystaffandmanagementNegativereviewsweremorelikelytoinvolveahigherpriceaccommodationThisanalysisindicates that the overall numerical ratings typically used in review systems may not be the idealindicator of perceived service quality The results suggest that review sites should develop bettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishthereviewcontentsparticularlythenumericalratingsThisandotherreviewsitesshowtheaverageofallthepoint-scaleratingsbutsuchsimplemeansdonottakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsInsteadthesitesshouldprovidemore information and heuristics to help the consumers navigate through the clutter and get theinformationtheydesire
6 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
CorNell hosPiTAliTy rePorT
Giventhatconsumersareincreasinglyrelyingonsearchenginestoacquireinformationabout hotels restaurants and travel purveyors (among many other services)consumer-generated online reviews will inevitably change the structure andaccessibilityofinformationalongwithconsumersrsquoperceptionsofvariousservices
ThepopularityofonlinereviewshasledtoaproliferationofonlinereviewsitesincludingpopularsitessuchasHotelscomTripadvisorcomandYelpcomArecentstudybyForresterIncfoundthatmorethan80percentofwebshoppersreadandconsiderotherconsumersrsquoreviews1SimilarlyCompeteIncfoundthatnearly50percentofpurchasersvisitedamessageboardforumoronlinecommunityforinformationconnectedwiththeironlinetravelpurchasingandoneinthreeofthesebuyerssaidthatconsumer reviews helped with their purchase decision2 Almost half of these consumers said thatconsumersrsquoopinionsactuallycausedthemtochangetheirmindaboutwhattheypurchasedMoreoveramongthosebuyers25percentsaidtheyalsopostedareviewonaconsumerreviewsiteaftermakingtheirpurchase
1ForresterldquoFortyFactsaboutUSOnlineShoppersrdquoForresterInc20062CompeteldquoEmbracingConsumerBuzzCreatesMeasurementChallengesforMarketersrdquoCompeteInc2006
UnscramblingthePuzzlingMatterofOnlineConsumerRatings
An Exploratory Analysis
byPradeepRacherlaDanielConnollyandNatasaChristodoulidou
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 7
Howevertheexistingunderstandingofonlinetourism-relatedreviewsisrelativelyweakeventhoughweknowthatwordofmouth(WOM)ismoreimportantandinfluentialwithinaservicescontextthaninproductmarketingscenariosRecentlysomestudieshaveexploredtourism-andhospital-ity-relatedonlineWOM3Yetresearchhassofaroverlookedcertaininterestingaspectsofonlinereviewsasfollows
Onlinereviewstypicallyuseldquooverallstarratingsrdquoaspri-maryindicatorsofperceivedservicequalitymdashratingsthatarenotrelatedinanywaytotheformalstardesignationsawardedbyForbesorMichelinConsumersrsquomeanstarratingsaretypi-callyaggregatedfromtheratingsgivenbyindividualconsum-ersineachreviewWhatwedonrsquotknowishowconsumersdeterminethestarstheyassigntoaservicewhentheypostareviewonawebsiteThatisdostarratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquosentimentsregardingvariousattributesofserviceprovidersThisisavitalissuegiventheexperientialandin-tangiblenatureoftravelservicesandthefactthatconsumersusetheoverallratingasanimportantheuristicwhilenarrow-ingdownchoices
FurtherstudieshaveoverlookedtherelationshipbetweenthereviewsandvariousattributesofservicesandserviceprovidersSinceonlinereviewsareaformofWOMvariablessuchasconsumerinvolvementpricingandlengthofstaymayhaveanimpactonthefinalratingandpostingofthereviewprovidedbyconsumersItisimportanttouncovertheserelationshipstobetterunderstandthedynamicsofonlinereviews
FewstudieshaveanalyzedthequalitativeaspectofonlinereviewsOnlinereviewsareessentiallyopen-endedtext-basedconsumer-to-consumer(c2c)communicationsThetextcontentmaycontainnuancedviewsoftheservicesandserviceproviders(fromthereviewwritersrsquopointofview)thatcannotbeexpressedusingcrudenumericalratings4Hencethereisaneedtoanalyzethetextportionofthereviewsandidentifytheissuesthatconsumersaremostlyconcernedwithwhenwritingandpostingonlinerelatedreviews
WeaddresstheabovepointsinthisstudyThefollowingquestionsguidedus
3KHYooandUGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp TourismVol10(2008)pp283-295andZXiangandUGretzelldquoRoleofSocialMediainOnlineTravelInformationSearchrdquoTourism Management20094AGhoseandPGIpeirotisldquoEstimatingtheSocio-economicImpactofProductReviewsMiningTextandReviewerCharacteristicsrdquoInformation Systems Research2008
1 Dooverallratingsreflecttheperceivedqualityoftheserviceproviders(asderivedfromtheconsumersrsquoexpressedsentimentinthereviews)Whataretheunderlyingpatternsoftheoverallratingsinonlinereviews
2 Whatarethelinkagesamongthevariousattributesoftheserviceprovidersandcustomerreviewsand
3 WhataretheissuesthatconsumersmostlytalkaboutinthetextportionofonlinereviewsDotheseis-suesdifferfromtheratingsthattheconsumershaveprovidedviathestandardvariablesprovidedbythereviewsites
ResearchSettingandDataCollectionThisstudyisbasedonreviewscollectedfromldquoReviewsitecomrdquoaswehavecalledthecommunity-driventravelsitethatweanalyzedThesiteprovidesreviewsofverifiedrentalpropertiesandorganizesthereputationofvacationpropertiesThepropertylistingwithinthesiteisbasednotontherevenuesharingmodelthatisgenerallypracticedbyotherreviewsitesbutonthereputationtrustandfeedbackfromcustomerswhohavestayedatthevacationrentalpropertiesReviewsitecomisafreeservicethatoperatesonserviceproviderfeesandadvertisingrevenuesUn-likesometravelreviewsitesthefirmrsquosreviewsolicitationstrategyistosendpersonalizedinvitationsonlytothosecustomerswhosestayhasbeenverifiedbythepropertymanagementThesitersquosmanagementbelievesthatthisstrategytoalargeextenteliminatesfakereviews
Thefirmprovideduswith3300reviewsforanalysisAfterinitialdatacleanupabout100reviewswithincom-pleteorunusableinformationwereeliminatedand3197reviewswereusedfortheanalysisThereviewscontainedthefollowingattributesbull Theoverallratingassignedtotheserviceprovider
basedontheaggregationoftheratingsassignedbyindividualreviewers
bull Consumersrsquoratingsonthefollowingsixattributesvaluecleanlinesscomfortservicelocationandcheck-in
bull Thereviewtext(Semanticprocessingtechniqueswereappliedontheaggregatereviewtexttoidentifythenuancedopinionsandconcernsofthetravelerswhowrotereviews)
8 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
bull Agerangeoftherevieweronan1-4ordinalscale(25-3435-4445-54and55andabove)
bull Averagepriceperdayand
bull Wordcount(usedinthequantitativeanalysis)
PreliminaryHypothesesandResultsTheagegroupsofthereviewwritersareshowninExhibit1Alargepercentageofthecustomerswhoreviewedthepropertiesfallunder44yearsofageThisisconsistentwithpreviousstudiesinthisrealmwhichshowthatgenerationXandGenerationYaremoreactiveintheWOMforums
ReviewRatingDistribution Websitesthathostonlinereviewsgiveconsumerstheoptiontoassignaratingtotheserviceproviderstypicallyonascaleof1to5or1to7Manysitesaggregatethesenumeri-calorstarratingstodetermineanoverall(mean)starratingWeseethisoverallratingasanimportantelementinonlineWOMsinceconsumersoftenusethisratingtonarrowdowntheirconsiderationsetStudiesthathaveusedtheratingastheprimarypredictoroftheserviceprovidersrsquoperceivedqualityorcustomersatisfactiontodeterminetheimpactofonlinereviewsonproductsaleshavearrivedatmixedfind-ings5Howeverthesestudiesarebasedonthefundamentalassumptionthatthenumericalratingsassignedtoservice
5ForexampleseeJChevalierandDMayzlinldquoTheEffectofWordofMouthOnlineOnlineBookReviewsrdquoJournal of Marketing ResearchVol43(2006)pp345-354andWDuanBGuandABWhinstonldquoDoOnlineReviewsMattermdashAnEmpiricalInvestigationofPanelDatardquoDecision Support SystemsVol45(2008)pp1007-1016
providersareanaccurateestimateofthequalityperceivedbythecustomerThispracticefollowsthebasicassumptionofbehavioraltheoriststhatanydatasetwithalargenumberofconsumerresponsestendstofollowanormal(Gaussian)distributionRecentstudieshavequestionedthisassump-tionForinstanceDellaracosandNarayanrsquosstudyonmoviereviewsinYahoocomfoundthatonlytheextremelysatisfiedandextremelydissatisfiedcustomersarelikelytopubliclyexpresstheiropinionsascomparedtocustomerswithmod-erateopinions6SimilarlystudiesusingdatafromTripadvi-sorcomandAmazoncomfoundthatthestarratingsexhibitatruncateddistributioninwhichthemajorityofreviewsarepositive7
TotestthisassumptionweranasimplefrequencychartasshowninExhibit2Inkeepingwithotherstudiesthedistributionisheavilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratings1-pointreviews32(1)2-pointreviews95(3)3-pointreviews458(14)4-pointreviews688(22)and5-pointreviews1912(60)Totestfortherobustnessofthisdistri-butionweappliedtheKolmogorov-Smirnovtestofnormal-ityTheresultsconfirmthenon-normaldistributionofthestarratingsandtheheavyskewtowardspositivereviews
Threeexplanationsarepossibleforsuchadistribution
6CDellarocasandRNarayanldquoAStatisticalMeasureofaPopulationrsquosPropensitytoEngageinPost-purchaseOnlineWord-of-mouthrdquoStatisti-cal ScienceVol21(2006)pp2777ATalwarandRFBoiJurcaUnderstandingUserBehaviorinOnlineFeedbackReportingrdquoinElectronic CommerceSanDiegoCalifornia(2007)pp134-142
Exhibit 1
Distribution of age ranges
Exhibit 2
Distribution of overall ldquostar ratingsrdquo
55 and above 45ndash54
years
35ndash44 years
18ndash34 years
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
Num
ber o
f rev
iew
s
3295
458 688
1912
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 9
1 AmajorityofthepropertiesthatarelistedonthewebsitehaveoutstandingperceivedqualityandprovidesatisfactoryservicestocustomersWhilethisistheo-reticallypossibleitseemsunlikelywhenappliedtoallthepropertieslistedonthewebsite8
2 ThereviewsdonotconstituteatrulyrepresentativesampleofconsumeropinionBasedonotherstud-iesthisexplanationseemsplausibleConsumerswithmoderateviewsmayseelittleincentivetoreporttheirviewsinanonlineforumandasaconsequenceonlythoseconsumerswhohavepolarizedviewsarelikelytoposttheircomments
3 ThedistributioncouldalsobeanartifactofthefirmrsquosreviewsolicitingstrategyRecentstudiessupportthisideabysuggestingthatcustomersengageinsociallydesirablebehavioreveninimpersonalinteractionswiththeserviceproviders9Inthiscaseitmaybethattheywillprovideareasonablypositiverevieweveniftheexperiencehasnotbeenuptothemark
StarRatingsandPerceivedServiceQualityLetrsquosreturntothefirstquestionweaskedattheoutsetArestarratingsatruerepresentationofserviceprovid-ersrsquoperceivedqualityasreflectedbytheconsumersrsquostatedsentimentsThisbecomesanimportantquestionfortwo
8AKadetldquoRah-RahRatingsOnlinerdquoSmartMoney20079YGreacutegoireandRJFisherldquoCustomerBetrayalandRetaliationWhenYourBestCustomersbecomeYourWorstEnemiesrdquoJournal of the Acad-emy of Marketing ScienceVol36(2008)pp247-261
reasons(a) ratingsaretheprimaryevidencethatconsum-ersconsiderwhileshoppingonlineforinformationand(b)thetruncatednatureofratingdistributionsmeansthatthereviewsavailablemaynottrulyrepresentconsumeropinionortheserviceprovidersrsquoperceivedqualityIfonlythosewithextremeviewspostreviewsthenconsumersshouldalwayslookforserviceprovidersthathavea5-starratingOnthecontraryifthereviewsaccuratelyreflectallconsumersrsquoviewsthenconsumersarebetteroffsearchingforreviewswitha3ratingsincethesetendtobemorebalancedandenablebetterproductanalysisRecentlyHu et aluseddatafromAmazoncomshowthatnumericalscoresdonotreflectbooksrsquotrueperceivedquality10AstheysuggestldquohellipratherthescorereflectsthebalanceofdiverseopinionsInotherwordswhenabookrsquosoverallscoreisaround3itdoesnotsuggestthatconsumersgenerallyagreethatthisisanaver-agebookItrathersuggeststhatroughlyequalnumberofconsumersthinkthatthebookiseitheranoutstandingbookoranabysmalbookrdquo
Totestthisassertionweappliedaregressionequationwithsixpropertyattributes(ievalueformoneycheck-inlocationcleanlinesscomfortandservice)asindependentvariablesandstarratingasthedependentvariableThisanalysisisbasedontheassumptionthatforagivenpropertyifstarratingstrulyrepresenttheperceivedqualityoftheproperties(aswellastheconsumersrsquosentiment)thenthestarratingsandratingsofthesixotherpropertyattributes
10NHuJZhangandPAPavlouOvercomingtheJ-shapedDistribu-tionofProductReviewsrdquoCommunications of the ACMVol52(2009)pp144-147
low reviews t-value high reviews t-value(Constant) 1618 18353 2400 34186vAlue 0254 13726 0378 8767CheCKiN -0083 -3701 -0053 -1192loCATioN 0104 6132 0079 2117CleAN 0144 7574 0112 2808CoMForT 0267 13993 0129 3088serviCe 0098 4209 0107 2401r2 0331 0338F-statistic 5038 24714
Exhibit 3
regression analysis of ldquolowrdquo and ldquohighrdquo reviews
Notes Coefficients (t-statistics reported) Significance is as follows significant at 0001 level significant at 05 level significant at 010 level Dependent variable is overall rating
10 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
moderateratingsonalltheattributesbutwasstillwillingtoprovideahighoverallstarratingtothepropertyThisexamplesuggeststhatconsumersplacesignificantemphasisontheoverallexperientialvalueprovidedbythepropertiesThisexpectationofvalueismanytimesintangibleanddoesnotnecessarilydependonthefunctioningorratingoftheindividualfeaturesoftheproperty
RelationshipbetweenRatingsandReviewAttributesTounderstandconsumersrsquoword-of-mouthbehavioritisimportanttoconsidervariousfactorssuchasperceivedexpectationsofcostsandbenefitsimportanceofthepur-chase(involvement)personalcharacteristicsandsituationalinfluencesWeconsidertwofactorsthatareknowntoaffecttheintensityandvalence(positiveornegative)ofwordofmouthpriceandwordcount
PricePriceisanimportantfactorthatcontributestopre-purchaseexpectationsTheintensityofexpectations(andtheirfulfillment)partlydrivenbypriceisdirectlypropor-tionaltoconsumersrsquosatisfactionlevelsandWOMpropensityThismaybethereasonthatthetendencytocomplainisdirectlyrelatedtothecostoftheservice11Themoreexpen-siveanitemthegreaterwillbetheperceivedlossesandthegreaterlikelihoodthatdissatisfactionwillresultinacom-plaintSimilarlythelikelihoodofword-of-mouthbeingtrig-geredbythelevelofexpectationndashdisconfirmationincreases
11BeardenWOandTeelJE(1983)Selecteddeterminantsofcon-sumersatisfactionandcomplaintreportsJournal of Marketing Research 2021-28
willshowahighcorrelationFortheanalysiswetookintoconsiderationthefactmostreviewsarepositive(ie4-and5-pointratings)Thereforewedividedthereviewsintotwocategorieshighreviews(starratingabove3n=2597)andlowreviews(ratingsbeloworequalto3n=600)andranseparateregressionanalysesonthesetwogroupsasshowninExhibit3
AninterestingfindingistheweakrelationshipbetweentheattributeratingsandoverallstarratingforeachpropertyTheR-squareoftheregressionequationwithallsixvariablesandtheoverallstarratingsislessthan40percentThatiseveniftheconsumersprovidedhigherratingsonindividualattributestheiroverallratingwasusuallylowandthere-versewasalsotrueThistrendisobservedinboththehighandlowreviewgroups
TheanalysissuggeststhatinhighreviewsconsumersplacedgreaterimportanceonvalueformoneycleanlinessandcomfortThehighertheratingsofaconsumerontheseattributesthehigheristhelikelihoodthattheconsumerwillprovideahigherstarratingCheck-inlocationandservicedidnotprominentlyfigureintheiroverallevalu-ationsofthepropertieseventhoughtheseattributeswereratedhigh
ThelowreviewsshowsimilarresultsinthesensethattheloweraconsumerratesvaluecleanlinessandcomfortthelowerthelikelihoodofapositiveratingInadditioninthecaseoflowreviewsconsumersplacedemphasisontheserviceprovidedbythepropertystaffandmanagement
TheaboveresultisillustratedinoneoftheldquohighrdquoreviewsshowninExhibit4Thereviewergavelowto
star rating Text Commentary
This was our 1st time renting a house vs a condo This house was great If you wanted to spend a little time by yourself you could so many rooms to go to The house was so comfortable like being at home It was our home for the week Thank you Hope to rent it next year if we havent bought one ourselves
ratings for specific Attributes
value Check-in location Clean Comfort service
3 2 3 2 4 3
Exhibit 4
example of a ldquohighrdquo review
Avg rating for Property Attributes
30
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 11
withthecostoftheproduct12Giventhegreaterperceivedriskinservicescustomerswouldseekmoretrustworthyser-viceproviderswithagoodreputationofsatisfyingcustomerneeds13ThisinturnincreasestheexpectationsandleadstomoreextremereactionsfromtheconsumersHenceonecanspeculatethatthehigherthepriceshigherwillbetheaver-agenegativeorpositiveratingsforaservice
Word countThenumberofwordsinareviewmayserveasaproxyfortheamountofinformationinthereviewsHowevertheevidenceonthisaspectofWOMofalltypesisequivocalForinstanceconsumersgenerallyengageinpositiveWOMtoavoidfeelingsofguiltandas-sociationwithbadnewsandtoreducecognitivedissonanceOntheotherhandacustomerwhoishighlydisappointedwillprovideapersuasiveargumenttomakesurethatothercustomersaredissuadedfromrentingthesamepropertyResearchonconventionalwordofmouthhasofferedampleevidencetosuggestthatdissatisfiedcustomersengageintwotothreetimesasmuchWOMassatisfiedcustomers14Webelievethatthislogicextendstoonlinereviewsdespitethefactthatexistingstudiesareequivocalatbest15Thereforeitcanbeassumedthatreviewswitheitherextremelypositiveorextremelynegativeratingswillhavegreaterwordcountasopposedtomoremoderatereviews
TotesttheseassumptionsweappliedANOVAwithpriceandwordcountasdependentvariablesandthereviewratingasfactorsAsillustratedinExhibits5and6theresultsshowthatpriceandwordcountshowasignificantnegativecorrelationwithstarratingThatisreviewswithlowerratingsaretypicallyassociatedwithgreaterwordcountandrepresentpropertiesthatchargehighrates
TheresultonthewordcountsuggeststhatconsumerswhoareunhappywitharentalpropertytendtowritemoretoexpresstheirdissatisfactionAsshowninthisexhibitlowerratingsareassociatedwithhighernumberofwordsinthereviewsandviceversaSimilarlypropertypriceseemstobestronglyassociatedwithnegativewordofmouthsup-portingtheprinciplethathighercostincreasestheconsum-ersrsquoinvolvementinthepurchase
12BeardenWOandMasonJB(1984)AninvestigationofinfluencesonconsumercomplaintreportsAdvancesinConsumerResearch11490-49513WetzerIMZeelenbergMandPietersR(2007)ldquoNevereatinthatrestaurantIdidrdquoExploringwhypeopleengageinnegativeword-of-mouthcommunicationPsychology and Marketing24661-68014SchlossbergH(1991)CustomersatisfactionNotafadbutawayoflifeMarketing News25andWestbrookR(1987)ProductConsump-tion-basedAffectiveResponsesandPost-purchaseProcessesJournal of Marketing Research 24258-27015AlexMSusskindldquoIToldYouSoRestaurantCustomersrsquoofWord-of-MouthCommunicationPatternsrdquoCornell Hotel and Restaurant Adminis-tration QuarterlyVol43No2(April2002)pp75-85
Exhibit 5
Differences in word count across star ratings
Exhibit 6
Differences in average price per day across ratings
Aver
age
pric
e pe
r day
of t
he re
ntal
pro
pert
y
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
1504
1563
1804
19861987
Aver
age
wor
d co
unt o
f rev
iew
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
836837
121
15751543
160
140
120
100
80
200
190
180
170
160
150
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
12 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
thereviewersThesecanbeclassifiedas(a)attributesorfea-turesofthepropertythatfigureprominentlyandcontributetothepositiveornegativeratings(egroomsbeddishesfurnitureorservice)and(b)thepositiveornegativewordsthatrepresentthesentimentofthereviewer(eggreatamazingdirtyandwonderful)Theresultsofthequalitativeanalysisareasfollows
Syntactic featuresTheoveralltoneofthelowreviewsisratherargumentativeThereviewerstendtobeforcefulinpresentingtheirpointofviewTheylayoutagreatamountofreasoningandprovidespecificexamplestodrivehometheirargumentThisisreflectedinthegreaterpercentageofnegativeconnectorwords(34)suchasbut however as ifandeven thoughItisinterestingtonotethatreviewersinthiscategoryspeakdirectlytotheotherconsumersnotablythroughgreateruseofwordssuchasyou(46)andlooktoinfluencetheirdecisionmaking
InthehighreviewsbycontrasttheoveralltonetendstobeenunciativeandthereviewersusethetexttomerelyreinforcetheirnumericalratingsusingfewerwordsonaveragethanthenegativereviewersInthesereviewstheconsumersfocusontheirpersonalexperiencesandappealtotheaudiencethroughemotionsratherthanlogicandreasoningasevidentfromgreateruseofpositiveadjectives
QualitativeAnalysisoftheReviewTextTheaboveanalysisemphasizestheimportanceofthetextcontentinconsumerreviewsWhilenumericalratingsallowthereviewerstoratetheserviceprovideronvariousattributesitisthetextthatprovidesthemwiththeopportu-nitytoarticulatethenuancesoftheiroverallexperienceandconveyusefulinformationaboutaserviceproviderrsquostransac-tionsandservicecapabilitiesThereforesemanticanalysisofthetextcontentprovidesuswithanopportunitytothethirdquestionpresentedattheoutsetofthisreportwhatdoconsumerstalkaboutintheirreviews
Tothisendweanalyzed600eachofrandomlyselectedhighandlowreviewsusingsemanticprocessingtechniquesWeusedcenteringresonanceanalysis(CRA)amodeofnet-work-basedtextanalysisthatrepresentsthecontentoflargesetsoftextsbyidentifyingthemostimportantwordsthatlinkotherwordsinthenetwork16OuranalysisexaminedsyntacticandsemanticfeaturesSyntacticfeaturesincludethepercentageofthewordsthatareopenclass(ienounsverbsadjectives)Semanticfeaturesrepresentthespecial-izedvocabularythatreflectstheoverallopinionexpressedby
16CormanSandDooleyK(2006)CrawdadTextAnalysisSystem12CrawdadTechnologiesLLCChandlerAZ
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Comments
bedroom beds linen sheets 383
Also the same bedroom and bathroom did not have any door separating the bedroom from the bathroom no privacy
Sleeping arrangements were very awkward The listing sheet described 2 full beds We brought our own linens the beds were queen sized Had to purchase sheet
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 297
You must not forget to step up when yoursquore walking out of the kitchen into the dining room otherwise yoursquoll trip over the 3-foot step up
No potholders in the kitchen and it didnrsquot seem like there were as many kitchen supplies as before We just had to make do without
beach beaches beachfront 296
The week was the best vacation we have ever had as a family The beach house was a class act
Disappointment 1 It looks like this house is very close to beach but to get there you have to go around through public path
Pool Poolside 218
The pool was too dirty to use We checked in on Thursday and the pool was not cleaned until Saturday
Also it is inconvenient to have to call to get someone to open the pool Didnrsquot understand why Jacuzzi was open and not the pool
bathroom(s) bath bathtub shower 202
The next problem was in another bathroom (main floor)mdashthe wall heater did not work so showering in here was a bit chilly The next problem was in the ldquomasterrdquo bathroom (connected to the bedroom with the King bed) The sliding shower doors need to be totally replaced
Bathtub drains clogged in three second floor bathrooms
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in low reviews
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 13
suchasgreat fantastic andawesome(45)andpersonalpronounssuchasweandI(54)
Semantic featuresExhibits7and8showthemainissuesoraspectsthatareprominentlydiscussedinthelowreviewsTheorderoftheseissuesisbasedonthestatisti-callysignificantfrequencyoftheiroccurrenceinthe1200reviews
WefurtherinvestigatedtheuseofvarioussentimentwordsInterestinglytheprominentissuesdiscussedinthepositivereviewssometimesdonotevenfigureintheratingscalesprovidedtothereviewersOveralltheresultsofthesemanticanalysiscanbesummarizedasfollows
Thepropertyanditsfeaturesaremorecommonlycon-nectedwithextremelypositivesentimentwordssuchasgreat wonderfulandamazinginthehighreviewsthaninthelowreviewsIncomparisonthepropertiesandtheirfea-turesinthelowreviewsaremorelikelytobecharacterizedwithmoderatelypositivewordssuchasniceandokay
Negativereviewsreflecttheextentofexpectationndashdis-confirmationthattheconsumersfaceduringtheirstayintherentalpropertyThesereviewshaveagreaterproportionofwordsexpressingdisappointment(egnotasexpected)Furtherextremelynegativesentimentwords(egdiscom-fortfilthy)andadjectivesaremorelikelytobeassociatedwithfeaturesinlowreviewsthaninhighreviews
Almost40percentoftheconsumerswhowrotehighreviewsexpresstheirwillingnesstoreturntothepropertyasopposedtoonly9percentofthosewritingnegativereviewsFurthermorethan20percentoftheconsumersgivinghighreviewsexpresstheirstrongdesiretorecommendtheprop-ertytotheirfriendsandfamilymembersasopposedtoonly5percentinlowreviews
ReviewofFindingsOurexploratorystudyofconsumerreviewsofUSvacationhomesonReviewsitecomwashighlightedbyoverwhelm-inglypositivereviews
Theoveralldistributionofthereviewswasheav-ilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratingsMorecriticallythisfindingsuggeststhatthereisalackofmoderateandbalancedopinionsWetheorizethatthisiseitherduetopurchasingbias(sincecustomerswentthroughthetroubleofpurchasingandexperiencingthefacilitiestheytendtobepositivelybiasedtowardstheirpurchase)orunder-reportingbias(customersdonothavestrongenoughincentivestotakethetroubleofreportingtheiropinionsandthefewmotivatedindividualswhoprovidetheirreviewsbecomeaself-selectedsample)
Theoverall(mean)starratingtypicallyusedintravelerreviewsitesisprobablynotthemostaccurateindicatorofcustomersrsquoperceptionsofserviceprovidersrsquoqualityWe
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Commentsbeach beaches beachfront 506 Perfect rental property for those who enjoy the activity of the beach and the serenity
of the Sound The house is just down the road from ocean
The large porch offered a beautiful view of the beach and comfortable new rocking chairs
Pool Poolside 218 The outdoor shower dipping pool and screen in porch were an added bonus Perfect house for a low key weekend
House was great for kids Pool was terrific and the playroom was perfectlocation 192 We had a wonderful time My wife loves fishing and the cottage was in a perfect
location to go fishing on the pier
The home is somewhat dated but the location was great We have vacationed in the Chatham area for many summers and this time it was great too
bedroom beds 186 The family suite is huge with a king size and twin bed and still room for a pack-n-play The kitchen and dining room were huge clean and nice
The only comments that I would say to the negative is the front bed room by the front door always seemed damp which seem to attract more bugs
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 178 All of the amenities in the house are upscalemdashloved the kitchen and plasma TVs
The kitchen had good basic utensils dishes and cooking pans
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in high reviews
14 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
foundacorrelationbetweenthestarratingandratingsonotherpropertyattributesoflessthan40percentinmostcases
AhighwordcountinthereviewsiscorrelatedwithalowoverallratingThatisconsumerswhoareextremelydissatisfiedtendtoexpendmoretimeandenergyontheircritiqueofthepropertyitsamenitiesandservicesPriceofthepropertyalsoseemstopositivelycorrelatewithextremenegativereviewsperhapsbecauseahighpriceheightenstravelersrsquoexpectations
Numericalratingsdonotoftencapturetheactualsentimentandthevarietyofdimensionsonwhichtravel-ersevaluatepropertiesBecausenumericalratingsdonotcapturereviewersrsquoopinionsaboutspecificattributestheycanbedeceivingandmaynotrevealthetruequalityofthepropertyortheactualintentionofthereviewerWefoundforinstancethatconsumersvaluelocation(egclosenesstothebeach)andcleanliness(egswimmingpoolareas)morethansuchfeaturesascheck-inandserviceSimilarlyinthenegativereviewsissuessuchaslackofbedroomparapher-naliaorkitchenitemsseemtoberankedhigherinimpor-tancethanissuessuchaslocationandcheck-inThereforeevenwhenapropertyscoreshighonthecertaindimensionstheoverallratingmayremainlowbecauseotherfactorsovershadowthefavorableaspects
WhatItMeansforManagersWeseeimplicationsforonlinereviewsitesandbyexten-sionforproprietorsofvacationhomesandserviceopera-tionsgenerallyWithregardtothereviewsitesifconsumersconsistentlydetectafavorablebiasthereviewsitesmaylosethecriticalaspectsofcredibilityandtrustAlthoughconsumersaregenerallysmartandrationalandcanworkaroundobviousbiasesrecentevidencesuggeststhatcon-sumersaregraduallydefectingfromsomeonlinesitesduetounbalancedreviews17InthisregardsiteadministratorsaswellaspropertymanagersshouldtakestepstoattractthoseconsumerswhoarewillingtoprovideareasonablybalancedanalysisoftheamenitiesandservicesBythiswemeanreviewsthatpresentcomprehensiveandobjectiveanalysisoftheserviceproviderratherthanjustravesorrants
Tothatendsiteoperatorsshouldtakestepstoun-derstandcustomersrsquoreviewwritingbehaviorandtoat-tractmorebalancedreviewsOnewaytodothisistogivepersonalizedinformationtotheconsumerdemonstratingthecontributionmadebyhisorherreviewandthevalueofthereviewtostakeholdersForinstanceLinget alfoundapositivecorrelationbetweenwillingnesstowritereviewsandtheconsumersrsquoperceptionthattheircontributionswouldbeuniqueandhelpfultoothercustomersaswellasperusedby
17HarteveldtHHJohnsonCStarkEandGeldernKV(2009)Us-ingDigitalChannelsToCalmTheAngryTravelerForresterResearch
theserviceproviders18Simplyputthepropensitytowritereviewsincreaseswhentheconsumersfeelthattheirreviewisactuallyhelpingothers(boththeserviceproviderandotherconsumers)
WesuggestthatreviewsitesdevelopbettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishspecificreviewcommentsaswellasnumericalratingsFirstmanagersshouldtakeintoconsiderationthelowcorrelationbetweentheoverallratingsandconsumersrsquoassessmentsofvariouspropertyattributes(aswellastheresultsfromthetextanalysis)Theimplicationofsuchaweakcorrelationisthatreviewsitesneedtoexpandonthelistofpossiblevariablessothattheratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquoneedsandexpectationsregardingserviceproviders
Furthersitemanagersmayhavetorethinkthecurrentpracticeofaveragingalltheratingsforagivenpropertybe-causesuchameanratingfailstotakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsAsanexamplethisstudyfindssignificantunder-reportingbiasinthisonlinereviewsiteAcustomerrsquosdecisiontonotpostonlinereviewsmaymeanthelossofimportantinformationthatcanassisttheusersofthesitestomakemorereliableinferencesThemajorityoftodayrsquosfeedbackmechanismsdonotpubliclydisclosethenumberofsilenttransactions(ietransactionsforwhichnofeedbackwaspostedbycustomers)Suchinfor-mationshouldbecomeapartofaserviceproviderrsquosonlineprofileonratingsitesandotherfeedbackmechanismsItisimportanttoprovidemoreinformationandheuristicstohelptheconsumersnavigatethroughtheclutterandgettheinformationtheywantandseek
Itisimportanttoapplymodernsemanticanalysisandsentimentclassificationtechniquestostudythecontentofthereviewsandidentifyvariousdimensionsonwhichcon-sumersevaluatevacationhomesThedetailsprovidedinthereviewtextareinmanywaysabetterreflectionofcustomersatisfactionServiceproviderscanbetterpositionthemselvesusingthedimensionsuncoveredthroughtextanalysisandtargettheneedsandpreferencesoftheircustomers
TheresultsinthisstudyshowthatnegativereviewsaretypicallyassociatedwithagreaterwordcountthanpositivereviewsItisusefultofocusspecificallyonthesenegativereviewsbecausetheycanrevealpatternsofdeficienciesintheservicestandardsanddeliveryThesereviewsshouldbetreatedthesameascustomercommentcardsorletters19Furthercustomerswhowritesuchlengthynegativereviews
18LingKimberlyGerardBeenenPaulLudfordXiaoxingWangKevinChangXinLiDanCosleyDanFrankowskiLorenTerveenAlMRashidandRobertKrautldquoUsingSocialPsychologytoMotivateContributionstoOnlineCommunitiesrdquoJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication10no4(2005)19MilanR(2007)10thingsyoucandoinresponsetotravelerreviewsinHotelmarketingcom
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 15
aremostlikelytospreadnegativeword-of-mouthaboutthepropertyLengthyreviewsareexcellentsourcesofinforma-tionandshouldbeusedasthebasestounderstandthecomplainingbehavioroftheconsumer
WordcountmaybeusedasanadditionalsegmentationvariabletoidentifythoseconsumerswhoaremoreinvolvedandwillingtoprovidebalancedfeedbacktoboththereviewsiteaswellastopropertymanagementVariousotherresearchmethodssuchastelephoneinterviewsorfocusgroupsshouldbeusedtoelicitdetailedfeedbackfromsuchconsumersTheseactionsalsohelpinservicerecoverypost-purchaseengagementandrelationshipbuilding
OutlookWeforeseethreepotentialareasinvestigationthatcanaddvaluetocurrentbestpracticesWestilldonrsquotknowmuchaboutconsumersrsquomotivationtowriteonlinereviews20Recentstudiesidentifyvariousantecedentsofreviewwritingbutsufferfromsamplingbiassincetheysurveyaself-select-edsampleofconsumerswhoalreadyprovidedreviewsAstheresultsinthisstudyindicateunder-reportingbias(lackofmoderateandlowreviews)remainsprevalentinonlinereviewsitesFutureresearchshouldidentifysocio-psycho-logicalfactorsthatincreaseconsumersrsquopropensitytowriteonlinereviews
Futureresearchshouldexploretheimpactofthepres-ence(orlack)ofextremelynegativereviewswithinalargecorpusofpositivereviewsTheevidenceontheimpactofre-
20WangYandFesenmaierDR(2003)AssessingMotivationofCon-tributioninOnlineCommunitiesAnEmpiricalInvestigationofanOn-lineTravelCommunityElectronic Markets1333-45andYooKyungHandUlrikeGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp Tourism10No4(2008)283-95
viewvalence(negativeorpositive)isequivocalProponentsofconfirmatorybiassuggestthatconsumerslookforaffir-mativeevidencesupportingaproductchoicealreadymadeIfthatisthecasepositivereviewsaremorelikelytohaveagreatereffectonconsumeractionsOntheotherhandthenotionofnegativitybiassuggeststhatwhenconsumersareneutralnegativereviewstendtobecomemoresalientthanpositivereviews21Inthepresenceoflargenumbersofposi-tivereviewsconsumersspecificallyseeknegativereviewsthattheyfeelwillhelpthemidentifyspecificproblemswithaserviceUnderstandinghowconsumersreconciletheinformationprovidedbybothnegativeandpositivereviewshasimplicationsforthedesignandmanagementofreviewsites
Finallyareviewrsquoswordcounthasimportantimplica-tionsforconsumersrsquotrustinthereviewsWhenconsumersarewillingtoreadandcompareopen-endedcommentsfromotherconsumerstheamountofinformationinareviewcanmatterWOMforhighinvolvementproductsismorepersuasiveandincreasesthedecisionmakerrsquosconfi-dencewhenthemessagesenderprovidesgreaternumberofreasonsfortheiroverallratingLongerreviewsprovidemoreinformationandarelikelytobeperceivedasmorehelpfulandpersuasivethanshorterreviewsThewaysinwhichareviewiswrittenframedandpresentedisaninterestingfactorwhichhasrarelybeeninvestigatedandhasimportantimplicationsparticularlygivenourfindingthattheamountofinformationinareview(wordcount)variessignificantlywiththeratingsofthereviewn
21BaSandPavlouPA(2002)EvidenceoftheEffectofTrustBuildingTechnologyinElectronicMarketsPricePremiumsandBuyerBehaviorMIS Quarterly26243-268
Cornell Hospitality Quarterlyhttpcqxsagepubcom
2011 ReportsVol11No15DesigningaSelf-HealingServiceSystemAnIntegrativeModelbyRobertCFordandMichaelCSturman
Vol11No14ReversingtheGreenBacklashWhyLargeHospitalityCompaniesShouldWelcomeCrediblyGreenCompetitorsbyMichaelGiebelhausenPhDandHaeEunHelenChunPhD
Vol11No13DevelopingaSustainabilityMeasurementFrameworkforHotelsTowardanIndustry-wideReportingStructurebyEricRicaurte
Vol11No12CreatingValueforWomenBusinessTravelersFocusingonEmotionalOutcomesbyJudiBrownellPhD
Vol11No11CustomerLoyaltyANewLookattheBenefitsofImprovingSegmentationEffortswithRewardsProgramsbyClayVoorheesPhDMichaelMcCallPhDandRogerCalantonePhD
Vol11No10CustomerPerceptionsofElectronicFoodOrderingbySherylEKimes
Vol11No92011TravelIndustryBenchmarkingStatusofSeniorDestinationandLodgingMarketingExecutivesbyRohitVermaPhDandKenMcGill
Vol11No8SearchOTAsandOnlineBookingAnExpandedAnalysisoftheBillboardEffectbyChrisAndersonPhD
Vol11No7OnlineMobileandTextFoodOrderingintheUSRestaurantIndustrybySherylEKimesPhDandPhilippFLaqueacute
Vol11No6HotelGuestsrsquoReactionstoGuestRoomSustainabilityInitiativesbyAlexSusskindPhDandRohitVermaPhD
Vol11No5TheImpactofTerrorismandEconomicShocksonUSHotelsbyCathyAEnzRenaacutetaKosovaacuteandMarkLomannoVol11No4ImplementingHumanResourceInnovationsThreeSuccessStoriesfromtheServiceIndustrybyJustinSunandKateWalshPhD
Vol11No3Compendium2011
Vol11No2PositioningaPlaceDevelopingaCompellingDestinationBrandbyRobertJKwortnikPhDandEthanHawkesMBA
Vol11No1TheImpactofHealthInsuranceonEmployeeJobAnxietyWithdrawalBehaviorsandTaskPerformancebySeanWayPhDBillCarrollPhDAlexSusskindPhDandJoeCYLeng
2011 Hospitality ToolsVol2No1TheGameHasChangedANewParadigmforStakeholderEngagementbyMaryBethMcEuen
2011 Industry PerspectivesNo7MegaTips2TwentyTestedTechniquesforIncreasingYourTipsbyMichaelLynn
2011 ProceedingsVol3No5BuildingBrandsintheInternetAgeAnalyticsLoyaltyandCommunicationbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No4BraveNewWorldOnlineHotelDistributionbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No3SocialMediaandtheHospitalityIndustryHoldingtheTigerbytheTailbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No2TheChallengeofHotelandRestaurantSustainabilityFindingProfitinldquoBeingGreenrdquobyGlennWithiam
Vol3No1CautiousOptimismCHRSExaminesHospitalityIndustryTrendsbyGlennWithiam
2010 ReportsVol10No18HowTravelersUseOnlineandSocialMediaChannelstoMakeHotel-choiceDecisionsbyLauraMcCarthyDebraStockandRohitVermaPhD
Vol10No17PublicorPrivateTheHospitalityInvestmentDecisionbyQingzhongMaPhDandAthenaWeiZhangPhD
Vol10No16BestPracticesinSearchEngineMarketingandOptimizationTheCaseoftheStJamesHotelbyGregBodenlcosVictorBogertDanGordonCarterHearneandChrisKAndersonPhD
Vol10No15TheImpactofPrix Fixe MenuPriceFormatsonGuestsrsquoDealPerceptionbyShuoWangandMichaelLynnPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
Publication Indexwwwchrcornelledu
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
No2RetaliationWhyanIncreaseinClaimsDoesNotMeantheSkyIsFallingbyDavidSherwynJDandGreggGilmanJD
2009 ToolsToolNo12MeasuringtheDiningExperienceTheCaseofVitaNovabyKeshPrasadandFredJDeMiccoPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality ResearchPublication Index
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
visit our website to apply
wwwchrcornell edu
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 5
exeCuTive suMMAry
Thisstudyexploresthepatternsofonlinereviewsofvacationhomesfromacommunity-basedtraveladvisorywebsitewithagoalofunderstandingthebiasesinherentinonlinewordofmouth(WOM)relatedtotourismandhospitalityservicesAnanalysisofnearly3200reviewsfrom
ldquoReviewsitecomrdquo(apseudonym)whichpostsreviewsofvacationrentalpropertiesacrosstheUSAfindsanoverwhelmingpreponderanceof favorable reviewsMore to thepoint relatively few
ldquomoderaterdquoreviewsarepostedandthesecond-highestcategoryisextremelynegativecommentsUsingsemanticprocessingtechniquesontheaggregatereviewtextthestudyidentifiesthenuancedopinionsandconcernsofthetravelerswhowritereviewsNegativereviewstendtobelengthyandargumentativeoftendetailingdisappointmentoverexpectationsnotmetPositivereviewsontheotherhandtendtoberelativelybriefandconfirmtheoverallratingConsumerswhowroteldquohighrdquoreviewsplacedgreaterimportanceonvalueformoneycleanlinessandcomfortthandidthosewhowrotenegativereviewsThosewhowroteldquolowrdquoreviewsplacedtheiremphasisontheserviceprovidedbythepropertystaffandmanagementNegativereviewsweremorelikelytoinvolveahigherpriceaccommodationThisanalysisindicates that the overall numerical ratings typically used in review systems may not be the idealindicator of perceived service quality The results suggest that review sites should develop bettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishthereviewcontentsparticularlythenumericalratingsThisandotherreviewsitesshowtheaverageofallthepoint-scaleratingsbutsuchsimplemeansdonottakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsInsteadthesitesshouldprovidemore information and heuristics to help the consumers navigate through the clutter and get theinformationtheydesire
6 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
CorNell hosPiTAliTy rePorT
Giventhatconsumersareincreasinglyrelyingonsearchenginestoacquireinformationabout hotels restaurants and travel purveyors (among many other services)consumer-generated online reviews will inevitably change the structure andaccessibilityofinformationalongwithconsumersrsquoperceptionsofvariousservices
ThepopularityofonlinereviewshasledtoaproliferationofonlinereviewsitesincludingpopularsitessuchasHotelscomTripadvisorcomandYelpcomArecentstudybyForresterIncfoundthatmorethan80percentofwebshoppersreadandconsiderotherconsumersrsquoreviews1SimilarlyCompeteIncfoundthatnearly50percentofpurchasersvisitedamessageboardforumoronlinecommunityforinformationconnectedwiththeironlinetravelpurchasingandoneinthreeofthesebuyerssaidthatconsumer reviews helped with their purchase decision2 Almost half of these consumers said thatconsumersrsquoopinionsactuallycausedthemtochangetheirmindaboutwhattheypurchasedMoreoveramongthosebuyers25percentsaidtheyalsopostedareviewonaconsumerreviewsiteaftermakingtheirpurchase
1ForresterldquoFortyFactsaboutUSOnlineShoppersrdquoForresterInc20062CompeteldquoEmbracingConsumerBuzzCreatesMeasurementChallengesforMarketersrdquoCompeteInc2006
UnscramblingthePuzzlingMatterofOnlineConsumerRatings
An Exploratory Analysis
byPradeepRacherlaDanielConnollyandNatasaChristodoulidou
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 7
Howevertheexistingunderstandingofonlinetourism-relatedreviewsisrelativelyweakeventhoughweknowthatwordofmouth(WOM)ismoreimportantandinfluentialwithinaservicescontextthaninproductmarketingscenariosRecentlysomestudieshaveexploredtourism-andhospital-ity-relatedonlineWOM3Yetresearchhassofaroverlookedcertaininterestingaspectsofonlinereviewsasfollows
Onlinereviewstypicallyuseldquooverallstarratingsrdquoaspri-maryindicatorsofperceivedservicequalitymdashratingsthatarenotrelatedinanywaytotheformalstardesignationsawardedbyForbesorMichelinConsumersrsquomeanstarratingsaretypi-callyaggregatedfromtheratingsgivenbyindividualconsum-ersineachreviewWhatwedonrsquotknowishowconsumersdeterminethestarstheyassigntoaservicewhentheypostareviewonawebsiteThatisdostarratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquosentimentsregardingvariousattributesofserviceprovidersThisisavitalissuegiventheexperientialandin-tangiblenatureoftravelservicesandthefactthatconsumersusetheoverallratingasanimportantheuristicwhilenarrow-ingdownchoices
FurtherstudieshaveoverlookedtherelationshipbetweenthereviewsandvariousattributesofservicesandserviceprovidersSinceonlinereviewsareaformofWOMvariablessuchasconsumerinvolvementpricingandlengthofstaymayhaveanimpactonthefinalratingandpostingofthereviewprovidedbyconsumersItisimportanttouncovertheserelationshipstobetterunderstandthedynamicsofonlinereviews
FewstudieshaveanalyzedthequalitativeaspectofonlinereviewsOnlinereviewsareessentiallyopen-endedtext-basedconsumer-to-consumer(c2c)communicationsThetextcontentmaycontainnuancedviewsoftheservicesandserviceproviders(fromthereviewwritersrsquopointofview)thatcannotbeexpressedusingcrudenumericalratings4Hencethereisaneedtoanalyzethetextportionofthereviewsandidentifytheissuesthatconsumersaremostlyconcernedwithwhenwritingandpostingonlinerelatedreviews
WeaddresstheabovepointsinthisstudyThefollowingquestionsguidedus
3KHYooandUGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp TourismVol10(2008)pp283-295andZXiangandUGretzelldquoRoleofSocialMediainOnlineTravelInformationSearchrdquoTourism Management20094AGhoseandPGIpeirotisldquoEstimatingtheSocio-economicImpactofProductReviewsMiningTextandReviewerCharacteristicsrdquoInformation Systems Research2008
1 Dooverallratingsreflecttheperceivedqualityoftheserviceproviders(asderivedfromtheconsumersrsquoexpressedsentimentinthereviews)Whataretheunderlyingpatternsoftheoverallratingsinonlinereviews
2 Whatarethelinkagesamongthevariousattributesoftheserviceprovidersandcustomerreviewsand
3 WhataretheissuesthatconsumersmostlytalkaboutinthetextportionofonlinereviewsDotheseis-suesdifferfromtheratingsthattheconsumershaveprovidedviathestandardvariablesprovidedbythereviewsites
ResearchSettingandDataCollectionThisstudyisbasedonreviewscollectedfromldquoReviewsitecomrdquoaswehavecalledthecommunity-driventravelsitethatweanalyzedThesiteprovidesreviewsofverifiedrentalpropertiesandorganizesthereputationofvacationpropertiesThepropertylistingwithinthesiteisbasednotontherevenuesharingmodelthatisgenerallypracticedbyotherreviewsitesbutonthereputationtrustandfeedbackfromcustomerswhohavestayedatthevacationrentalpropertiesReviewsitecomisafreeservicethatoperatesonserviceproviderfeesandadvertisingrevenuesUn-likesometravelreviewsitesthefirmrsquosreviewsolicitationstrategyistosendpersonalizedinvitationsonlytothosecustomerswhosestayhasbeenverifiedbythepropertymanagementThesitersquosmanagementbelievesthatthisstrategytoalargeextenteliminatesfakereviews
Thefirmprovideduswith3300reviewsforanalysisAfterinitialdatacleanupabout100reviewswithincom-pleteorunusableinformationwereeliminatedand3197reviewswereusedfortheanalysisThereviewscontainedthefollowingattributesbull Theoverallratingassignedtotheserviceprovider
basedontheaggregationoftheratingsassignedbyindividualreviewers
bull Consumersrsquoratingsonthefollowingsixattributesvaluecleanlinesscomfortservicelocationandcheck-in
bull Thereviewtext(Semanticprocessingtechniqueswereappliedontheaggregatereviewtexttoidentifythenuancedopinionsandconcernsofthetravelerswhowrotereviews)
8 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
bull Agerangeoftherevieweronan1-4ordinalscale(25-3435-4445-54and55andabove)
bull Averagepriceperdayand
bull Wordcount(usedinthequantitativeanalysis)
PreliminaryHypothesesandResultsTheagegroupsofthereviewwritersareshowninExhibit1Alargepercentageofthecustomerswhoreviewedthepropertiesfallunder44yearsofageThisisconsistentwithpreviousstudiesinthisrealmwhichshowthatgenerationXandGenerationYaremoreactiveintheWOMforums
ReviewRatingDistribution Websitesthathostonlinereviewsgiveconsumerstheoptiontoassignaratingtotheserviceproviderstypicallyonascaleof1to5or1to7Manysitesaggregatethesenumeri-calorstarratingstodetermineanoverall(mean)starratingWeseethisoverallratingasanimportantelementinonlineWOMsinceconsumersoftenusethisratingtonarrowdowntheirconsiderationsetStudiesthathaveusedtheratingastheprimarypredictoroftheserviceprovidersrsquoperceivedqualityorcustomersatisfactiontodeterminetheimpactofonlinereviewsonproductsaleshavearrivedatmixedfind-ings5Howeverthesestudiesarebasedonthefundamentalassumptionthatthenumericalratingsassignedtoservice
5ForexampleseeJChevalierandDMayzlinldquoTheEffectofWordofMouthOnlineOnlineBookReviewsrdquoJournal of Marketing ResearchVol43(2006)pp345-354andWDuanBGuandABWhinstonldquoDoOnlineReviewsMattermdashAnEmpiricalInvestigationofPanelDatardquoDecision Support SystemsVol45(2008)pp1007-1016
providersareanaccurateestimateofthequalityperceivedbythecustomerThispracticefollowsthebasicassumptionofbehavioraltheoriststhatanydatasetwithalargenumberofconsumerresponsestendstofollowanormal(Gaussian)distributionRecentstudieshavequestionedthisassump-tionForinstanceDellaracosandNarayanrsquosstudyonmoviereviewsinYahoocomfoundthatonlytheextremelysatisfiedandextremelydissatisfiedcustomersarelikelytopubliclyexpresstheiropinionsascomparedtocustomerswithmod-erateopinions6SimilarlystudiesusingdatafromTripadvi-sorcomandAmazoncomfoundthatthestarratingsexhibitatruncateddistributioninwhichthemajorityofreviewsarepositive7
TotestthisassumptionweranasimplefrequencychartasshowninExhibit2Inkeepingwithotherstudiesthedistributionisheavilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratings1-pointreviews32(1)2-pointreviews95(3)3-pointreviews458(14)4-pointreviews688(22)and5-pointreviews1912(60)Totestfortherobustnessofthisdistri-butionweappliedtheKolmogorov-Smirnovtestofnormal-ityTheresultsconfirmthenon-normaldistributionofthestarratingsandtheheavyskewtowardspositivereviews
Threeexplanationsarepossibleforsuchadistribution
6CDellarocasandRNarayanldquoAStatisticalMeasureofaPopulationrsquosPropensitytoEngageinPost-purchaseOnlineWord-of-mouthrdquoStatisti-cal ScienceVol21(2006)pp2777ATalwarandRFBoiJurcaUnderstandingUserBehaviorinOnlineFeedbackReportingrdquoinElectronic CommerceSanDiegoCalifornia(2007)pp134-142
Exhibit 1
Distribution of age ranges
Exhibit 2
Distribution of overall ldquostar ratingsrdquo
55 and above 45ndash54
years
35ndash44 years
18ndash34 years
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
Num
ber o
f rev
iew
s
3295
458 688
1912
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 9
1 AmajorityofthepropertiesthatarelistedonthewebsitehaveoutstandingperceivedqualityandprovidesatisfactoryservicestocustomersWhilethisistheo-reticallypossibleitseemsunlikelywhenappliedtoallthepropertieslistedonthewebsite8
2 ThereviewsdonotconstituteatrulyrepresentativesampleofconsumeropinionBasedonotherstud-iesthisexplanationseemsplausibleConsumerswithmoderateviewsmayseelittleincentivetoreporttheirviewsinanonlineforumandasaconsequenceonlythoseconsumerswhohavepolarizedviewsarelikelytoposttheircomments
3 ThedistributioncouldalsobeanartifactofthefirmrsquosreviewsolicitingstrategyRecentstudiessupportthisideabysuggestingthatcustomersengageinsociallydesirablebehavioreveninimpersonalinteractionswiththeserviceproviders9Inthiscaseitmaybethattheywillprovideareasonablypositiverevieweveniftheexperiencehasnotbeenuptothemark
StarRatingsandPerceivedServiceQualityLetrsquosreturntothefirstquestionweaskedattheoutsetArestarratingsatruerepresentationofserviceprovid-ersrsquoperceivedqualityasreflectedbytheconsumersrsquostatedsentimentsThisbecomesanimportantquestionfortwo
8AKadetldquoRah-RahRatingsOnlinerdquoSmartMoney20079YGreacutegoireandRJFisherldquoCustomerBetrayalandRetaliationWhenYourBestCustomersbecomeYourWorstEnemiesrdquoJournal of the Acad-emy of Marketing ScienceVol36(2008)pp247-261
reasons(a) ratingsaretheprimaryevidencethatconsum-ersconsiderwhileshoppingonlineforinformationand(b)thetruncatednatureofratingdistributionsmeansthatthereviewsavailablemaynottrulyrepresentconsumeropinionortheserviceprovidersrsquoperceivedqualityIfonlythosewithextremeviewspostreviewsthenconsumersshouldalwayslookforserviceprovidersthathavea5-starratingOnthecontraryifthereviewsaccuratelyreflectallconsumersrsquoviewsthenconsumersarebetteroffsearchingforreviewswitha3ratingsincethesetendtobemorebalancedandenablebetterproductanalysisRecentlyHu et aluseddatafromAmazoncomshowthatnumericalscoresdonotreflectbooksrsquotrueperceivedquality10AstheysuggestldquohellipratherthescorereflectsthebalanceofdiverseopinionsInotherwordswhenabookrsquosoverallscoreisaround3itdoesnotsuggestthatconsumersgenerallyagreethatthisisanaver-agebookItrathersuggeststhatroughlyequalnumberofconsumersthinkthatthebookiseitheranoutstandingbookoranabysmalbookrdquo
Totestthisassertionweappliedaregressionequationwithsixpropertyattributes(ievalueformoneycheck-inlocationcleanlinesscomfortandservice)asindependentvariablesandstarratingasthedependentvariableThisanalysisisbasedontheassumptionthatforagivenpropertyifstarratingstrulyrepresenttheperceivedqualityoftheproperties(aswellastheconsumersrsquosentiment)thenthestarratingsandratingsofthesixotherpropertyattributes
10NHuJZhangandPAPavlouOvercomingtheJ-shapedDistribu-tionofProductReviewsrdquoCommunications of the ACMVol52(2009)pp144-147
low reviews t-value high reviews t-value(Constant) 1618 18353 2400 34186vAlue 0254 13726 0378 8767CheCKiN -0083 -3701 -0053 -1192loCATioN 0104 6132 0079 2117CleAN 0144 7574 0112 2808CoMForT 0267 13993 0129 3088serviCe 0098 4209 0107 2401r2 0331 0338F-statistic 5038 24714
Exhibit 3
regression analysis of ldquolowrdquo and ldquohighrdquo reviews
Notes Coefficients (t-statistics reported) Significance is as follows significant at 0001 level significant at 05 level significant at 010 level Dependent variable is overall rating
10 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
moderateratingsonalltheattributesbutwasstillwillingtoprovideahighoverallstarratingtothepropertyThisexamplesuggeststhatconsumersplacesignificantemphasisontheoverallexperientialvalueprovidedbythepropertiesThisexpectationofvalueismanytimesintangibleanddoesnotnecessarilydependonthefunctioningorratingoftheindividualfeaturesoftheproperty
RelationshipbetweenRatingsandReviewAttributesTounderstandconsumersrsquoword-of-mouthbehavioritisimportanttoconsidervariousfactorssuchasperceivedexpectationsofcostsandbenefitsimportanceofthepur-chase(involvement)personalcharacteristicsandsituationalinfluencesWeconsidertwofactorsthatareknowntoaffecttheintensityandvalence(positiveornegative)ofwordofmouthpriceandwordcount
PricePriceisanimportantfactorthatcontributestopre-purchaseexpectationsTheintensityofexpectations(andtheirfulfillment)partlydrivenbypriceisdirectlypropor-tionaltoconsumersrsquosatisfactionlevelsandWOMpropensityThismaybethereasonthatthetendencytocomplainisdirectlyrelatedtothecostoftheservice11Themoreexpen-siveanitemthegreaterwillbetheperceivedlossesandthegreaterlikelihoodthatdissatisfactionwillresultinacom-plaintSimilarlythelikelihoodofword-of-mouthbeingtrig-geredbythelevelofexpectationndashdisconfirmationincreases
11BeardenWOandTeelJE(1983)Selecteddeterminantsofcon-sumersatisfactionandcomplaintreportsJournal of Marketing Research 2021-28
willshowahighcorrelationFortheanalysiswetookintoconsiderationthefactmostreviewsarepositive(ie4-and5-pointratings)Thereforewedividedthereviewsintotwocategorieshighreviews(starratingabove3n=2597)andlowreviews(ratingsbeloworequalto3n=600)andranseparateregressionanalysesonthesetwogroupsasshowninExhibit3
AninterestingfindingistheweakrelationshipbetweentheattributeratingsandoverallstarratingforeachpropertyTheR-squareoftheregressionequationwithallsixvariablesandtheoverallstarratingsislessthan40percentThatiseveniftheconsumersprovidedhigherratingsonindividualattributestheiroverallratingwasusuallylowandthere-versewasalsotrueThistrendisobservedinboththehighandlowreviewgroups
TheanalysissuggeststhatinhighreviewsconsumersplacedgreaterimportanceonvalueformoneycleanlinessandcomfortThehighertheratingsofaconsumerontheseattributesthehigheristhelikelihoodthattheconsumerwillprovideahigherstarratingCheck-inlocationandservicedidnotprominentlyfigureintheiroverallevalu-ationsofthepropertieseventhoughtheseattributeswereratedhigh
ThelowreviewsshowsimilarresultsinthesensethattheloweraconsumerratesvaluecleanlinessandcomfortthelowerthelikelihoodofapositiveratingInadditioninthecaseoflowreviewsconsumersplacedemphasisontheserviceprovidedbythepropertystaffandmanagement
TheaboveresultisillustratedinoneoftheldquohighrdquoreviewsshowninExhibit4Thereviewergavelowto
star rating Text Commentary
This was our 1st time renting a house vs a condo This house was great If you wanted to spend a little time by yourself you could so many rooms to go to The house was so comfortable like being at home It was our home for the week Thank you Hope to rent it next year if we havent bought one ourselves
ratings for specific Attributes
value Check-in location Clean Comfort service
3 2 3 2 4 3
Exhibit 4
example of a ldquohighrdquo review
Avg rating for Property Attributes
30
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 11
withthecostoftheproduct12Giventhegreaterperceivedriskinservicescustomerswouldseekmoretrustworthyser-viceproviderswithagoodreputationofsatisfyingcustomerneeds13ThisinturnincreasestheexpectationsandleadstomoreextremereactionsfromtheconsumersHenceonecanspeculatethatthehigherthepriceshigherwillbetheaver-agenegativeorpositiveratingsforaservice
Word countThenumberofwordsinareviewmayserveasaproxyfortheamountofinformationinthereviewsHowevertheevidenceonthisaspectofWOMofalltypesisequivocalForinstanceconsumersgenerallyengageinpositiveWOMtoavoidfeelingsofguiltandas-sociationwithbadnewsandtoreducecognitivedissonanceOntheotherhandacustomerwhoishighlydisappointedwillprovideapersuasiveargumenttomakesurethatothercustomersaredissuadedfromrentingthesamepropertyResearchonconventionalwordofmouthhasofferedampleevidencetosuggestthatdissatisfiedcustomersengageintwotothreetimesasmuchWOMassatisfiedcustomers14Webelievethatthislogicextendstoonlinereviewsdespitethefactthatexistingstudiesareequivocalatbest15Thereforeitcanbeassumedthatreviewswitheitherextremelypositiveorextremelynegativeratingswillhavegreaterwordcountasopposedtomoremoderatereviews
TotesttheseassumptionsweappliedANOVAwithpriceandwordcountasdependentvariablesandthereviewratingasfactorsAsillustratedinExhibits5and6theresultsshowthatpriceandwordcountshowasignificantnegativecorrelationwithstarratingThatisreviewswithlowerratingsaretypicallyassociatedwithgreaterwordcountandrepresentpropertiesthatchargehighrates
TheresultonthewordcountsuggeststhatconsumerswhoareunhappywitharentalpropertytendtowritemoretoexpresstheirdissatisfactionAsshowninthisexhibitlowerratingsareassociatedwithhighernumberofwordsinthereviewsandviceversaSimilarlypropertypriceseemstobestronglyassociatedwithnegativewordofmouthsup-portingtheprinciplethathighercostincreasestheconsum-ersrsquoinvolvementinthepurchase
12BeardenWOandMasonJB(1984)AninvestigationofinfluencesonconsumercomplaintreportsAdvancesinConsumerResearch11490-49513WetzerIMZeelenbergMandPietersR(2007)ldquoNevereatinthatrestaurantIdidrdquoExploringwhypeopleengageinnegativeword-of-mouthcommunicationPsychology and Marketing24661-68014SchlossbergH(1991)CustomersatisfactionNotafadbutawayoflifeMarketing News25andWestbrookR(1987)ProductConsump-tion-basedAffectiveResponsesandPost-purchaseProcessesJournal of Marketing Research 24258-27015AlexMSusskindldquoIToldYouSoRestaurantCustomersrsquoofWord-of-MouthCommunicationPatternsrdquoCornell Hotel and Restaurant Adminis-tration QuarterlyVol43No2(April2002)pp75-85
Exhibit 5
Differences in word count across star ratings
Exhibit 6
Differences in average price per day across ratings
Aver
age
pric
e pe
r day
of t
he re
ntal
pro
pert
y
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
1504
1563
1804
19861987
Aver
age
wor
d co
unt o
f rev
iew
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
836837
121
15751543
160
140
120
100
80
200
190
180
170
160
150
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
12 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
thereviewersThesecanbeclassifiedas(a)attributesorfea-turesofthepropertythatfigureprominentlyandcontributetothepositiveornegativeratings(egroomsbeddishesfurnitureorservice)and(b)thepositiveornegativewordsthatrepresentthesentimentofthereviewer(eggreatamazingdirtyandwonderful)Theresultsofthequalitativeanalysisareasfollows
Syntactic featuresTheoveralltoneofthelowreviewsisratherargumentativeThereviewerstendtobeforcefulinpresentingtheirpointofviewTheylayoutagreatamountofreasoningandprovidespecificexamplestodrivehometheirargumentThisisreflectedinthegreaterpercentageofnegativeconnectorwords(34)suchasbut however as ifandeven thoughItisinterestingtonotethatreviewersinthiscategoryspeakdirectlytotheotherconsumersnotablythroughgreateruseofwordssuchasyou(46)andlooktoinfluencetheirdecisionmaking
InthehighreviewsbycontrasttheoveralltonetendstobeenunciativeandthereviewersusethetexttomerelyreinforcetheirnumericalratingsusingfewerwordsonaveragethanthenegativereviewersInthesereviewstheconsumersfocusontheirpersonalexperiencesandappealtotheaudiencethroughemotionsratherthanlogicandreasoningasevidentfromgreateruseofpositiveadjectives
QualitativeAnalysisoftheReviewTextTheaboveanalysisemphasizestheimportanceofthetextcontentinconsumerreviewsWhilenumericalratingsallowthereviewerstoratetheserviceprovideronvariousattributesitisthetextthatprovidesthemwiththeopportu-nitytoarticulatethenuancesoftheiroverallexperienceandconveyusefulinformationaboutaserviceproviderrsquostransac-tionsandservicecapabilitiesThereforesemanticanalysisofthetextcontentprovidesuswithanopportunitytothethirdquestionpresentedattheoutsetofthisreportwhatdoconsumerstalkaboutintheirreviews
Tothisendweanalyzed600eachofrandomlyselectedhighandlowreviewsusingsemanticprocessingtechniquesWeusedcenteringresonanceanalysis(CRA)amodeofnet-work-basedtextanalysisthatrepresentsthecontentoflargesetsoftextsbyidentifyingthemostimportantwordsthatlinkotherwordsinthenetwork16OuranalysisexaminedsyntacticandsemanticfeaturesSyntacticfeaturesincludethepercentageofthewordsthatareopenclass(ienounsverbsadjectives)Semanticfeaturesrepresentthespecial-izedvocabularythatreflectstheoverallopinionexpressedby
16CormanSandDooleyK(2006)CrawdadTextAnalysisSystem12CrawdadTechnologiesLLCChandlerAZ
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Comments
bedroom beds linen sheets 383
Also the same bedroom and bathroom did not have any door separating the bedroom from the bathroom no privacy
Sleeping arrangements were very awkward The listing sheet described 2 full beds We brought our own linens the beds were queen sized Had to purchase sheet
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 297
You must not forget to step up when yoursquore walking out of the kitchen into the dining room otherwise yoursquoll trip over the 3-foot step up
No potholders in the kitchen and it didnrsquot seem like there were as many kitchen supplies as before We just had to make do without
beach beaches beachfront 296
The week was the best vacation we have ever had as a family The beach house was a class act
Disappointment 1 It looks like this house is very close to beach but to get there you have to go around through public path
Pool Poolside 218
The pool was too dirty to use We checked in on Thursday and the pool was not cleaned until Saturday
Also it is inconvenient to have to call to get someone to open the pool Didnrsquot understand why Jacuzzi was open and not the pool
bathroom(s) bath bathtub shower 202
The next problem was in another bathroom (main floor)mdashthe wall heater did not work so showering in here was a bit chilly The next problem was in the ldquomasterrdquo bathroom (connected to the bedroom with the King bed) The sliding shower doors need to be totally replaced
Bathtub drains clogged in three second floor bathrooms
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in low reviews
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 13
suchasgreat fantastic andawesome(45)andpersonalpronounssuchasweandI(54)
Semantic featuresExhibits7and8showthemainissuesoraspectsthatareprominentlydiscussedinthelowreviewsTheorderoftheseissuesisbasedonthestatisti-callysignificantfrequencyoftheiroccurrenceinthe1200reviews
WefurtherinvestigatedtheuseofvarioussentimentwordsInterestinglytheprominentissuesdiscussedinthepositivereviewssometimesdonotevenfigureintheratingscalesprovidedtothereviewersOveralltheresultsofthesemanticanalysiscanbesummarizedasfollows
Thepropertyanditsfeaturesaremorecommonlycon-nectedwithextremelypositivesentimentwordssuchasgreat wonderfulandamazinginthehighreviewsthaninthelowreviewsIncomparisonthepropertiesandtheirfea-turesinthelowreviewsaremorelikelytobecharacterizedwithmoderatelypositivewordssuchasniceandokay
Negativereviewsreflecttheextentofexpectationndashdis-confirmationthattheconsumersfaceduringtheirstayintherentalpropertyThesereviewshaveagreaterproportionofwordsexpressingdisappointment(egnotasexpected)Furtherextremelynegativesentimentwords(egdiscom-fortfilthy)andadjectivesaremorelikelytobeassociatedwithfeaturesinlowreviewsthaninhighreviews
Almost40percentoftheconsumerswhowrotehighreviewsexpresstheirwillingnesstoreturntothepropertyasopposedtoonly9percentofthosewritingnegativereviewsFurthermorethan20percentoftheconsumersgivinghighreviewsexpresstheirstrongdesiretorecommendtheprop-ertytotheirfriendsandfamilymembersasopposedtoonly5percentinlowreviews
ReviewofFindingsOurexploratorystudyofconsumerreviewsofUSvacationhomesonReviewsitecomwashighlightedbyoverwhelm-inglypositivereviews
Theoveralldistributionofthereviewswasheav-ilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratingsMorecriticallythisfindingsuggeststhatthereisalackofmoderateandbalancedopinionsWetheorizethatthisiseitherduetopurchasingbias(sincecustomerswentthroughthetroubleofpurchasingandexperiencingthefacilitiestheytendtobepositivelybiasedtowardstheirpurchase)orunder-reportingbias(customersdonothavestrongenoughincentivestotakethetroubleofreportingtheiropinionsandthefewmotivatedindividualswhoprovidetheirreviewsbecomeaself-selectedsample)
Theoverall(mean)starratingtypicallyusedintravelerreviewsitesisprobablynotthemostaccurateindicatorofcustomersrsquoperceptionsofserviceprovidersrsquoqualityWe
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Commentsbeach beaches beachfront 506 Perfect rental property for those who enjoy the activity of the beach and the serenity
of the Sound The house is just down the road from ocean
The large porch offered a beautiful view of the beach and comfortable new rocking chairs
Pool Poolside 218 The outdoor shower dipping pool and screen in porch were an added bonus Perfect house for a low key weekend
House was great for kids Pool was terrific and the playroom was perfectlocation 192 We had a wonderful time My wife loves fishing and the cottage was in a perfect
location to go fishing on the pier
The home is somewhat dated but the location was great We have vacationed in the Chatham area for many summers and this time it was great too
bedroom beds 186 The family suite is huge with a king size and twin bed and still room for a pack-n-play The kitchen and dining room were huge clean and nice
The only comments that I would say to the negative is the front bed room by the front door always seemed damp which seem to attract more bugs
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 178 All of the amenities in the house are upscalemdashloved the kitchen and plasma TVs
The kitchen had good basic utensils dishes and cooking pans
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in high reviews
14 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
foundacorrelationbetweenthestarratingandratingsonotherpropertyattributesoflessthan40percentinmostcases
AhighwordcountinthereviewsiscorrelatedwithalowoverallratingThatisconsumerswhoareextremelydissatisfiedtendtoexpendmoretimeandenergyontheircritiqueofthepropertyitsamenitiesandservicesPriceofthepropertyalsoseemstopositivelycorrelatewithextremenegativereviewsperhapsbecauseahighpriceheightenstravelersrsquoexpectations
Numericalratingsdonotoftencapturetheactualsentimentandthevarietyofdimensionsonwhichtravel-ersevaluatepropertiesBecausenumericalratingsdonotcapturereviewersrsquoopinionsaboutspecificattributestheycanbedeceivingandmaynotrevealthetruequalityofthepropertyortheactualintentionofthereviewerWefoundforinstancethatconsumersvaluelocation(egclosenesstothebeach)andcleanliness(egswimmingpoolareas)morethansuchfeaturesascheck-inandserviceSimilarlyinthenegativereviewsissuessuchaslackofbedroomparapher-naliaorkitchenitemsseemtoberankedhigherinimpor-tancethanissuessuchaslocationandcheck-inThereforeevenwhenapropertyscoreshighonthecertaindimensionstheoverallratingmayremainlowbecauseotherfactorsovershadowthefavorableaspects
WhatItMeansforManagersWeseeimplicationsforonlinereviewsitesandbyexten-sionforproprietorsofvacationhomesandserviceopera-tionsgenerallyWithregardtothereviewsitesifconsumersconsistentlydetectafavorablebiasthereviewsitesmaylosethecriticalaspectsofcredibilityandtrustAlthoughconsumersaregenerallysmartandrationalandcanworkaroundobviousbiasesrecentevidencesuggeststhatcon-sumersaregraduallydefectingfromsomeonlinesitesduetounbalancedreviews17InthisregardsiteadministratorsaswellaspropertymanagersshouldtakestepstoattractthoseconsumerswhoarewillingtoprovideareasonablybalancedanalysisoftheamenitiesandservicesBythiswemeanreviewsthatpresentcomprehensiveandobjectiveanalysisoftheserviceproviderratherthanjustravesorrants
Tothatendsiteoperatorsshouldtakestepstoun-derstandcustomersrsquoreviewwritingbehaviorandtoat-tractmorebalancedreviewsOnewaytodothisistogivepersonalizedinformationtotheconsumerdemonstratingthecontributionmadebyhisorherreviewandthevalueofthereviewtostakeholdersForinstanceLinget alfoundapositivecorrelationbetweenwillingnesstowritereviewsandtheconsumersrsquoperceptionthattheircontributionswouldbeuniqueandhelpfultoothercustomersaswellasperusedby
17HarteveldtHHJohnsonCStarkEandGeldernKV(2009)Us-ingDigitalChannelsToCalmTheAngryTravelerForresterResearch
theserviceproviders18Simplyputthepropensitytowritereviewsincreaseswhentheconsumersfeelthattheirreviewisactuallyhelpingothers(boththeserviceproviderandotherconsumers)
WesuggestthatreviewsitesdevelopbettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishspecificreviewcommentsaswellasnumericalratingsFirstmanagersshouldtakeintoconsiderationthelowcorrelationbetweentheoverallratingsandconsumersrsquoassessmentsofvariouspropertyattributes(aswellastheresultsfromthetextanalysis)Theimplicationofsuchaweakcorrelationisthatreviewsitesneedtoexpandonthelistofpossiblevariablessothattheratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquoneedsandexpectationsregardingserviceproviders
Furthersitemanagersmayhavetorethinkthecurrentpracticeofaveragingalltheratingsforagivenpropertybe-causesuchameanratingfailstotakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsAsanexamplethisstudyfindssignificantunder-reportingbiasinthisonlinereviewsiteAcustomerrsquosdecisiontonotpostonlinereviewsmaymeanthelossofimportantinformationthatcanassisttheusersofthesitestomakemorereliableinferencesThemajorityoftodayrsquosfeedbackmechanismsdonotpubliclydisclosethenumberofsilenttransactions(ietransactionsforwhichnofeedbackwaspostedbycustomers)Suchinfor-mationshouldbecomeapartofaserviceproviderrsquosonlineprofileonratingsitesandotherfeedbackmechanismsItisimportanttoprovidemoreinformationandheuristicstohelptheconsumersnavigatethroughtheclutterandgettheinformationtheywantandseek
Itisimportanttoapplymodernsemanticanalysisandsentimentclassificationtechniquestostudythecontentofthereviewsandidentifyvariousdimensionsonwhichcon-sumersevaluatevacationhomesThedetailsprovidedinthereviewtextareinmanywaysabetterreflectionofcustomersatisfactionServiceproviderscanbetterpositionthemselvesusingthedimensionsuncoveredthroughtextanalysisandtargettheneedsandpreferencesoftheircustomers
TheresultsinthisstudyshowthatnegativereviewsaretypicallyassociatedwithagreaterwordcountthanpositivereviewsItisusefultofocusspecificallyonthesenegativereviewsbecausetheycanrevealpatternsofdeficienciesintheservicestandardsanddeliveryThesereviewsshouldbetreatedthesameascustomercommentcardsorletters19Furthercustomerswhowritesuchlengthynegativereviews
18LingKimberlyGerardBeenenPaulLudfordXiaoxingWangKevinChangXinLiDanCosleyDanFrankowskiLorenTerveenAlMRashidandRobertKrautldquoUsingSocialPsychologytoMotivateContributionstoOnlineCommunitiesrdquoJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication10no4(2005)19MilanR(2007)10thingsyoucandoinresponsetotravelerreviewsinHotelmarketingcom
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 15
aremostlikelytospreadnegativeword-of-mouthaboutthepropertyLengthyreviewsareexcellentsourcesofinforma-tionandshouldbeusedasthebasestounderstandthecomplainingbehavioroftheconsumer
WordcountmaybeusedasanadditionalsegmentationvariabletoidentifythoseconsumerswhoaremoreinvolvedandwillingtoprovidebalancedfeedbacktoboththereviewsiteaswellastopropertymanagementVariousotherresearchmethodssuchastelephoneinterviewsorfocusgroupsshouldbeusedtoelicitdetailedfeedbackfromsuchconsumersTheseactionsalsohelpinservicerecoverypost-purchaseengagementandrelationshipbuilding
OutlookWeforeseethreepotentialareasinvestigationthatcanaddvaluetocurrentbestpracticesWestilldonrsquotknowmuchaboutconsumersrsquomotivationtowriteonlinereviews20Recentstudiesidentifyvariousantecedentsofreviewwritingbutsufferfromsamplingbiassincetheysurveyaself-select-edsampleofconsumerswhoalreadyprovidedreviewsAstheresultsinthisstudyindicateunder-reportingbias(lackofmoderateandlowreviews)remainsprevalentinonlinereviewsitesFutureresearchshouldidentifysocio-psycho-logicalfactorsthatincreaseconsumersrsquopropensitytowriteonlinereviews
Futureresearchshouldexploretheimpactofthepres-ence(orlack)ofextremelynegativereviewswithinalargecorpusofpositivereviewsTheevidenceontheimpactofre-
20WangYandFesenmaierDR(2003)AssessingMotivationofCon-tributioninOnlineCommunitiesAnEmpiricalInvestigationofanOn-lineTravelCommunityElectronic Markets1333-45andYooKyungHandUlrikeGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp Tourism10No4(2008)283-95
viewvalence(negativeorpositive)isequivocalProponentsofconfirmatorybiassuggestthatconsumerslookforaffir-mativeevidencesupportingaproductchoicealreadymadeIfthatisthecasepositivereviewsaremorelikelytohaveagreatereffectonconsumeractionsOntheotherhandthenotionofnegativitybiassuggeststhatwhenconsumersareneutralnegativereviewstendtobecomemoresalientthanpositivereviews21Inthepresenceoflargenumbersofposi-tivereviewsconsumersspecificallyseeknegativereviewsthattheyfeelwillhelpthemidentifyspecificproblemswithaserviceUnderstandinghowconsumersreconciletheinformationprovidedbybothnegativeandpositivereviewshasimplicationsforthedesignandmanagementofreviewsites
Finallyareviewrsquoswordcounthasimportantimplica-tionsforconsumersrsquotrustinthereviewsWhenconsumersarewillingtoreadandcompareopen-endedcommentsfromotherconsumerstheamountofinformationinareviewcanmatterWOMforhighinvolvementproductsismorepersuasiveandincreasesthedecisionmakerrsquosconfi-dencewhenthemessagesenderprovidesgreaternumberofreasonsfortheiroverallratingLongerreviewsprovidemoreinformationandarelikelytobeperceivedasmorehelpfulandpersuasivethanshorterreviewsThewaysinwhichareviewiswrittenframedandpresentedisaninterestingfactorwhichhasrarelybeeninvestigatedandhasimportantimplicationsparticularlygivenourfindingthattheamountofinformationinareview(wordcount)variessignificantlywiththeratingsofthereviewn
21BaSandPavlouPA(2002)EvidenceoftheEffectofTrustBuildingTechnologyinElectronicMarketsPricePremiumsandBuyerBehaviorMIS Quarterly26243-268
Cornell Hospitality Quarterlyhttpcqxsagepubcom
2011 ReportsVol11No15DesigningaSelf-HealingServiceSystemAnIntegrativeModelbyRobertCFordandMichaelCSturman
Vol11No14ReversingtheGreenBacklashWhyLargeHospitalityCompaniesShouldWelcomeCrediblyGreenCompetitorsbyMichaelGiebelhausenPhDandHaeEunHelenChunPhD
Vol11No13DevelopingaSustainabilityMeasurementFrameworkforHotelsTowardanIndustry-wideReportingStructurebyEricRicaurte
Vol11No12CreatingValueforWomenBusinessTravelersFocusingonEmotionalOutcomesbyJudiBrownellPhD
Vol11No11CustomerLoyaltyANewLookattheBenefitsofImprovingSegmentationEffortswithRewardsProgramsbyClayVoorheesPhDMichaelMcCallPhDandRogerCalantonePhD
Vol11No10CustomerPerceptionsofElectronicFoodOrderingbySherylEKimes
Vol11No92011TravelIndustryBenchmarkingStatusofSeniorDestinationandLodgingMarketingExecutivesbyRohitVermaPhDandKenMcGill
Vol11No8SearchOTAsandOnlineBookingAnExpandedAnalysisoftheBillboardEffectbyChrisAndersonPhD
Vol11No7OnlineMobileandTextFoodOrderingintheUSRestaurantIndustrybySherylEKimesPhDandPhilippFLaqueacute
Vol11No6HotelGuestsrsquoReactionstoGuestRoomSustainabilityInitiativesbyAlexSusskindPhDandRohitVermaPhD
Vol11No5TheImpactofTerrorismandEconomicShocksonUSHotelsbyCathyAEnzRenaacutetaKosovaacuteandMarkLomannoVol11No4ImplementingHumanResourceInnovationsThreeSuccessStoriesfromtheServiceIndustrybyJustinSunandKateWalshPhD
Vol11No3Compendium2011
Vol11No2PositioningaPlaceDevelopingaCompellingDestinationBrandbyRobertJKwortnikPhDandEthanHawkesMBA
Vol11No1TheImpactofHealthInsuranceonEmployeeJobAnxietyWithdrawalBehaviorsandTaskPerformancebySeanWayPhDBillCarrollPhDAlexSusskindPhDandJoeCYLeng
2011 Hospitality ToolsVol2No1TheGameHasChangedANewParadigmforStakeholderEngagementbyMaryBethMcEuen
2011 Industry PerspectivesNo7MegaTips2TwentyTestedTechniquesforIncreasingYourTipsbyMichaelLynn
2011 ProceedingsVol3No5BuildingBrandsintheInternetAgeAnalyticsLoyaltyandCommunicationbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No4BraveNewWorldOnlineHotelDistributionbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No3SocialMediaandtheHospitalityIndustryHoldingtheTigerbytheTailbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No2TheChallengeofHotelandRestaurantSustainabilityFindingProfitinldquoBeingGreenrdquobyGlennWithiam
Vol3No1CautiousOptimismCHRSExaminesHospitalityIndustryTrendsbyGlennWithiam
2010 ReportsVol10No18HowTravelersUseOnlineandSocialMediaChannelstoMakeHotel-choiceDecisionsbyLauraMcCarthyDebraStockandRohitVermaPhD
Vol10No17PublicorPrivateTheHospitalityInvestmentDecisionbyQingzhongMaPhDandAthenaWeiZhangPhD
Vol10No16BestPracticesinSearchEngineMarketingandOptimizationTheCaseoftheStJamesHotelbyGregBodenlcosVictorBogertDanGordonCarterHearneandChrisKAndersonPhD
Vol10No15TheImpactofPrix Fixe MenuPriceFormatsonGuestsrsquoDealPerceptionbyShuoWangandMichaelLynnPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
Publication Indexwwwchrcornelledu
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
No2RetaliationWhyanIncreaseinClaimsDoesNotMeantheSkyIsFallingbyDavidSherwynJDandGreggGilmanJD
2009 ToolsToolNo12MeasuringtheDiningExperienceTheCaseofVitaNovabyKeshPrasadandFredJDeMiccoPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality ResearchPublication Index
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
visit our website to apply
wwwchrcornell edu
6 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
CorNell hosPiTAliTy rePorT
Giventhatconsumersareincreasinglyrelyingonsearchenginestoacquireinformationabout hotels restaurants and travel purveyors (among many other services)consumer-generated online reviews will inevitably change the structure andaccessibilityofinformationalongwithconsumersrsquoperceptionsofvariousservices
ThepopularityofonlinereviewshasledtoaproliferationofonlinereviewsitesincludingpopularsitessuchasHotelscomTripadvisorcomandYelpcomArecentstudybyForresterIncfoundthatmorethan80percentofwebshoppersreadandconsiderotherconsumersrsquoreviews1SimilarlyCompeteIncfoundthatnearly50percentofpurchasersvisitedamessageboardforumoronlinecommunityforinformationconnectedwiththeironlinetravelpurchasingandoneinthreeofthesebuyerssaidthatconsumer reviews helped with their purchase decision2 Almost half of these consumers said thatconsumersrsquoopinionsactuallycausedthemtochangetheirmindaboutwhattheypurchasedMoreoveramongthosebuyers25percentsaidtheyalsopostedareviewonaconsumerreviewsiteaftermakingtheirpurchase
1ForresterldquoFortyFactsaboutUSOnlineShoppersrdquoForresterInc20062CompeteldquoEmbracingConsumerBuzzCreatesMeasurementChallengesforMarketersrdquoCompeteInc2006
UnscramblingthePuzzlingMatterofOnlineConsumerRatings
An Exploratory Analysis
byPradeepRacherlaDanielConnollyandNatasaChristodoulidou
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 7
Howevertheexistingunderstandingofonlinetourism-relatedreviewsisrelativelyweakeventhoughweknowthatwordofmouth(WOM)ismoreimportantandinfluentialwithinaservicescontextthaninproductmarketingscenariosRecentlysomestudieshaveexploredtourism-andhospital-ity-relatedonlineWOM3Yetresearchhassofaroverlookedcertaininterestingaspectsofonlinereviewsasfollows
Onlinereviewstypicallyuseldquooverallstarratingsrdquoaspri-maryindicatorsofperceivedservicequalitymdashratingsthatarenotrelatedinanywaytotheformalstardesignationsawardedbyForbesorMichelinConsumersrsquomeanstarratingsaretypi-callyaggregatedfromtheratingsgivenbyindividualconsum-ersineachreviewWhatwedonrsquotknowishowconsumersdeterminethestarstheyassigntoaservicewhentheypostareviewonawebsiteThatisdostarratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquosentimentsregardingvariousattributesofserviceprovidersThisisavitalissuegiventheexperientialandin-tangiblenatureoftravelservicesandthefactthatconsumersusetheoverallratingasanimportantheuristicwhilenarrow-ingdownchoices
FurtherstudieshaveoverlookedtherelationshipbetweenthereviewsandvariousattributesofservicesandserviceprovidersSinceonlinereviewsareaformofWOMvariablessuchasconsumerinvolvementpricingandlengthofstaymayhaveanimpactonthefinalratingandpostingofthereviewprovidedbyconsumersItisimportanttouncovertheserelationshipstobetterunderstandthedynamicsofonlinereviews
FewstudieshaveanalyzedthequalitativeaspectofonlinereviewsOnlinereviewsareessentiallyopen-endedtext-basedconsumer-to-consumer(c2c)communicationsThetextcontentmaycontainnuancedviewsoftheservicesandserviceproviders(fromthereviewwritersrsquopointofview)thatcannotbeexpressedusingcrudenumericalratings4Hencethereisaneedtoanalyzethetextportionofthereviewsandidentifytheissuesthatconsumersaremostlyconcernedwithwhenwritingandpostingonlinerelatedreviews
WeaddresstheabovepointsinthisstudyThefollowingquestionsguidedus
3KHYooandUGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp TourismVol10(2008)pp283-295andZXiangandUGretzelldquoRoleofSocialMediainOnlineTravelInformationSearchrdquoTourism Management20094AGhoseandPGIpeirotisldquoEstimatingtheSocio-economicImpactofProductReviewsMiningTextandReviewerCharacteristicsrdquoInformation Systems Research2008
1 Dooverallratingsreflecttheperceivedqualityoftheserviceproviders(asderivedfromtheconsumersrsquoexpressedsentimentinthereviews)Whataretheunderlyingpatternsoftheoverallratingsinonlinereviews
2 Whatarethelinkagesamongthevariousattributesoftheserviceprovidersandcustomerreviewsand
3 WhataretheissuesthatconsumersmostlytalkaboutinthetextportionofonlinereviewsDotheseis-suesdifferfromtheratingsthattheconsumershaveprovidedviathestandardvariablesprovidedbythereviewsites
ResearchSettingandDataCollectionThisstudyisbasedonreviewscollectedfromldquoReviewsitecomrdquoaswehavecalledthecommunity-driventravelsitethatweanalyzedThesiteprovidesreviewsofverifiedrentalpropertiesandorganizesthereputationofvacationpropertiesThepropertylistingwithinthesiteisbasednotontherevenuesharingmodelthatisgenerallypracticedbyotherreviewsitesbutonthereputationtrustandfeedbackfromcustomerswhohavestayedatthevacationrentalpropertiesReviewsitecomisafreeservicethatoperatesonserviceproviderfeesandadvertisingrevenuesUn-likesometravelreviewsitesthefirmrsquosreviewsolicitationstrategyistosendpersonalizedinvitationsonlytothosecustomerswhosestayhasbeenverifiedbythepropertymanagementThesitersquosmanagementbelievesthatthisstrategytoalargeextenteliminatesfakereviews
Thefirmprovideduswith3300reviewsforanalysisAfterinitialdatacleanupabout100reviewswithincom-pleteorunusableinformationwereeliminatedand3197reviewswereusedfortheanalysisThereviewscontainedthefollowingattributesbull Theoverallratingassignedtotheserviceprovider
basedontheaggregationoftheratingsassignedbyindividualreviewers
bull Consumersrsquoratingsonthefollowingsixattributesvaluecleanlinesscomfortservicelocationandcheck-in
bull Thereviewtext(Semanticprocessingtechniqueswereappliedontheaggregatereviewtexttoidentifythenuancedopinionsandconcernsofthetravelerswhowrotereviews)
8 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
bull Agerangeoftherevieweronan1-4ordinalscale(25-3435-4445-54and55andabove)
bull Averagepriceperdayand
bull Wordcount(usedinthequantitativeanalysis)
PreliminaryHypothesesandResultsTheagegroupsofthereviewwritersareshowninExhibit1Alargepercentageofthecustomerswhoreviewedthepropertiesfallunder44yearsofageThisisconsistentwithpreviousstudiesinthisrealmwhichshowthatgenerationXandGenerationYaremoreactiveintheWOMforums
ReviewRatingDistribution Websitesthathostonlinereviewsgiveconsumerstheoptiontoassignaratingtotheserviceproviderstypicallyonascaleof1to5or1to7Manysitesaggregatethesenumeri-calorstarratingstodetermineanoverall(mean)starratingWeseethisoverallratingasanimportantelementinonlineWOMsinceconsumersoftenusethisratingtonarrowdowntheirconsiderationsetStudiesthathaveusedtheratingastheprimarypredictoroftheserviceprovidersrsquoperceivedqualityorcustomersatisfactiontodeterminetheimpactofonlinereviewsonproductsaleshavearrivedatmixedfind-ings5Howeverthesestudiesarebasedonthefundamentalassumptionthatthenumericalratingsassignedtoservice
5ForexampleseeJChevalierandDMayzlinldquoTheEffectofWordofMouthOnlineOnlineBookReviewsrdquoJournal of Marketing ResearchVol43(2006)pp345-354andWDuanBGuandABWhinstonldquoDoOnlineReviewsMattermdashAnEmpiricalInvestigationofPanelDatardquoDecision Support SystemsVol45(2008)pp1007-1016
providersareanaccurateestimateofthequalityperceivedbythecustomerThispracticefollowsthebasicassumptionofbehavioraltheoriststhatanydatasetwithalargenumberofconsumerresponsestendstofollowanormal(Gaussian)distributionRecentstudieshavequestionedthisassump-tionForinstanceDellaracosandNarayanrsquosstudyonmoviereviewsinYahoocomfoundthatonlytheextremelysatisfiedandextremelydissatisfiedcustomersarelikelytopubliclyexpresstheiropinionsascomparedtocustomerswithmod-erateopinions6SimilarlystudiesusingdatafromTripadvi-sorcomandAmazoncomfoundthatthestarratingsexhibitatruncateddistributioninwhichthemajorityofreviewsarepositive7
TotestthisassumptionweranasimplefrequencychartasshowninExhibit2Inkeepingwithotherstudiesthedistributionisheavilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratings1-pointreviews32(1)2-pointreviews95(3)3-pointreviews458(14)4-pointreviews688(22)and5-pointreviews1912(60)Totestfortherobustnessofthisdistri-butionweappliedtheKolmogorov-Smirnovtestofnormal-ityTheresultsconfirmthenon-normaldistributionofthestarratingsandtheheavyskewtowardspositivereviews
Threeexplanationsarepossibleforsuchadistribution
6CDellarocasandRNarayanldquoAStatisticalMeasureofaPopulationrsquosPropensitytoEngageinPost-purchaseOnlineWord-of-mouthrdquoStatisti-cal ScienceVol21(2006)pp2777ATalwarandRFBoiJurcaUnderstandingUserBehaviorinOnlineFeedbackReportingrdquoinElectronic CommerceSanDiegoCalifornia(2007)pp134-142
Exhibit 1
Distribution of age ranges
Exhibit 2
Distribution of overall ldquostar ratingsrdquo
55 and above 45ndash54
years
35ndash44 years
18ndash34 years
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
Num
ber o
f rev
iew
s
3295
458 688
1912
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 9
1 AmajorityofthepropertiesthatarelistedonthewebsitehaveoutstandingperceivedqualityandprovidesatisfactoryservicestocustomersWhilethisistheo-reticallypossibleitseemsunlikelywhenappliedtoallthepropertieslistedonthewebsite8
2 ThereviewsdonotconstituteatrulyrepresentativesampleofconsumeropinionBasedonotherstud-iesthisexplanationseemsplausibleConsumerswithmoderateviewsmayseelittleincentivetoreporttheirviewsinanonlineforumandasaconsequenceonlythoseconsumerswhohavepolarizedviewsarelikelytoposttheircomments
3 ThedistributioncouldalsobeanartifactofthefirmrsquosreviewsolicitingstrategyRecentstudiessupportthisideabysuggestingthatcustomersengageinsociallydesirablebehavioreveninimpersonalinteractionswiththeserviceproviders9Inthiscaseitmaybethattheywillprovideareasonablypositiverevieweveniftheexperiencehasnotbeenuptothemark
StarRatingsandPerceivedServiceQualityLetrsquosreturntothefirstquestionweaskedattheoutsetArestarratingsatruerepresentationofserviceprovid-ersrsquoperceivedqualityasreflectedbytheconsumersrsquostatedsentimentsThisbecomesanimportantquestionfortwo
8AKadetldquoRah-RahRatingsOnlinerdquoSmartMoney20079YGreacutegoireandRJFisherldquoCustomerBetrayalandRetaliationWhenYourBestCustomersbecomeYourWorstEnemiesrdquoJournal of the Acad-emy of Marketing ScienceVol36(2008)pp247-261
reasons(a) ratingsaretheprimaryevidencethatconsum-ersconsiderwhileshoppingonlineforinformationand(b)thetruncatednatureofratingdistributionsmeansthatthereviewsavailablemaynottrulyrepresentconsumeropinionortheserviceprovidersrsquoperceivedqualityIfonlythosewithextremeviewspostreviewsthenconsumersshouldalwayslookforserviceprovidersthathavea5-starratingOnthecontraryifthereviewsaccuratelyreflectallconsumersrsquoviewsthenconsumersarebetteroffsearchingforreviewswitha3ratingsincethesetendtobemorebalancedandenablebetterproductanalysisRecentlyHu et aluseddatafromAmazoncomshowthatnumericalscoresdonotreflectbooksrsquotrueperceivedquality10AstheysuggestldquohellipratherthescorereflectsthebalanceofdiverseopinionsInotherwordswhenabookrsquosoverallscoreisaround3itdoesnotsuggestthatconsumersgenerallyagreethatthisisanaver-agebookItrathersuggeststhatroughlyequalnumberofconsumersthinkthatthebookiseitheranoutstandingbookoranabysmalbookrdquo
Totestthisassertionweappliedaregressionequationwithsixpropertyattributes(ievalueformoneycheck-inlocationcleanlinesscomfortandservice)asindependentvariablesandstarratingasthedependentvariableThisanalysisisbasedontheassumptionthatforagivenpropertyifstarratingstrulyrepresenttheperceivedqualityoftheproperties(aswellastheconsumersrsquosentiment)thenthestarratingsandratingsofthesixotherpropertyattributes
10NHuJZhangandPAPavlouOvercomingtheJ-shapedDistribu-tionofProductReviewsrdquoCommunications of the ACMVol52(2009)pp144-147
low reviews t-value high reviews t-value(Constant) 1618 18353 2400 34186vAlue 0254 13726 0378 8767CheCKiN -0083 -3701 -0053 -1192loCATioN 0104 6132 0079 2117CleAN 0144 7574 0112 2808CoMForT 0267 13993 0129 3088serviCe 0098 4209 0107 2401r2 0331 0338F-statistic 5038 24714
Exhibit 3
regression analysis of ldquolowrdquo and ldquohighrdquo reviews
Notes Coefficients (t-statistics reported) Significance is as follows significant at 0001 level significant at 05 level significant at 010 level Dependent variable is overall rating
10 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
moderateratingsonalltheattributesbutwasstillwillingtoprovideahighoverallstarratingtothepropertyThisexamplesuggeststhatconsumersplacesignificantemphasisontheoverallexperientialvalueprovidedbythepropertiesThisexpectationofvalueismanytimesintangibleanddoesnotnecessarilydependonthefunctioningorratingoftheindividualfeaturesoftheproperty
RelationshipbetweenRatingsandReviewAttributesTounderstandconsumersrsquoword-of-mouthbehavioritisimportanttoconsidervariousfactorssuchasperceivedexpectationsofcostsandbenefitsimportanceofthepur-chase(involvement)personalcharacteristicsandsituationalinfluencesWeconsidertwofactorsthatareknowntoaffecttheintensityandvalence(positiveornegative)ofwordofmouthpriceandwordcount
PricePriceisanimportantfactorthatcontributestopre-purchaseexpectationsTheintensityofexpectations(andtheirfulfillment)partlydrivenbypriceisdirectlypropor-tionaltoconsumersrsquosatisfactionlevelsandWOMpropensityThismaybethereasonthatthetendencytocomplainisdirectlyrelatedtothecostoftheservice11Themoreexpen-siveanitemthegreaterwillbetheperceivedlossesandthegreaterlikelihoodthatdissatisfactionwillresultinacom-plaintSimilarlythelikelihoodofword-of-mouthbeingtrig-geredbythelevelofexpectationndashdisconfirmationincreases
11BeardenWOandTeelJE(1983)Selecteddeterminantsofcon-sumersatisfactionandcomplaintreportsJournal of Marketing Research 2021-28
willshowahighcorrelationFortheanalysiswetookintoconsiderationthefactmostreviewsarepositive(ie4-and5-pointratings)Thereforewedividedthereviewsintotwocategorieshighreviews(starratingabove3n=2597)andlowreviews(ratingsbeloworequalto3n=600)andranseparateregressionanalysesonthesetwogroupsasshowninExhibit3
AninterestingfindingistheweakrelationshipbetweentheattributeratingsandoverallstarratingforeachpropertyTheR-squareoftheregressionequationwithallsixvariablesandtheoverallstarratingsislessthan40percentThatiseveniftheconsumersprovidedhigherratingsonindividualattributestheiroverallratingwasusuallylowandthere-versewasalsotrueThistrendisobservedinboththehighandlowreviewgroups
TheanalysissuggeststhatinhighreviewsconsumersplacedgreaterimportanceonvalueformoneycleanlinessandcomfortThehighertheratingsofaconsumerontheseattributesthehigheristhelikelihoodthattheconsumerwillprovideahigherstarratingCheck-inlocationandservicedidnotprominentlyfigureintheiroverallevalu-ationsofthepropertieseventhoughtheseattributeswereratedhigh
ThelowreviewsshowsimilarresultsinthesensethattheloweraconsumerratesvaluecleanlinessandcomfortthelowerthelikelihoodofapositiveratingInadditioninthecaseoflowreviewsconsumersplacedemphasisontheserviceprovidedbythepropertystaffandmanagement
TheaboveresultisillustratedinoneoftheldquohighrdquoreviewsshowninExhibit4Thereviewergavelowto
star rating Text Commentary
This was our 1st time renting a house vs a condo This house was great If you wanted to spend a little time by yourself you could so many rooms to go to The house was so comfortable like being at home It was our home for the week Thank you Hope to rent it next year if we havent bought one ourselves
ratings for specific Attributes
value Check-in location Clean Comfort service
3 2 3 2 4 3
Exhibit 4
example of a ldquohighrdquo review
Avg rating for Property Attributes
30
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 11
withthecostoftheproduct12Giventhegreaterperceivedriskinservicescustomerswouldseekmoretrustworthyser-viceproviderswithagoodreputationofsatisfyingcustomerneeds13ThisinturnincreasestheexpectationsandleadstomoreextremereactionsfromtheconsumersHenceonecanspeculatethatthehigherthepriceshigherwillbetheaver-agenegativeorpositiveratingsforaservice
Word countThenumberofwordsinareviewmayserveasaproxyfortheamountofinformationinthereviewsHowevertheevidenceonthisaspectofWOMofalltypesisequivocalForinstanceconsumersgenerallyengageinpositiveWOMtoavoidfeelingsofguiltandas-sociationwithbadnewsandtoreducecognitivedissonanceOntheotherhandacustomerwhoishighlydisappointedwillprovideapersuasiveargumenttomakesurethatothercustomersaredissuadedfromrentingthesamepropertyResearchonconventionalwordofmouthhasofferedampleevidencetosuggestthatdissatisfiedcustomersengageintwotothreetimesasmuchWOMassatisfiedcustomers14Webelievethatthislogicextendstoonlinereviewsdespitethefactthatexistingstudiesareequivocalatbest15Thereforeitcanbeassumedthatreviewswitheitherextremelypositiveorextremelynegativeratingswillhavegreaterwordcountasopposedtomoremoderatereviews
TotesttheseassumptionsweappliedANOVAwithpriceandwordcountasdependentvariablesandthereviewratingasfactorsAsillustratedinExhibits5and6theresultsshowthatpriceandwordcountshowasignificantnegativecorrelationwithstarratingThatisreviewswithlowerratingsaretypicallyassociatedwithgreaterwordcountandrepresentpropertiesthatchargehighrates
TheresultonthewordcountsuggeststhatconsumerswhoareunhappywitharentalpropertytendtowritemoretoexpresstheirdissatisfactionAsshowninthisexhibitlowerratingsareassociatedwithhighernumberofwordsinthereviewsandviceversaSimilarlypropertypriceseemstobestronglyassociatedwithnegativewordofmouthsup-portingtheprinciplethathighercostincreasestheconsum-ersrsquoinvolvementinthepurchase
12BeardenWOandMasonJB(1984)AninvestigationofinfluencesonconsumercomplaintreportsAdvancesinConsumerResearch11490-49513WetzerIMZeelenbergMandPietersR(2007)ldquoNevereatinthatrestaurantIdidrdquoExploringwhypeopleengageinnegativeword-of-mouthcommunicationPsychology and Marketing24661-68014SchlossbergH(1991)CustomersatisfactionNotafadbutawayoflifeMarketing News25andWestbrookR(1987)ProductConsump-tion-basedAffectiveResponsesandPost-purchaseProcessesJournal of Marketing Research 24258-27015AlexMSusskindldquoIToldYouSoRestaurantCustomersrsquoofWord-of-MouthCommunicationPatternsrdquoCornell Hotel and Restaurant Adminis-tration QuarterlyVol43No2(April2002)pp75-85
Exhibit 5
Differences in word count across star ratings
Exhibit 6
Differences in average price per day across ratings
Aver
age
pric
e pe
r day
of t
he re
ntal
pro
pert
y
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
1504
1563
1804
19861987
Aver
age
wor
d co
unt o
f rev
iew
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
836837
121
15751543
160
140
120
100
80
200
190
180
170
160
150
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
12 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
thereviewersThesecanbeclassifiedas(a)attributesorfea-turesofthepropertythatfigureprominentlyandcontributetothepositiveornegativeratings(egroomsbeddishesfurnitureorservice)and(b)thepositiveornegativewordsthatrepresentthesentimentofthereviewer(eggreatamazingdirtyandwonderful)Theresultsofthequalitativeanalysisareasfollows
Syntactic featuresTheoveralltoneofthelowreviewsisratherargumentativeThereviewerstendtobeforcefulinpresentingtheirpointofviewTheylayoutagreatamountofreasoningandprovidespecificexamplestodrivehometheirargumentThisisreflectedinthegreaterpercentageofnegativeconnectorwords(34)suchasbut however as ifandeven thoughItisinterestingtonotethatreviewersinthiscategoryspeakdirectlytotheotherconsumersnotablythroughgreateruseofwordssuchasyou(46)andlooktoinfluencetheirdecisionmaking
InthehighreviewsbycontrasttheoveralltonetendstobeenunciativeandthereviewersusethetexttomerelyreinforcetheirnumericalratingsusingfewerwordsonaveragethanthenegativereviewersInthesereviewstheconsumersfocusontheirpersonalexperiencesandappealtotheaudiencethroughemotionsratherthanlogicandreasoningasevidentfromgreateruseofpositiveadjectives
QualitativeAnalysisoftheReviewTextTheaboveanalysisemphasizestheimportanceofthetextcontentinconsumerreviewsWhilenumericalratingsallowthereviewerstoratetheserviceprovideronvariousattributesitisthetextthatprovidesthemwiththeopportu-nitytoarticulatethenuancesoftheiroverallexperienceandconveyusefulinformationaboutaserviceproviderrsquostransac-tionsandservicecapabilitiesThereforesemanticanalysisofthetextcontentprovidesuswithanopportunitytothethirdquestionpresentedattheoutsetofthisreportwhatdoconsumerstalkaboutintheirreviews
Tothisendweanalyzed600eachofrandomlyselectedhighandlowreviewsusingsemanticprocessingtechniquesWeusedcenteringresonanceanalysis(CRA)amodeofnet-work-basedtextanalysisthatrepresentsthecontentoflargesetsoftextsbyidentifyingthemostimportantwordsthatlinkotherwordsinthenetwork16OuranalysisexaminedsyntacticandsemanticfeaturesSyntacticfeaturesincludethepercentageofthewordsthatareopenclass(ienounsverbsadjectives)Semanticfeaturesrepresentthespecial-izedvocabularythatreflectstheoverallopinionexpressedby
16CormanSandDooleyK(2006)CrawdadTextAnalysisSystem12CrawdadTechnologiesLLCChandlerAZ
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Comments
bedroom beds linen sheets 383
Also the same bedroom and bathroom did not have any door separating the bedroom from the bathroom no privacy
Sleeping arrangements were very awkward The listing sheet described 2 full beds We brought our own linens the beds were queen sized Had to purchase sheet
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 297
You must not forget to step up when yoursquore walking out of the kitchen into the dining room otherwise yoursquoll trip over the 3-foot step up
No potholders in the kitchen and it didnrsquot seem like there were as many kitchen supplies as before We just had to make do without
beach beaches beachfront 296
The week was the best vacation we have ever had as a family The beach house was a class act
Disappointment 1 It looks like this house is very close to beach but to get there you have to go around through public path
Pool Poolside 218
The pool was too dirty to use We checked in on Thursday and the pool was not cleaned until Saturday
Also it is inconvenient to have to call to get someone to open the pool Didnrsquot understand why Jacuzzi was open and not the pool
bathroom(s) bath bathtub shower 202
The next problem was in another bathroom (main floor)mdashthe wall heater did not work so showering in here was a bit chilly The next problem was in the ldquomasterrdquo bathroom (connected to the bedroom with the King bed) The sliding shower doors need to be totally replaced
Bathtub drains clogged in three second floor bathrooms
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in low reviews
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 13
suchasgreat fantastic andawesome(45)andpersonalpronounssuchasweandI(54)
Semantic featuresExhibits7and8showthemainissuesoraspectsthatareprominentlydiscussedinthelowreviewsTheorderoftheseissuesisbasedonthestatisti-callysignificantfrequencyoftheiroccurrenceinthe1200reviews
WefurtherinvestigatedtheuseofvarioussentimentwordsInterestinglytheprominentissuesdiscussedinthepositivereviewssometimesdonotevenfigureintheratingscalesprovidedtothereviewersOveralltheresultsofthesemanticanalysiscanbesummarizedasfollows
Thepropertyanditsfeaturesaremorecommonlycon-nectedwithextremelypositivesentimentwordssuchasgreat wonderfulandamazinginthehighreviewsthaninthelowreviewsIncomparisonthepropertiesandtheirfea-turesinthelowreviewsaremorelikelytobecharacterizedwithmoderatelypositivewordssuchasniceandokay
Negativereviewsreflecttheextentofexpectationndashdis-confirmationthattheconsumersfaceduringtheirstayintherentalpropertyThesereviewshaveagreaterproportionofwordsexpressingdisappointment(egnotasexpected)Furtherextremelynegativesentimentwords(egdiscom-fortfilthy)andadjectivesaremorelikelytobeassociatedwithfeaturesinlowreviewsthaninhighreviews
Almost40percentoftheconsumerswhowrotehighreviewsexpresstheirwillingnesstoreturntothepropertyasopposedtoonly9percentofthosewritingnegativereviewsFurthermorethan20percentoftheconsumersgivinghighreviewsexpresstheirstrongdesiretorecommendtheprop-ertytotheirfriendsandfamilymembersasopposedtoonly5percentinlowreviews
ReviewofFindingsOurexploratorystudyofconsumerreviewsofUSvacationhomesonReviewsitecomwashighlightedbyoverwhelm-inglypositivereviews
Theoveralldistributionofthereviewswasheav-ilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratingsMorecriticallythisfindingsuggeststhatthereisalackofmoderateandbalancedopinionsWetheorizethatthisiseitherduetopurchasingbias(sincecustomerswentthroughthetroubleofpurchasingandexperiencingthefacilitiestheytendtobepositivelybiasedtowardstheirpurchase)orunder-reportingbias(customersdonothavestrongenoughincentivestotakethetroubleofreportingtheiropinionsandthefewmotivatedindividualswhoprovidetheirreviewsbecomeaself-selectedsample)
Theoverall(mean)starratingtypicallyusedintravelerreviewsitesisprobablynotthemostaccurateindicatorofcustomersrsquoperceptionsofserviceprovidersrsquoqualityWe
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Commentsbeach beaches beachfront 506 Perfect rental property for those who enjoy the activity of the beach and the serenity
of the Sound The house is just down the road from ocean
The large porch offered a beautiful view of the beach and comfortable new rocking chairs
Pool Poolside 218 The outdoor shower dipping pool and screen in porch were an added bonus Perfect house for a low key weekend
House was great for kids Pool was terrific and the playroom was perfectlocation 192 We had a wonderful time My wife loves fishing and the cottage was in a perfect
location to go fishing on the pier
The home is somewhat dated but the location was great We have vacationed in the Chatham area for many summers and this time it was great too
bedroom beds 186 The family suite is huge with a king size and twin bed and still room for a pack-n-play The kitchen and dining room were huge clean and nice
The only comments that I would say to the negative is the front bed room by the front door always seemed damp which seem to attract more bugs
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 178 All of the amenities in the house are upscalemdashloved the kitchen and plasma TVs
The kitchen had good basic utensils dishes and cooking pans
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in high reviews
14 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
foundacorrelationbetweenthestarratingandratingsonotherpropertyattributesoflessthan40percentinmostcases
AhighwordcountinthereviewsiscorrelatedwithalowoverallratingThatisconsumerswhoareextremelydissatisfiedtendtoexpendmoretimeandenergyontheircritiqueofthepropertyitsamenitiesandservicesPriceofthepropertyalsoseemstopositivelycorrelatewithextremenegativereviewsperhapsbecauseahighpriceheightenstravelersrsquoexpectations
Numericalratingsdonotoftencapturetheactualsentimentandthevarietyofdimensionsonwhichtravel-ersevaluatepropertiesBecausenumericalratingsdonotcapturereviewersrsquoopinionsaboutspecificattributestheycanbedeceivingandmaynotrevealthetruequalityofthepropertyortheactualintentionofthereviewerWefoundforinstancethatconsumersvaluelocation(egclosenesstothebeach)andcleanliness(egswimmingpoolareas)morethansuchfeaturesascheck-inandserviceSimilarlyinthenegativereviewsissuessuchaslackofbedroomparapher-naliaorkitchenitemsseemtoberankedhigherinimpor-tancethanissuessuchaslocationandcheck-inThereforeevenwhenapropertyscoreshighonthecertaindimensionstheoverallratingmayremainlowbecauseotherfactorsovershadowthefavorableaspects
WhatItMeansforManagersWeseeimplicationsforonlinereviewsitesandbyexten-sionforproprietorsofvacationhomesandserviceopera-tionsgenerallyWithregardtothereviewsitesifconsumersconsistentlydetectafavorablebiasthereviewsitesmaylosethecriticalaspectsofcredibilityandtrustAlthoughconsumersaregenerallysmartandrationalandcanworkaroundobviousbiasesrecentevidencesuggeststhatcon-sumersaregraduallydefectingfromsomeonlinesitesduetounbalancedreviews17InthisregardsiteadministratorsaswellaspropertymanagersshouldtakestepstoattractthoseconsumerswhoarewillingtoprovideareasonablybalancedanalysisoftheamenitiesandservicesBythiswemeanreviewsthatpresentcomprehensiveandobjectiveanalysisoftheserviceproviderratherthanjustravesorrants
Tothatendsiteoperatorsshouldtakestepstoun-derstandcustomersrsquoreviewwritingbehaviorandtoat-tractmorebalancedreviewsOnewaytodothisistogivepersonalizedinformationtotheconsumerdemonstratingthecontributionmadebyhisorherreviewandthevalueofthereviewtostakeholdersForinstanceLinget alfoundapositivecorrelationbetweenwillingnesstowritereviewsandtheconsumersrsquoperceptionthattheircontributionswouldbeuniqueandhelpfultoothercustomersaswellasperusedby
17HarteveldtHHJohnsonCStarkEandGeldernKV(2009)Us-ingDigitalChannelsToCalmTheAngryTravelerForresterResearch
theserviceproviders18Simplyputthepropensitytowritereviewsincreaseswhentheconsumersfeelthattheirreviewisactuallyhelpingothers(boththeserviceproviderandotherconsumers)
WesuggestthatreviewsitesdevelopbettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishspecificreviewcommentsaswellasnumericalratingsFirstmanagersshouldtakeintoconsiderationthelowcorrelationbetweentheoverallratingsandconsumersrsquoassessmentsofvariouspropertyattributes(aswellastheresultsfromthetextanalysis)Theimplicationofsuchaweakcorrelationisthatreviewsitesneedtoexpandonthelistofpossiblevariablessothattheratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquoneedsandexpectationsregardingserviceproviders
Furthersitemanagersmayhavetorethinkthecurrentpracticeofaveragingalltheratingsforagivenpropertybe-causesuchameanratingfailstotakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsAsanexamplethisstudyfindssignificantunder-reportingbiasinthisonlinereviewsiteAcustomerrsquosdecisiontonotpostonlinereviewsmaymeanthelossofimportantinformationthatcanassisttheusersofthesitestomakemorereliableinferencesThemajorityoftodayrsquosfeedbackmechanismsdonotpubliclydisclosethenumberofsilenttransactions(ietransactionsforwhichnofeedbackwaspostedbycustomers)Suchinfor-mationshouldbecomeapartofaserviceproviderrsquosonlineprofileonratingsitesandotherfeedbackmechanismsItisimportanttoprovidemoreinformationandheuristicstohelptheconsumersnavigatethroughtheclutterandgettheinformationtheywantandseek
Itisimportanttoapplymodernsemanticanalysisandsentimentclassificationtechniquestostudythecontentofthereviewsandidentifyvariousdimensionsonwhichcon-sumersevaluatevacationhomesThedetailsprovidedinthereviewtextareinmanywaysabetterreflectionofcustomersatisfactionServiceproviderscanbetterpositionthemselvesusingthedimensionsuncoveredthroughtextanalysisandtargettheneedsandpreferencesoftheircustomers
TheresultsinthisstudyshowthatnegativereviewsaretypicallyassociatedwithagreaterwordcountthanpositivereviewsItisusefultofocusspecificallyonthesenegativereviewsbecausetheycanrevealpatternsofdeficienciesintheservicestandardsanddeliveryThesereviewsshouldbetreatedthesameascustomercommentcardsorletters19Furthercustomerswhowritesuchlengthynegativereviews
18LingKimberlyGerardBeenenPaulLudfordXiaoxingWangKevinChangXinLiDanCosleyDanFrankowskiLorenTerveenAlMRashidandRobertKrautldquoUsingSocialPsychologytoMotivateContributionstoOnlineCommunitiesrdquoJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication10no4(2005)19MilanR(2007)10thingsyoucandoinresponsetotravelerreviewsinHotelmarketingcom
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 15
aremostlikelytospreadnegativeword-of-mouthaboutthepropertyLengthyreviewsareexcellentsourcesofinforma-tionandshouldbeusedasthebasestounderstandthecomplainingbehavioroftheconsumer
WordcountmaybeusedasanadditionalsegmentationvariabletoidentifythoseconsumerswhoaremoreinvolvedandwillingtoprovidebalancedfeedbacktoboththereviewsiteaswellastopropertymanagementVariousotherresearchmethodssuchastelephoneinterviewsorfocusgroupsshouldbeusedtoelicitdetailedfeedbackfromsuchconsumersTheseactionsalsohelpinservicerecoverypost-purchaseengagementandrelationshipbuilding
OutlookWeforeseethreepotentialareasinvestigationthatcanaddvaluetocurrentbestpracticesWestilldonrsquotknowmuchaboutconsumersrsquomotivationtowriteonlinereviews20Recentstudiesidentifyvariousantecedentsofreviewwritingbutsufferfromsamplingbiassincetheysurveyaself-select-edsampleofconsumerswhoalreadyprovidedreviewsAstheresultsinthisstudyindicateunder-reportingbias(lackofmoderateandlowreviews)remainsprevalentinonlinereviewsitesFutureresearchshouldidentifysocio-psycho-logicalfactorsthatincreaseconsumersrsquopropensitytowriteonlinereviews
Futureresearchshouldexploretheimpactofthepres-ence(orlack)ofextremelynegativereviewswithinalargecorpusofpositivereviewsTheevidenceontheimpactofre-
20WangYandFesenmaierDR(2003)AssessingMotivationofCon-tributioninOnlineCommunitiesAnEmpiricalInvestigationofanOn-lineTravelCommunityElectronic Markets1333-45andYooKyungHandUlrikeGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp Tourism10No4(2008)283-95
viewvalence(negativeorpositive)isequivocalProponentsofconfirmatorybiassuggestthatconsumerslookforaffir-mativeevidencesupportingaproductchoicealreadymadeIfthatisthecasepositivereviewsaremorelikelytohaveagreatereffectonconsumeractionsOntheotherhandthenotionofnegativitybiassuggeststhatwhenconsumersareneutralnegativereviewstendtobecomemoresalientthanpositivereviews21Inthepresenceoflargenumbersofposi-tivereviewsconsumersspecificallyseeknegativereviewsthattheyfeelwillhelpthemidentifyspecificproblemswithaserviceUnderstandinghowconsumersreconciletheinformationprovidedbybothnegativeandpositivereviewshasimplicationsforthedesignandmanagementofreviewsites
Finallyareviewrsquoswordcounthasimportantimplica-tionsforconsumersrsquotrustinthereviewsWhenconsumersarewillingtoreadandcompareopen-endedcommentsfromotherconsumerstheamountofinformationinareviewcanmatterWOMforhighinvolvementproductsismorepersuasiveandincreasesthedecisionmakerrsquosconfi-dencewhenthemessagesenderprovidesgreaternumberofreasonsfortheiroverallratingLongerreviewsprovidemoreinformationandarelikelytobeperceivedasmorehelpfulandpersuasivethanshorterreviewsThewaysinwhichareviewiswrittenframedandpresentedisaninterestingfactorwhichhasrarelybeeninvestigatedandhasimportantimplicationsparticularlygivenourfindingthattheamountofinformationinareview(wordcount)variessignificantlywiththeratingsofthereviewn
21BaSandPavlouPA(2002)EvidenceoftheEffectofTrustBuildingTechnologyinElectronicMarketsPricePremiumsandBuyerBehaviorMIS Quarterly26243-268
Cornell Hospitality Quarterlyhttpcqxsagepubcom
2011 ReportsVol11No15DesigningaSelf-HealingServiceSystemAnIntegrativeModelbyRobertCFordandMichaelCSturman
Vol11No14ReversingtheGreenBacklashWhyLargeHospitalityCompaniesShouldWelcomeCrediblyGreenCompetitorsbyMichaelGiebelhausenPhDandHaeEunHelenChunPhD
Vol11No13DevelopingaSustainabilityMeasurementFrameworkforHotelsTowardanIndustry-wideReportingStructurebyEricRicaurte
Vol11No12CreatingValueforWomenBusinessTravelersFocusingonEmotionalOutcomesbyJudiBrownellPhD
Vol11No11CustomerLoyaltyANewLookattheBenefitsofImprovingSegmentationEffortswithRewardsProgramsbyClayVoorheesPhDMichaelMcCallPhDandRogerCalantonePhD
Vol11No10CustomerPerceptionsofElectronicFoodOrderingbySherylEKimes
Vol11No92011TravelIndustryBenchmarkingStatusofSeniorDestinationandLodgingMarketingExecutivesbyRohitVermaPhDandKenMcGill
Vol11No8SearchOTAsandOnlineBookingAnExpandedAnalysisoftheBillboardEffectbyChrisAndersonPhD
Vol11No7OnlineMobileandTextFoodOrderingintheUSRestaurantIndustrybySherylEKimesPhDandPhilippFLaqueacute
Vol11No6HotelGuestsrsquoReactionstoGuestRoomSustainabilityInitiativesbyAlexSusskindPhDandRohitVermaPhD
Vol11No5TheImpactofTerrorismandEconomicShocksonUSHotelsbyCathyAEnzRenaacutetaKosovaacuteandMarkLomannoVol11No4ImplementingHumanResourceInnovationsThreeSuccessStoriesfromtheServiceIndustrybyJustinSunandKateWalshPhD
Vol11No3Compendium2011
Vol11No2PositioningaPlaceDevelopingaCompellingDestinationBrandbyRobertJKwortnikPhDandEthanHawkesMBA
Vol11No1TheImpactofHealthInsuranceonEmployeeJobAnxietyWithdrawalBehaviorsandTaskPerformancebySeanWayPhDBillCarrollPhDAlexSusskindPhDandJoeCYLeng
2011 Hospitality ToolsVol2No1TheGameHasChangedANewParadigmforStakeholderEngagementbyMaryBethMcEuen
2011 Industry PerspectivesNo7MegaTips2TwentyTestedTechniquesforIncreasingYourTipsbyMichaelLynn
2011 ProceedingsVol3No5BuildingBrandsintheInternetAgeAnalyticsLoyaltyandCommunicationbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No4BraveNewWorldOnlineHotelDistributionbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No3SocialMediaandtheHospitalityIndustryHoldingtheTigerbytheTailbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No2TheChallengeofHotelandRestaurantSustainabilityFindingProfitinldquoBeingGreenrdquobyGlennWithiam
Vol3No1CautiousOptimismCHRSExaminesHospitalityIndustryTrendsbyGlennWithiam
2010 ReportsVol10No18HowTravelersUseOnlineandSocialMediaChannelstoMakeHotel-choiceDecisionsbyLauraMcCarthyDebraStockandRohitVermaPhD
Vol10No17PublicorPrivateTheHospitalityInvestmentDecisionbyQingzhongMaPhDandAthenaWeiZhangPhD
Vol10No16BestPracticesinSearchEngineMarketingandOptimizationTheCaseoftheStJamesHotelbyGregBodenlcosVictorBogertDanGordonCarterHearneandChrisKAndersonPhD
Vol10No15TheImpactofPrix Fixe MenuPriceFormatsonGuestsrsquoDealPerceptionbyShuoWangandMichaelLynnPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
Publication Indexwwwchrcornelledu
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
No2RetaliationWhyanIncreaseinClaimsDoesNotMeantheSkyIsFallingbyDavidSherwynJDandGreggGilmanJD
2009 ToolsToolNo12MeasuringtheDiningExperienceTheCaseofVitaNovabyKeshPrasadandFredJDeMiccoPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality ResearchPublication Index
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
visit our website to apply
wwwchrcornell edu
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 7
Howevertheexistingunderstandingofonlinetourism-relatedreviewsisrelativelyweakeventhoughweknowthatwordofmouth(WOM)ismoreimportantandinfluentialwithinaservicescontextthaninproductmarketingscenariosRecentlysomestudieshaveexploredtourism-andhospital-ity-relatedonlineWOM3Yetresearchhassofaroverlookedcertaininterestingaspectsofonlinereviewsasfollows
Onlinereviewstypicallyuseldquooverallstarratingsrdquoaspri-maryindicatorsofperceivedservicequalitymdashratingsthatarenotrelatedinanywaytotheformalstardesignationsawardedbyForbesorMichelinConsumersrsquomeanstarratingsaretypi-callyaggregatedfromtheratingsgivenbyindividualconsum-ersineachreviewWhatwedonrsquotknowishowconsumersdeterminethestarstheyassigntoaservicewhentheypostareviewonawebsiteThatisdostarratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquosentimentsregardingvariousattributesofserviceprovidersThisisavitalissuegiventheexperientialandin-tangiblenatureoftravelservicesandthefactthatconsumersusetheoverallratingasanimportantheuristicwhilenarrow-ingdownchoices
FurtherstudieshaveoverlookedtherelationshipbetweenthereviewsandvariousattributesofservicesandserviceprovidersSinceonlinereviewsareaformofWOMvariablessuchasconsumerinvolvementpricingandlengthofstaymayhaveanimpactonthefinalratingandpostingofthereviewprovidedbyconsumersItisimportanttouncovertheserelationshipstobetterunderstandthedynamicsofonlinereviews
FewstudieshaveanalyzedthequalitativeaspectofonlinereviewsOnlinereviewsareessentiallyopen-endedtext-basedconsumer-to-consumer(c2c)communicationsThetextcontentmaycontainnuancedviewsoftheservicesandserviceproviders(fromthereviewwritersrsquopointofview)thatcannotbeexpressedusingcrudenumericalratings4Hencethereisaneedtoanalyzethetextportionofthereviewsandidentifytheissuesthatconsumersaremostlyconcernedwithwhenwritingandpostingonlinerelatedreviews
WeaddresstheabovepointsinthisstudyThefollowingquestionsguidedus
3KHYooandUGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp TourismVol10(2008)pp283-295andZXiangandUGretzelldquoRoleofSocialMediainOnlineTravelInformationSearchrdquoTourism Management20094AGhoseandPGIpeirotisldquoEstimatingtheSocio-economicImpactofProductReviewsMiningTextandReviewerCharacteristicsrdquoInformation Systems Research2008
1 Dooverallratingsreflecttheperceivedqualityoftheserviceproviders(asderivedfromtheconsumersrsquoexpressedsentimentinthereviews)Whataretheunderlyingpatternsoftheoverallratingsinonlinereviews
2 Whatarethelinkagesamongthevariousattributesoftheserviceprovidersandcustomerreviewsand
3 WhataretheissuesthatconsumersmostlytalkaboutinthetextportionofonlinereviewsDotheseis-suesdifferfromtheratingsthattheconsumershaveprovidedviathestandardvariablesprovidedbythereviewsites
ResearchSettingandDataCollectionThisstudyisbasedonreviewscollectedfromldquoReviewsitecomrdquoaswehavecalledthecommunity-driventravelsitethatweanalyzedThesiteprovidesreviewsofverifiedrentalpropertiesandorganizesthereputationofvacationpropertiesThepropertylistingwithinthesiteisbasednotontherevenuesharingmodelthatisgenerallypracticedbyotherreviewsitesbutonthereputationtrustandfeedbackfromcustomerswhohavestayedatthevacationrentalpropertiesReviewsitecomisafreeservicethatoperatesonserviceproviderfeesandadvertisingrevenuesUn-likesometravelreviewsitesthefirmrsquosreviewsolicitationstrategyistosendpersonalizedinvitationsonlytothosecustomerswhosestayhasbeenverifiedbythepropertymanagementThesitersquosmanagementbelievesthatthisstrategytoalargeextenteliminatesfakereviews
Thefirmprovideduswith3300reviewsforanalysisAfterinitialdatacleanupabout100reviewswithincom-pleteorunusableinformationwereeliminatedand3197reviewswereusedfortheanalysisThereviewscontainedthefollowingattributesbull Theoverallratingassignedtotheserviceprovider
basedontheaggregationoftheratingsassignedbyindividualreviewers
bull Consumersrsquoratingsonthefollowingsixattributesvaluecleanlinesscomfortservicelocationandcheck-in
bull Thereviewtext(Semanticprocessingtechniqueswereappliedontheaggregatereviewtexttoidentifythenuancedopinionsandconcernsofthetravelerswhowrotereviews)
8 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
bull Agerangeoftherevieweronan1-4ordinalscale(25-3435-4445-54and55andabove)
bull Averagepriceperdayand
bull Wordcount(usedinthequantitativeanalysis)
PreliminaryHypothesesandResultsTheagegroupsofthereviewwritersareshowninExhibit1Alargepercentageofthecustomerswhoreviewedthepropertiesfallunder44yearsofageThisisconsistentwithpreviousstudiesinthisrealmwhichshowthatgenerationXandGenerationYaremoreactiveintheWOMforums
ReviewRatingDistribution Websitesthathostonlinereviewsgiveconsumerstheoptiontoassignaratingtotheserviceproviderstypicallyonascaleof1to5or1to7Manysitesaggregatethesenumeri-calorstarratingstodetermineanoverall(mean)starratingWeseethisoverallratingasanimportantelementinonlineWOMsinceconsumersoftenusethisratingtonarrowdowntheirconsiderationsetStudiesthathaveusedtheratingastheprimarypredictoroftheserviceprovidersrsquoperceivedqualityorcustomersatisfactiontodeterminetheimpactofonlinereviewsonproductsaleshavearrivedatmixedfind-ings5Howeverthesestudiesarebasedonthefundamentalassumptionthatthenumericalratingsassignedtoservice
5ForexampleseeJChevalierandDMayzlinldquoTheEffectofWordofMouthOnlineOnlineBookReviewsrdquoJournal of Marketing ResearchVol43(2006)pp345-354andWDuanBGuandABWhinstonldquoDoOnlineReviewsMattermdashAnEmpiricalInvestigationofPanelDatardquoDecision Support SystemsVol45(2008)pp1007-1016
providersareanaccurateestimateofthequalityperceivedbythecustomerThispracticefollowsthebasicassumptionofbehavioraltheoriststhatanydatasetwithalargenumberofconsumerresponsestendstofollowanormal(Gaussian)distributionRecentstudieshavequestionedthisassump-tionForinstanceDellaracosandNarayanrsquosstudyonmoviereviewsinYahoocomfoundthatonlytheextremelysatisfiedandextremelydissatisfiedcustomersarelikelytopubliclyexpresstheiropinionsascomparedtocustomerswithmod-erateopinions6SimilarlystudiesusingdatafromTripadvi-sorcomandAmazoncomfoundthatthestarratingsexhibitatruncateddistributioninwhichthemajorityofreviewsarepositive7
TotestthisassumptionweranasimplefrequencychartasshowninExhibit2Inkeepingwithotherstudiesthedistributionisheavilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratings1-pointreviews32(1)2-pointreviews95(3)3-pointreviews458(14)4-pointreviews688(22)and5-pointreviews1912(60)Totestfortherobustnessofthisdistri-butionweappliedtheKolmogorov-Smirnovtestofnormal-ityTheresultsconfirmthenon-normaldistributionofthestarratingsandtheheavyskewtowardspositivereviews
Threeexplanationsarepossibleforsuchadistribution
6CDellarocasandRNarayanldquoAStatisticalMeasureofaPopulationrsquosPropensitytoEngageinPost-purchaseOnlineWord-of-mouthrdquoStatisti-cal ScienceVol21(2006)pp2777ATalwarandRFBoiJurcaUnderstandingUserBehaviorinOnlineFeedbackReportingrdquoinElectronic CommerceSanDiegoCalifornia(2007)pp134-142
Exhibit 1
Distribution of age ranges
Exhibit 2
Distribution of overall ldquostar ratingsrdquo
55 and above 45ndash54
years
35ndash44 years
18ndash34 years
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
Num
ber o
f rev
iew
s
3295
458 688
1912
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 9
1 AmajorityofthepropertiesthatarelistedonthewebsitehaveoutstandingperceivedqualityandprovidesatisfactoryservicestocustomersWhilethisistheo-reticallypossibleitseemsunlikelywhenappliedtoallthepropertieslistedonthewebsite8
2 ThereviewsdonotconstituteatrulyrepresentativesampleofconsumeropinionBasedonotherstud-iesthisexplanationseemsplausibleConsumerswithmoderateviewsmayseelittleincentivetoreporttheirviewsinanonlineforumandasaconsequenceonlythoseconsumerswhohavepolarizedviewsarelikelytoposttheircomments
3 ThedistributioncouldalsobeanartifactofthefirmrsquosreviewsolicitingstrategyRecentstudiessupportthisideabysuggestingthatcustomersengageinsociallydesirablebehavioreveninimpersonalinteractionswiththeserviceproviders9Inthiscaseitmaybethattheywillprovideareasonablypositiverevieweveniftheexperiencehasnotbeenuptothemark
StarRatingsandPerceivedServiceQualityLetrsquosreturntothefirstquestionweaskedattheoutsetArestarratingsatruerepresentationofserviceprovid-ersrsquoperceivedqualityasreflectedbytheconsumersrsquostatedsentimentsThisbecomesanimportantquestionfortwo
8AKadetldquoRah-RahRatingsOnlinerdquoSmartMoney20079YGreacutegoireandRJFisherldquoCustomerBetrayalandRetaliationWhenYourBestCustomersbecomeYourWorstEnemiesrdquoJournal of the Acad-emy of Marketing ScienceVol36(2008)pp247-261
reasons(a) ratingsaretheprimaryevidencethatconsum-ersconsiderwhileshoppingonlineforinformationand(b)thetruncatednatureofratingdistributionsmeansthatthereviewsavailablemaynottrulyrepresentconsumeropinionortheserviceprovidersrsquoperceivedqualityIfonlythosewithextremeviewspostreviewsthenconsumersshouldalwayslookforserviceprovidersthathavea5-starratingOnthecontraryifthereviewsaccuratelyreflectallconsumersrsquoviewsthenconsumersarebetteroffsearchingforreviewswitha3ratingsincethesetendtobemorebalancedandenablebetterproductanalysisRecentlyHu et aluseddatafromAmazoncomshowthatnumericalscoresdonotreflectbooksrsquotrueperceivedquality10AstheysuggestldquohellipratherthescorereflectsthebalanceofdiverseopinionsInotherwordswhenabookrsquosoverallscoreisaround3itdoesnotsuggestthatconsumersgenerallyagreethatthisisanaver-agebookItrathersuggeststhatroughlyequalnumberofconsumersthinkthatthebookiseitheranoutstandingbookoranabysmalbookrdquo
Totestthisassertionweappliedaregressionequationwithsixpropertyattributes(ievalueformoneycheck-inlocationcleanlinesscomfortandservice)asindependentvariablesandstarratingasthedependentvariableThisanalysisisbasedontheassumptionthatforagivenpropertyifstarratingstrulyrepresenttheperceivedqualityoftheproperties(aswellastheconsumersrsquosentiment)thenthestarratingsandratingsofthesixotherpropertyattributes
10NHuJZhangandPAPavlouOvercomingtheJ-shapedDistribu-tionofProductReviewsrdquoCommunications of the ACMVol52(2009)pp144-147
low reviews t-value high reviews t-value(Constant) 1618 18353 2400 34186vAlue 0254 13726 0378 8767CheCKiN -0083 -3701 -0053 -1192loCATioN 0104 6132 0079 2117CleAN 0144 7574 0112 2808CoMForT 0267 13993 0129 3088serviCe 0098 4209 0107 2401r2 0331 0338F-statistic 5038 24714
Exhibit 3
regression analysis of ldquolowrdquo and ldquohighrdquo reviews
Notes Coefficients (t-statistics reported) Significance is as follows significant at 0001 level significant at 05 level significant at 010 level Dependent variable is overall rating
10 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
moderateratingsonalltheattributesbutwasstillwillingtoprovideahighoverallstarratingtothepropertyThisexamplesuggeststhatconsumersplacesignificantemphasisontheoverallexperientialvalueprovidedbythepropertiesThisexpectationofvalueismanytimesintangibleanddoesnotnecessarilydependonthefunctioningorratingoftheindividualfeaturesoftheproperty
RelationshipbetweenRatingsandReviewAttributesTounderstandconsumersrsquoword-of-mouthbehavioritisimportanttoconsidervariousfactorssuchasperceivedexpectationsofcostsandbenefitsimportanceofthepur-chase(involvement)personalcharacteristicsandsituationalinfluencesWeconsidertwofactorsthatareknowntoaffecttheintensityandvalence(positiveornegative)ofwordofmouthpriceandwordcount
PricePriceisanimportantfactorthatcontributestopre-purchaseexpectationsTheintensityofexpectations(andtheirfulfillment)partlydrivenbypriceisdirectlypropor-tionaltoconsumersrsquosatisfactionlevelsandWOMpropensityThismaybethereasonthatthetendencytocomplainisdirectlyrelatedtothecostoftheservice11Themoreexpen-siveanitemthegreaterwillbetheperceivedlossesandthegreaterlikelihoodthatdissatisfactionwillresultinacom-plaintSimilarlythelikelihoodofword-of-mouthbeingtrig-geredbythelevelofexpectationndashdisconfirmationincreases
11BeardenWOandTeelJE(1983)Selecteddeterminantsofcon-sumersatisfactionandcomplaintreportsJournal of Marketing Research 2021-28
willshowahighcorrelationFortheanalysiswetookintoconsiderationthefactmostreviewsarepositive(ie4-and5-pointratings)Thereforewedividedthereviewsintotwocategorieshighreviews(starratingabove3n=2597)andlowreviews(ratingsbeloworequalto3n=600)andranseparateregressionanalysesonthesetwogroupsasshowninExhibit3
AninterestingfindingistheweakrelationshipbetweentheattributeratingsandoverallstarratingforeachpropertyTheR-squareoftheregressionequationwithallsixvariablesandtheoverallstarratingsislessthan40percentThatiseveniftheconsumersprovidedhigherratingsonindividualattributestheiroverallratingwasusuallylowandthere-versewasalsotrueThistrendisobservedinboththehighandlowreviewgroups
TheanalysissuggeststhatinhighreviewsconsumersplacedgreaterimportanceonvalueformoneycleanlinessandcomfortThehighertheratingsofaconsumerontheseattributesthehigheristhelikelihoodthattheconsumerwillprovideahigherstarratingCheck-inlocationandservicedidnotprominentlyfigureintheiroverallevalu-ationsofthepropertieseventhoughtheseattributeswereratedhigh
ThelowreviewsshowsimilarresultsinthesensethattheloweraconsumerratesvaluecleanlinessandcomfortthelowerthelikelihoodofapositiveratingInadditioninthecaseoflowreviewsconsumersplacedemphasisontheserviceprovidedbythepropertystaffandmanagement
TheaboveresultisillustratedinoneoftheldquohighrdquoreviewsshowninExhibit4Thereviewergavelowto
star rating Text Commentary
This was our 1st time renting a house vs a condo This house was great If you wanted to spend a little time by yourself you could so many rooms to go to The house was so comfortable like being at home It was our home for the week Thank you Hope to rent it next year if we havent bought one ourselves
ratings for specific Attributes
value Check-in location Clean Comfort service
3 2 3 2 4 3
Exhibit 4
example of a ldquohighrdquo review
Avg rating for Property Attributes
30
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 11
withthecostoftheproduct12Giventhegreaterperceivedriskinservicescustomerswouldseekmoretrustworthyser-viceproviderswithagoodreputationofsatisfyingcustomerneeds13ThisinturnincreasestheexpectationsandleadstomoreextremereactionsfromtheconsumersHenceonecanspeculatethatthehigherthepriceshigherwillbetheaver-agenegativeorpositiveratingsforaservice
Word countThenumberofwordsinareviewmayserveasaproxyfortheamountofinformationinthereviewsHowevertheevidenceonthisaspectofWOMofalltypesisequivocalForinstanceconsumersgenerallyengageinpositiveWOMtoavoidfeelingsofguiltandas-sociationwithbadnewsandtoreducecognitivedissonanceOntheotherhandacustomerwhoishighlydisappointedwillprovideapersuasiveargumenttomakesurethatothercustomersaredissuadedfromrentingthesamepropertyResearchonconventionalwordofmouthhasofferedampleevidencetosuggestthatdissatisfiedcustomersengageintwotothreetimesasmuchWOMassatisfiedcustomers14Webelievethatthislogicextendstoonlinereviewsdespitethefactthatexistingstudiesareequivocalatbest15Thereforeitcanbeassumedthatreviewswitheitherextremelypositiveorextremelynegativeratingswillhavegreaterwordcountasopposedtomoremoderatereviews
TotesttheseassumptionsweappliedANOVAwithpriceandwordcountasdependentvariablesandthereviewratingasfactorsAsillustratedinExhibits5and6theresultsshowthatpriceandwordcountshowasignificantnegativecorrelationwithstarratingThatisreviewswithlowerratingsaretypicallyassociatedwithgreaterwordcountandrepresentpropertiesthatchargehighrates
TheresultonthewordcountsuggeststhatconsumerswhoareunhappywitharentalpropertytendtowritemoretoexpresstheirdissatisfactionAsshowninthisexhibitlowerratingsareassociatedwithhighernumberofwordsinthereviewsandviceversaSimilarlypropertypriceseemstobestronglyassociatedwithnegativewordofmouthsup-portingtheprinciplethathighercostincreasestheconsum-ersrsquoinvolvementinthepurchase
12BeardenWOandMasonJB(1984)AninvestigationofinfluencesonconsumercomplaintreportsAdvancesinConsumerResearch11490-49513WetzerIMZeelenbergMandPietersR(2007)ldquoNevereatinthatrestaurantIdidrdquoExploringwhypeopleengageinnegativeword-of-mouthcommunicationPsychology and Marketing24661-68014SchlossbergH(1991)CustomersatisfactionNotafadbutawayoflifeMarketing News25andWestbrookR(1987)ProductConsump-tion-basedAffectiveResponsesandPost-purchaseProcessesJournal of Marketing Research 24258-27015AlexMSusskindldquoIToldYouSoRestaurantCustomersrsquoofWord-of-MouthCommunicationPatternsrdquoCornell Hotel and Restaurant Adminis-tration QuarterlyVol43No2(April2002)pp75-85
Exhibit 5
Differences in word count across star ratings
Exhibit 6
Differences in average price per day across ratings
Aver
age
pric
e pe
r day
of t
he re
ntal
pro
pert
y
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
1504
1563
1804
19861987
Aver
age
wor
d co
unt o
f rev
iew
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
836837
121
15751543
160
140
120
100
80
200
190
180
170
160
150
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
12 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
thereviewersThesecanbeclassifiedas(a)attributesorfea-turesofthepropertythatfigureprominentlyandcontributetothepositiveornegativeratings(egroomsbeddishesfurnitureorservice)and(b)thepositiveornegativewordsthatrepresentthesentimentofthereviewer(eggreatamazingdirtyandwonderful)Theresultsofthequalitativeanalysisareasfollows
Syntactic featuresTheoveralltoneofthelowreviewsisratherargumentativeThereviewerstendtobeforcefulinpresentingtheirpointofviewTheylayoutagreatamountofreasoningandprovidespecificexamplestodrivehometheirargumentThisisreflectedinthegreaterpercentageofnegativeconnectorwords(34)suchasbut however as ifandeven thoughItisinterestingtonotethatreviewersinthiscategoryspeakdirectlytotheotherconsumersnotablythroughgreateruseofwordssuchasyou(46)andlooktoinfluencetheirdecisionmaking
InthehighreviewsbycontrasttheoveralltonetendstobeenunciativeandthereviewersusethetexttomerelyreinforcetheirnumericalratingsusingfewerwordsonaveragethanthenegativereviewersInthesereviewstheconsumersfocusontheirpersonalexperiencesandappealtotheaudiencethroughemotionsratherthanlogicandreasoningasevidentfromgreateruseofpositiveadjectives
QualitativeAnalysisoftheReviewTextTheaboveanalysisemphasizestheimportanceofthetextcontentinconsumerreviewsWhilenumericalratingsallowthereviewerstoratetheserviceprovideronvariousattributesitisthetextthatprovidesthemwiththeopportu-nitytoarticulatethenuancesoftheiroverallexperienceandconveyusefulinformationaboutaserviceproviderrsquostransac-tionsandservicecapabilitiesThereforesemanticanalysisofthetextcontentprovidesuswithanopportunitytothethirdquestionpresentedattheoutsetofthisreportwhatdoconsumerstalkaboutintheirreviews
Tothisendweanalyzed600eachofrandomlyselectedhighandlowreviewsusingsemanticprocessingtechniquesWeusedcenteringresonanceanalysis(CRA)amodeofnet-work-basedtextanalysisthatrepresentsthecontentoflargesetsoftextsbyidentifyingthemostimportantwordsthatlinkotherwordsinthenetwork16OuranalysisexaminedsyntacticandsemanticfeaturesSyntacticfeaturesincludethepercentageofthewordsthatareopenclass(ienounsverbsadjectives)Semanticfeaturesrepresentthespecial-izedvocabularythatreflectstheoverallopinionexpressedby
16CormanSandDooleyK(2006)CrawdadTextAnalysisSystem12CrawdadTechnologiesLLCChandlerAZ
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Comments
bedroom beds linen sheets 383
Also the same bedroom and bathroom did not have any door separating the bedroom from the bathroom no privacy
Sleeping arrangements were very awkward The listing sheet described 2 full beds We brought our own linens the beds were queen sized Had to purchase sheet
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 297
You must not forget to step up when yoursquore walking out of the kitchen into the dining room otherwise yoursquoll trip over the 3-foot step up
No potholders in the kitchen and it didnrsquot seem like there were as many kitchen supplies as before We just had to make do without
beach beaches beachfront 296
The week was the best vacation we have ever had as a family The beach house was a class act
Disappointment 1 It looks like this house is very close to beach but to get there you have to go around through public path
Pool Poolside 218
The pool was too dirty to use We checked in on Thursday and the pool was not cleaned until Saturday
Also it is inconvenient to have to call to get someone to open the pool Didnrsquot understand why Jacuzzi was open and not the pool
bathroom(s) bath bathtub shower 202
The next problem was in another bathroom (main floor)mdashthe wall heater did not work so showering in here was a bit chilly The next problem was in the ldquomasterrdquo bathroom (connected to the bedroom with the King bed) The sliding shower doors need to be totally replaced
Bathtub drains clogged in three second floor bathrooms
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in low reviews
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 13
suchasgreat fantastic andawesome(45)andpersonalpronounssuchasweandI(54)
Semantic featuresExhibits7and8showthemainissuesoraspectsthatareprominentlydiscussedinthelowreviewsTheorderoftheseissuesisbasedonthestatisti-callysignificantfrequencyoftheiroccurrenceinthe1200reviews
WefurtherinvestigatedtheuseofvarioussentimentwordsInterestinglytheprominentissuesdiscussedinthepositivereviewssometimesdonotevenfigureintheratingscalesprovidedtothereviewersOveralltheresultsofthesemanticanalysiscanbesummarizedasfollows
Thepropertyanditsfeaturesaremorecommonlycon-nectedwithextremelypositivesentimentwordssuchasgreat wonderfulandamazinginthehighreviewsthaninthelowreviewsIncomparisonthepropertiesandtheirfea-turesinthelowreviewsaremorelikelytobecharacterizedwithmoderatelypositivewordssuchasniceandokay
Negativereviewsreflecttheextentofexpectationndashdis-confirmationthattheconsumersfaceduringtheirstayintherentalpropertyThesereviewshaveagreaterproportionofwordsexpressingdisappointment(egnotasexpected)Furtherextremelynegativesentimentwords(egdiscom-fortfilthy)andadjectivesaremorelikelytobeassociatedwithfeaturesinlowreviewsthaninhighreviews
Almost40percentoftheconsumerswhowrotehighreviewsexpresstheirwillingnesstoreturntothepropertyasopposedtoonly9percentofthosewritingnegativereviewsFurthermorethan20percentoftheconsumersgivinghighreviewsexpresstheirstrongdesiretorecommendtheprop-ertytotheirfriendsandfamilymembersasopposedtoonly5percentinlowreviews
ReviewofFindingsOurexploratorystudyofconsumerreviewsofUSvacationhomesonReviewsitecomwashighlightedbyoverwhelm-inglypositivereviews
Theoveralldistributionofthereviewswasheav-ilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratingsMorecriticallythisfindingsuggeststhatthereisalackofmoderateandbalancedopinionsWetheorizethatthisiseitherduetopurchasingbias(sincecustomerswentthroughthetroubleofpurchasingandexperiencingthefacilitiestheytendtobepositivelybiasedtowardstheirpurchase)orunder-reportingbias(customersdonothavestrongenoughincentivestotakethetroubleofreportingtheiropinionsandthefewmotivatedindividualswhoprovidetheirreviewsbecomeaself-selectedsample)
Theoverall(mean)starratingtypicallyusedintravelerreviewsitesisprobablynotthemostaccurateindicatorofcustomersrsquoperceptionsofserviceprovidersrsquoqualityWe
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Commentsbeach beaches beachfront 506 Perfect rental property for those who enjoy the activity of the beach and the serenity
of the Sound The house is just down the road from ocean
The large porch offered a beautiful view of the beach and comfortable new rocking chairs
Pool Poolside 218 The outdoor shower dipping pool and screen in porch were an added bonus Perfect house for a low key weekend
House was great for kids Pool was terrific and the playroom was perfectlocation 192 We had a wonderful time My wife loves fishing and the cottage was in a perfect
location to go fishing on the pier
The home is somewhat dated but the location was great We have vacationed in the Chatham area for many summers and this time it was great too
bedroom beds 186 The family suite is huge with a king size and twin bed and still room for a pack-n-play The kitchen and dining room were huge clean and nice
The only comments that I would say to the negative is the front bed room by the front door always seemed damp which seem to attract more bugs
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 178 All of the amenities in the house are upscalemdashloved the kitchen and plasma TVs
The kitchen had good basic utensils dishes and cooking pans
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in high reviews
14 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
foundacorrelationbetweenthestarratingandratingsonotherpropertyattributesoflessthan40percentinmostcases
AhighwordcountinthereviewsiscorrelatedwithalowoverallratingThatisconsumerswhoareextremelydissatisfiedtendtoexpendmoretimeandenergyontheircritiqueofthepropertyitsamenitiesandservicesPriceofthepropertyalsoseemstopositivelycorrelatewithextremenegativereviewsperhapsbecauseahighpriceheightenstravelersrsquoexpectations
Numericalratingsdonotoftencapturetheactualsentimentandthevarietyofdimensionsonwhichtravel-ersevaluatepropertiesBecausenumericalratingsdonotcapturereviewersrsquoopinionsaboutspecificattributestheycanbedeceivingandmaynotrevealthetruequalityofthepropertyortheactualintentionofthereviewerWefoundforinstancethatconsumersvaluelocation(egclosenesstothebeach)andcleanliness(egswimmingpoolareas)morethansuchfeaturesascheck-inandserviceSimilarlyinthenegativereviewsissuessuchaslackofbedroomparapher-naliaorkitchenitemsseemtoberankedhigherinimpor-tancethanissuessuchaslocationandcheck-inThereforeevenwhenapropertyscoreshighonthecertaindimensionstheoverallratingmayremainlowbecauseotherfactorsovershadowthefavorableaspects
WhatItMeansforManagersWeseeimplicationsforonlinereviewsitesandbyexten-sionforproprietorsofvacationhomesandserviceopera-tionsgenerallyWithregardtothereviewsitesifconsumersconsistentlydetectafavorablebiasthereviewsitesmaylosethecriticalaspectsofcredibilityandtrustAlthoughconsumersaregenerallysmartandrationalandcanworkaroundobviousbiasesrecentevidencesuggeststhatcon-sumersaregraduallydefectingfromsomeonlinesitesduetounbalancedreviews17InthisregardsiteadministratorsaswellaspropertymanagersshouldtakestepstoattractthoseconsumerswhoarewillingtoprovideareasonablybalancedanalysisoftheamenitiesandservicesBythiswemeanreviewsthatpresentcomprehensiveandobjectiveanalysisoftheserviceproviderratherthanjustravesorrants
Tothatendsiteoperatorsshouldtakestepstoun-derstandcustomersrsquoreviewwritingbehaviorandtoat-tractmorebalancedreviewsOnewaytodothisistogivepersonalizedinformationtotheconsumerdemonstratingthecontributionmadebyhisorherreviewandthevalueofthereviewtostakeholdersForinstanceLinget alfoundapositivecorrelationbetweenwillingnesstowritereviewsandtheconsumersrsquoperceptionthattheircontributionswouldbeuniqueandhelpfultoothercustomersaswellasperusedby
17HarteveldtHHJohnsonCStarkEandGeldernKV(2009)Us-ingDigitalChannelsToCalmTheAngryTravelerForresterResearch
theserviceproviders18Simplyputthepropensitytowritereviewsincreaseswhentheconsumersfeelthattheirreviewisactuallyhelpingothers(boththeserviceproviderandotherconsumers)
WesuggestthatreviewsitesdevelopbettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishspecificreviewcommentsaswellasnumericalratingsFirstmanagersshouldtakeintoconsiderationthelowcorrelationbetweentheoverallratingsandconsumersrsquoassessmentsofvariouspropertyattributes(aswellastheresultsfromthetextanalysis)Theimplicationofsuchaweakcorrelationisthatreviewsitesneedtoexpandonthelistofpossiblevariablessothattheratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquoneedsandexpectationsregardingserviceproviders
Furthersitemanagersmayhavetorethinkthecurrentpracticeofaveragingalltheratingsforagivenpropertybe-causesuchameanratingfailstotakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsAsanexamplethisstudyfindssignificantunder-reportingbiasinthisonlinereviewsiteAcustomerrsquosdecisiontonotpostonlinereviewsmaymeanthelossofimportantinformationthatcanassisttheusersofthesitestomakemorereliableinferencesThemajorityoftodayrsquosfeedbackmechanismsdonotpubliclydisclosethenumberofsilenttransactions(ietransactionsforwhichnofeedbackwaspostedbycustomers)Suchinfor-mationshouldbecomeapartofaserviceproviderrsquosonlineprofileonratingsitesandotherfeedbackmechanismsItisimportanttoprovidemoreinformationandheuristicstohelptheconsumersnavigatethroughtheclutterandgettheinformationtheywantandseek
Itisimportanttoapplymodernsemanticanalysisandsentimentclassificationtechniquestostudythecontentofthereviewsandidentifyvariousdimensionsonwhichcon-sumersevaluatevacationhomesThedetailsprovidedinthereviewtextareinmanywaysabetterreflectionofcustomersatisfactionServiceproviderscanbetterpositionthemselvesusingthedimensionsuncoveredthroughtextanalysisandtargettheneedsandpreferencesoftheircustomers
TheresultsinthisstudyshowthatnegativereviewsaretypicallyassociatedwithagreaterwordcountthanpositivereviewsItisusefultofocusspecificallyonthesenegativereviewsbecausetheycanrevealpatternsofdeficienciesintheservicestandardsanddeliveryThesereviewsshouldbetreatedthesameascustomercommentcardsorletters19Furthercustomerswhowritesuchlengthynegativereviews
18LingKimberlyGerardBeenenPaulLudfordXiaoxingWangKevinChangXinLiDanCosleyDanFrankowskiLorenTerveenAlMRashidandRobertKrautldquoUsingSocialPsychologytoMotivateContributionstoOnlineCommunitiesrdquoJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication10no4(2005)19MilanR(2007)10thingsyoucandoinresponsetotravelerreviewsinHotelmarketingcom
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 15
aremostlikelytospreadnegativeword-of-mouthaboutthepropertyLengthyreviewsareexcellentsourcesofinforma-tionandshouldbeusedasthebasestounderstandthecomplainingbehavioroftheconsumer
WordcountmaybeusedasanadditionalsegmentationvariabletoidentifythoseconsumerswhoaremoreinvolvedandwillingtoprovidebalancedfeedbacktoboththereviewsiteaswellastopropertymanagementVariousotherresearchmethodssuchastelephoneinterviewsorfocusgroupsshouldbeusedtoelicitdetailedfeedbackfromsuchconsumersTheseactionsalsohelpinservicerecoverypost-purchaseengagementandrelationshipbuilding
OutlookWeforeseethreepotentialareasinvestigationthatcanaddvaluetocurrentbestpracticesWestilldonrsquotknowmuchaboutconsumersrsquomotivationtowriteonlinereviews20Recentstudiesidentifyvariousantecedentsofreviewwritingbutsufferfromsamplingbiassincetheysurveyaself-select-edsampleofconsumerswhoalreadyprovidedreviewsAstheresultsinthisstudyindicateunder-reportingbias(lackofmoderateandlowreviews)remainsprevalentinonlinereviewsitesFutureresearchshouldidentifysocio-psycho-logicalfactorsthatincreaseconsumersrsquopropensitytowriteonlinereviews
Futureresearchshouldexploretheimpactofthepres-ence(orlack)ofextremelynegativereviewswithinalargecorpusofpositivereviewsTheevidenceontheimpactofre-
20WangYandFesenmaierDR(2003)AssessingMotivationofCon-tributioninOnlineCommunitiesAnEmpiricalInvestigationofanOn-lineTravelCommunityElectronic Markets1333-45andYooKyungHandUlrikeGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp Tourism10No4(2008)283-95
viewvalence(negativeorpositive)isequivocalProponentsofconfirmatorybiassuggestthatconsumerslookforaffir-mativeevidencesupportingaproductchoicealreadymadeIfthatisthecasepositivereviewsaremorelikelytohaveagreatereffectonconsumeractionsOntheotherhandthenotionofnegativitybiassuggeststhatwhenconsumersareneutralnegativereviewstendtobecomemoresalientthanpositivereviews21Inthepresenceoflargenumbersofposi-tivereviewsconsumersspecificallyseeknegativereviewsthattheyfeelwillhelpthemidentifyspecificproblemswithaserviceUnderstandinghowconsumersreconciletheinformationprovidedbybothnegativeandpositivereviewshasimplicationsforthedesignandmanagementofreviewsites
Finallyareviewrsquoswordcounthasimportantimplica-tionsforconsumersrsquotrustinthereviewsWhenconsumersarewillingtoreadandcompareopen-endedcommentsfromotherconsumerstheamountofinformationinareviewcanmatterWOMforhighinvolvementproductsismorepersuasiveandincreasesthedecisionmakerrsquosconfi-dencewhenthemessagesenderprovidesgreaternumberofreasonsfortheiroverallratingLongerreviewsprovidemoreinformationandarelikelytobeperceivedasmorehelpfulandpersuasivethanshorterreviewsThewaysinwhichareviewiswrittenframedandpresentedisaninterestingfactorwhichhasrarelybeeninvestigatedandhasimportantimplicationsparticularlygivenourfindingthattheamountofinformationinareview(wordcount)variessignificantlywiththeratingsofthereviewn
21BaSandPavlouPA(2002)EvidenceoftheEffectofTrustBuildingTechnologyinElectronicMarketsPricePremiumsandBuyerBehaviorMIS Quarterly26243-268
Cornell Hospitality Quarterlyhttpcqxsagepubcom
2011 ReportsVol11No15DesigningaSelf-HealingServiceSystemAnIntegrativeModelbyRobertCFordandMichaelCSturman
Vol11No14ReversingtheGreenBacklashWhyLargeHospitalityCompaniesShouldWelcomeCrediblyGreenCompetitorsbyMichaelGiebelhausenPhDandHaeEunHelenChunPhD
Vol11No13DevelopingaSustainabilityMeasurementFrameworkforHotelsTowardanIndustry-wideReportingStructurebyEricRicaurte
Vol11No12CreatingValueforWomenBusinessTravelersFocusingonEmotionalOutcomesbyJudiBrownellPhD
Vol11No11CustomerLoyaltyANewLookattheBenefitsofImprovingSegmentationEffortswithRewardsProgramsbyClayVoorheesPhDMichaelMcCallPhDandRogerCalantonePhD
Vol11No10CustomerPerceptionsofElectronicFoodOrderingbySherylEKimes
Vol11No92011TravelIndustryBenchmarkingStatusofSeniorDestinationandLodgingMarketingExecutivesbyRohitVermaPhDandKenMcGill
Vol11No8SearchOTAsandOnlineBookingAnExpandedAnalysisoftheBillboardEffectbyChrisAndersonPhD
Vol11No7OnlineMobileandTextFoodOrderingintheUSRestaurantIndustrybySherylEKimesPhDandPhilippFLaqueacute
Vol11No6HotelGuestsrsquoReactionstoGuestRoomSustainabilityInitiativesbyAlexSusskindPhDandRohitVermaPhD
Vol11No5TheImpactofTerrorismandEconomicShocksonUSHotelsbyCathyAEnzRenaacutetaKosovaacuteandMarkLomannoVol11No4ImplementingHumanResourceInnovationsThreeSuccessStoriesfromtheServiceIndustrybyJustinSunandKateWalshPhD
Vol11No3Compendium2011
Vol11No2PositioningaPlaceDevelopingaCompellingDestinationBrandbyRobertJKwortnikPhDandEthanHawkesMBA
Vol11No1TheImpactofHealthInsuranceonEmployeeJobAnxietyWithdrawalBehaviorsandTaskPerformancebySeanWayPhDBillCarrollPhDAlexSusskindPhDandJoeCYLeng
2011 Hospitality ToolsVol2No1TheGameHasChangedANewParadigmforStakeholderEngagementbyMaryBethMcEuen
2011 Industry PerspectivesNo7MegaTips2TwentyTestedTechniquesforIncreasingYourTipsbyMichaelLynn
2011 ProceedingsVol3No5BuildingBrandsintheInternetAgeAnalyticsLoyaltyandCommunicationbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No4BraveNewWorldOnlineHotelDistributionbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No3SocialMediaandtheHospitalityIndustryHoldingtheTigerbytheTailbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No2TheChallengeofHotelandRestaurantSustainabilityFindingProfitinldquoBeingGreenrdquobyGlennWithiam
Vol3No1CautiousOptimismCHRSExaminesHospitalityIndustryTrendsbyGlennWithiam
2010 ReportsVol10No18HowTravelersUseOnlineandSocialMediaChannelstoMakeHotel-choiceDecisionsbyLauraMcCarthyDebraStockandRohitVermaPhD
Vol10No17PublicorPrivateTheHospitalityInvestmentDecisionbyQingzhongMaPhDandAthenaWeiZhangPhD
Vol10No16BestPracticesinSearchEngineMarketingandOptimizationTheCaseoftheStJamesHotelbyGregBodenlcosVictorBogertDanGordonCarterHearneandChrisKAndersonPhD
Vol10No15TheImpactofPrix Fixe MenuPriceFormatsonGuestsrsquoDealPerceptionbyShuoWangandMichaelLynnPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
Publication Indexwwwchrcornelledu
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No2RetaliationWhyanIncreaseinClaimsDoesNotMeantheSkyIsFallingbyDavidSherwynJDandGreggGilmanJD
2009 ToolsToolNo12MeasuringtheDiningExperienceTheCaseofVitaNovabyKeshPrasadandFredJDeMiccoPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality ResearchPublication Index
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
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wwwchrcornell edu
8 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
bull Agerangeoftherevieweronan1-4ordinalscale(25-3435-4445-54and55andabove)
bull Averagepriceperdayand
bull Wordcount(usedinthequantitativeanalysis)
PreliminaryHypothesesandResultsTheagegroupsofthereviewwritersareshowninExhibit1Alargepercentageofthecustomerswhoreviewedthepropertiesfallunder44yearsofageThisisconsistentwithpreviousstudiesinthisrealmwhichshowthatgenerationXandGenerationYaremoreactiveintheWOMforums
ReviewRatingDistribution Websitesthathostonlinereviewsgiveconsumerstheoptiontoassignaratingtotheserviceproviderstypicallyonascaleof1to5or1to7Manysitesaggregatethesenumeri-calorstarratingstodetermineanoverall(mean)starratingWeseethisoverallratingasanimportantelementinonlineWOMsinceconsumersoftenusethisratingtonarrowdowntheirconsiderationsetStudiesthathaveusedtheratingastheprimarypredictoroftheserviceprovidersrsquoperceivedqualityorcustomersatisfactiontodeterminetheimpactofonlinereviewsonproductsaleshavearrivedatmixedfind-ings5Howeverthesestudiesarebasedonthefundamentalassumptionthatthenumericalratingsassignedtoservice
5ForexampleseeJChevalierandDMayzlinldquoTheEffectofWordofMouthOnlineOnlineBookReviewsrdquoJournal of Marketing ResearchVol43(2006)pp345-354andWDuanBGuandABWhinstonldquoDoOnlineReviewsMattermdashAnEmpiricalInvestigationofPanelDatardquoDecision Support SystemsVol45(2008)pp1007-1016
providersareanaccurateestimateofthequalityperceivedbythecustomerThispracticefollowsthebasicassumptionofbehavioraltheoriststhatanydatasetwithalargenumberofconsumerresponsestendstofollowanormal(Gaussian)distributionRecentstudieshavequestionedthisassump-tionForinstanceDellaracosandNarayanrsquosstudyonmoviereviewsinYahoocomfoundthatonlytheextremelysatisfiedandextremelydissatisfiedcustomersarelikelytopubliclyexpresstheiropinionsascomparedtocustomerswithmod-erateopinions6SimilarlystudiesusingdatafromTripadvi-sorcomandAmazoncomfoundthatthestarratingsexhibitatruncateddistributioninwhichthemajorityofreviewsarepositive7
TotestthisassumptionweranasimplefrequencychartasshowninExhibit2Inkeepingwithotherstudiesthedistributionisheavilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratings1-pointreviews32(1)2-pointreviews95(3)3-pointreviews458(14)4-pointreviews688(22)and5-pointreviews1912(60)Totestfortherobustnessofthisdistri-butionweappliedtheKolmogorov-Smirnovtestofnormal-ityTheresultsconfirmthenon-normaldistributionofthestarratingsandtheheavyskewtowardspositivereviews
Threeexplanationsarepossibleforsuchadistribution
6CDellarocasandRNarayanldquoAStatisticalMeasureofaPopulationrsquosPropensitytoEngageinPost-purchaseOnlineWord-of-mouthrdquoStatisti-cal ScienceVol21(2006)pp2777ATalwarandRFBoiJurcaUnderstandingUserBehaviorinOnlineFeedbackReportingrdquoinElectronic CommerceSanDiegoCalifornia(2007)pp134-142
Exhibit 1
Distribution of age ranges
Exhibit 2
Distribution of overall ldquostar ratingsrdquo
55 and above 45ndash54
years
35ndash44 years
18ndash34 years
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
Num
ber o
f rev
iew
s
3295
458 688
1912
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 9
1 AmajorityofthepropertiesthatarelistedonthewebsitehaveoutstandingperceivedqualityandprovidesatisfactoryservicestocustomersWhilethisistheo-reticallypossibleitseemsunlikelywhenappliedtoallthepropertieslistedonthewebsite8
2 ThereviewsdonotconstituteatrulyrepresentativesampleofconsumeropinionBasedonotherstud-iesthisexplanationseemsplausibleConsumerswithmoderateviewsmayseelittleincentivetoreporttheirviewsinanonlineforumandasaconsequenceonlythoseconsumerswhohavepolarizedviewsarelikelytoposttheircomments
3 ThedistributioncouldalsobeanartifactofthefirmrsquosreviewsolicitingstrategyRecentstudiessupportthisideabysuggestingthatcustomersengageinsociallydesirablebehavioreveninimpersonalinteractionswiththeserviceproviders9Inthiscaseitmaybethattheywillprovideareasonablypositiverevieweveniftheexperiencehasnotbeenuptothemark
StarRatingsandPerceivedServiceQualityLetrsquosreturntothefirstquestionweaskedattheoutsetArestarratingsatruerepresentationofserviceprovid-ersrsquoperceivedqualityasreflectedbytheconsumersrsquostatedsentimentsThisbecomesanimportantquestionfortwo
8AKadetldquoRah-RahRatingsOnlinerdquoSmartMoney20079YGreacutegoireandRJFisherldquoCustomerBetrayalandRetaliationWhenYourBestCustomersbecomeYourWorstEnemiesrdquoJournal of the Acad-emy of Marketing ScienceVol36(2008)pp247-261
reasons(a) ratingsaretheprimaryevidencethatconsum-ersconsiderwhileshoppingonlineforinformationand(b)thetruncatednatureofratingdistributionsmeansthatthereviewsavailablemaynottrulyrepresentconsumeropinionortheserviceprovidersrsquoperceivedqualityIfonlythosewithextremeviewspostreviewsthenconsumersshouldalwayslookforserviceprovidersthathavea5-starratingOnthecontraryifthereviewsaccuratelyreflectallconsumersrsquoviewsthenconsumersarebetteroffsearchingforreviewswitha3ratingsincethesetendtobemorebalancedandenablebetterproductanalysisRecentlyHu et aluseddatafromAmazoncomshowthatnumericalscoresdonotreflectbooksrsquotrueperceivedquality10AstheysuggestldquohellipratherthescorereflectsthebalanceofdiverseopinionsInotherwordswhenabookrsquosoverallscoreisaround3itdoesnotsuggestthatconsumersgenerallyagreethatthisisanaver-agebookItrathersuggeststhatroughlyequalnumberofconsumersthinkthatthebookiseitheranoutstandingbookoranabysmalbookrdquo
Totestthisassertionweappliedaregressionequationwithsixpropertyattributes(ievalueformoneycheck-inlocationcleanlinesscomfortandservice)asindependentvariablesandstarratingasthedependentvariableThisanalysisisbasedontheassumptionthatforagivenpropertyifstarratingstrulyrepresenttheperceivedqualityoftheproperties(aswellastheconsumersrsquosentiment)thenthestarratingsandratingsofthesixotherpropertyattributes
10NHuJZhangandPAPavlouOvercomingtheJ-shapedDistribu-tionofProductReviewsrdquoCommunications of the ACMVol52(2009)pp144-147
low reviews t-value high reviews t-value(Constant) 1618 18353 2400 34186vAlue 0254 13726 0378 8767CheCKiN -0083 -3701 -0053 -1192loCATioN 0104 6132 0079 2117CleAN 0144 7574 0112 2808CoMForT 0267 13993 0129 3088serviCe 0098 4209 0107 2401r2 0331 0338F-statistic 5038 24714
Exhibit 3
regression analysis of ldquolowrdquo and ldquohighrdquo reviews
Notes Coefficients (t-statistics reported) Significance is as follows significant at 0001 level significant at 05 level significant at 010 level Dependent variable is overall rating
10 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
moderateratingsonalltheattributesbutwasstillwillingtoprovideahighoverallstarratingtothepropertyThisexamplesuggeststhatconsumersplacesignificantemphasisontheoverallexperientialvalueprovidedbythepropertiesThisexpectationofvalueismanytimesintangibleanddoesnotnecessarilydependonthefunctioningorratingoftheindividualfeaturesoftheproperty
RelationshipbetweenRatingsandReviewAttributesTounderstandconsumersrsquoword-of-mouthbehavioritisimportanttoconsidervariousfactorssuchasperceivedexpectationsofcostsandbenefitsimportanceofthepur-chase(involvement)personalcharacteristicsandsituationalinfluencesWeconsidertwofactorsthatareknowntoaffecttheintensityandvalence(positiveornegative)ofwordofmouthpriceandwordcount
PricePriceisanimportantfactorthatcontributestopre-purchaseexpectationsTheintensityofexpectations(andtheirfulfillment)partlydrivenbypriceisdirectlypropor-tionaltoconsumersrsquosatisfactionlevelsandWOMpropensityThismaybethereasonthatthetendencytocomplainisdirectlyrelatedtothecostoftheservice11Themoreexpen-siveanitemthegreaterwillbetheperceivedlossesandthegreaterlikelihoodthatdissatisfactionwillresultinacom-plaintSimilarlythelikelihoodofword-of-mouthbeingtrig-geredbythelevelofexpectationndashdisconfirmationincreases
11BeardenWOandTeelJE(1983)Selecteddeterminantsofcon-sumersatisfactionandcomplaintreportsJournal of Marketing Research 2021-28
willshowahighcorrelationFortheanalysiswetookintoconsiderationthefactmostreviewsarepositive(ie4-and5-pointratings)Thereforewedividedthereviewsintotwocategorieshighreviews(starratingabove3n=2597)andlowreviews(ratingsbeloworequalto3n=600)andranseparateregressionanalysesonthesetwogroupsasshowninExhibit3
AninterestingfindingistheweakrelationshipbetweentheattributeratingsandoverallstarratingforeachpropertyTheR-squareoftheregressionequationwithallsixvariablesandtheoverallstarratingsislessthan40percentThatiseveniftheconsumersprovidedhigherratingsonindividualattributestheiroverallratingwasusuallylowandthere-versewasalsotrueThistrendisobservedinboththehighandlowreviewgroups
TheanalysissuggeststhatinhighreviewsconsumersplacedgreaterimportanceonvalueformoneycleanlinessandcomfortThehighertheratingsofaconsumerontheseattributesthehigheristhelikelihoodthattheconsumerwillprovideahigherstarratingCheck-inlocationandservicedidnotprominentlyfigureintheiroverallevalu-ationsofthepropertieseventhoughtheseattributeswereratedhigh
ThelowreviewsshowsimilarresultsinthesensethattheloweraconsumerratesvaluecleanlinessandcomfortthelowerthelikelihoodofapositiveratingInadditioninthecaseoflowreviewsconsumersplacedemphasisontheserviceprovidedbythepropertystaffandmanagement
TheaboveresultisillustratedinoneoftheldquohighrdquoreviewsshowninExhibit4Thereviewergavelowto
star rating Text Commentary
This was our 1st time renting a house vs a condo This house was great If you wanted to spend a little time by yourself you could so many rooms to go to The house was so comfortable like being at home It was our home for the week Thank you Hope to rent it next year if we havent bought one ourselves
ratings for specific Attributes
value Check-in location Clean Comfort service
3 2 3 2 4 3
Exhibit 4
example of a ldquohighrdquo review
Avg rating for Property Attributes
30
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 11
withthecostoftheproduct12Giventhegreaterperceivedriskinservicescustomerswouldseekmoretrustworthyser-viceproviderswithagoodreputationofsatisfyingcustomerneeds13ThisinturnincreasestheexpectationsandleadstomoreextremereactionsfromtheconsumersHenceonecanspeculatethatthehigherthepriceshigherwillbetheaver-agenegativeorpositiveratingsforaservice
Word countThenumberofwordsinareviewmayserveasaproxyfortheamountofinformationinthereviewsHowevertheevidenceonthisaspectofWOMofalltypesisequivocalForinstanceconsumersgenerallyengageinpositiveWOMtoavoidfeelingsofguiltandas-sociationwithbadnewsandtoreducecognitivedissonanceOntheotherhandacustomerwhoishighlydisappointedwillprovideapersuasiveargumenttomakesurethatothercustomersaredissuadedfromrentingthesamepropertyResearchonconventionalwordofmouthhasofferedampleevidencetosuggestthatdissatisfiedcustomersengageintwotothreetimesasmuchWOMassatisfiedcustomers14Webelievethatthislogicextendstoonlinereviewsdespitethefactthatexistingstudiesareequivocalatbest15Thereforeitcanbeassumedthatreviewswitheitherextremelypositiveorextremelynegativeratingswillhavegreaterwordcountasopposedtomoremoderatereviews
TotesttheseassumptionsweappliedANOVAwithpriceandwordcountasdependentvariablesandthereviewratingasfactorsAsillustratedinExhibits5and6theresultsshowthatpriceandwordcountshowasignificantnegativecorrelationwithstarratingThatisreviewswithlowerratingsaretypicallyassociatedwithgreaterwordcountandrepresentpropertiesthatchargehighrates
TheresultonthewordcountsuggeststhatconsumerswhoareunhappywitharentalpropertytendtowritemoretoexpresstheirdissatisfactionAsshowninthisexhibitlowerratingsareassociatedwithhighernumberofwordsinthereviewsandviceversaSimilarlypropertypriceseemstobestronglyassociatedwithnegativewordofmouthsup-portingtheprinciplethathighercostincreasestheconsum-ersrsquoinvolvementinthepurchase
12BeardenWOandMasonJB(1984)AninvestigationofinfluencesonconsumercomplaintreportsAdvancesinConsumerResearch11490-49513WetzerIMZeelenbergMandPietersR(2007)ldquoNevereatinthatrestaurantIdidrdquoExploringwhypeopleengageinnegativeword-of-mouthcommunicationPsychology and Marketing24661-68014SchlossbergH(1991)CustomersatisfactionNotafadbutawayoflifeMarketing News25andWestbrookR(1987)ProductConsump-tion-basedAffectiveResponsesandPost-purchaseProcessesJournal of Marketing Research 24258-27015AlexMSusskindldquoIToldYouSoRestaurantCustomersrsquoofWord-of-MouthCommunicationPatternsrdquoCornell Hotel and Restaurant Adminis-tration QuarterlyVol43No2(April2002)pp75-85
Exhibit 5
Differences in word count across star ratings
Exhibit 6
Differences in average price per day across ratings
Aver
age
pric
e pe
r day
of t
he re
ntal
pro
pert
y
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
1504
1563
1804
19861987
Aver
age
wor
d co
unt o
f rev
iew
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
836837
121
15751543
160
140
120
100
80
200
190
180
170
160
150
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
12 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
thereviewersThesecanbeclassifiedas(a)attributesorfea-turesofthepropertythatfigureprominentlyandcontributetothepositiveornegativeratings(egroomsbeddishesfurnitureorservice)and(b)thepositiveornegativewordsthatrepresentthesentimentofthereviewer(eggreatamazingdirtyandwonderful)Theresultsofthequalitativeanalysisareasfollows
Syntactic featuresTheoveralltoneofthelowreviewsisratherargumentativeThereviewerstendtobeforcefulinpresentingtheirpointofviewTheylayoutagreatamountofreasoningandprovidespecificexamplestodrivehometheirargumentThisisreflectedinthegreaterpercentageofnegativeconnectorwords(34)suchasbut however as ifandeven thoughItisinterestingtonotethatreviewersinthiscategoryspeakdirectlytotheotherconsumersnotablythroughgreateruseofwordssuchasyou(46)andlooktoinfluencetheirdecisionmaking
InthehighreviewsbycontrasttheoveralltonetendstobeenunciativeandthereviewersusethetexttomerelyreinforcetheirnumericalratingsusingfewerwordsonaveragethanthenegativereviewersInthesereviewstheconsumersfocusontheirpersonalexperiencesandappealtotheaudiencethroughemotionsratherthanlogicandreasoningasevidentfromgreateruseofpositiveadjectives
QualitativeAnalysisoftheReviewTextTheaboveanalysisemphasizestheimportanceofthetextcontentinconsumerreviewsWhilenumericalratingsallowthereviewerstoratetheserviceprovideronvariousattributesitisthetextthatprovidesthemwiththeopportu-nitytoarticulatethenuancesoftheiroverallexperienceandconveyusefulinformationaboutaserviceproviderrsquostransac-tionsandservicecapabilitiesThereforesemanticanalysisofthetextcontentprovidesuswithanopportunitytothethirdquestionpresentedattheoutsetofthisreportwhatdoconsumerstalkaboutintheirreviews
Tothisendweanalyzed600eachofrandomlyselectedhighandlowreviewsusingsemanticprocessingtechniquesWeusedcenteringresonanceanalysis(CRA)amodeofnet-work-basedtextanalysisthatrepresentsthecontentoflargesetsoftextsbyidentifyingthemostimportantwordsthatlinkotherwordsinthenetwork16OuranalysisexaminedsyntacticandsemanticfeaturesSyntacticfeaturesincludethepercentageofthewordsthatareopenclass(ienounsverbsadjectives)Semanticfeaturesrepresentthespecial-izedvocabularythatreflectstheoverallopinionexpressedby
16CormanSandDooleyK(2006)CrawdadTextAnalysisSystem12CrawdadTechnologiesLLCChandlerAZ
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Comments
bedroom beds linen sheets 383
Also the same bedroom and bathroom did not have any door separating the bedroom from the bathroom no privacy
Sleeping arrangements were very awkward The listing sheet described 2 full beds We brought our own linens the beds were queen sized Had to purchase sheet
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 297
You must not forget to step up when yoursquore walking out of the kitchen into the dining room otherwise yoursquoll trip over the 3-foot step up
No potholders in the kitchen and it didnrsquot seem like there were as many kitchen supplies as before We just had to make do without
beach beaches beachfront 296
The week was the best vacation we have ever had as a family The beach house was a class act
Disappointment 1 It looks like this house is very close to beach but to get there you have to go around through public path
Pool Poolside 218
The pool was too dirty to use We checked in on Thursday and the pool was not cleaned until Saturday
Also it is inconvenient to have to call to get someone to open the pool Didnrsquot understand why Jacuzzi was open and not the pool
bathroom(s) bath bathtub shower 202
The next problem was in another bathroom (main floor)mdashthe wall heater did not work so showering in here was a bit chilly The next problem was in the ldquomasterrdquo bathroom (connected to the bedroom with the King bed) The sliding shower doors need to be totally replaced
Bathtub drains clogged in three second floor bathrooms
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in low reviews
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 13
suchasgreat fantastic andawesome(45)andpersonalpronounssuchasweandI(54)
Semantic featuresExhibits7and8showthemainissuesoraspectsthatareprominentlydiscussedinthelowreviewsTheorderoftheseissuesisbasedonthestatisti-callysignificantfrequencyoftheiroccurrenceinthe1200reviews
WefurtherinvestigatedtheuseofvarioussentimentwordsInterestinglytheprominentissuesdiscussedinthepositivereviewssometimesdonotevenfigureintheratingscalesprovidedtothereviewersOveralltheresultsofthesemanticanalysiscanbesummarizedasfollows
Thepropertyanditsfeaturesaremorecommonlycon-nectedwithextremelypositivesentimentwordssuchasgreat wonderfulandamazinginthehighreviewsthaninthelowreviewsIncomparisonthepropertiesandtheirfea-turesinthelowreviewsaremorelikelytobecharacterizedwithmoderatelypositivewordssuchasniceandokay
Negativereviewsreflecttheextentofexpectationndashdis-confirmationthattheconsumersfaceduringtheirstayintherentalpropertyThesereviewshaveagreaterproportionofwordsexpressingdisappointment(egnotasexpected)Furtherextremelynegativesentimentwords(egdiscom-fortfilthy)andadjectivesaremorelikelytobeassociatedwithfeaturesinlowreviewsthaninhighreviews
Almost40percentoftheconsumerswhowrotehighreviewsexpresstheirwillingnesstoreturntothepropertyasopposedtoonly9percentofthosewritingnegativereviewsFurthermorethan20percentoftheconsumersgivinghighreviewsexpresstheirstrongdesiretorecommendtheprop-ertytotheirfriendsandfamilymembersasopposedtoonly5percentinlowreviews
ReviewofFindingsOurexploratorystudyofconsumerreviewsofUSvacationhomesonReviewsitecomwashighlightedbyoverwhelm-inglypositivereviews
Theoveralldistributionofthereviewswasheav-ilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratingsMorecriticallythisfindingsuggeststhatthereisalackofmoderateandbalancedopinionsWetheorizethatthisiseitherduetopurchasingbias(sincecustomerswentthroughthetroubleofpurchasingandexperiencingthefacilitiestheytendtobepositivelybiasedtowardstheirpurchase)orunder-reportingbias(customersdonothavestrongenoughincentivestotakethetroubleofreportingtheiropinionsandthefewmotivatedindividualswhoprovidetheirreviewsbecomeaself-selectedsample)
Theoverall(mean)starratingtypicallyusedintravelerreviewsitesisprobablynotthemostaccurateindicatorofcustomersrsquoperceptionsofserviceprovidersrsquoqualityWe
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Commentsbeach beaches beachfront 506 Perfect rental property for those who enjoy the activity of the beach and the serenity
of the Sound The house is just down the road from ocean
The large porch offered a beautiful view of the beach and comfortable new rocking chairs
Pool Poolside 218 The outdoor shower dipping pool and screen in porch were an added bonus Perfect house for a low key weekend
House was great for kids Pool was terrific and the playroom was perfectlocation 192 We had a wonderful time My wife loves fishing and the cottage was in a perfect
location to go fishing on the pier
The home is somewhat dated but the location was great We have vacationed in the Chatham area for many summers and this time it was great too
bedroom beds 186 The family suite is huge with a king size and twin bed and still room for a pack-n-play The kitchen and dining room were huge clean and nice
The only comments that I would say to the negative is the front bed room by the front door always seemed damp which seem to attract more bugs
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 178 All of the amenities in the house are upscalemdashloved the kitchen and plasma TVs
The kitchen had good basic utensils dishes and cooking pans
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in high reviews
14 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
foundacorrelationbetweenthestarratingandratingsonotherpropertyattributesoflessthan40percentinmostcases
AhighwordcountinthereviewsiscorrelatedwithalowoverallratingThatisconsumerswhoareextremelydissatisfiedtendtoexpendmoretimeandenergyontheircritiqueofthepropertyitsamenitiesandservicesPriceofthepropertyalsoseemstopositivelycorrelatewithextremenegativereviewsperhapsbecauseahighpriceheightenstravelersrsquoexpectations
Numericalratingsdonotoftencapturetheactualsentimentandthevarietyofdimensionsonwhichtravel-ersevaluatepropertiesBecausenumericalratingsdonotcapturereviewersrsquoopinionsaboutspecificattributestheycanbedeceivingandmaynotrevealthetruequalityofthepropertyortheactualintentionofthereviewerWefoundforinstancethatconsumersvaluelocation(egclosenesstothebeach)andcleanliness(egswimmingpoolareas)morethansuchfeaturesascheck-inandserviceSimilarlyinthenegativereviewsissuessuchaslackofbedroomparapher-naliaorkitchenitemsseemtoberankedhigherinimpor-tancethanissuessuchaslocationandcheck-inThereforeevenwhenapropertyscoreshighonthecertaindimensionstheoverallratingmayremainlowbecauseotherfactorsovershadowthefavorableaspects
WhatItMeansforManagersWeseeimplicationsforonlinereviewsitesandbyexten-sionforproprietorsofvacationhomesandserviceopera-tionsgenerallyWithregardtothereviewsitesifconsumersconsistentlydetectafavorablebiasthereviewsitesmaylosethecriticalaspectsofcredibilityandtrustAlthoughconsumersaregenerallysmartandrationalandcanworkaroundobviousbiasesrecentevidencesuggeststhatcon-sumersaregraduallydefectingfromsomeonlinesitesduetounbalancedreviews17InthisregardsiteadministratorsaswellaspropertymanagersshouldtakestepstoattractthoseconsumerswhoarewillingtoprovideareasonablybalancedanalysisoftheamenitiesandservicesBythiswemeanreviewsthatpresentcomprehensiveandobjectiveanalysisoftheserviceproviderratherthanjustravesorrants
Tothatendsiteoperatorsshouldtakestepstoun-derstandcustomersrsquoreviewwritingbehaviorandtoat-tractmorebalancedreviewsOnewaytodothisistogivepersonalizedinformationtotheconsumerdemonstratingthecontributionmadebyhisorherreviewandthevalueofthereviewtostakeholdersForinstanceLinget alfoundapositivecorrelationbetweenwillingnesstowritereviewsandtheconsumersrsquoperceptionthattheircontributionswouldbeuniqueandhelpfultoothercustomersaswellasperusedby
17HarteveldtHHJohnsonCStarkEandGeldernKV(2009)Us-ingDigitalChannelsToCalmTheAngryTravelerForresterResearch
theserviceproviders18Simplyputthepropensitytowritereviewsincreaseswhentheconsumersfeelthattheirreviewisactuallyhelpingothers(boththeserviceproviderandotherconsumers)
WesuggestthatreviewsitesdevelopbettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishspecificreviewcommentsaswellasnumericalratingsFirstmanagersshouldtakeintoconsiderationthelowcorrelationbetweentheoverallratingsandconsumersrsquoassessmentsofvariouspropertyattributes(aswellastheresultsfromthetextanalysis)Theimplicationofsuchaweakcorrelationisthatreviewsitesneedtoexpandonthelistofpossiblevariablessothattheratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquoneedsandexpectationsregardingserviceproviders
Furthersitemanagersmayhavetorethinkthecurrentpracticeofaveragingalltheratingsforagivenpropertybe-causesuchameanratingfailstotakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsAsanexamplethisstudyfindssignificantunder-reportingbiasinthisonlinereviewsiteAcustomerrsquosdecisiontonotpostonlinereviewsmaymeanthelossofimportantinformationthatcanassisttheusersofthesitestomakemorereliableinferencesThemajorityoftodayrsquosfeedbackmechanismsdonotpubliclydisclosethenumberofsilenttransactions(ietransactionsforwhichnofeedbackwaspostedbycustomers)Suchinfor-mationshouldbecomeapartofaserviceproviderrsquosonlineprofileonratingsitesandotherfeedbackmechanismsItisimportanttoprovidemoreinformationandheuristicstohelptheconsumersnavigatethroughtheclutterandgettheinformationtheywantandseek
Itisimportanttoapplymodernsemanticanalysisandsentimentclassificationtechniquestostudythecontentofthereviewsandidentifyvariousdimensionsonwhichcon-sumersevaluatevacationhomesThedetailsprovidedinthereviewtextareinmanywaysabetterreflectionofcustomersatisfactionServiceproviderscanbetterpositionthemselvesusingthedimensionsuncoveredthroughtextanalysisandtargettheneedsandpreferencesoftheircustomers
TheresultsinthisstudyshowthatnegativereviewsaretypicallyassociatedwithagreaterwordcountthanpositivereviewsItisusefultofocusspecificallyonthesenegativereviewsbecausetheycanrevealpatternsofdeficienciesintheservicestandardsanddeliveryThesereviewsshouldbetreatedthesameascustomercommentcardsorletters19Furthercustomerswhowritesuchlengthynegativereviews
18LingKimberlyGerardBeenenPaulLudfordXiaoxingWangKevinChangXinLiDanCosleyDanFrankowskiLorenTerveenAlMRashidandRobertKrautldquoUsingSocialPsychologytoMotivateContributionstoOnlineCommunitiesrdquoJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication10no4(2005)19MilanR(2007)10thingsyoucandoinresponsetotravelerreviewsinHotelmarketingcom
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 15
aremostlikelytospreadnegativeword-of-mouthaboutthepropertyLengthyreviewsareexcellentsourcesofinforma-tionandshouldbeusedasthebasestounderstandthecomplainingbehavioroftheconsumer
WordcountmaybeusedasanadditionalsegmentationvariabletoidentifythoseconsumerswhoaremoreinvolvedandwillingtoprovidebalancedfeedbacktoboththereviewsiteaswellastopropertymanagementVariousotherresearchmethodssuchastelephoneinterviewsorfocusgroupsshouldbeusedtoelicitdetailedfeedbackfromsuchconsumersTheseactionsalsohelpinservicerecoverypost-purchaseengagementandrelationshipbuilding
OutlookWeforeseethreepotentialareasinvestigationthatcanaddvaluetocurrentbestpracticesWestilldonrsquotknowmuchaboutconsumersrsquomotivationtowriteonlinereviews20Recentstudiesidentifyvariousantecedentsofreviewwritingbutsufferfromsamplingbiassincetheysurveyaself-select-edsampleofconsumerswhoalreadyprovidedreviewsAstheresultsinthisstudyindicateunder-reportingbias(lackofmoderateandlowreviews)remainsprevalentinonlinereviewsitesFutureresearchshouldidentifysocio-psycho-logicalfactorsthatincreaseconsumersrsquopropensitytowriteonlinereviews
Futureresearchshouldexploretheimpactofthepres-ence(orlack)ofextremelynegativereviewswithinalargecorpusofpositivereviewsTheevidenceontheimpactofre-
20WangYandFesenmaierDR(2003)AssessingMotivationofCon-tributioninOnlineCommunitiesAnEmpiricalInvestigationofanOn-lineTravelCommunityElectronic Markets1333-45andYooKyungHandUlrikeGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp Tourism10No4(2008)283-95
viewvalence(negativeorpositive)isequivocalProponentsofconfirmatorybiassuggestthatconsumerslookforaffir-mativeevidencesupportingaproductchoicealreadymadeIfthatisthecasepositivereviewsaremorelikelytohaveagreatereffectonconsumeractionsOntheotherhandthenotionofnegativitybiassuggeststhatwhenconsumersareneutralnegativereviewstendtobecomemoresalientthanpositivereviews21Inthepresenceoflargenumbersofposi-tivereviewsconsumersspecificallyseeknegativereviewsthattheyfeelwillhelpthemidentifyspecificproblemswithaserviceUnderstandinghowconsumersreconciletheinformationprovidedbybothnegativeandpositivereviewshasimplicationsforthedesignandmanagementofreviewsites
Finallyareviewrsquoswordcounthasimportantimplica-tionsforconsumersrsquotrustinthereviewsWhenconsumersarewillingtoreadandcompareopen-endedcommentsfromotherconsumerstheamountofinformationinareviewcanmatterWOMforhighinvolvementproductsismorepersuasiveandincreasesthedecisionmakerrsquosconfi-dencewhenthemessagesenderprovidesgreaternumberofreasonsfortheiroverallratingLongerreviewsprovidemoreinformationandarelikelytobeperceivedasmorehelpfulandpersuasivethanshorterreviewsThewaysinwhichareviewiswrittenframedandpresentedisaninterestingfactorwhichhasrarelybeeninvestigatedandhasimportantimplicationsparticularlygivenourfindingthattheamountofinformationinareview(wordcount)variessignificantlywiththeratingsofthereviewn
21BaSandPavlouPA(2002)EvidenceoftheEffectofTrustBuildingTechnologyinElectronicMarketsPricePremiumsandBuyerBehaviorMIS Quarterly26243-268
Cornell Hospitality Quarterlyhttpcqxsagepubcom
2011 ReportsVol11No15DesigningaSelf-HealingServiceSystemAnIntegrativeModelbyRobertCFordandMichaelCSturman
Vol11No14ReversingtheGreenBacklashWhyLargeHospitalityCompaniesShouldWelcomeCrediblyGreenCompetitorsbyMichaelGiebelhausenPhDandHaeEunHelenChunPhD
Vol11No13DevelopingaSustainabilityMeasurementFrameworkforHotelsTowardanIndustry-wideReportingStructurebyEricRicaurte
Vol11No12CreatingValueforWomenBusinessTravelersFocusingonEmotionalOutcomesbyJudiBrownellPhD
Vol11No11CustomerLoyaltyANewLookattheBenefitsofImprovingSegmentationEffortswithRewardsProgramsbyClayVoorheesPhDMichaelMcCallPhDandRogerCalantonePhD
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Vol11No5TheImpactofTerrorismandEconomicShocksonUSHotelsbyCathyAEnzRenaacutetaKosovaacuteandMarkLomannoVol11No4ImplementingHumanResourceInnovationsThreeSuccessStoriesfromtheServiceIndustrybyJustinSunandKateWalshPhD
Vol11No3Compendium2011
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2011 Hospitality ToolsVol2No1TheGameHasChangedANewParadigmforStakeholderEngagementbyMaryBethMcEuen
2011 Industry PerspectivesNo7MegaTips2TwentyTestedTechniquesforIncreasingYourTipsbyMichaelLynn
2011 ProceedingsVol3No5BuildingBrandsintheInternetAgeAnalyticsLoyaltyandCommunicationbyGlennWithiam
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Vol3No3SocialMediaandtheHospitalityIndustryHoldingtheTigerbytheTailbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No2TheChallengeofHotelandRestaurantSustainabilityFindingProfitinldquoBeingGreenrdquobyGlennWithiam
Vol3No1CautiousOptimismCHRSExaminesHospitalityIndustryTrendsbyGlennWithiam
2010 ReportsVol10No18HowTravelersUseOnlineandSocialMediaChannelstoMakeHotel-choiceDecisionsbyLauraMcCarthyDebraStockandRohitVermaPhD
Vol10No17PublicorPrivateTheHospitalityInvestmentDecisionbyQingzhongMaPhDandAthenaWeiZhangPhD
Vol10No16BestPracticesinSearchEngineMarketingandOptimizationTheCaseoftheStJamesHotelbyGregBodenlcosVictorBogertDanGordonCarterHearneandChrisKAndersonPhD
Vol10No15TheImpactofPrix Fixe MenuPriceFormatsonGuestsrsquoDealPerceptionbyShuoWangandMichaelLynnPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
Publication Indexwwwchrcornelledu
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
No2RetaliationWhyanIncreaseinClaimsDoesNotMeantheSkyIsFallingbyDavidSherwynJDandGreggGilmanJD
2009 ToolsToolNo12MeasuringtheDiningExperienceTheCaseofVitaNovabyKeshPrasadandFredJDeMiccoPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality ResearchPublication Index
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
visit our website to apply
wwwchrcornell edu
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 9
1 AmajorityofthepropertiesthatarelistedonthewebsitehaveoutstandingperceivedqualityandprovidesatisfactoryservicestocustomersWhilethisistheo-reticallypossibleitseemsunlikelywhenappliedtoallthepropertieslistedonthewebsite8
2 ThereviewsdonotconstituteatrulyrepresentativesampleofconsumeropinionBasedonotherstud-iesthisexplanationseemsplausibleConsumerswithmoderateviewsmayseelittleincentivetoreporttheirviewsinanonlineforumandasaconsequenceonlythoseconsumerswhohavepolarizedviewsarelikelytoposttheircomments
3 ThedistributioncouldalsobeanartifactofthefirmrsquosreviewsolicitingstrategyRecentstudiessupportthisideabysuggestingthatcustomersengageinsociallydesirablebehavioreveninimpersonalinteractionswiththeserviceproviders9Inthiscaseitmaybethattheywillprovideareasonablypositiverevieweveniftheexperiencehasnotbeenuptothemark
StarRatingsandPerceivedServiceQualityLetrsquosreturntothefirstquestionweaskedattheoutsetArestarratingsatruerepresentationofserviceprovid-ersrsquoperceivedqualityasreflectedbytheconsumersrsquostatedsentimentsThisbecomesanimportantquestionfortwo
8AKadetldquoRah-RahRatingsOnlinerdquoSmartMoney20079YGreacutegoireandRJFisherldquoCustomerBetrayalandRetaliationWhenYourBestCustomersbecomeYourWorstEnemiesrdquoJournal of the Acad-emy of Marketing ScienceVol36(2008)pp247-261
reasons(a) ratingsaretheprimaryevidencethatconsum-ersconsiderwhileshoppingonlineforinformationand(b)thetruncatednatureofratingdistributionsmeansthatthereviewsavailablemaynottrulyrepresentconsumeropinionortheserviceprovidersrsquoperceivedqualityIfonlythosewithextremeviewspostreviewsthenconsumersshouldalwayslookforserviceprovidersthathavea5-starratingOnthecontraryifthereviewsaccuratelyreflectallconsumersrsquoviewsthenconsumersarebetteroffsearchingforreviewswitha3ratingsincethesetendtobemorebalancedandenablebetterproductanalysisRecentlyHu et aluseddatafromAmazoncomshowthatnumericalscoresdonotreflectbooksrsquotrueperceivedquality10AstheysuggestldquohellipratherthescorereflectsthebalanceofdiverseopinionsInotherwordswhenabookrsquosoverallscoreisaround3itdoesnotsuggestthatconsumersgenerallyagreethatthisisanaver-agebookItrathersuggeststhatroughlyequalnumberofconsumersthinkthatthebookiseitheranoutstandingbookoranabysmalbookrdquo
Totestthisassertionweappliedaregressionequationwithsixpropertyattributes(ievalueformoneycheck-inlocationcleanlinesscomfortandservice)asindependentvariablesandstarratingasthedependentvariableThisanalysisisbasedontheassumptionthatforagivenpropertyifstarratingstrulyrepresenttheperceivedqualityoftheproperties(aswellastheconsumersrsquosentiment)thenthestarratingsandratingsofthesixotherpropertyattributes
10NHuJZhangandPAPavlouOvercomingtheJ-shapedDistribu-tionofProductReviewsrdquoCommunications of the ACMVol52(2009)pp144-147
low reviews t-value high reviews t-value(Constant) 1618 18353 2400 34186vAlue 0254 13726 0378 8767CheCKiN -0083 -3701 -0053 -1192loCATioN 0104 6132 0079 2117CleAN 0144 7574 0112 2808CoMForT 0267 13993 0129 3088serviCe 0098 4209 0107 2401r2 0331 0338F-statistic 5038 24714
Exhibit 3
regression analysis of ldquolowrdquo and ldquohighrdquo reviews
Notes Coefficients (t-statistics reported) Significance is as follows significant at 0001 level significant at 05 level significant at 010 level Dependent variable is overall rating
10 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
moderateratingsonalltheattributesbutwasstillwillingtoprovideahighoverallstarratingtothepropertyThisexamplesuggeststhatconsumersplacesignificantemphasisontheoverallexperientialvalueprovidedbythepropertiesThisexpectationofvalueismanytimesintangibleanddoesnotnecessarilydependonthefunctioningorratingoftheindividualfeaturesoftheproperty
RelationshipbetweenRatingsandReviewAttributesTounderstandconsumersrsquoword-of-mouthbehavioritisimportanttoconsidervariousfactorssuchasperceivedexpectationsofcostsandbenefitsimportanceofthepur-chase(involvement)personalcharacteristicsandsituationalinfluencesWeconsidertwofactorsthatareknowntoaffecttheintensityandvalence(positiveornegative)ofwordofmouthpriceandwordcount
PricePriceisanimportantfactorthatcontributestopre-purchaseexpectationsTheintensityofexpectations(andtheirfulfillment)partlydrivenbypriceisdirectlypropor-tionaltoconsumersrsquosatisfactionlevelsandWOMpropensityThismaybethereasonthatthetendencytocomplainisdirectlyrelatedtothecostoftheservice11Themoreexpen-siveanitemthegreaterwillbetheperceivedlossesandthegreaterlikelihoodthatdissatisfactionwillresultinacom-plaintSimilarlythelikelihoodofword-of-mouthbeingtrig-geredbythelevelofexpectationndashdisconfirmationincreases
11BeardenWOandTeelJE(1983)Selecteddeterminantsofcon-sumersatisfactionandcomplaintreportsJournal of Marketing Research 2021-28
willshowahighcorrelationFortheanalysiswetookintoconsiderationthefactmostreviewsarepositive(ie4-and5-pointratings)Thereforewedividedthereviewsintotwocategorieshighreviews(starratingabove3n=2597)andlowreviews(ratingsbeloworequalto3n=600)andranseparateregressionanalysesonthesetwogroupsasshowninExhibit3
AninterestingfindingistheweakrelationshipbetweentheattributeratingsandoverallstarratingforeachpropertyTheR-squareoftheregressionequationwithallsixvariablesandtheoverallstarratingsislessthan40percentThatiseveniftheconsumersprovidedhigherratingsonindividualattributestheiroverallratingwasusuallylowandthere-versewasalsotrueThistrendisobservedinboththehighandlowreviewgroups
TheanalysissuggeststhatinhighreviewsconsumersplacedgreaterimportanceonvalueformoneycleanlinessandcomfortThehighertheratingsofaconsumerontheseattributesthehigheristhelikelihoodthattheconsumerwillprovideahigherstarratingCheck-inlocationandservicedidnotprominentlyfigureintheiroverallevalu-ationsofthepropertieseventhoughtheseattributeswereratedhigh
ThelowreviewsshowsimilarresultsinthesensethattheloweraconsumerratesvaluecleanlinessandcomfortthelowerthelikelihoodofapositiveratingInadditioninthecaseoflowreviewsconsumersplacedemphasisontheserviceprovidedbythepropertystaffandmanagement
TheaboveresultisillustratedinoneoftheldquohighrdquoreviewsshowninExhibit4Thereviewergavelowto
star rating Text Commentary
This was our 1st time renting a house vs a condo This house was great If you wanted to spend a little time by yourself you could so many rooms to go to The house was so comfortable like being at home It was our home for the week Thank you Hope to rent it next year if we havent bought one ourselves
ratings for specific Attributes
value Check-in location Clean Comfort service
3 2 3 2 4 3
Exhibit 4
example of a ldquohighrdquo review
Avg rating for Property Attributes
30
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 11
withthecostoftheproduct12Giventhegreaterperceivedriskinservicescustomerswouldseekmoretrustworthyser-viceproviderswithagoodreputationofsatisfyingcustomerneeds13ThisinturnincreasestheexpectationsandleadstomoreextremereactionsfromtheconsumersHenceonecanspeculatethatthehigherthepriceshigherwillbetheaver-agenegativeorpositiveratingsforaservice
Word countThenumberofwordsinareviewmayserveasaproxyfortheamountofinformationinthereviewsHowevertheevidenceonthisaspectofWOMofalltypesisequivocalForinstanceconsumersgenerallyengageinpositiveWOMtoavoidfeelingsofguiltandas-sociationwithbadnewsandtoreducecognitivedissonanceOntheotherhandacustomerwhoishighlydisappointedwillprovideapersuasiveargumenttomakesurethatothercustomersaredissuadedfromrentingthesamepropertyResearchonconventionalwordofmouthhasofferedampleevidencetosuggestthatdissatisfiedcustomersengageintwotothreetimesasmuchWOMassatisfiedcustomers14Webelievethatthislogicextendstoonlinereviewsdespitethefactthatexistingstudiesareequivocalatbest15Thereforeitcanbeassumedthatreviewswitheitherextremelypositiveorextremelynegativeratingswillhavegreaterwordcountasopposedtomoremoderatereviews
TotesttheseassumptionsweappliedANOVAwithpriceandwordcountasdependentvariablesandthereviewratingasfactorsAsillustratedinExhibits5and6theresultsshowthatpriceandwordcountshowasignificantnegativecorrelationwithstarratingThatisreviewswithlowerratingsaretypicallyassociatedwithgreaterwordcountandrepresentpropertiesthatchargehighrates
TheresultonthewordcountsuggeststhatconsumerswhoareunhappywitharentalpropertytendtowritemoretoexpresstheirdissatisfactionAsshowninthisexhibitlowerratingsareassociatedwithhighernumberofwordsinthereviewsandviceversaSimilarlypropertypriceseemstobestronglyassociatedwithnegativewordofmouthsup-portingtheprinciplethathighercostincreasestheconsum-ersrsquoinvolvementinthepurchase
12BeardenWOandMasonJB(1984)AninvestigationofinfluencesonconsumercomplaintreportsAdvancesinConsumerResearch11490-49513WetzerIMZeelenbergMandPietersR(2007)ldquoNevereatinthatrestaurantIdidrdquoExploringwhypeopleengageinnegativeword-of-mouthcommunicationPsychology and Marketing24661-68014SchlossbergH(1991)CustomersatisfactionNotafadbutawayoflifeMarketing News25andWestbrookR(1987)ProductConsump-tion-basedAffectiveResponsesandPost-purchaseProcessesJournal of Marketing Research 24258-27015AlexMSusskindldquoIToldYouSoRestaurantCustomersrsquoofWord-of-MouthCommunicationPatternsrdquoCornell Hotel and Restaurant Adminis-tration QuarterlyVol43No2(April2002)pp75-85
Exhibit 5
Differences in word count across star ratings
Exhibit 6
Differences in average price per day across ratings
Aver
age
pric
e pe
r day
of t
he re
ntal
pro
pert
y
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
1504
1563
1804
19861987
Aver
age
wor
d co
unt o
f rev
iew
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
836837
121
15751543
160
140
120
100
80
200
190
180
170
160
150
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
12 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
thereviewersThesecanbeclassifiedas(a)attributesorfea-turesofthepropertythatfigureprominentlyandcontributetothepositiveornegativeratings(egroomsbeddishesfurnitureorservice)and(b)thepositiveornegativewordsthatrepresentthesentimentofthereviewer(eggreatamazingdirtyandwonderful)Theresultsofthequalitativeanalysisareasfollows
Syntactic featuresTheoveralltoneofthelowreviewsisratherargumentativeThereviewerstendtobeforcefulinpresentingtheirpointofviewTheylayoutagreatamountofreasoningandprovidespecificexamplestodrivehometheirargumentThisisreflectedinthegreaterpercentageofnegativeconnectorwords(34)suchasbut however as ifandeven thoughItisinterestingtonotethatreviewersinthiscategoryspeakdirectlytotheotherconsumersnotablythroughgreateruseofwordssuchasyou(46)andlooktoinfluencetheirdecisionmaking
InthehighreviewsbycontrasttheoveralltonetendstobeenunciativeandthereviewersusethetexttomerelyreinforcetheirnumericalratingsusingfewerwordsonaveragethanthenegativereviewersInthesereviewstheconsumersfocusontheirpersonalexperiencesandappealtotheaudiencethroughemotionsratherthanlogicandreasoningasevidentfromgreateruseofpositiveadjectives
QualitativeAnalysisoftheReviewTextTheaboveanalysisemphasizestheimportanceofthetextcontentinconsumerreviewsWhilenumericalratingsallowthereviewerstoratetheserviceprovideronvariousattributesitisthetextthatprovidesthemwiththeopportu-nitytoarticulatethenuancesoftheiroverallexperienceandconveyusefulinformationaboutaserviceproviderrsquostransac-tionsandservicecapabilitiesThereforesemanticanalysisofthetextcontentprovidesuswithanopportunitytothethirdquestionpresentedattheoutsetofthisreportwhatdoconsumerstalkaboutintheirreviews
Tothisendweanalyzed600eachofrandomlyselectedhighandlowreviewsusingsemanticprocessingtechniquesWeusedcenteringresonanceanalysis(CRA)amodeofnet-work-basedtextanalysisthatrepresentsthecontentoflargesetsoftextsbyidentifyingthemostimportantwordsthatlinkotherwordsinthenetwork16OuranalysisexaminedsyntacticandsemanticfeaturesSyntacticfeaturesincludethepercentageofthewordsthatareopenclass(ienounsverbsadjectives)Semanticfeaturesrepresentthespecial-izedvocabularythatreflectstheoverallopinionexpressedby
16CormanSandDooleyK(2006)CrawdadTextAnalysisSystem12CrawdadTechnologiesLLCChandlerAZ
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Comments
bedroom beds linen sheets 383
Also the same bedroom and bathroom did not have any door separating the bedroom from the bathroom no privacy
Sleeping arrangements were very awkward The listing sheet described 2 full beds We brought our own linens the beds were queen sized Had to purchase sheet
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 297
You must not forget to step up when yoursquore walking out of the kitchen into the dining room otherwise yoursquoll trip over the 3-foot step up
No potholders in the kitchen and it didnrsquot seem like there were as many kitchen supplies as before We just had to make do without
beach beaches beachfront 296
The week was the best vacation we have ever had as a family The beach house was a class act
Disappointment 1 It looks like this house is very close to beach but to get there you have to go around through public path
Pool Poolside 218
The pool was too dirty to use We checked in on Thursday and the pool was not cleaned until Saturday
Also it is inconvenient to have to call to get someone to open the pool Didnrsquot understand why Jacuzzi was open and not the pool
bathroom(s) bath bathtub shower 202
The next problem was in another bathroom (main floor)mdashthe wall heater did not work so showering in here was a bit chilly The next problem was in the ldquomasterrdquo bathroom (connected to the bedroom with the King bed) The sliding shower doors need to be totally replaced
Bathtub drains clogged in three second floor bathrooms
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in low reviews
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 13
suchasgreat fantastic andawesome(45)andpersonalpronounssuchasweandI(54)
Semantic featuresExhibits7and8showthemainissuesoraspectsthatareprominentlydiscussedinthelowreviewsTheorderoftheseissuesisbasedonthestatisti-callysignificantfrequencyoftheiroccurrenceinthe1200reviews
WefurtherinvestigatedtheuseofvarioussentimentwordsInterestinglytheprominentissuesdiscussedinthepositivereviewssometimesdonotevenfigureintheratingscalesprovidedtothereviewersOveralltheresultsofthesemanticanalysiscanbesummarizedasfollows
Thepropertyanditsfeaturesaremorecommonlycon-nectedwithextremelypositivesentimentwordssuchasgreat wonderfulandamazinginthehighreviewsthaninthelowreviewsIncomparisonthepropertiesandtheirfea-turesinthelowreviewsaremorelikelytobecharacterizedwithmoderatelypositivewordssuchasniceandokay
Negativereviewsreflecttheextentofexpectationndashdis-confirmationthattheconsumersfaceduringtheirstayintherentalpropertyThesereviewshaveagreaterproportionofwordsexpressingdisappointment(egnotasexpected)Furtherextremelynegativesentimentwords(egdiscom-fortfilthy)andadjectivesaremorelikelytobeassociatedwithfeaturesinlowreviewsthaninhighreviews
Almost40percentoftheconsumerswhowrotehighreviewsexpresstheirwillingnesstoreturntothepropertyasopposedtoonly9percentofthosewritingnegativereviewsFurthermorethan20percentoftheconsumersgivinghighreviewsexpresstheirstrongdesiretorecommendtheprop-ertytotheirfriendsandfamilymembersasopposedtoonly5percentinlowreviews
ReviewofFindingsOurexploratorystudyofconsumerreviewsofUSvacationhomesonReviewsitecomwashighlightedbyoverwhelm-inglypositivereviews
Theoveralldistributionofthereviewswasheav-ilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratingsMorecriticallythisfindingsuggeststhatthereisalackofmoderateandbalancedopinionsWetheorizethatthisiseitherduetopurchasingbias(sincecustomerswentthroughthetroubleofpurchasingandexperiencingthefacilitiestheytendtobepositivelybiasedtowardstheirpurchase)orunder-reportingbias(customersdonothavestrongenoughincentivestotakethetroubleofreportingtheiropinionsandthefewmotivatedindividualswhoprovidetheirreviewsbecomeaself-selectedsample)
Theoverall(mean)starratingtypicallyusedintravelerreviewsitesisprobablynotthemostaccurateindicatorofcustomersrsquoperceptionsofserviceprovidersrsquoqualityWe
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Commentsbeach beaches beachfront 506 Perfect rental property for those who enjoy the activity of the beach and the serenity
of the Sound The house is just down the road from ocean
The large porch offered a beautiful view of the beach and comfortable new rocking chairs
Pool Poolside 218 The outdoor shower dipping pool and screen in porch were an added bonus Perfect house for a low key weekend
House was great for kids Pool was terrific and the playroom was perfectlocation 192 We had a wonderful time My wife loves fishing and the cottage was in a perfect
location to go fishing on the pier
The home is somewhat dated but the location was great We have vacationed in the Chatham area for many summers and this time it was great too
bedroom beds 186 The family suite is huge with a king size and twin bed and still room for a pack-n-play The kitchen and dining room were huge clean and nice
The only comments that I would say to the negative is the front bed room by the front door always seemed damp which seem to attract more bugs
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 178 All of the amenities in the house are upscalemdashloved the kitchen and plasma TVs
The kitchen had good basic utensils dishes and cooking pans
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in high reviews
14 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
foundacorrelationbetweenthestarratingandratingsonotherpropertyattributesoflessthan40percentinmostcases
AhighwordcountinthereviewsiscorrelatedwithalowoverallratingThatisconsumerswhoareextremelydissatisfiedtendtoexpendmoretimeandenergyontheircritiqueofthepropertyitsamenitiesandservicesPriceofthepropertyalsoseemstopositivelycorrelatewithextremenegativereviewsperhapsbecauseahighpriceheightenstravelersrsquoexpectations
Numericalratingsdonotoftencapturetheactualsentimentandthevarietyofdimensionsonwhichtravel-ersevaluatepropertiesBecausenumericalratingsdonotcapturereviewersrsquoopinionsaboutspecificattributestheycanbedeceivingandmaynotrevealthetruequalityofthepropertyortheactualintentionofthereviewerWefoundforinstancethatconsumersvaluelocation(egclosenesstothebeach)andcleanliness(egswimmingpoolareas)morethansuchfeaturesascheck-inandserviceSimilarlyinthenegativereviewsissuessuchaslackofbedroomparapher-naliaorkitchenitemsseemtoberankedhigherinimpor-tancethanissuessuchaslocationandcheck-inThereforeevenwhenapropertyscoreshighonthecertaindimensionstheoverallratingmayremainlowbecauseotherfactorsovershadowthefavorableaspects
WhatItMeansforManagersWeseeimplicationsforonlinereviewsitesandbyexten-sionforproprietorsofvacationhomesandserviceopera-tionsgenerallyWithregardtothereviewsitesifconsumersconsistentlydetectafavorablebiasthereviewsitesmaylosethecriticalaspectsofcredibilityandtrustAlthoughconsumersaregenerallysmartandrationalandcanworkaroundobviousbiasesrecentevidencesuggeststhatcon-sumersaregraduallydefectingfromsomeonlinesitesduetounbalancedreviews17InthisregardsiteadministratorsaswellaspropertymanagersshouldtakestepstoattractthoseconsumerswhoarewillingtoprovideareasonablybalancedanalysisoftheamenitiesandservicesBythiswemeanreviewsthatpresentcomprehensiveandobjectiveanalysisoftheserviceproviderratherthanjustravesorrants
Tothatendsiteoperatorsshouldtakestepstoun-derstandcustomersrsquoreviewwritingbehaviorandtoat-tractmorebalancedreviewsOnewaytodothisistogivepersonalizedinformationtotheconsumerdemonstratingthecontributionmadebyhisorherreviewandthevalueofthereviewtostakeholdersForinstanceLinget alfoundapositivecorrelationbetweenwillingnesstowritereviewsandtheconsumersrsquoperceptionthattheircontributionswouldbeuniqueandhelpfultoothercustomersaswellasperusedby
17HarteveldtHHJohnsonCStarkEandGeldernKV(2009)Us-ingDigitalChannelsToCalmTheAngryTravelerForresterResearch
theserviceproviders18Simplyputthepropensitytowritereviewsincreaseswhentheconsumersfeelthattheirreviewisactuallyhelpingothers(boththeserviceproviderandotherconsumers)
WesuggestthatreviewsitesdevelopbettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishspecificreviewcommentsaswellasnumericalratingsFirstmanagersshouldtakeintoconsiderationthelowcorrelationbetweentheoverallratingsandconsumersrsquoassessmentsofvariouspropertyattributes(aswellastheresultsfromthetextanalysis)Theimplicationofsuchaweakcorrelationisthatreviewsitesneedtoexpandonthelistofpossiblevariablessothattheratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquoneedsandexpectationsregardingserviceproviders
Furthersitemanagersmayhavetorethinkthecurrentpracticeofaveragingalltheratingsforagivenpropertybe-causesuchameanratingfailstotakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsAsanexamplethisstudyfindssignificantunder-reportingbiasinthisonlinereviewsiteAcustomerrsquosdecisiontonotpostonlinereviewsmaymeanthelossofimportantinformationthatcanassisttheusersofthesitestomakemorereliableinferencesThemajorityoftodayrsquosfeedbackmechanismsdonotpubliclydisclosethenumberofsilenttransactions(ietransactionsforwhichnofeedbackwaspostedbycustomers)Suchinfor-mationshouldbecomeapartofaserviceproviderrsquosonlineprofileonratingsitesandotherfeedbackmechanismsItisimportanttoprovidemoreinformationandheuristicstohelptheconsumersnavigatethroughtheclutterandgettheinformationtheywantandseek
Itisimportanttoapplymodernsemanticanalysisandsentimentclassificationtechniquestostudythecontentofthereviewsandidentifyvariousdimensionsonwhichcon-sumersevaluatevacationhomesThedetailsprovidedinthereviewtextareinmanywaysabetterreflectionofcustomersatisfactionServiceproviderscanbetterpositionthemselvesusingthedimensionsuncoveredthroughtextanalysisandtargettheneedsandpreferencesoftheircustomers
TheresultsinthisstudyshowthatnegativereviewsaretypicallyassociatedwithagreaterwordcountthanpositivereviewsItisusefultofocusspecificallyonthesenegativereviewsbecausetheycanrevealpatternsofdeficienciesintheservicestandardsanddeliveryThesereviewsshouldbetreatedthesameascustomercommentcardsorletters19Furthercustomerswhowritesuchlengthynegativereviews
18LingKimberlyGerardBeenenPaulLudfordXiaoxingWangKevinChangXinLiDanCosleyDanFrankowskiLorenTerveenAlMRashidandRobertKrautldquoUsingSocialPsychologytoMotivateContributionstoOnlineCommunitiesrdquoJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication10no4(2005)19MilanR(2007)10thingsyoucandoinresponsetotravelerreviewsinHotelmarketingcom
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 15
aremostlikelytospreadnegativeword-of-mouthaboutthepropertyLengthyreviewsareexcellentsourcesofinforma-tionandshouldbeusedasthebasestounderstandthecomplainingbehavioroftheconsumer
WordcountmaybeusedasanadditionalsegmentationvariabletoidentifythoseconsumerswhoaremoreinvolvedandwillingtoprovidebalancedfeedbacktoboththereviewsiteaswellastopropertymanagementVariousotherresearchmethodssuchastelephoneinterviewsorfocusgroupsshouldbeusedtoelicitdetailedfeedbackfromsuchconsumersTheseactionsalsohelpinservicerecoverypost-purchaseengagementandrelationshipbuilding
OutlookWeforeseethreepotentialareasinvestigationthatcanaddvaluetocurrentbestpracticesWestilldonrsquotknowmuchaboutconsumersrsquomotivationtowriteonlinereviews20Recentstudiesidentifyvariousantecedentsofreviewwritingbutsufferfromsamplingbiassincetheysurveyaself-select-edsampleofconsumerswhoalreadyprovidedreviewsAstheresultsinthisstudyindicateunder-reportingbias(lackofmoderateandlowreviews)remainsprevalentinonlinereviewsitesFutureresearchshouldidentifysocio-psycho-logicalfactorsthatincreaseconsumersrsquopropensitytowriteonlinereviews
Futureresearchshouldexploretheimpactofthepres-ence(orlack)ofextremelynegativereviewswithinalargecorpusofpositivereviewsTheevidenceontheimpactofre-
20WangYandFesenmaierDR(2003)AssessingMotivationofCon-tributioninOnlineCommunitiesAnEmpiricalInvestigationofanOn-lineTravelCommunityElectronic Markets1333-45andYooKyungHandUlrikeGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp Tourism10No4(2008)283-95
viewvalence(negativeorpositive)isequivocalProponentsofconfirmatorybiassuggestthatconsumerslookforaffir-mativeevidencesupportingaproductchoicealreadymadeIfthatisthecasepositivereviewsaremorelikelytohaveagreatereffectonconsumeractionsOntheotherhandthenotionofnegativitybiassuggeststhatwhenconsumersareneutralnegativereviewstendtobecomemoresalientthanpositivereviews21Inthepresenceoflargenumbersofposi-tivereviewsconsumersspecificallyseeknegativereviewsthattheyfeelwillhelpthemidentifyspecificproblemswithaserviceUnderstandinghowconsumersreconciletheinformationprovidedbybothnegativeandpositivereviewshasimplicationsforthedesignandmanagementofreviewsites
Finallyareviewrsquoswordcounthasimportantimplica-tionsforconsumersrsquotrustinthereviewsWhenconsumersarewillingtoreadandcompareopen-endedcommentsfromotherconsumerstheamountofinformationinareviewcanmatterWOMforhighinvolvementproductsismorepersuasiveandincreasesthedecisionmakerrsquosconfi-dencewhenthemessagesenderprovidesgreaternumberofreasonsfortheiroverallratingLongerreviewsprovidemoreinformationandarelikelytobeperceivedasmorehelpfulandpersuasivethanshorterreviewsThewaysinwhichareviewiswrittenframedandpresentedisaninterestingfactorwhichhasrarelybeeninvestigatedandhasimportantimplicationsparticularlygivenourfindingthattheamountofinformationinareview(wordcount)variessignificantlywiththeratingsofthereviewn
21BaSandPavlouPA(2002)EvidenceoftheEffectofTrustBuildingTechnologyinElectronicMarketsPricePremiumsandBuyerBehaviorMIS Quarterly26243-268
Cornell Hospitality Quarterlyhttpcqxsagepubcom
2011 ReportsVol11No15DesigningaSelf-HealingServiceSystemAnIntegrativeModelbyRobertCFordandMichaelCSturman
Vol11No14ReversingtheGreenBacklashWhyLargeHospitalityCompaniesShouldWelcomeCrediblyGreenCompetitorsbyMichaelGiebelhausenPhDandHaeEunHelenChunPhD
Vol11No13DevelopingaSustainabilityMeasurementFrameworkforHotelsTowardanIndustry-wideReportingStructurebyEricRicaurte
Vol11No12CreatingValueforWomenBusinessTravelersFocusingonEmotionalOutcomesbyJudiBrownellPhD
Vol11No11CustomerLoyaltyANewLookattheBenefitsofImprovingSegmentationEffortswithRewardsProgramsbyClayVoorheesPhDMichaelMcCallPhDandRogerCalantonePhD
Vol11No10CustomerPerceptionsofElectronicFoodOrderingbySherylEKimes
Vol11No92011TravelIndustryBenchmarkingStatusofSeniorDestinationandLodgingMarketingExecutivesbyRohitVermaPhDandKenMcGill
Vol11No8SearchOTAsandOnlineBookingAnExpandedAnalysisoftheBillboardEffectbyChrisAndersonPhD
Vol11No7OnlineMobileandTextFoodOrderingintheUSRestaurantIndustrybySherylEKimesPhDandPhilippFLaqueacute
Vol11No6HotelGuestsrsquoReactionstoGuestRoomSustainabilityInitiativesbyAlexSusskindPhDandRohitVermaPhD
Vol11No5TheImpactofTerrorismandEconomicShocksonUSHotelsbyCathyAEnzRenaacutetaKosovaacuteandMarkLomannoVol11No4ImplementingHumanResourceInnovationsThreeSuccessStoriesfromtheServiceIndustrybyJustinSunandKateWalshPhD
Vol11No3Compendium2011
Vol11No2PositioningaPlaceDevelopingaCompellingDestinationBrandbyRobertJKwortnikPhDandEthanHawkesMBA
Vol11No1TheImpactofHealthInsuranceonEmployeeJobAnxietyWithdrawalBehaviorsandTaskPerformancebySeanWayPhDBillCarrollPhDAlexSusskindPhDandJoeCYLeng
2011 Hospitality ToolsVol2No1TheGameHasChangedANewParadigmforStakeholderEngagementbyMaryBethMcEuen
2011 Industry PerspectivesNo7MegaTips2TwentyTestedTechniquesforIncreasingYourTipsbyMichaelLynn
2011 ProceedingsVol3No5BuildingBrandsintheInternetAgeAnalyticsLoyaltyandCommunicationbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No4BraveNewWorldOnlineHotelDistributionbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No3SocialMediaandtheHospitalityIndustryHoldingtheTigerbytheTailbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No2TheChallengeofHotelandRestaurantSustainabilityFindingProfitinldquoBeingGreenrdquobyGlennWithiam
Vol3No1CautiousOptimismCHRSExaminesHospitalityIndustryTrendsbyGlennWithiam
2010 ReportsVol10No18HowTravelersUseOnlineandSocialMediaChannelstoMakeHotel-choiceDecisionsbyLauraMcCarthyDebraStockandRohitVermaPhD
Vol10No17PublicorPrivateTheHospitalityInvestmentDecisionbyQingzhongMaPhDandAthenaWeiZhangPhD
Vol10No16BestPracticesinSearchEngineMarketingandOptimizationTheCaseoftheStJamesHotelbyGregBodenlcosVictorBogertDanGordonCarterHearneandChrisKAndersonPhD
Vol10No15TheImpactofPrix Fixe MenuPriceFormatsonGuestsrsquoDealPerceptionbyShuoWangandMichaelLynnPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
Publication Indexwwwchrcornelledu
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
No2RetaliationWhyanIncreaseinClaimsDoesNotMeantheSkyIsFallingbyDavidSherwynJDandGreggGilmanJD
2009 ToolsToolNo12MeasuringtheDiningExperienceTheCaseofVitaNovabyKeshPrasadandFredJDeMiccoPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality ResearchPublication Index
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
visit our website to apply
wwwchrcornell edu
10 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
moderateratingsonalltheattributesbutwasstillwillingtoprovideahighoverallstarratingtothepropertyThisexamplesuggeststhatconsumersplacesignificantemphasisontheoverallexperientialvalueprovidedbythepropertiesThisexpectationofvalueismanytimesintangibleanddoesnotnecessarilydependonthefunctioningorratingoftheindividualfeaturesoftheproperty
RelationshipbetweenRatingsandReviewAttributesTounderstandconsumersrsquoword-of-mouthbehavioritisimportanttoconsidervariousfactorssuchasperceivedexpectationsofcostsandbenefitsimportanceofthepur-chase(involvement)personalcharacteristicsandsituationalinfluencesWeconsidertwofactorsthatareknowntoaffecttheintensityandvalence(positiveornegative)ofwordofmouthpriceandwordcount
PricePriceisanimportantfactorthatcontributestopre-purchaseexpectationsTheintensityofexpectations(andtheirfulfillment)partlydrivenbypriceisdirectlypropor-tionaltoconsumersrsquosatisfactionlevelsandWOMpropensityThismaybethereasonthatthetendencytocomplainisdirectlyrelatedtothecostoftheservice11Themoreexpen-siveanitemthegreaterwillbetheperceivedlossesandthegreaterlikelihoodthatdissatisfactionwillresultinacom-plaintSimilarlythelikelihoodofword-of-mouthbeingtrig-geredbythelevelofexpectationndashdisconfirmationincreases
11BeardenWOandTeelJE(1983)Selecteddeterminantsofcon-sumersatisfactionandcomplaintreportsJournal of Marketing Research 2021-28
willshowahighcorrelationFortheanalysiswetookintoconsiderationthefactmostreviewsarepositive(ie4-and5-pointratings)Thereforewedividedthereviewsintotwocategorieshighreviews(starratingabove3n=2597)andlowreviews(ratingsbeloworequalto3n=600)andranseparateregressionanalysesonthesetwogroupsasshowninExhibit3
AninterestingfindingistheweakrelationshipbetweentheattributeratingsandoverallstarratingforeachpropertyTheR-squareoftheregressionequationwithallsixvariablesandtheoverallstarratingsislessthan40percentThatiseveniftheconsumersprovidedhigherratingsonindividualattributestheiroverallratingwasusuallylowandthere-versewasalsotrueThistrendisobservedinboththehighandlowreviewgroups
TheanalysissuggeststhatinhighreviewsconsumersplacedgreaterimportanceonvalueformoneycleanlinessandcomfortThehighertheratingsofaconsumerontheseattributesthehigheristhelikelihoodthattheconsumerwillprovideahigherstarratingCheck-inlocationandservicedidnotprominentlyfigureintheiroverallevalu-ationsofthepropertieseventhoughtheseattributeswereratedhigh
ThelowreviewsshowsimilarresultsinthesensethattheloweraconsumerratesvaluecleanlinessandcomfortthelowerthelikelihoodofapositiveratingInadditioninthecaseoflowreviewsconsumersplacedemphasisontheserviceprovidedbythepropertystaffandmanagement
TheaboveresultisillustratedinoneoftheldquohighrdquoreviewsshowninExhibit4Thereviewergavelowto
star rating Text Commentary
This was our 1st time renting a house vs a condo This house was great If you wanted to spend a little time by yourself you could so many rooms to go to The house was so comfortable like being at home It was our home for the week Thank you Hope to rent it next year if we havent bought one ourselves
ratings for specific Attributes
value Check-in location Clean Comfort service
3 2 3 2 4 3
Exhibit 4
example of a ldquohighrdquo review
Avg rating for Property Attributes
30
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 11
withthecostoftheproduct12Giventhegreaterperceivedriskinservicescustomerswouldseekmoretrustworthyser-viceproviderswithagoodreputationofsatisfyingcustomerneeds13ThisinturnincreasestheexpectationsandleadstomoreextremereactionsfromtheconsumersHenceonecanspeculatethatthehigherthepriceshigherwillbetheaver-agenegativeorpositiveratingsforaservice
Word countThenumberofwordsinareviewmayserveasaproxyfortheamountofinformationinthereviewsHowevertheevidenceonthisaspectofWOMofalltypesisequivocalForinstanceconsumersgenerallyengageinpositiveWOMtoavoidfeelingsofguiltandas-sociationwithbadnewsandtoreducecognitivedissonanceOntheotherhandacustomerwhoishighlydisappointedwillprovideapersuasiveargumenttomakesurethatothercustomersaredissuadedfromrentingthesamepropertyResearchonconventionalwordofmouthhasofferedampleevidencetosuggestthatdissatisfiedcustomersengageintwotothreetimesasmuchWOMassatisfiedcustomers14Webelievethatthislogicextendstoonlinereviewsdespitethefactthatexistingstudiesareequivocalatbest15Thereforeitcanbeassumedthatreviewswitheitherextremelypositiveorextremelynegativeratingswillhavegreaterwordcountasopposedtomoremoderatereviews
TotesttheseassumptionsweappliedANOVAwithpriceandwordcountasdependentvariablesandthereviewratingasfactorsAsillustratedinExhibits5and6theresultsshowthatpriceandwordcountshowasignificantnegativecorrelationwithstarratingThatisreviewswithlowerratingsaretypicallyassociatedwithgreaterwordcountandrepresentpropertiesthatchargehighrates
TheresultonthewordcountsuggeststhatconsumerswhoareunhappywitharentalpropertytendtowritemoretoexpresstheirdissatisfactionAsshowninthisexhibitlowerratingsareassociatedwithhighernumberofwordsinthereviewsandviceversaSimilarlypropertypriceseemstobestronglyassociatedwithnegativewordofmouthsup-portingtheprinciplethathighercostincreasestheconsum-ersrsquoinvolvementinthepurchase
12BeardenWOandMasonJB(1984)AninvestigationofinfluencesonconsumercomplaintreportsAdvancesinConsumerResearch11490-49513WetzerIMZeelenbergMandPietersR(2007)ldquoNevereatinthatrestaurantIdidrdquoExploringwhypeopleengageinnegativeword-of-mouthcommunicationPsychology and Marketing24661-68014SchlossbergH(1991)CustomersatisfactionNotafadbutawayoflifeMarketing News25andWestbrookR(1987)ProductConsump-tion-basedAffectiveResponsesandPost-purchaseProcessesJournal of Marketing Research 24258-27015AlexMSusskindldquoIToldYouSoRestaurantCustomersrsquoofWord-of-MouthCommunicationPatternsrdquoCornell Hotel and Restaurant Adminis-tration QuarterlyVol43No2(April2002)pp75-85
Exhibit 5
Differences in word count across star ratings
Exhibit 6
Differences in average price per day across ratings
Aver
age
pric
e pe
r day
of t
he re
ntal
pro
pert
y
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
1504
1563
1804
19861987
Aver
age
wor
d co
unt o
f rev
iew
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
836837
121
15751543
160
140
120
100
80
200
190
180
170
160
150
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
12 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
thereviewersThesecanbeclassifiedas(a)attributesorfea-turesofthepropertythatfigureprominentlyandcontributetothepositiveornegativeratings(egroomsbeddishesfurnitureorservice)and(b)thepositiveornegativewordsthatrepresentthesentimentofthereviewer(eggreatamazingdirtyandwonderful)Theresultsofthequalitativeanalysisareasfollows
Syntactic featuresTheoveralltoneofthelowreviewsisratherargumentativeThereviewerstendtobeforcefulinpresentingtheirpointofviewTheylayoutagreatamountofreasoningandprovidespecificexamplestodrivehometheirargumentThisisreflectedinthegreaterpercentageofnegativeconnectorwords(34)suchasbut however as ifandeven thoughItisinterestingtonotethatreviewersinthiscategoryspeakdirectlytotheotherconsumersnotablythroughgreateruseofwordssuchasyou(46)andlooktoinfluencetheirdecisionmaking
InthehighreviewsbycontrasttheoveralltonetendstobeenunciativeandthereviewersusethetexttomerelyreinforcetheirnumericalratingsusingfewerwordsonaveragethanthenegativereviewersInthesereviewstheconsumersfocusontheirpersonalexperiencesandappealtotheaudiencethroughemotionsratherthanlogicandreasoningasevidentfromgreateruseofpositiveadjectives
QualitativeAnalysisoftheReviewTextTheaboveanalysisemphasizestheimportanceofthetextcontentinconsumerreviewsWhilenumericalratingsallowthereviewerstoratetheserviceprovideronvariousattributesitisthetextthatprovidesthemwiththeopportu-nitytoarticulatethenuancesoftheiroverallexperienceandconveyusefulinformationaboutaserviceproviderrsquostransac-tionsandservicecapabilitiesThereforesemanticanalysisofthetextcontentprovidesuswithanopportunitytothethirdquestionpresentedattheoutsetofthisreportwhatdoconsumerstalkaboutintheirreviews
Tothisendweanalyzed600eachofrandomlyselectedhighandlowreviewsusingsemanticprocessingtechniquesWeusedcenteringresonanceanalysis(CRA)amodeofnet-work-basedtextanalysisthatrepresentsthecontentoflargesetsoftextsbyidentifyingthemostimportantwordsthatlinkotherwordsinthenetwork16OuranalysisexaminedsyntacticandsemanticfeaturesSyntacticfeaturesincludethepercentageofthewordsthatareopenclass(ienounsverbsadjectives)Semanticfeaturesrepresentthespecial-izedvocabularythatreflectstheoverallopinionexpressedby
16CormanSandDooleyK(2006)CrawdadTextAnalysisSystem12CrawdadTechnologiesLLCChandlerAZ
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Comments
bedroom beds linen sheets 383
Also the same bedroom and bathroom did not have any door separating the bedroom from the bathroom no privacy
Sleeping arrangements were very awkward The listing sheet described 2 full beds We brought our own linens the beds were queen sized Had to purchase sheet
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 297
You must not forget to step up when yoursquore walking out of the kitchen into the dining room otherwise yoursquoll trip over the 3-foot step up
No potholders in the kitchen and it didnrsquot seem like there were as many kitchen supplies as before We just had to make do without
beach beaches beachfront 296
The week was the best vacation we have ever had as a family The beach house was a class act
Disappointment 1 It looks like this house is very close to beach but to get there you have to go around through public path
Pool Poolside 218
The pool was too dirty to use We checked in on Thursday and the pool was not cleaned until Saturday
Also it is inconvenient to have to call to get someone to open the pool Didnrsquot understand why Jacuzzi was open and not the pool
bathroom(s) bath bathtub shower 202
The next problem was in another bathroom (main floor)mdashthe wall heater did not work so showering in here was a bit chilly The next problem was in the ldquomasterrdquo bathroom (connected to the bedroom with the King bed) The sliding shower doors need to be totally replaced
Bathtub drains clogged in three second floor bathrooms
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in low reviews
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 13
suchasgreat fantastic andawesome(45)andpersonalpronounssuchasweandI(54)
Semantic featuresExhibits7and8showthemainissuesoraspectsthatareprominentlydiscussedinthelowreviewsTheorderoftheseissuesisbasedonthestatisti-callysignificantfrequencyoftheiroccurrenceinthe1200reviews
WefurtherinvestigatedtheuseofvarioussentimentwordsInterestinglytheprominentissuesdiscussedinthepositivereviewssometimesdonotevenfigureintheratingscalesprovidedtothereviewersOveralltheresultsofthesemanticanalysiscanbesummarizedasfollows
Thepropertyanditsfeaturesaremorecommonlycon-nectedwithextremelypositivesentimentwordssuchasgreat wonderfulandamazinginthehighreviewsthaninthelowreviewsIncomparisonthepropertiesandtheirfea-turesinthelowreviewsaremorelikelytobecharacterizedwithmoderatelypositivewordssuchasniceandokay
Negativereviewsreflecttheextentofexpectationndashdis-confirmationthattheconsumersfaceduringtheirstayintherentalpropertyThesereviewshaveagreaterproportionofwordsexpressingdisappointment(egnotasexpected)Furtherextremelynegativesentimentwords(egdiscom-fortfilthy)andadjectivesaremorelikelytobeassociatedwithfeaturesinlowreviewsthaninhighreviews
Almost40percentoftheconsumerswhowrotehighreviewsexpresstheirwillingnesstoreturntothepropertyasopposedtoonly9percentofthosewritingnegativereviewsFurthermorethan20percentoftheconsumersgivinghighreviewsexpresstheirstrongdesiretorecommendtheprop-ertytotheirfriendsandfamilymembersasopposedtoonly5percentinlowreviews
ReviewofFindingsOurexploratorystudyofconsumerreviewsofUSvacationhomesonReviewsitecomwashighlightedbyoverwhelm-inglypositivereviews
Theoveralldistributionofthereviewswasheav-ilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratingsMorecriticallythisfindingsuggeststhatthereisalackofmoderateandbalancedopinionsWetheorizethatthisiseitherduetopurchasingbias(sincecustomerswentthroughthetroubleofpurchasingandexperiencingthefacilitiestheytendtobepositivelybiasedtowardstheirpurchase)orunder-reportingbias(customersdonothavestrongenoughincentivestotakethetroubleofreportingtheiropinionsandthefewmotivatedindividualswhoprovidetheirreviewsbecomeaself-selectedsample)
Theoverall(mean)starratingtypicallyusedintravelerreviewsitesisprobablynotthemostaccurateindicatorofcustomersrsquoperceptionsofserviceprovidersrsquoqualityWe
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Commentsbeach beaches beachfront 506 Perfect rental property for those who enjoy the activity of the beach and the serenity
of the Sound The house is just down the road from ocean
The large porch offered a beautiful view of the beach and comfortable new rocking chairs
Pool Poolside 218 The outdoor shower dipping pool and screen in porch were an added bonus Perfect house for a low key weekend
House was great for kids Pool was terrific and the playroom was perfectlocation 192 We had a wonderful time My wife loves fishing and the cottage was in a perfect
location to go fishing on the pier
The home is somewhat dated but the location was great We have vacationed in the Chatham area for many summers and this time it was great too
bedroom beds 186 The family suite is huge with a king size and twin bed and still room for a pack-n-play The kitchen and dining room were huge clean and nice
The only comments that I would say to the negative is the front bed room by the front door always seemed damp which seem to attract more bugs
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 178 All of the amenities in the house are upscalemdashloved the kitchen and plasma TVs
The kitchen had good basic utensils dishes and cooking pans
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in high reviews
14 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
foundacorrelationbetweenthestarratingandratingsonotherpropertyattributesoflessthan40percentinmostcases
AhighwordcountinthereviewsiscorrelatedwithalowoverallratingThatisconsumerswhoareextremelydissatisfiedtendtoexpendmoretimeandenergyontheircritiqueofthepropertyitsamenitiesandservicesPriceofthepropertyalsoseemstopositivelycorrelatewithextremenegativereviewsperhapsbecauseahighpriceheightenstravelersrsquoexpectations
Numericalratingsdonotoftencapturetheactualsentimentandthevarietyofdimensionsonwhichtravel-ersevaluatepropertiesBecausenumericalratingsdonotcapturereviewersrsquoopinionsaboutspecificattributestheycanbedeceivingandmaynotrevealthetruequalityofthepropertyortheactualintentionofthereviewerWefoundforinstancethatconsumersvaluelocation(egclosenesstothebeach)andcleanliness(egswimmingpoolareas)morethansuchfeaturesascheck-inandserviceSimilarlyinthenegativereviewsissuessuchaslackofbedroomparapher-naliaorkitchenitemsseemtoberankedhigherinimpor-tancethanissuessuchaslocationandcheck-inThereforeevenwhenapropertyscoreshighonthecertaindimensionstheoverallratingmayremainlowbecauseotherfactorsovershadowthefavorableaspects
WhatItMeansforManagersWeseeimplicationsforonlinereviewsitesandbyexten-sionforproprietorsofvacationhomesandserviceopera-tionsgenerallyWithregardtothereviewsitesifconsumersconsistentlydetectafavorablebiasthereviewsitesmaylosethecriticalaspectsofcredibilityandtrustAlthoughconsumersaregenerallysmartandrationalandcanworkaroundobviousbiasesrecentevidencesuggeststhatcon-sumersaregraduallydefectingfromsomeonlinesitesduetounbalancedreviews17InthisregardsiteadministratorsaswellaspropertymanagersshouldtakestepstoattractthoseconsumerswhoarewillingtoprovideareasonablybalancedanalysisoftheamenitiesandservicesBythiswemeanreviewsthatpresentcomprehensiveandobjectiveanalysisoftheserviceproviderratherthanjustravesorrants
Tothatendsiteoperatorsshouldtakestepstoun-derstandcustomersrsquoreviewwritingbehaviorandtoat-tractmorebalancedreviewsOnewaytodothisistogivepersonalizedinformationtotheconsumerdemonstratingthecontributionmadebyhisorherreviewandthevalueofthereviewtostakeholdersForinstanceLinget alfoundapositivecorrelationbetweenwillingnesstowritereviewsandtheconsumersrsquoperceptionthattheircontributionswouldbeuniqueandhelpfultoothercustomersaswellasperusedby
17HarteveldtHHJohnsonCStarkEandGeldernKV(2009)Us-ingDigitalChannelsToCalmTheAngryTravelerForresterResearch
theserviceproviders18Simplyputthepropensitytowritereviewsincreaseswhentheconsumersfeelthattheirreviewisactuallyhelpingothers(boththeserviceproviderandotherconsumers)
WesuggestthatreviewsitesdevelopbettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishspecificreviewcommentsaswellasnumericalratingsFirstmanagersshouldtakeintoconsiderationthelowcorrelationbetweentheoverallratingsandconsumersrsquoassessmentsofvariouspropertyattributes(aswellastheresultsfromthetextanalysis)Theimplicationofsuchaweakcorrelationisthatreviewsitesneedtoexpandonthelistofpossiblevariablessothattheratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquoneedsandexpectationsregardingserviceproviders
Furthersitemanagersmayhavetorethinkthecurrentpracticeofaveragingalltheratingsforagivenpropertybe-causesuchameanratingfailstotakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsAsanexamplethisstudyfindssignificantunder-reportingbiasinthisonlinereviewsiteAcustomerrsquosdecisiontonotpostonlinereviewsmaymeanthelossofimportantinformationthatcanassisttheusersofthesitestomakemorereliableinferencesThemajorityoftodayrsquosfeedbackmechanismsdonotpubliclydisclosethenumberofsilenttransactions(ietransactionsforwhichnofeedbackwaspostedbycustomers)Suchinfor-mationshouldbecomeapartofaserviceproviderrsquosonlineprofileonratingsitesandotherfeedbackmechanismsItisimportanttoprovidemoreinformationandheuristicstohelptheconsumersnavigatethroughtheclutterandgettheinformationtheywantandseek
Itisimportanttoapplymodernsemanticanalysisandsentimentclassificationtechniquestostudythecontentofthereviewsandidentifyvariousdimensionsonwhichcon-sumersevaluatevacationhomesThedetailsprovidedinthereviewtextareinmanywaysabetterreflectionofcustomersatisfactionServiceproviderscanbetterpositionthemselvesusingthedimensionsuncoveredthroughtextanalysisandtargettheneedsandpreferencesoftheircustomers
TheresultsinthisstudyshowthatnegativereviewsaretypicallyassociatedwithagreaterwordcountthanpositivereviewsItisusefultofocusspecificallyonthesenegativereviewsbecausetheycanrevealpatternsofdeficienciesintheservicestandardsanddeliveryThesereviewsshouldbetreatedthesameascustomercommentcardsorletters19Furthercustomerswhowritesuchlengthynegativereviews
18LingKimberlyGerardBeenenPaulLudfordXiaoxingWangKevinChangXinLiDanCosleyDanFrankowskiLorenTerveenAlMRashidandRobertKrautldquoUsingSocialPsychologytoMotivateContributionstoOnlineCommunitiesrdquoJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication10no4(2005)19MilanR(2007)10thingsyoucandoinresponsetotravelerreviewsinHotelmarketingcom
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 15
aremostlikelytospreadnegativeword-of-mouthaboutthepropertyLengthyreviewsareexcellentsourcesofinforma-tionandshouldbeusedasthebasestounderstandthecomplainingbehavioroftheconsumer
WordcountmaybeusedasanadditionalsegmentationvariabletoidentifythoseconsumerswhoaremoreinvolvedandwillingtoprovidebalancedfeedbacktoboththereviewsiteaswellastopropertymanagementVariousotherresearchmethodssuchastelephoneinterviewsorfocusgroupsshouldbeusedtoelicitdetailedfeedbackfromsuchconsumersTheseactionsalsohelpinservicerecoverypost-purchaseengagementandrelationshipbuilding
OutlookWeforeseethreepotentialareasinvestigationthatcanaddvaluetocurrentbestpracticesWestilldonrsquotknowmuchaboutconsumersrsquomotivationtowriteonlinereviews20Recentstudiesidentifyvariousantecedentsofreviewwritingbutsufferfromsamplingbiassincetheysurveyaself-select-edsampleofconsumerswhoalreadyprovidedreviewsAstheresultsinthisstudyindicateunder-reportingbias(lackofmoderateandlowreviews)remainsprevalentinonlinereviewsitesFutureresearchshouldidentifysocio-psycho-logicalfactorsthatincreaseconsumersrsquopropensitytowriteonlinereviews
Futureresearchshouldexploretheimpactofthepres-ence(orlack)ofextremelynegativereviewswithinalargecorpusofpositivereviewsTheevidenceontheimpactofre-
20WangYandFesenmaierDR(2003)AssessingMotivationofCon-tributioninOnlineCommunitiesAnEmpiricalInvestigationofanOn-lineTravelCommunityElectronic Markets1333-45andYooKyungHandUlrikeGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp Tourism10No4(2008)283-95
viewvalence(negativeorpositive)isequivocalProponentsofconfirmatorybiassuggestthatconsumerslookforaffir-mativeevidencesupportingaproductchoicealreadymadeIfthatisthecasepositivereviewsaremorelikelytohaveagreatereffectonconsumeractionsOntheotherhandthenotionofnegativitybiassuggeststhatwhenconsumersareneutralnegativereviewstendtobecomemoresalientthanpositivereviews21Inthepresenceoflargenumbersofposi-tivereviewsconsumersspecificallyseeknegativereviewsthattheyfeelwillhelpthemidentifyspecificproblemswithaserviceUnderstandinghowconsumersreconciletheinformationprovidedbybothnegativeandpositivereviewshasimplicationsforthedesignandmanagementofreviewsites
Finallyareviewrsquoswordcounthasimportantimplica-tionsforconsumersrsquotrustinthereviewsWhenconsumersarewillingtoreadandcompareopen-endedcommentsfromotherconsumerstheamountofinformationinareviewcanmatterWOMforhighinvolvementproductsismorepersuasiveandincreasesthedecisionmakerrsquosconfi-dencewhenthemessagesenderprovidesgreaternumberofreasonsfortheiroverallratingLongerreviewsprovidemoreinformationandarelikelytobeperceivedasmorehelpfulandpersuasivethanshorterreviewsThewaysinwhichareviewiswrittenframedandpresentedisaninterestingfactorwhichhasrarelybeeninvestigatedandhasimportantimplicationsparticularlygivenourfindingthattheamountofinformationinareview(wordcount)variessignificantlywiththeratingsofthereviewn
21BaSandPavlouPA(2002)EvidenceoftheEffectofTrustBuildingTechnologyinElectronicMarketsPricePremiumsandBuyerBehaviorMIS Quarterly26243-268
Cornell Hospitality Quarterlyhttpcqxsagepubcom
2011 ReportsVol11No15DesigningaSelf-HealingServiceSystemAnIntegrativeModelbyRobertCFordandMichaelCSturman
Vol11No14ReversingtheGreenBacklashWhyLargeHospitalityCompaniesShouldWelcomeCrediblyGreenCompetitorsbyMichaelGiebelhausenPhDandHaeEunHelenChunPhD
Vol11No13DevelopingaSustainabilityMeasurementFrameworkforHotelsTowardanIndustry-wideReportingStructurebyEricRicaurte
Vol11No12CreatingValueforWomenBusinessTravelersFocusingonEmotionalOutcomesbyJudiBrownellPhD
Vol11No11CustomerLoyaltyANewLookattheBenefitsofImprovingSegmentationEffortswithRewardsProgramsbyClayVoorheesPhDMichaelMcCallPhDandRogerCalantonePhD
Vol11No10CustomerPerceptionsofElectronicFoodOrderingbySherylEKimes
Vol11No92011TravelIndustryBenchmarkingStatusofSeniorDestinationandLodgingMarketingExecutivesbyRohitVermaPhDandKenMcGill
Vol11No8SearchOTAsandOnlineBookingAnExpandedAnalysisoftheBillboardEffectbyChrisAndersonPhD
Vol11No7OnlineMobileandTextFoodOrderingintheUSRestaurantIndustrybySherylEKimesPhDandPhilippFLaqueacute
Vol11No6HotelGuestsrsquoReactionstoGuestRoomSustainabilityInitiativesbyAlexSusskindPhDandRohitVermaPhD
Vol11No5TheImpactofTerrorismandEconomicShocksonUSHotelsbyCathyAEnzRenaacutetaKosovaacuteandMarkLomannoVol11No4ImplementingHumanResourceInnovationsThreeSuccessStoriesfromtheServiceIndustrybyJustinSunandKateWalshPhD
Vol11No3Compendium2011
Vol11No2PositioningaPlaceDevelopingaCompellingDestinationBrandbyRobertJKwortnikPhDandEthanHawkesMBA
Vol11No1TheImpactofHealthInsuranceonEmployeeJobAnxietyWithdrawalBehaviorsandTaskPerformancebySeanWayPhDBillCarrollPhDAlexSusskindPhDandJoeCYLeng
2011 Hospitality ToolsVol2No1TheGameHasChangedANewParadigmforStakeholderEngagementbyMaryBethMcEuen
2011 Industry PerspectivesNo7MegaTips2TwentyTestedTechniquesforIncreasingYourTipsbyMichaelLynn
2011 ProceedingsVol3No5BuildingBrandsintheInternetAgeAnalyticsLoyaltyandCommunicationbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No4BraveNewWorldOnlineHotelDistributionbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No3SocialMediaandtheHospitalityIndustryHoldingtheTigerbytheTailbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No2TheChallengeofHotelandRestaurantSustainabilityFindingProfitinldquoBeingGreenrdquobyGlennWithiam
Vol3No1CautiousOptimismCHRSExaminesHospitalityIndustryTrendsbyGlennWithiam
2010 ReportsVol10No18HowTravelersUseOnlineandSocialMediaChannelstoMakeHotel-choiceDecisionsbyLauraMcCarthyDebraStockandRohitVermaPhD
Vol10No17PublicorPrivateTheHospitalityInvestmentDecisionbyQingzhongMaPhDandAthenaWeiZhangPhD
Vol10No16BestPracticesinSearchEngineMarketingandOptimizationTheCaseoftheStJamesHotelbyGregBodenlcosVictorBogertDanGordonCarterHearneandChrisKAndersonPhD
Vol10No15TheImpactofPrix Fixe MenuPriceFormatsonGuestsrsquoDealPerceptionbyShuoWangandMichaelLynnPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
Publication Indexwwwchrcornelledu
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
No2RetaliationWhyanIncreaseinClaimsDoesNotMeantheSkyIsFallingbyDavidSherwynJDandGreggGilmanJD
2009 ToolsToolNo12MeasuringtheDiningExperienceTheCaseofVitaNovabyKeshPrasadandFredJDeMiccoPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality ResearchPublication Index
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
visit our website to apply
wwwchrcornell edu
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 11
withthecostoftheproduct12Giventhegreaterperceivedriskinservicescustomerswouldseekmoretrustworthyser-viceproviderswithagoodreputationofsatisfyingcustomerneeds13ThisinturnincreasestheexpectationsandleadstomoreextremereactionsfromtheconsumersHenceonecanspeculatethatthehigherthepriceshigherwillbetheaver-agenegativeorpositiveratingsforaservice
Word countThenumberofwordsinareviewmayserveasaproxyfortheamountofinformationinthereviewsHowevertheevidenceonthisaspectofWOMofalltypesisequivocalForinstanceconsumersgenerallyengageinpositiveWOMtoavoidfeelingsofguiltandas-sociationwithbadnewsandtoreducecognitivedissonanceOntheotherhandacustomerwhoishighlydisappointedwillprovideapersuasiveargumenttomakesurethatothercustomersaredissuadedfromrentingthesamepropertyResearchonconventionalwordofmouthhasofferedampleevidencetosuggestthatdissatisfiedcustomersengageintwotothreetimesasmuchWOMassatisfiedcustomers14Webelievethatthislogicextendstoonlinereviewsdespitethefactthatexistingstudiesareequivocalatbest15Thereforeitcanbeassumedthatreviewswitheitherextremelypositiveorextremelynegativeratingswillhavegreaterwordcountasopposedtomoremoderatereviews
TotesttheseassumptionsweappliedANOVAwithpriceandwordcountasdependentvariablesandthereviewratingasfactorsAsillustratedinExhibits5and6theresultsshowthatpriceandwordcountshowasignificantnegativecorrelationwithstarratingThatisreviewswithlowerratingsaretypicallyassociatedwithgreaterwordcountandrepresentpropertiesthatchargehighrates
TheresultonthewordcountsuggeststhatconsumerswhoareunhappywitharentalpropertytendtowritemoretoexpresstheirdissatisfactionAsshowninthisexhibitlowerratingsareassociatedwithhighernumberofwordsinthereviewsandviceversaSimilarlypropertypriceseemstobestronglyassociatedwithnegativewordofmouthsup-portingtheprinciplethathighercostincreasestheconsum-ersrsquoinvolvementinthepurchase
12BeardenWOandMasonJB(1984)AninvestigationofinfluencesonconsumercomplaintreportsAdvancesinConsumerResearch11490-49513WetzerIMZeelenbergMandPietersR(2007)ldquoNevereatinthatrestaurantIdidrdquoExploringwhypeopleengageinnegativeword-of-mouthcommunicationPsychology and Marketing24661-68014SchlossbergH(1991)CustomersatisfactionNotafadbutawayoflifeMarketing News25andWestbrookR(1987)ProductConsump-tion-basedAffectiveResponsesandPost-purchaseProcessesJournal of Marketing Research 24258-27015AlexMSusskindldquoIToldYouSoRestaurantCustomersrsquoofWord-of-MouthCommunicationPatternsrdquoCornell Hotel and Restaurant Adminis-tration QuarterlyVol43No2(April2002)pp75-85
Exhibit 5
Differences in word count across star ratings
Exhibit 6
Differences in average price per day across ratings
Aver
age
pric
e pe
r day
of t
he re
ntal
pro
pert
y
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
1504
1563
1804
19861987
Aver
age
wor
d co
unt o
f rev
iew
overall ldquostar ratingrdquo
836837
121
15751543
160
140
120
100
80
200
190
180
170
160
150
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
12 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
thereviewersThesecanbeclassifiedas(a)attributesorfea-turesofthepropertythatfigureprominentlyandcontributetothepositiveornegativeratings(egroomsbeddishesfurnitureorservice)and(b)thepositiveornegativewordsthatrepresentthesentimentofthereviewer(eggreatamazingdirtyandwonderful)Theresultsofthequalitativeanalysisareasfollows
Syntactic featuresTheoveralltoneofthelowreviewsisratherargumentativeThereviewerstendtobeforcefulinpresentingtheirpointofviewTheylayoutagreatamountofreasoningandprovidespecificexamplestodrivehometheirargumentThisisreflectedinthegreaterpercentageofnegativeconnectorwords(34)suchasbut however as ifandeven thoughItisinterestingtonotethatreviewersinthiscategoryspeakdirectlytotheotherconsumersnotablythroughgreateruseofwordssuchasyou(46)andlooktoinfluencetheirdecisionmaking
InthehighreviewsbycontrasttheoveralltonetendstobeenunciativeandthereviewersusethetexttomerelyreinforcetheirnumericalratingsusingfewerwordsonaveragethanthenegativereviewersInthesereviewstheconsumersfocusontheirpersonalexperiencesandappealtotheaudiencethroughemotionsratherthanlogicandreasoningasevidentfromgreateruseofpositiveadjectives
QualitativeAnalysisoftheReviewTextTheaboveanalysisemphasizestheimportanceofthetextcontentinconsumerreviewsWhilenumericalratingsallowthereviewerstoratetheserviceprovideronvariousattributesitisthetextthatprovidesthemwiththeopportu-nitytoarticulatethenuancesoftheiroverallexperienceandconveyusefulinformationaboutaserviceproviderrsquostransac-tionsandservicecapabilitiesThereforesemanticanalysisofthetextcontentprovidesuswithanopportunitytothethirdquestionpresentedattheoutsetofthisreportwhatdoconsumerstalkaboutintheirreviews
Tothisendweanalyzed600eachofrandomlyselectedhighandlowreviewsusingsemanticprocessingtechniquesWeusedcenteringresonanceanalysis(CRA)amodeofnet-work-basedtextanalysisthatrepresentsthecontentoflargesetsoftextsbyidentifyingthemostimportantwordsthatlinkotherwordsinthenetwork16OuranalysisexaminedsyntacticandsemanticfeaturesSyntacticfeaturesincludethepercentageofthewordsthatareopenclass(ienounsverbsadjectives)Semanticfeaturesrepresentthespecial-izedvocabularythatreflectstheoverallopinionexpressedby
16CormanSandDooleyK(2006)CrawdadTextAnalysisSystem12CrawdadTechnologiesLLCChandlerAZ
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Comments
bedroom beds linen sheets 383
Also the same bedroom and bathroom did not have any door separating the bedroom from the bathroom no privacy
Sleeping arrangements were very awkward The listing sheet described 2 full beds We brought our own linens the beds were queen sized Had to purchase sheet
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 297
You must not forget to step up when yoursquore walking out of the kitchen into the dining room otherwise yoursquoll trip over the 3-foot step up
No potholders in the kitchen and it didnrsquot seem like there were as many kitchen supplies as before We just had to make do without
beach beaches beachfront 296
The week was the best vacation we have ever had as a family The beach house was a class act
Disappointment 1 It looks like this house is very close to beach but to get there you have to go around through public path
Pool Poolside 218
The pool was too dirty to use We checked in on Thursday and the pool was not cleaned until Saturday
Also it is inconvenient to have to call to get someone to open the pool Didnrsquot understand why Jacuzzi was open and not the pool
bathroom(s) bath bathtub shower 202
The next problem was in another bathroom (main floor)mdashthe wall heater did not work so showering in here was a bit chilly The next problem was in the ldquomasterrdquo bathroom (connected to the bedroom with the King bed) The sliding shower doors need to be totally replaced
Bathtub drains clogged in three second floor bathrooms
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in low reviews
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 13
suchasgreat fantastic andawesome(45)andpersonalpronounssuchasweandI(54)
Semantic featuresExhibits7and8showthemainissuesoraspectsthatareprominentlydiscussedinthelowreviewsTheorderoftheseissuesisbasedonthestatisti-callysignificantfrequencyoftheiroccurrenceinthe1200reviews
WefurtherinvestigatedtheuseofvarioussentimentwordsInterestinglytheprominentissuesdiscussedinthepositivereviewssometimesdonotevenfigureintheratingscalesprovidedtothereviewersOveralltheresultsofthesemanticanalysiscanbesummarizedasfollows
Thepropertyanditsfeaturesaremorecommonlycon-nectedwithextremelypositivesentimentwordssuchasgreat wonderfulandamazinginthehighreviewsthaninthelowreviewsIncomparisonthepropertiesandtheirfea-turesinthelowreviewsaremorelikelytobecharacterizedwithmoderatelypositivewordssuchasniceandokay
Negativereviewsreflecttheextentofexpectationndashdis-confirmationthattheconsumersfaceduringtheirstayintherentalpropertyThesereviewshaveagreaterproportionofwordsexpressingdisappointment(egnotasexpected)Furtherextremelynegativesentimentwords(egdiscom-fortfilthy)andadjectivesaremorelikelytobeassociatedwithfeaturesinlowreviewsthaninhighreviews
Almost40percentoftheconsumerswhowrotehighreviewsexpresstheirwillingnesstoreturntothepropertyasopposedtoonly9percentofthosewritingnegativereviewsFurthermorethan20percentoftheconsumersgivinghighreviewsexpresstheirstrongdesiretorecommendtheprop-ertytotheirfriendsandfamilymembersasopposedtoonly5percentinlowreviews
ReviewofFindingsOurexploratorystudyofconsumerreviewsofUSvacationhomesonReviewsitecomwashighlightedbyoverwhelm-inglypositivereviews
Theoveralldistributionofthereviewswasheav-ilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratingsMorecriticallythisfindingsuggeststhatthereisalackofmoderateandbalancedopinionsWetheorizethatthisiseitherduetopurchasingbias(sincecustomerswentthroughthetroubleofpurchasingandexperiencingthefacilitiestheytendtobepositivelybiasedtowardstheirpurchase)orunder-reportingbias(customersdonothavestrongenoughincentivestotakethetroubleofreportingtheiropinionsandthefewmotivatedindividualswhoprovidetheirreviewsbecomeaself-selectedsample)
Theoverall(mean)starratingtypicallyusedintravelerreviewsitesisprobablynotthemostaccurateindicatorofcustomersrsquoperceptionsofserviceprovidersrsquoqualityWe
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Commentsbeach beaches beachfront 506 Perfect rental property for those who enjoy the activity of the beach and the serenity
of the Sound The house is just down the road from ocean
The large porch offered a beautiful view of the beach and comfortable new rocking chairs
Pool Poolside 218 The outdoor shower dipping pool and screen in porch were an added bonus Perfect house for a low key weekend
House was great for kids Pool was terrific and the playroom was perfectlocation 192 We had a wonderful time My wife loves fishing and the cottage was in a perfect
location to go fishing on the pier
The home is somewhat dated but the location was great We have vacationed in the Chatham area for many summers and this time it was great too
bedroom beds 186 The family suite is huge with a king size and twin bed and still room for a pack-n-play The kitchen and dining room were huge clean and nice
The only comments that I would say to the negative is the front bed room by the front door always seemed damp which seem to attract more bugs
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 178 All of the amenities in the house are upscalemdashloved the kitchen and plasma TVs
The kitchen had good basic utensils dishes and cooking pans
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in high reviews
14 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
foundacorrelationbetweenthestarratingandratingsonotherpropertyattributesoflessthan40percentinmostcases
AhighwordcountinthereviewsiscorrelatedwithalowoverallratingThatisconsumerswhoareextremelydissatisfiedtendtoexpendmoretimeandenergyontheircritiqueofthepropertyitsamenitiesandservicesPriceofthepropertyalsoseemstopositivelycorrelatewithextremenegativereviewsperhapsbecauseahighpriceheightenstravelersrsquoexpectations
Numericalratingsdonotoftencapturetheactualsentimentandthevarietyofdimensionsonwhichtravel-ersevaluatepropertiesBecausenumericalratingsdonotcapturereviewersrsquoopinionsaboutspecificattributestheycanbedeceivingandmaynotrevealthetruequalityofthepropertyortheactualintentionofthereviewerWefoundforinstancethatconsumersvaluelocation(egclosenesstothebeach)andcleanliness(egswimmingpoolareas)morethansuchfeaturesascheck-inandserviceSimilarlyinthenegativereviewsissuessuchaslackofbedroomparapher-naliaorkitchenitemsseemtoberankedhigherinimpor-tancethanissuessuchaslocationandcheck-inThereforeevenwhenapropertyscoreshighonthecertaindimensionstheoverallratingmayremainlowbecauseotherfactorsovershadowthefavorableaspects
WhatItMeansforManagersWeseeimplicationsforonlinereviewsitesandbyexten-sionforproprietorsofvacationhomesandserviceopera-tionsgenerallyWithregardtothereviewsitesifconsumersconsistentlydetectafavorablebiasthereviewsitesmaylosethecriticalaspectsofcredibilityandtrustAlthoughconsumersaregenerallysmartandrationalandcanworkaroundobviousbiasesrecentevidencesuggeststhatcon-sumersaregraduallydefectingfromsomeonlinesitesduetounbalancedreviews17InthisregardsiteadministratorsaswellaspropertymanagersshouldtakestepstoattractthoseconsumerswhoarewillingtoprovideareasonablybalancedanalysisoftheamenitiesandservicesBythiswemeanreviewsthatpresentcomprehensiveandobjectiveanalysisoftheserviceproviderratherthanjustravesorrants
Tothatendsiteoperatorsshouldtakestepstoun-derstandcustomersrsquoreviewwritingbehaviorandtoat-tractmorebalancedreviewsOnewaytodothisistogivepersonalizedinformationtotheconsumerdemonstratingthecontributionmadebyhisorherreviewandthevalueofthereviewtostakeholdersForinstanceLinget alfoundapositivecorrelationbetweenwillingnesstowritereviewsandtheconsumersrsquoperceptionthattheircontributionswouldbeuniqueandhelpfultoothercustomersaswellasperusedby
17HarteveldtHHJohnsonCStarkEandGeldernKV(2009)Us-ingDigitalChannelsToCalmTheAngryTravelerForresterResearch
theserviceproviders18Simplyputthepropensitytowritereviewsincreaseswhentheconsumersfeelthattheirreviewisactuallyhelpingothers(boththeserviceproviderandotherconsumers)
WesuggestthatreviewsitesdevelopbettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishspecificreviewcommentsaswellasnumericalratingsFirstmanagersshouldtakeintoconsiderationthelowcorrelationbetweentheoverallratingsandconsumersrsquoassessmentsofvariouspropertyattributes(aswellastheresultsfromthetextanalysis)Theimplicationofsuchaweakcorrelationisthatreviewsitesneedtoexpandonthelistofpossiblevariablessothattheratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquoneedsandexpectationsregardingserviceproviders
Furthersitemanagersmayhavetorethinkthecurrentpracticeofaveragingalltheratingsforagivenpropertybe-causesuchameanratingfailstotakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsAsanexamplethisstudyfindssignificantunder-reportingbiasinthisonlinereviewsiteAcustomerrsquosdecisiontonotpostonlinereviewsmaymeanthelossofimportantinformationthatcanassisttheusersofthesitestomakemorereliableinferencesThemajorityoftodayrsquosfeedbackmechanismsdonotpubliclydisclosethenumberofsilenttransactions(ietransactionsforwhichnofeedbackwaspostedbycustomers)Suchinfor-mationshouldbecomeapartofaserviceproviderrsquosonlineprofileonratingsitesandotherfeedbackmechanismsItisimportanttoprovidemoreinformationandheuristicstohelptheconsumersnavigatethroughtheclutterandgettheinformationtheywantandseek
Itisimportanttoapplymodernsemanticanalysisandsentimentclassificationtechniquestostudythecontentofthereviewsandidentifyvariousdimensionsonwhichcon-sumersevaluatevacationhomesThedetailsprovidedinthereviewtextareinmanywaysabetterreflectionofcustomersatisfactionServiceproviderscanbetterpositionthemselvesusingthedimensionsuncoveredthroughtextanalysisandtargettheneedsandpreferencesoftheircustomers
TheresultsinthisstudyshowthatnegativereviewsaretypicallyassociatedwithagreaterwordcountthanpositivereviewsItisusefultofocusspecificallyonthesenegativereviewsbecausetheycanrevealpatternsofdeficienciesintheservicestandardsanddeliveryThesereviewsshouldbetreatedthesameascustomercommentcardsorletters19Furthercustomerswhowritesuchlengthynegativereviews
18LingKimberlyGerardBeenenPaulLudfordXiaoxingWangKevinChangXinLiDanCosleyDanFrankowskiLorenTerveenAlMRashidandRobertKrautldquoUsingSocialPsychologytoMotivateContributionstoOnlineCommunitiesrdquoJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication10no4(2005)19MilanR(2007)10thingsyoucandoinresponsetotravelerreviewsinHotelmarketingcom
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 15
aremostlikelytospreadnegativeword-of-mouthaboutthepropertyLengthyreviewsareexcellentsourcesofinforma-tionandshouldbeusedasthebasestounderstandthecomplainingbehavioroftheconsumer
WordcountmaybeusedasanadditionalsegmentationvariabletoidentifythoseconsumerswhoaremoreinvolvedandwillingtoprovidebalancedfeedbacktoboththereviewsiteaswellastopropertymanagementVariousotherresearchmethodssuchastelephoneinterviewsorfocusgroupsshouldbeusedtoelicitdetailedfeedbackfromsuchconsumersTheseactionsalsohelpinservicerecoverypost-purchaseengagementandrelationshipbuilding
OutlookWeforeseethreepotentialareasinvestigationthatcanaddvaluetocurrentbestpracticesWestilldonrsquotknowmuchaboutconsumersrsquomotivationtowriteonlinereviews20Recentstudiesidentifyvariousantecedentsofreviewwritingbutsufferfromsamplingbiassincetheysurveyaself-select-edsampleofconsumerswhoalreadyprovidedreviewsAstheresultsinthisstudyindicateunder-reportingbias(lackofmoderateandlowreviews)remainsprevalentinonlinereviewsitesFutureresearchshouldidentifysocio-psycho-logicalfactorsthatincreaseconsumersrsquopropensitytowriteonlinereviews
Futureresearchshouldexploretheimpactofthepres-ence(orlack)ofextremelynegativereviewswithinalargecorpusofpositivereviewsTheevidenceontheimpactofre-
20WangYandFesenmaierDR(2003)AssessingMotivationofCon-tributioninOnlineCommunitiesAnEmpiricalInvestigationofanOn-lineTravelCommunityElectronic Markets1333-45andYooKyungHandUlrikeGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp Tourism10No4(2008)283-95
viewvalence(negativeorpositive)isequivocalProponentsofconfirmatorybiassuggestthatconsumerslookforaffir-mativeevidencesupportingaproductchoicealreadymadeIfthatisthecasepositivereviewsaremorelikelytohaveagreatereffectonconsumeractionsOntheotherhandthenotionofnegativitybiassuggeststhatwhenconsumersareneutralnegativereviewstendtobecomemoresalientthanpositivereviews21Inthepresenceoflargenumbersofposi-tivereviewsconsumersspecificallyseeknegativereviewsthattheyfeelwillhelpthemidentifyspecificproblemswithaserviceUnderstandinghowconsumersreconciletheinformationprovidedbybothnegativeandpositivereviewshasimplicationsforthedesignandmanagementofreviewsites
Finallyareviewrsquoswordcounthasimportantimplica-tionsforconsumersrsquotrustinthereviewsWhenconsumersarewillingtoreadandcompareopen-endedcommentsfromotherconsumerstheamountofinformationinareviewcanmatterWOMforhighinvolvementproductsismorepersuasiveandincreasesthedecisionmakerrsquosconfi-dencewhenthemessagesenderprovidesgreaternumberofreasonsfortheiroverallratingLongerreviewsprovidemoreinformationandarelikelytobeperceivedasmorehelpfulandpersuasivethanshorterreviewsThewaysinwhichareviewiswrittenframedandpresentedisaninterestingfactorwhichhasrarelybeeninvestigatedandhasimportantimplicationsparticularlygivenourfindingthattheamountofinformationinareview(wordcount)variessignificantlywiththeratingsofthereviewn
21BaSandPavlouPA(2002)EvidenceoftheEffectofTrustBuildingTechnologyinElectronicMarketsPricePremiumsandBuyerBehaviorMIS Quarterly26243-268
Cornell Hospitality Quarterlyhttpcqxsagepubcom
2011 ReportsVol11No15DesigningaSelf-HealingServiceSystemAnIntegrativeModelbyRobertCFordandMichaelCSturman
Vol11No14ReversingtheGreenBacklashWhyLargeHospitalityCompaniesShouldWelcomeCrediblyGreenCompetitorsbyMichaelGiebelhausenPhDandHaeEunHelenChunPhD
Vol11No13DevelopingaSustainabilityMeasurementFrameworkforHotelsTowardanIndustry-wideReportingStructurebyEricRicaurte
Vol11No12CreatingValueforWomenBusinessTravelersFocusingonEmotionalOutcomesbyJudiBrownellPhD
Vol11No11CustomerLoyaltyANewLookattheBenefitsofImprovingSegmentationEffortswithRewardsProgramsbyClayVoorheesPhDMichaelMcCallPhDandRogerCalantonePhD
Vol11No10CustomerPerceptionsofElectronicFoodOrderingbySherylEKimes
Vol11No92011TravelIndustryBenchmarkingStatusofSeniorDestinationandLodgingMarketingExecutivesbyRohitVermaPhDandKenMcGill
Vol11No8SearchOTAsandOnlineBookingAnExpandedAnalysisoftheBillboardEffectbyChrisAndersonPhD
Vol11No7OnlineMobileandTextFoodOrderingintheUSRestaurantIndustrybySherylEKimesPhDandPhilippFLaqueacute
Vol11No6HotelGuestsrsquoReactionstoGuestRoomSustainabilityInitiativesbyAlexSusskindPhDandRohitVermaPhD
Vol11No5TheImpactofTerrorismandEconomicShocksonUSHotelsbyCathyAEnzRenaacutetaKosovaacuteandMarkLomannoVol11No4ImplementingHumanResourceInnovationsThreeSuccessStoriesfromtheServiceIndustrybyJustinSunandKateWalshPhD
Vol11No3Compendium2011
Vol11No2PositioningaPlaceDevelopingaCompellingDestinationBrandbyRobertJKwortnikPhDandEthanHawkesMBA
Vol11No1TheImpactofHealthInsuranceonEmployeeJobAnxietyWithdrawalBehaviorsandTaskPerformancebySeanWayPhDBillCarrollPhDAlexSusskindPhDandJoeCYLeng
2011 Hospitality ToolsVol2No1TheGameHasChangedANewParadigmforStakeholderEngagementbyMaryBethMcEuen
2011 Industry PerspectivesNo7MegaTips2TwentyTestedTechniquesforIncreasingYourTipsbyMichaelLynn
2011 ProceedingsVol3No5BuildingBrandsintheInternetAgeAnalyticsLoyaltyandCommunicationbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No4BraveNewWorldOnlineHotelDistributionbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No3SocialMediaandtheHospitalityIndustryHoldingtheTigerbytheTailbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No2TheChallengeofHotelandRestaurantSustainabilityFindingProfitinldquoBeingGreenrdquobyGlennWithiam
Vol3No1CautiousOptimismCHRSExaminesHospitalityIndustryTrendsbyGlennWithiam
2010 ReportsVol10No18HowTravelersUseOnlineandSocialMediaChannelstoMakeHotel-choiceDecisionsbyLauraMcCarthyDebraStockandRohitVermaPhD
Vol10No17PublicorPrivateTheHospitalityInvestmentDecisionbyQingzhongMaPhDandAthenaWeiZhangPhD
Vol10No16BestPracticesinSearchEngineMarketingandOptimizationTheCaseoftheStJamesHotelbyGregBodenlcosVictorBogertDanGordonCarterHearneandChrisKAndersonPhD
Vol10No15TheImpactofPrix Fixe MenuPriceFormatsonGuestsrsquoDealPerceptionbyShuoWangandMichaelLynnPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
Publication Indexwwwchrcornelledu
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
No2RetaliationWhyanIncreaseinClaimsDoesNotMeantheSkyIsFallingbyDavidSherwynJDandGreggGilmanJD
2009 ToolsToolNo12MeasuringtheDiningExperienceTheCaseofVitaNovabyKeshPrasadandFredJDeMiccoPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality ResearchPublication Index
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
visit our website to apply
wwwchrcornell edu
12 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
thereviewersThesecanbeclassifiedas(a)attributesorfea-turesofthepropertythatfigureprominentlyandcontributetothepositiveornegativeratings(egroomsbeddishesfurnitureorservice)and(b)thepositiveornegativewordsthatrepresentthesentimentofthereviewer(eggreatamazingdirtyandwonderful)Theresultsofthequalitativeanalysisareasfollows
Syntactic featuresTheoveralltoneofthelowreviewsisratherargumentativeThereviewerstendtobeforcefulinpresentingtheirpointofviewTheylayoutagreatamountofreasoningandprovidespecificexamplestodrivehometheirargumentThisisreflectedinthegreaterpercentageofnegativeconnectorwords(34)suchasbut however as ifandeven thoughItisinterestingtonotethatreviewersinthiscategoryspeakdirectlytotheotherconsumersnotablythroughgreateruseofwordssuchasyou(46)andlooktoinfluencetheirdecisionmaking
InthehighreviewsbycontrasttheoveralltonetendstobeenunciativeandthereviewersusethetexttomerelyreinforcetheirnumericalratingsusingfewerwordsonaveragethanthenegativereviewersInthesereviewstheconsumersfocusontheirpersonalexperiencesandappealtotheaudiencethroughemotionsratherthanlogicandreasoningasevidentfromgreateruseofpositiveadjectives
QualitativeAnalysisoftheReviewTextTheaboveanalysisemphasizestheimportanceofthetextcontentinconsumerreviewsWhilenumericalratingsallowthereviewerstoratetheserviceprovideronvariousattributesitisthetextthatprovidesthemwiththeopportu-nitytoarticulatethenuancesoftheiroverallexperienceandconveyusefulinformationaboutaserviceproviderrsquostransac-tionsandservicecapabilitiesThereforesemanticanalysisofthetextcontentprovidesuswithanopportunitytothethirdquestionpresentedattheoutsetofthisreportwhatdoconsumerstalkaboutintheirreviews
Tothisendweanalyzed600eachofrandomlyselectedhighandlowreviewsusingsemanticprocessingtechniquesWeusedcenteringresonanceanalysis(CRA)amodeofnet-work-basedtextanalysisthatrepresentsthecontentoflargesetsoftextsbyidentifyingthemostimportantwordsthatlinkotherwordsinthenetwork16OuranalysisexaminedsyntacticandsemanticfeaturesSyntacticfeaturesincludethepercentageofthewordsthatareopenclass(ienounsverbsadjectives)Semanticfeaturesrepresentthespecial-izedvocabularythatreflectstheoverallopinionexpressedby
16CormanSandDooleyK(2006)CrawdadTextAnalysisSystem12CrawdadTechnologiesLLCChandlerAZ
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Comments
bedroom beds linen sheets 383
Also the same bedroom and bathroom did not have any door separating the bedroom from the bathroom no privacy
Sleeping arrangements were very awkward The listing sheet described 2 full beds We brought our own linens the beds were queen sized Had to purchase sheet
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 297
You must not forget to step up when yoursquore walking out of the kitchen into the dining room otherwise yoursquoll trip over the 3-foot step up
No potholders in the kitchen and it didnrsquot seem like there were as many kitchen supplies as before We just had to make do without
beach beaches beachfront 296
The week was the best vacation we have ever had as a family The beach house was a class act
Disappointment 1 It looks like this house is very close to beach but to get there you have to go around through public path
Pool Poolside 218
The pool was too dirty to use We checked in on Thursday and the pool was not cleaned until Saturday
Also it is inconvenient to have to call to get someone to open the pool Didnrsquot understand why Jacuzzi was open and not the pool
bathroom(s) bath bathtub shower 202
The next problem was in another bathroom (main floor)mdashthe wall heater did not work so showering in here was a bit chilly The next problem was in the ldquomasterrdquo bathroom (connected to the bedroom with the King bed) The sliding shower doors need to be totally replaced
Bathtub drains clogged in three second floor bathrooms
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in low reviews
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 13
suchasgreat fantastic andawesome(45)andpersonalpronounssuchasweandI(54)
Semantic featuresExhibits7and8showthemainissuesoraspectsthatareprominentlydiscussedinthelowreviewsTheorderoftheseissuesisbasedonthestatisti-callysignificantfrequencyoftheiroccurrenceinthe1200reviews
WefurtherinvestigatedtheuseofvarioussentimentwordsInterestinglytheprominentissuesdiscussedinthepositivereviewssometimesdonotevenfigureintheratingscalesprovidedtothereviewersOveralltheresultsofthesemanticanalysiscanbesummarizedasfollows
Thepropertyanditsfeaturesaremorecommonlycon-nectedwithextremelypositivesentimentwordssuchasgreat wonderfulandamazinginthehighreviewsthaninthelowreviewsIncomparisonthepropertiesandtheirfea-turesinthelowreviewsaremorelikelytobecharacterizedwithmoderatelypositivewordssuchasniceandokay
Negativereviewsreflecttheextentofexpectationndashdis-confirmationthattheconsumersfaceduringtheirstayintherentalpropertyThesereviewshaveagreaterproportionofwordsexpressingdisappointment(egnotasexpected)Furtherextremelynegativesentimentwords(egdiscom-fortfilthy)andadjectivesaremorelikelytobeassociatedwithfeaturesinlowreviewsthaninhighreviews
Almost40percentoftheconsumerswhowrotehighreviewsexpresstheirwillingnesstoreturntothepropertyasopposedtoonly9percentofthosewritingnegativereviewsFurthermorethan20percentoftheconsumersgivinghighreviewsexpresstheirstrongdesiretorecommendtheprop-ertytotheirfriendsandfamilymembersasopposedtoonly5percentinlowreviews
ReviewofFindingsOurexploratorystudyofconsumerreviewsofUSvacationhomesonReviewsitecomwashighlightedbyoverwhelm-inglypositivereviews
Theoveralldistributionofthereviewswasheav-ilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratingsMorecriticallythisfindingsuggeststhatthereisalackofmoderateandbalancedopinionsWetheorizethatthisiseitherduetopurchasingbias(sincecustomerswentthroughthetroubleofpurchasingandexperiencingthefacilitiestheytendtobepositivelybiasedtowardstheirpurchase)orunder-reportingbias(customersdonothavestrongenoughincentivestotakethetroubleofreportingtheiropinionsandthefewmotivatedindividualswhoprovidetheirreviewsbecomeaself-selectedsample)
Theoverall(mean)starratingtypicallyusedintravelerreviewsitesisprobablynotthemostaccurateindicatorofcustomersrsquoperceptionsofserviceprovidersrsquoqualityWe
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Commentsbeach beaches beachfront 506 Perfect rental property for those who enjoy the activity of the beach and the serenity
of the Sound The house is just down the road from ocean
The large porch offered a beautiful view of the beach and comfortable new rocking chairs
Pool Poolside 218 The outdoor shower dipping pool and screen in porch were an added bonus Perfect house for a low key weekend
House was great for kids Pool was terrific and the playroom was perfectlocation 192 We had a wonderful time My wife loves fishing and the cottage was in a perfect
location to go fishing on the pier
The home is somewhat dated but the location was great We have vacationed in the Chatham area for many summers and this time it was great too
bedroom beds 186 The family suite is huge with a king size and twin bed and still room for a pack-n-play The kitchen and dining room were huge clean and nice
The only comments that I would say to the negative is the front bed room by the front door always seemed damp which seem to attract more bugs
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 178 All of the amenities in the house are upscalemdashloved the kitchen and plasma TVs
The kitchen had good basic utensils dishes and cooking pans
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in high reviews
14 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
foundacorrelationbetweenthestarratingandratingsonotherpropertyattributesoflessthan40percentinmostcases
AhighwordcountinthereviewsiscorrelatedwithalowoverallratingThatisconsumerswhoareextremelydissatisfiedtendtoexpendmoretimeandenergyontheircritiqueofthepropertyitsamenitiesandservicesPriceofthepropertyalsoseemstopositivelycorrelatewithextremenegativereviewsperhapsbecauseahighpriceheightenstravelersrsquoexpectations
Numericalratingsdonotoftencapturetheactualsentimentandthevarietyofdimensionsonwhichtravel-ersevaluatepropertiesBecausenumericalratingsdonotcapturereviewersrsquoopinionsaboutspecificattributestheycanbedeceivingandmaynotrevealthetruequalityofthepropertyortheactualintentionofthereviewerWefoundforinstancethatconsumersvaluelocation(egclosenesstothebeach)andcleanliness(egswimmingpoolareas)morethansuchfeaturesascheck-inandserviceSimilarlyinthenegativereviewsissuessuchaslackofbedroomparapher-naliaorkitchenitemsseemtoberankedhigherinimpor-tancethanissuessuchaslocationandcheck-inThereforeevenwhenapropertyscoreshighonthecertaindimensionstheoverallratingmayremainlowbecauseotherfactorsovershadowthefavorableaspects
WhatItMeansforManagersWeseeimplicationsforonlinereviewsitesandbyexten-sionforproprietorsofvacationhomesandserviceopera-tionsgenerallyWithregardtothereviewsitesifconsumersconsistentlydetectafavorablebiasthereviewsitesmaylosethecriticalaspectsofcredibilityandtrustAlthoughconsumersaregenerallysmartandrationalandcanworkaroundobviousbiasesrecentevidencesuggeststhatcon-sumersaregraduallydefectingfromsomeonlinesitesduetounbalancedreviews17InthisregardsiteadministratorsaswellaspropertymanagersshouldtakestepstoattractthoseconsumerswhoarewillingtoprovideareasonablybalancedanalysisoftheamenitiesandservicesBythiswemeanreviewsthatpresentcomprehensiveandobjectiveanalysisoftheserviceproviderratherthanjustravesorrants
Tothatendsiteoperatorsshouldtakestepstoun-derstandcustomersrsquoreviewwritingbehaviorandtoat-tractmorebalancedreviewsOnewaytodothisistogivepersonalizedinformationtotheconsumerdemonstratingthecontributionmadebyhisorherreviewandthevalueofthereviewtostakeholdersForinstanceLinget alfoundapositivecorrelationbetweenwillingnesstowritereviewsandtheconsumersrsquoperceptionthattheircontributionswouldbeuniqueandhelpfultoothercustomersaswellasperusedby
17HarteveldtHHJohnsonCStarkEandGeldernKV(2009)Us-ingDigitalChannelsToCalmTheAngryTravelerForresterResearch
theserviceproviders18Simplyputthepropensitytowritereviewsincreaseswhentheconsumersfeelthattheirreviewisactuallyhelpingothers(boththeserviceproviderandotherconsumers)
WesuggestthatreviewsitesdevelopbettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishspecificreviewcommentsaswellasnumericalratingsFirstmanagersshouldtakeintoconsiderationthelowcorrelationbetweentheoverallratingsandconsumersrsquoassessmentsofvariouspropertyattributes(aswellastheresultsfromthetextanalysis)Theimplicationofsuchaweakcorrelationisthatreviewsitesneedtoexpandonthelistofpossiblevariablessothattheratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquoneedsandexpectationsregardingserviceproviders
Furthersitemanagersmayhavetorethinkthecurrentpracticeofaveragingalltheratingsforagivenpropertybe-causesuchameanratingfailstotakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsAsanexamplethisstudyfindssignificantunder-reportingbiasinthisonlinereviewsiteAcustomerrsquosdecisiontonotpostonlinereviewsmaymeanthelossofimportantinformationthatcanassisttheusersofthesitestomakemorereliableinferencesThemajorityoftodayrsquosfeedbackmechanismsdonotpubliclydisclosethenumberofsilenttransactions(ietransactionsforwhichnofeedbackwaspostedbycustomers)Suchinfor-mationshouldbecomeapartofaserviceproviderrsquosonlineprofileonratingsitesandotherfeedbackmechanismsItisimportanttoprovidemoreinformationandheuristicstohelptheconsumersnavigatethroughtheclutterandgettheinformationtheywantandseek
Itisimportanttoapplymodernsemanticanalysisandsentimentclassificationtechniquestostudythecontentofthereviewsandidentifyvariousdimensionsonwhichcon-sumersevaluatevacationhomesThedetailsprovidedinthereviewtextareinmanywaysabetterreflectionofcustomersatisfactionServiceproviderscanbetterpositionthemselvesusingthedimensionsuncoveredthroughtextanalysisandtargettheneedsandpreferencesoftheircustomers
TheresultsinthisstudyshowthatnegativereviewsaretypicallyassociatedwithagreaterwordcountthanpositivereviewsItisusefultofocusspecificallyonthesenegativereviewsbecausetheycanrevealpatternsofdeficienciesintheservicestandardsanddeliveryThesereviewsshouldbetreatedthesameascustomercommentcardsorletters19Furthercustomerswhowritesuchlengthynegativereviews
18LingKimberlyGerardBeenenPaulLudfordXiaoxingWangKevinChangXinLiDanCosleyDanFrankowskiLorenTerveenAlMRashidandRobertKrautldquoUsingSocialPsychologytoMotivateContributionstoOnlineCommunitiesrdquoJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication10no4(2005)19MilanR(2007)10thingsyoucandoinresponsetotravelerreviewsinHotelmarketingcom
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 15
aremostlikelytospreadnegativeword-of-mouthaboutthepropertyLengthyreviewsareexcellentsourcesofinforma-tionandshouldbeusedasthebasestounderstandthecomplainingbehavioroftheconsumer
WordcountmaybeusedasanadditionalsegmentationvariabletoidentifythoseconsumerswhoaremoreinvolvedandwillingtoprovidebalancedfeedbacktoboththereviewsiteaswellastopropertymanagementVariousotherresearchmethodssuchastelephoneinterviewsorfocusgroupsshouldbeusedtoelicitdetailedfeedbackfromsuchconsumersTheseactionsalsohelpinservicerecoverypost-purchaseengagementandrelationshipbuilding
OutlookWeforeseethreepotentialareasinvestigationthatcanaddvaluetocurrentbestpracticesWestilldonrsquotknowmuchaboutconsumersrsquomotivationtowriteonlinereviews20Recentstudiesidentifyvariousantecedentsofreviewwritingbutsufferfromsamplingbiassincetheysurveyaself-select-edsampleofconsumerswhoalreadyprovidedreviewsAstheresultsinthisstudyindicateunder-reportingbias(lackofmoderateandlowreviews)remainsprevalentinonlinereviewsitesFutureresearchshouldidentifysocio-psycho-logicalfactorsthatincreaseconsumersrsquopropensitytowriteonlinereviews
Futureresearchshouldexploretheimpactofthepres-ence(orlack)ofextremelynegativereviewswithinalargecorpusofpositivereviewsTheevidenceontheimpactofre-
20WangYandFesenmaierDR(2003)AssessingMotivationofCon-tributioninOnlineCommunitiesAnEmpiricalInvestigationofanOn-lineTravelCommunityElectronic Markets1333-45andYooKyungHandUlrikeGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp Tourism10No4(2008)283-95
viewvalence(negativeorpositive)isequivocalProponentsofconfirmatorybiassuggestthatconsumerslookforaffir-mativeevidencesupportingaproductchoicealreadymadeIfthatisthecasepositivereviewsaremorelikelytohaveagreatereffectonconsumeractionsOntheotherhandthenotionofnegativitybiassuggeststhatwhenconsumersareneutralnegativereviewstendtobecomemoresalientthanpositivereviews21Inthepresenceoflargenumbersofposi-tivereviewsconsumersspecificallyseeknegativereviewsthattheyfeelwillhelpthemidentifyspecificproblemswithaserviceUnderstandinghowconsumersreconciletheinformationprovidedbybothnegativeandpositivereviewshasimplicationsforthedesignandmanagementofreviewsites
Finallyareviewrsquoswordcounthasimportantimplica-tionsforconsumersrsquotrustinthereviewsWhenconsumersarewillingtoreadandcompareopen-endedcommentsfromotherconsumerstheamountofinformationinareviewcanmatterWOMforhighinvolvementproductsismorepersuasiveandincreasesthedecisionmakerrsquosconfi-dencewhenthemessagesenderprovidesgreaternumberofreasonsfortheiroverallratingLongerreviewsprovidemoreinformationandarelikelytobeperceivedasmorehelpfulandpersuasivethanshorterreviewsThewaysinwhichareviewiswrittenframedandpresentedisaninterestingfactorwhichhasrarelybeeninvestigatedandhasimportantimplicationsparticularlygivenourfindingthattheamountofinformationinareview(wordcount)variessignificantlywiththeratingsofthereviewn
21BaSandPavlouPA(2002)EvidenceoftheEffectofTrustBuildingTechnologyinElectronicMarketsPricePremiumsandBuyerBehaviorMIS Quarterly26243-268
Cornell Hospitality Quarterlyhttpcqxsagepubcom
2011 ReportsVol11No15DesigningaSelf-HealingServiceSystemAnIntegrativeModelbyRobertCFordandMichaelCSturman
Vol11No14ReversingtheGreenBacklashWhyLargeHospitalityCompaniesShouldWelcomeCrediblyGreenCompetitorsbyMichaelGiebelhausenPhDandHaeEunHelenChunPhD
Vol11No13DevelopingaSustainabilityMeasurementFrameworkforHotelsTowardanIndustry-wideReportingStructurebyEricRicaurte
Vol11No12CreatingValueforWomenBusinessTravelersFocusingonEmotionalOutcomesbyJudiBrownellPhD
Vol11No11CustomerLoyaltyANewLookattheBenefitsofImprovingSegmentationEffortswithRewardsProgramsbyClayVoorheesPhDMichaelMcCallPhDandRogerCalantonePhD
Vol11No10CustomerPerceptionsofElectronicFoodOrderingbySherylEKimes
Vol11No92011TravelIndustryBenchmarkingStatusofSeniorDestinationandLodgingMarketingExecutivesbyRohitVermaPhDandKenMcGill
Vol11No8SearchOTAsandOnlineBookingAnExpandedAnalysisoftheBillboardEffectbyChrisAndersonPhD
Vol11No7OnlineMobileandTextFoodOrderingintheUSRestaurantIndustrybySherylEKimesPhDandPhilippFLaqueacute
Vol11No6HotelGuestsrsquoReactionstoGuestRoomSustainabilityInitiativesbyAlexSusskindPhDandRohitVermaPhD
Vol11No5TheImpactofTerrorismandEconomicShocksonUSHotelsbyCathyAEnzRenaacutetaKosovaacuteandMarkLomannoVol11No4ImplementingHumanResourceInnovationsThreeSuccessStoriesfromtheServiceIndustrybyJustinSunandKateWalshPhD
Vol11No3Compendium2011
Vol11No2PositioningaPlaceDevelopingaCompellingDestinationBrandbyRobertJKwortnikPhDandEthanHawkesMBA
Vol11No1TheImpactofHealthInsuranceonEmployeeJobAnxietyWithdrawalBehaviorsandTaskPerformancebySeanWayPhDBillCarrollPhDAlexSusskindPhDandJoeCYLeng
2011 Hospitality ToolsVol2No1TheGameHasChangedANewParadigmforStakeholderEngagementbyMaryBethMcEuen
2011 Industry PerspectivesNo7MegaTips2TwentyTestedTechniquesforIncreasingYourTipsbyMichaelLynn
2011 ProceedingsVol3No5BuildingBrandsintheInternetAgeAnalyticsLoyaltyandCommunicationbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No4BraveNewWorldOnlineHotelDistributionbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No3SocialMediaandtheHospitalityIndustryHoldingtheTigerbytheTailbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No2TheChallengeofHotelandRestaurantSustainabilityFindingProfitinldquoBeingGreenrdquobyGlennWithiam
Vol3No1CautiousOptimismCHRSExaminesHospitalityIndustryTrendsbyGlennWithiam
2010 ReportsVol10No18HowTravelersUseOnlineandSocialMediaChannelstoMakeHotel-choiceDecisionsbyLauraMcCarthyDebraStockandRohitVermaPhD
Vol10No17PublicorPrivateTheHospitalityInvestmentDecisionbyQingzhongMaPhDandAthenaWeiZhangPhD
Vol10No16BestPracticesinSearchEngineMarketingandOptimizationTheCaseoftheStJamesHotelbyGregBodenlcosVictorBogertDanGordonCarterHearneandChrisKAndersonPhD
Vol10No15TheImpactofPrix Fixe MenuPriceFormatsonGuestsrsquoDealPerceptionbyShuoWangandMichaelLynnPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
Publication Indexwwwchrcornelledu
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
No2RetaliationWhyanIncreaseinClaimsDoesNotMeantheSkyIsFallingbyDavidSherwynJDandGreggGilmanJD
2009 ToolsToolNo12MeasuringtheDiningExperienceTheCaseofVitaNovabyKeshPrasadandFredJDeMiccoPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality ResearchPublication Index
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
visit our website to apply
wwwchrcornell edu
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 13
suchasgreat fantastic andawesome(45)andpersonalpronounssuchasweandI(54)
Semantic featuresExhibits7and8showthemainissuesoraspectsthatareprominentlydiscussedinthelowreviewsTheorderoftheseissuesisbasedonthestatisti-callysignificantfrequencyoftheiroccurrenceinthe1200reviews
WefurtherinvestigatedtheuseofvarioussentimentwordsInterestinglytheprominentissuesdiscussedinthepositivereviewssometimesdonotevenfigureintheratingscalesprovidedtothereviewersOveralltheresultsofthesemanticanalysiscanbesummarizedasfollows
Thepropertyanditsfeaturesaremorecommonlycon-nectedwithextremelypositivesentimentwordssuchasgreat wonderfulandamazinginthehighreviewsthaninthelowreviewsIncomparisonthepropertiesandtheirfea-turesinthelowreviewsaremorelikelytobecharacterizedwithmoderatelypositivewordssuchasniceandokay
Negativereviewsreflecttheextentofexpectationndashdis-confirmationthattheconsumersfaceduringtheirstayintherentalpropertyThesereviewshaveagreaterproportionofwordsexpressingdisappointment(egnotasexpected)Furtherextremelynegativesentimentwords(egdiscom-fortfilthy)andadjectivesaremorelikelytobeassociatedwithfeaturesinlowreviewsthaninhighreviews
Almost40percentoftheconsumerswhowrotehighreviewsexpresstheirwillingnesstoreturntothepropertyasopposedtoonly9percentofthosewritingnegativereviewsFurthermorethan20percentoftheconsumersgivinghighreviewsexpresstheirstrongdesiretorecommendtheprop-ertytotheirfriendsandfamilymembersasopposedtoonly5percentinlowreviews
ReviewofFindingsOurexploratorystudyofconsumerreviewsofUSvacationhomesonReviewsitecomwashighlightedbyoverwhelm-inglypositivereviews
Theoveralldistributionofthereviewswasheav-ilyskewedtowardsthepositiveratingsMorecriticallythisfindingsuggeststhatthereisalackofmoderateandbalancedopinionsWetheorizethatthisiseitherduetopurchasingbias(sincecustomerswentthroughthetroubleofpurchasingandexperiencingthefacilitiestheytendtobepositivelybiasedtowardstheirpurchase)orunder-reportingbias(customersdonothavestrongenoughincentivestotakethetroubleofreportingtheiropinionsandthefewmotivatedindividualswhoprovidetheirreviewsbecomeaself-selectedsample)
Theoverall(mean)starratingtypicallyusedintravelerreviewsitesisprobablynotthemostaccurateindicatorofcustomersrsquoperceptionsofserviceprovidersrsquoqualityWe
Prominently Mentioned Features Freq sample Commentsbeach beaches beachfront 506 Perfect rental property for those who enjoy the activity of the beach and the serenity
of the Sound The house is just down the road from ocean
The large porch offered a beautiful view of the beach and comfortable new rocking chairs
Pool Poolside 218 The outdoor shower dipping pool and screen in porch were an added bonus Perfect house for a low key weekend
House was great for kids Pool was terrific and the playroom was perfectlocation 192 We had a wonderful time My wife loves fishing and the cottage was in a perfect
location to go fishing on the pier
The home is somewhat dated but the location was great We have vacationed in the Chatham area for many summers and this time it was great too
bedroom beds 186 The family suite is huge with a king size and twin bed and still room for a pack-n-play The kitchen and dining room were huge clean and nice
The only comments that I would say to the negative is the front bed room by the front door always seemed damp which seem to attract more bugs
Kitchen Kitchenware Dishes Dishwasher 178 All of the amenities in the house are upscalemdashloved the kitchen and plasma TVs
The kitchen had good basic utensils dishes and cooking pans
Exhibit 7
Top five prominent issues in high reviews
14 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
foundacorrelationbetweenthestarratingandratingsonotherpropertyattributesoflessthan40percentinmostcases
AhighwordcountinthereviewsiscorrelatedwithalowoverallratingThatisconsumerswhoareextremelydissatisfiedtendtoexpendmoretimeandenergyontheircritiqueofthepropertyitsamenitiesandservicesPriceofthepropertyalsoseemstopositivelycorrelatewithextremenegativereviewsperhapsbecauseahighpriceheightenstravelersrsquoexpectations
Numericalratingsdonotoftencapturetheactualsentimentandthevarietyofdimensionsonwhichtravel-ersevaluatepropertiesBecausenumericalratingsdonotcapturereviewersrsquoopinionsaboutspecificattributestheycanbedeceivingandmaynotrevealthetruequalityofthepropertyortheactualintentionofthereviewerWefoundforinstancethatconsumersvaluelocation(egclosenesstothebeach)andcleanliness(egswimmingpoolareas)morethansuchfeaturesascheck-inandserviceSimilarlyinthenegativereviewsissuessuchaslackofbedroomparapher-naliaorkitchenitemsseemtoberankedhigherinimpor-tancethanissuessuchaslocationandcheck-inThereforeevenwhenapropertyscoreshighonthecertaindimensionstheoverallratingmayremainlowbecauseotherfactorsovershadowthefavorableaspects
WhatItMeansforManagersWeseeimplicationsforonlinereviewsitesandbyexten-sionforproprietorsofvacationhomesandserviceopera-tionsgenerallyWithregardtothereviewsitesifconsumersconsistentlydetectafavorablebiasthereviewsitesmaylosethecriticalaspectsofcredibilityandtrustAlthoughconsumersaregenerallysmartandrationalandcanworkaroundobviousbiasesrecentevidencesuggeststhatcon-sumersaregraduallydefectingfromsomeonlinesitesduetounbalancedreviews17InthisregardsiteadministratorsaswellaspropertymanagersshouldtakestepstoattractthoseconsumerswhoarewillingtoprovideareasonablybalancedanalysisoftheamenitiesandservicesBythiswemeanreviewsthatpresentcomprehensiveandobjectiveanalysisoftheserviceproviderratherthanjustravesorrants
Tothatendsiteoperatorsshouldtakestepstoun-derstandcustomersrsquoreviewwritingbehaviorandtoat-tractmorebalancedreviewsOnewaytodothisistogivepersonalizedinformationtotheconsumerdemonstratingthecontributionmadebyhisorherreviewandthevalueofthereviewtostakeholdersForinstanceLinget alfoundapositivecorrelationbetweenwillingnesstowritereviewsandtheconsumersrsquoperceptionthattheircontributionswouldbeuniqueandhelpfultoothercustomersaswellasperusedby
17HarteveldtHHJohnsonCStarkEandGeldernKV(2009)Us-ingDigitalChannelsToCalmTheAngryTravelerForresterResearch
theserviceproviders18Simplyputthepropensitytowritereviewsincreaseswhentheconsumersfeelthattheirreviewisactuallyhelpingothers(boththeserviceproviderandotherconsumers)
WesuggestthatreviewsitesdevelopbettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishspecificreviewcommentsaswellasnumericalratingsFirstmanagersshouldtakeintoconsiderationthelowcorrelationbetweentheoverallratingsandconsumersrsquoassessmentsofvariouspropertyattributes(aswellastheresultsfromthetextanalysis)Theimplicationofsuchaweakcorrelationisthatreviewsitesneedtoexpandonthelistofpossiblevariablessothattheratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquoneedsandexpectationsregardingserviceproviders
Furthersitemanagersmayhavetorethinkthecurrentpracticeofaveragingalltheratingsforagivenpropertybe-causesuchameanratingfailstotakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsAsanexamplethisstudyfindssignificantunder-reportingbiasinthisonlinereviewsiteAcustomerrsquosdecisiontonotpostonlinereviewsmaymeanthelossofimportantinformationthatcanassisttheusersofthesitestomakemorereliableinferencesThemajorityoftodayrsquosfeedbackmechanismsdonotpubliclydisclosethenumberofsilenttransactions(ietransactionsforwhichnofeedbackwaspostedbycustomers)Suchinfor-mationshouldbecomeapartofaserviceproviderrsquosonlineprofileonratingsitesandotherfeedbackmechanismsItisimportanttoprovidemoreinformationandheuristicstohelptheconsumersnavigatethroughtheclutterandgettheinformationtheywantandseek
Itisimportanttoapplymodernsemanticanalysisandsentimentclassificationtechniquestostudythecontentofthereviewsandidentifyvariousdimensionsonwhichcon-sumersevaluatevacationhomesThedetailsprovidedinthereviewtextareinmanywaysabetterreflectionofcustomersatisfactionServiceproviderscanbetterpositionthemselvesusingthedimensionsuncoveredthroughtextanalysisandtargettheneedsandpreferencesoftheircustomers
TheresultsinthisstudyshowthatnegativereviewsaretypicallyassociatedwithagreaterwordcountthanpositivereviewsItisusefultofocusspecificallyonthesenegativereviewsbecausetheycanrevealpatternsofdeficienciesintheservicestandardsanddeliveryThesereviewsshouldbetreatedthesameascustomercommentcardsorletters19Furthercustomerswhowritesuchlengthynegativereviews
18LingKimberlyGerardBeenenPaulLudfordXiaoxingWangKevinChangXinLiDanCosleyDanFrankowskiLorenTerveenAlMRashidandRobertKrautldquoUsingSocialPsychologytoMotivateContributionstoOnlineCommunitiesrdquoJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication10no4(2005)19MilanR(2007)10thingsyoucandoinresponsetotravelerreviewsinHotelmarketingcom
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 15
aremostlikelytospreadnegativeword-of-mouthaboutthepropertyLengthyreviewsareexcellentsourcesofinforma-tionandshouldbeusedasthebasestounderstandthecomplainingbehavioroftheconsumer
WordcountmaybeusedasanadditionalsegmentationvariabletoidentifythoseconsumerswhoaremoreinvolvedandwillingtoprovidebalancedfeedbacktoboththereviewsiteaswellastopropertymanagementVariousotherresearchmethodssuchastelephoneinterviewsorfocusgroupsshouldbeusedtoelicitdetailedfeedbackfromsuchconsumersTheseactionsalsohelpinservicerecoverypost-purchaseengagementandrelationshipbuilding
OutlookWeforeseethreepotentialareasinvestigationthatcanaddvaluetocurrentbestpracticesWestilldonrsquotknowmuchaboutconsumersrsquomotivationtowriteonlinereviews20Recentstudiesidentifyvariousantecedentsofreviewwritingbutsufferfromsamplingbiassincetheysurveyaself-select-edsampleofconsumerswhoalreadyprovidedreviewsAstheresultsinthisstudyindicateunder-reportingbias(lackofmoderateandlowreviews)remainsprevalentinonlinereviewsitesFutureresearchshouldidentifysocio-psycho-logicalfactorsthatincreaseconsumersrsquopropensitytowriteonlinereviews
Futureresearchshouldexploretheimpactofthepres-ence(orlack)ofextremelynegativereviewswithinalargecorpusofpositivereviewsTheevidenceontheimpactofre-
20WangYandFesenmaierDR(2003)AssessingMotivationofCon-tributioninOnlineCommunitiesAnEmpiricalInvestigationofanOn-lineTravelCommunityElectronic Markets1333-45andYooKyungHandUlrikeGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp Tourism10No4(2008)283-95
viewvalence(negativeorpositive)isequivocalProponentsofconfirmatorybiassuggestthatconsumerslookforaffir-mativeevidencesupportingaproductchoicealreadymadeIfthatisthecasepositivereviewsaremorelikelytohaveagreatereffectonconsumeractionsOntheotherhandthenotionofnegativitybiassuggeststhatwhenconsumersareneutralnegativereviewstendtobecomemoresalientthanpositivereviews21Inthepresenceoflargenumbersofposi-tivereviewsconsumersspecificallyseeknegativereviewsthattheyfeelwillhelpthemidentifyspecificproblemswithaserviceUnderstandinghowconsumersreconciletheinformationprovidedbybothnegativeandpositivereviewshasimplicationsforthedesignandmanagementofreviewsites
Finallyareviewrsquoswordcounthasimportantimplica-tionsforconsumersrsquotrustinthereviewsWhenconsumersarewillingtoreadandcompareopen-endedcommentsfromotherconsumerstheamountofinformationinareviewcanmatterWOMforhighinvolvementproductsismorepersuasiveandincreasesthedecisionmakerrsquosconfi-dencewhenthemessagesenderprovidesgreaternumberofreasonsfortheiroverallratingLongerreviewsprovidemoreinformationandarelikelytobeperceivedasmorehelpfulandpersuasivethanshorterreviewsThewaysinwhichareviewiswrittenframedandpresentedisaninterestingfactorwhichhasrarelybeeninvestigatedandhasimportantimplicationsparticularlygivenourfindingthattheamountofinformationinareview(wordcount)variessignificantlywiththeratingsofthereviewn
21BaSandPavlouPA(2002)EvidenceoftheEffectofTrustBuildingTechnologyinElectronicMarketsPricePremiumsandBuyerBehaviorMIS Quarterly26243-268
Cornell Hospitality Quarterlyhttpcqxsagepubcom
2011 ReportsVol11No15DesigningaSelf-HealingServiceSystemAnIntegrativeModelbyRobertCFordandMichaelCSturman
Vol11No14ReversingtheGreenBacklashWhyLargeHospitalityCompaniesShouldWelcomeCrediblyGreenCompetitorsbyMichaelGiebelhausenPhDandHaeEunHelenChunPhD
Vol11No13DevelopingaSustainabilityMeasurementFrameworkforHotelsTowardanIndustry-wideReportingStructurebyEricRicaurte
Vol11No12CreatingValueforWomenBusinessTravelersFocusingonEmotionalOutcomesbyJudiBrownellPhD
Vol11No11CustomerLoyaltyANewLookattheBenefitsofImprovingSegmentationEffortswithRewardsProgramsbyClayVoorheesPhDMichaelMcCallPhDandRogerCalantonePhD
Vol11No10CustomerPerceptionsofElectronicFoodOrderingbySherylEKimes
Vol11No92011TravelIndustryBenchmarkingStatusofSeniorDestinationandLodgingMarketingExecutivesbyRohitVermaPhDandKenMcGill
Vol11No8SearchOTAsandOnlineBookingAnExpandedAnalysisoftheBillboardEffectbyChrisAndersonPhD
Vol11No7OnlineMobileandTextFoodOrderingintheUSRestaurantIndustrybySherylEKimesPhDandPhilippFLaqueacute
Vol11No6HotelGuestsrsquoReactionstoGuestRoomSustainabilityInitiativesbyAlexSusskindPhDandRohitVermaPhD
Vol11No5TheImpactofTerrorismandEconomicShocksonUSHotelsbyCathyAEnzRenaacutetaKosovaacuteandMarkLomannoVol11No4ImplementingHumanResourceInnovationsThreeSuccessStoriesfromtheServiceIndustrybyJustinSunandKateWalshPhD
Vol11No3Compendium2011
Vol11No2PositioningaPlaceDevelopingaCompellingDestinationBrandbyRobertJKwortnikPhDandEthanHawkesMBA
Vol11No1TheImpactofHealthInsuranceonEmployeeJobAnxietyWithdrawalBehaviorsandTaskPerformancebySeanWayPhDBillCarrollPhDAlexSusskindPhDandJoeCYLeng
2011 Hospitality ToolsVol2No1TheGameHasChangedANewParadigmforStakeholderEngagementbyMaryBethMcEuen
2011 Industry PerspectivesNo7MegaTips2TwentyTestedTechniquesforIncreasingYourTipsbyMichaelLynn
2011 ProceedingsVol3No5BuildingBrandsintheInternetAgeAnalyticsLoyaltyandCommunicationbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No4BraveNewWorldOnlineHotelDistributionbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No3SocialMediaandtheHospitalityIndustryHoldingtheTigerbytheTailbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No2TheChallengeofHotelandRestaurantSustainabilityFindingProfitinldquoBeingGreenrdquobyGlennWithiam
Vol3No1CautiousOptimismCHRSExaminesHospitalityIndustryTrendsbyGlennWithiam
2010 ReportsVol10No18HowTravelersUseOnlineandSocialMediaChannelstoMakeHotel-choiceDecisionsbyLauraMcCarthyDebraStockandRohitVermaPhD
Vol10No17PublicorPrivateTheHospitalityInvestmentDecisionbyQingzhongMaPhDandAthenaWeiZhangPhD
Vol10No16BestPracticesinSearchEngineMarketingandOptimizationTheCaseoftheStJamesHotelbyGregBodenlcosVictorBogertDanGordonCarterHearneandChrisKAndersonPhD
Vol10No15TheImpactofPrix Fixe MenuPriceFormatsonGuestsrsquoDealPerceptionbyShuoWangandMichaelLynnPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
Publication Indexwwwchrcornelledu
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
No2RetaliationWhyanIncreaseinClaimsDoesNotMeantheSkyIsFallingbyDavidSherwynJDandGreggGilmanJD
2009 ToolsToolNo12MeasuringtheDiningExperienceTheCaseofVitaNovabyKeshPrasadandFredJDeMiccoPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality ResearchPublication Index
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
visit our website to apply
wwwchrcornell edu
14 TheCenterforHospitalityResearchbullCornellUniversity
foundacorrelationbetweenthestarratingandratingsonotherpropertyattributesoflessthan40percentinmostcases
AhighwordcountinthereviewsiscorrelatedwithalowoverallratingThatisconsumerswhoareextremelydissatisfiedtendtoexpendmoretimeandenergyontheircritiqueofthepropertyitsamenitiesandservicesPriceofthepropertyalsoseemstopositivelycorrelatewithextremenegativereviewsperhapsbecauseahighpriceheightenstravelersrsquoexpectations
Numericalratingsdonotoftencapturetheactualsentimentandthevarietyofdimensionsonwhichtravel-ersevaluatepropertiesBecausenumericalratingsdonotcapturereviewersrsquoopinionsaboutspecificattributestheycanbedeceivingandmaynotrevealthetruequalityofthepropertyortheactualintentionofthereviewerWefoundforinstancethatconsumersvaluelocation(egclosenesstothebeach)andcleanliness(egswimmingpoolareas)morethansuchfeaturesascheck-inandserviceSimilarlyinthenegativereviewsissuessuchaslackofbedroomparapher-naliaorkitchenitemsseemtoberankedhigherinimpor-tancethanissuessuchaslocationandcheck-inThereforeevenwhenapropertyscoreshighonthecertaindimensionstheoverallratingmayremainlowbecauseotherfactorsovershadowthefavorableaspects
WhatItMeansforManagersWeseeimplicationsforonlinereviewsitesandbyexten-sionforproprietorsofvacationhomesandserviceopera-tionsgenerallyWithregardtothereviewsitesifconsumersconsistentlydetectafavorablebiasthereviewsitesmaylosethecriticalaspectsofcredibilityandtrustAlthoughconsumersaregenerallysmartandrationalandcanworkaroundobviousbiasesrecentevidencesuggeststhatcon-sumersaregraduallydefectingfromsomeonlinesitesduetounbalancedreviews17InthisregardsiteadministratorsaswellaspropertymanagersshouldtakestepstoattractthoseconsumerswhoarewillingtoprovideareasonablybalancedanalysisoftheamenitiesandservicesBythiswemeanreviewsthatpresentcomprehensiveandobjectiveanalysisoftheserviceproviderratherthanjustravesorrants
Tothatendsiteoperatorsshouldtakestepstoun-derstandcustomersrsquoreviewwritingbehaviorandtoat-tractmorebalancedreviewsOnewaytodothisistogivepersonalizedinformationtotheconsumerdemonstratingthecontributionmadebyhisorherreviewandthevalueofthereviewtostakeholdersForinstanceLinget alfoundapositivecorrelationbetweenwillingnesstowritereviewsandtheconsumersrsquoperceptionthattheircontributionswouldbeuniqueandhelpfultoothercustomersaswellasperusedby
17HarteveldtHHJohnsonCStarkEandGeldernKV(2009)Us-ingDigitalChannelsToCalmTheAngryTravelerForresterResearch
theserviceproviders18Simplyputthepropensitytowritereviewsincreaseswhentheconsumersfeelthattheirreviewisactuallyhelpingothers(boththeserviceproviderandotherconsumers)
WesuggestthatreviewsitesdevelopbettermethodstoaggregatesynthesizeandpublishspecificreviewcommentsaswellasnumericalratingsFirstmanagersshouldtakeintoconsiderationthelowcorrelationbetweentheoverallratingsandconsumersrsquoassessmentsofvariouspropertyattributes(aswellastheresultsfromthetextanalysis)Theimplicationofsuchaweakcorrelationisthatreviewsitesneedtoexpandonthelistofpossiblevariablessothattheratingsaccuratelyreflectconsumersrsquoneedsandexpectationsregardingserviceproviders
Furthersitemanagersmayhavetorethinkthecurrentpracticeofaveragingalltheratingsforagivenpropertybe-causesuchameanratingfailstotakeintoaccountthebiasesthatareinherentintheratingsystemsAsanexamplethisstudyfindssignificantunder-reportingbiasinthisonlinereviewsiteAcustomerrsquosdecisiontonotpostonlinereviewsmaymeanthelossofimportantinformationthatcanassisttheusersofthesitestomakemorereliableinferencesThemajorityoftodayrsquosfeedbackmechanismsdonotpubliclydisclosethenumberofsilenttransactions(ietransactionsforwhichnofeedbackwaspostedbycustomers)Suchinfor-mationshouldbecomeapartofaserviceproviderrsquosonlineprofileonratingsitesandotherfeedbackmechanismsItisimportanttoprovidemoreinformationandheuristicstohelptheconsumersnavigatethroughtheclutterandgettheinformationtheywantandseek
Itisimportanttoapplymodernsemanticanalysisandsentimentclassificationtechniquestostudythecontentofthereviewsandidentifyvariousdimensionsonwhichcon-sumersevaluatevacationhomesThedetailsprovidedinthereviewtextareinmanywaysabetterreflectionofcustomersatisfactionServiceproviderscanbetterpositionthemselvesusingthedimensionsuncoveredthroughtextanalysisandtargettheneedsandpreferencesoftheircustomers
TheresultsinthisstudyshowthatnegativereviewsaretypicallyassociatedwithagreaterwordcountthanpositivereviewsItisusefultofocusspecificallyonthesenegativereviewsbecausetheycanrevealpatternsofdeficienciesintheservicestandardsanddeliveryThesereviewsshouldbetreatedthesameascustomercommentcardsorletters19Furthercustomerswhowritesuchlengthynegativereviews
18LingKimberlyGerardBeenenPaulLudfordXiaoxingWangKevinChangXinLiDanCosleyDanFrankowskiLorenTerveenAlMRashidandRobertKrautldquoUsingSocialPsychologytoMotivateContributionstoOnlineCommunitiesrdquoJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication10no4(2005)19MilanR(2007)10thingsyoucandoinresponsetotravelerreviewsinHotelmarketingcom
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 15
aremostlikelytospreadnegativeword-of-mouthaboutthepropertyLengthyreviewsareexcellentsourcesofinforma-tionandshouldbeusedasthebasestounderstandthecomplainingbehavioroftheconsumer
WordcountmaybeusedasanadditionalsegmentationvariabletoidentifythoseconsumerswhoaremoreinvolvedandwillingtoprovidebalancedfeedbacktoboththereviewsiteaswellastopropertymanagementVariousotherresearchmethodssuchastelephoneinterviewsorfocusgroupsshouldbeusedtoelicitdetailedfeedbackfromsuchconsumersTheseactionsalsohelpinservicerecoverypost-purchaseengagementandrelationshipbuilding
OutlookWeforeseethreepotentialareasinvestigationthatcanaddvaluetocurrentbestpracticesWestilldonrsquotknowmuchaboutconsumersrsquomotivationtowriteonlinereviews20Recentstudiesidentifyvariousantecedentsofreviewwritingbutsufferfromsamplingbiassincetheysurveyaself-select-edsampleofconsumerswhoalreadyprovidedreviewsAstheresultsinthisstudyindicateunder-reportingbias(lackofmoderateandlowreviews)remainsprevalentinonlinereviewsitesFutureresearchshouldidentifysocio-psycho-logicalfactorsthatincreaseconsumersrsquopropensitytowriteonlinereviews
Futureresearchshouldexploretheimpactofthepres-ence(orlack)ofextremelynegativereviewswithinalargecorpusofpositivereviewsTheevidenceontheimpactofre-
20WangYandFesenmaierDR(2003)AssessingMotivationofCon-tributioninOnlineCommunitiesAnEmpiricalInvestigationofanOn-lineTravelCommunityElectronic Markets1333-45andYooKyungHandUlrikeGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp Tourism10No4(2008)283-95
viewvalence(negativeorpositive)isequivocalProponentsofconfirmatorybiassuggestthatconsumerslookforaffir-mativeevidencesupportingaproductchoicealreadymadeIfthatisthecasepositivereviewsaremorelikelytohaveagreatereffectonconsumeractionsOntheotherhandthenotionofnegativitybiassuggeststhatwhenconsumersareneutralnegativereviewstendtobecomemoresalientthanpositivereviews21Inthepresenceoflargenumbersofposi-tivereviewsconsumersspecificallyseeknegativereviewsthattheyfeelwillhelpthemidentifyspecificproblemswithaserviceUnderstandinghowconsumersreconciletheinformationprovidedbybothnegativeandpositivereviewshasimplicationsforthedesignandmanagementofreviewsites
Finallyareviewrsquoswordcounthasimportantimplica-tionsforconsumersrsquotrustinthereviewsWhenconsumersarewillingtoreadandcompareopen-endedcommentsfromotherconsumerstheamountofinformationinareviewcanmatterWOMforhighinvolvementproductsismorepersuasiveandincreasesthedecisionmakerrsquosconfi-dencewhenthemessagesenderprovidesgreaternumberofreasonsfortheiroverallratingLongerreviewsprovidemoreinformationandarelikelytobeperceivedasmorehelpfulandpersuasivethanshorterreviewsThewaysinwhichareviewiswrittenframedandpresentedisaninterestingfactorwhichhasrarelybeeninvestigatedandhasimportantimplicationsparticularlygivenourfindingthattheamountofinformationinareview(wordcount)variessignificantlywiththeratingsofthereviewn
21BaSandPavlouPA(2002)EvidenceoftheEffectofTrustBuildingTechnologyinElectronicMarketsPricePremiumsandBuyerBehaviorMIS Quarterly26243-268
Cornell Hospitality Quarterlyhttpcqxsagepubcom
2011 ReportsVol11No15DesigningaSelf-HealingServiceSystemAnIntegrativeModelbyRobertCFordandMichaelCSturman
Vol11No14ReversingtheGreenBacklashWhyLargeHospitalityCompaniesShouldWelcomeCrediblyGreenCompetitorsbyMichaelGiebelhausenPhDandHaeEunHelenChunPhD
Vol11No13DevelopingaSustainabilityMeasurementFrameworkforHotelsTowardanIndustry-wideReportingStructurebyEricRicaurte
Vol11No12CreatingValueforWomenBusinessTravelersFocusingonEmotionalOutcomesbyJudiBrownellPhD
Vol11No11CustomerLoyaltyANewLookattheBenefitsofImprovingSegmentationEffortswithRewardsProgramsbyClayVoorheesPhDMichaelMcCallPhDandRogerCalantonePhD
Vol11No10CustomerPerceptionsofElectronicFoodOrderingbySherylEKimes
Vol11No92011TravelIndustryBenchmarkingStatusofSeniorDestinationandLodgingMarketingExecutivesbyRohitVermaPhDandKenMcGill
Vol11No8SearchOTAsandOnlineBookingAnExpandedAnalysisoftheBillboardEffectbyChrisAndersonPhD
Vol11No7OnlineMobileandTextFoodOrderingintheUSRestaurantIndustrybySherylEKimesPhDandPhilippFLaqueacute
Vol11No6HotelGuestsrsquoReactionstoGuestRoomSustainabilityInitiativesbyAlexSusskindPhDandRohitVermaPhD
Vol11No5TheImpactofTerrorismandEconomicShocksonUSHotelsbyCathyAEnzRenaacutetaKosovaacuteandMarkLomannoVol11No4ImplementingHumanResourceInnovationsThreeSuccessStoriesfromtheServiceIndustrybyJustinSunandKateWalshPhD
Vol11No3Compendium2011
Vol11No2PositioningaPlaceDevelopingaCompellingDestinationBrandbyRobertJKwortnikPhDandEthanHawkesMBA
Vol11No1TheImpactofHealthInsuranceonEmployeeJobAnxietyWithdrawalBehaviorsandTaskPerformancebySeanWayPhDBillCarrollPhDAlexSusskindPhDandJoeCYLeng
2011 Hospitality ToolsVol2No1TheGameHasChangedANewParadigmforStakeholderEngagementbyMaryBethMcEuen
2011 Industry PerspectivesNo7MegaTips2TwentyTestedTechniquesforIncreasingYourTipsbyMichaelLynn
2011 ProceedingsVol3No5BuildingBrandsintheInternetAgeAnalyticsLoyaltyandCommunicationbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No4BraveNewWorldOnlineHotelDistributionbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No3SocialMediaandtheHospitalityIndustryHoldingtheTigerbytheTailbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No2TheChallengeofHotelandRestaurantSustainabilityFindingProfitinldquoBeingGreenrdquobyGlennWithiam
Vol3No1CautiousOptimismCHRSExaminesHospitalityIndustryTrendsbyGlennWithiam
2010 ReportsVol10No18HowTravelersUseOnlineandSocialMediaChannelstoMakeHotel-choiceDecisionsbyLauraMcCarthyDebraStockandRohitVermaPhD
Vol10No17PublicorPrivateTheHospitalityInvestmentDecisionbyQingzhongMaPhDandAthenaWeiZhangPhD
Vol10No16BestPracticesinSearchEngineMarketingandOptimizationTheCaseoftheStJamesHotelbyGregBodenlcosVictorBogertDanGordonCarterHearneandChrisKAndersonPhD
Vol10No15TheImpactofPrix Fixe MenuPriceFormatsonGuestsrsquoDealPerceptionbyShuoWangandMichaelLynnPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
Publication Indexwwwchrcornelledu
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
No2RetaliationWhyanIncreaseinClaimsDoesNotMeantheSkyIsFallingbyDavidSherwynJDandGreggGilmanJD
2009 ToolsToolNo12MeasuringtheDiningExperienceTheCaseofVitaNovabyKeshPrasadandFredJDeMiccoPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality ResearchPublication Index
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
visit our website to apply
wwwchrcornell edu
CornellHospitalityReportbullAugust2011bullwwwchrcornelledu 15
aremostlikelytospreadnegativeword-of-mouthaboutthepropertyLengthyreviewsareexcellentsourcesofinforma-tionandshouldbeusedasthebasestounderstandthecomplainingbehavioroftheconsumer
WordcountmaybeusedasanadditionalsegmentationvariabletoidentifythoseconsumerswhoaremoreinvolvedandwillingtoprovidebalancedfeedbacktoboththereviewsiteaswellastopropertymanagementVariousotherresearchmethodssuchastelephoneinterviewsorfocusgroupsshouldbeusedtoelicitdetailedfeedbackfromsuchconsumersTheseactionsalsohelpinservicerecoverypost-purchaseengagementandrelationshipbuilding
OutlookWeforeseethreepotentialareasinvestigationthatcanaddvaluetocurrentbestpracticesWestilldonrsquotknowmuchaboutconsumersrsquomotivationtowriteonlinereviews20Recentstudiesidentifyvariousantecedentsofreviewwritingbutsufferfromsamplingbiassincetheysurveyaself-select-edsampleofconsumerswhoalreadyprovidedreviewsAstheresultsinthisstudyindicateunder-reportingbias(lackofmoderateandlowreviews)remainsprevalentinonlinereviewsitesFutureresearchshouldidentifysocio-psycho-logicalfactorsthatincreaseconsumersrsquopropensitytowriteonlinereviews
Futureresearchshouldexploretheimpactofthepres-ence(orlack)ofextremelynegativereviewswithinalargecorpusofpositivereviewsTheevidenceontheimpactofre-
20WangYandFesenmaierDR(2003)AssessingMotivationofCon-tributioninOnlineCommunitiesAnEmpiricalInvestigationofanOn-lineTravelCommunityElectronic Markets1333-45andYooKyungHandUlrikeGretzelldquoWhatMotivatesConsumerstoWriteOnlineTravelReviewsrdquoInformation Technology amp Tourism10No4(2008)283-95
viewvalence(negativeorpositive)isequivocalProponentsofconfirmatorybiassuggestthatconsumerslookforaffir-mativeevidencesupportingaproductchoicealreadymadeIfthatisthecasepositivereviewsaremorelikelytohaveagreatereffectonconsumeractionsOntheotherhandthenotionofnegativitybiassuggeststhatwhenconsumersareneutralnegativereviewstendtobecomemoresalientthanpositivereviews21Inthepresenceoflargenumbersofposi-tivereviewsconsumersspecificallyseeknegativereviewsthattheyfeelwillhelpthemidentifyspecificproblemswithaserviceUnderstandinghowconsumersreconciletheinformationprovidedbybothnegativeandpositivereviewshasimplicationsforthedesignandmanagementofreviewsites
Finallyareviewrsquoswordcounthasimportantimplica-tionsforconsumersrsquotrustinthereviewsWhenconsumersarewillingtoreadandcompareopen-endedcommentsfromotherconsumerstheamountofinformationinareviewcanmatterWOMforhighinvolvementproductsismorepersuasiveandincreasesthedecisionmakerrsquosconfi-dencewhenthemessagesenderprovidesgreaternumberofreasonsfortheiroverallratingLongerreviewsprovidemoreinformationandarelikelytobeperceivedasmorehelpfulandpersuasivethanshorterreviewsThewaysinwhichareviewiswrittenframedandpresentedisaninterestingfactorwhichhasrarelybeeninvestigatedandhasimportantimplicationsparticularlygivenourfindingthattheamountofinformationinareview(wordcount)variessignificantlywiththeratingsofthereviewn
21BaSandPavlouPA(2002)EvidenceoftheEffectofTrustBuildingTechnologyinElectronicMarketsPricePremiumsandBuyerBehaviorMIS Quarterly26243-268
Cornell Hospitality Quarterlyhttpcqxsagepubcom
2011 ReportsVol11No15DesigningaSelf-HealingServiceSystemAnIntegrativeModelbyRobertCFordandMichaelCSturman
Vol11No14ReversingtheGreenBacklashWhyLargeHospitalityCompaniesShouldWelcomeCrediblyGreenCompetitorsbyMichaelGiebelhausenPhDandHaeEunHelenChunPhD
Vol11No13DevelopingaSustainabilityMeasurementFrameworkforHotelsTowardanIndustry-wideReportingStructurebyEricRicaurte
Vol11No12CreatingValueforWomenBusinessTravelersFocusingonEmotionalOutcomesbyJudiBrownellPhD
Vol11No11CustomerLoyaltyANewLookattheBenefitsofImprovingSegmentationEffortswithRewardsProgramsbyClayVoorheesPhDMichaelMcCallPhDandRogerCalantonePhD
Vol11No10CustomerPerceptionsofElectronicFoodOrderingbySherylEKimes
Vol11No92011TravelIndustryBenchmarkingStatusofSeniorDestinationandLodgingMarketingExecutivesbyRohitVermaPhDandKenMcGill
Vol11No8SearchOTAsandOnlineBookingAnExpandedAnalysisoftheBillboardEffectbyChrisAndersonPhD
Vol11No7OnlineMobileandTextFoodOrderingintheUSRestaurantIndustrybySherylEKimesPhDandPhilippFLaqueacute
Vol11No6HotelGuestsrsquoReactionstoGuestRoomSustainabilityInitiativesbyAlexSusskindPhDandRohitVermaPhD
Vol11No5TheImpactofTerrorismandEconomicShocksonUSHotelsbyCathyAEnzRenaacutetaKosovaacuteandMarkLomannoVol11No4ImplementingHumanResourceInnovationsThreeSuccessStoriesfromtheServiceIndustrybyJustinSunandKateWalshPhD
Vol11No3Compendium2011
Vol11No2PositioningaPlaceDevelopingaCompellingDestinationBrandbyRobertJKwortnikPhDandEthanHawkesMBA
Vol11No1TheImpactofHealthInsuranceonEmployeeJobAnxietyWithdrawalBehaviorsandTaskPerformancebySeanWayPhDBillCarrollPhDAlexSusskindPhDandJoeCYLeng
2011 Hospitality ToolsVol2No1TheGameHasChangedANewParadigmforStakeholderEngagementbyMaryBethMcEuen
2011 Industry PerspectivesNo7MegaTips2TwentyTestedTechniquesforIncreasingYourTipsbyMichaelLynn
2011 ProceedingsVol3No5BuildingBrandsintheInternetAgeAnalyticsLoyaltyandCommunicationbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No4BraveNewWorldOnlineHotelDistributionbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No3SocialMediaandtheHospitalityIndustryHoldingtheTigerbytheTailbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No2TheChallengeofHotelandRestaurantSustainabilityFindingProfitinldquoBeingGreenrdquobyGlennWithiam
Vol3No1CautiousOptimismCHRSExaminesHospitalityIndustryTrendsbyGlennWithiam
2010 ReportsVol10No18HowTravelersUseOnlineandSocialMediaChannelstoMakeHotel-choiceDecisionsbyLauraMcCarthyDebraStockandRohitVermaPhD
Vol10No17PublicorPrivateTheHospitalityInvestmentDecisionbyQingzhongMaPhDandAthenaWeiZhangPhD
Vol10No16BestPracticesinSearchEngineMarketingandOptimizationTheCaseoftheStJamesHotelbyGregBodenlcosVictorBogertDanGordonCarterHearneandChrisKAndersonPhD
Vol10No15TheImpactofPrix Fixe MenuPriceFormatsonGuestsrsquoDealPerceptionbyShuoWangandMichaelLynnPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
Publication Indexwwwchrcornelledu
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
No2RetaliationWhyanIncreaseinClaimsDoesNotMeantheSkyIsFallingbyDavidSherwynJDandGreggGilmanJD
2009 ToolsToolNo12MeasuringtheDiningExperienceTheCaseofVitaNovabyKeshPrasadandFredJDeMiccoPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality ResearchPublication Index
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
visit our website to apply
wwwchrcornell edu
Cornell Hospitality Quarterlyhttpcqxsagepubcom
2011 ReportsVol11No15DesigningaSelf-HealingServiceSystemAnIntegrativeModelbyRobertCFordandMichaelCSturman
Vol11No14ReversingtheGreenBacklashWhyLargeHospitalityCompaniesShouldWelcomeCrediblyGreenCompetitorsbyMichaelGiebelhausenPhDandHaeEunHelenChunPhD
Vol11No13DevelopingaSustainabilityMeasurementFrameworkforHotelsTowardanIndustry-wideReportingStructurebyEricRicaurte
Vol11No12CreatingValueforWomenBusinessTravelersFocusingonEmotionalOutcomesbyJudiBrownellPhD
Vol11No11CustomerLoyaltyANewLookattheBenefitsofImprovingSegmentationEffortswithRewardsProgramsbyClayVoorheesPhDMichaelMcCallPhDandRogerCalantonePhD
Vol11No10CustomerPerceptionsofElectronicFoodOrderingbySherylEKimes
Vol11No92011TravelIndustryBenchmarkingStatusofSeniorDestinationandLodgingMarketingExecutivesbyRohitVermaPhDandKenMcGill
Vol11No8SearchOTAsandOnlineBookingAnExpandedAnalysisoftheBillboardEffectbyChrisAndersonPhD
Vol11No7OnlineMobileandTextFoodOrderingintheUSRestaurantIndustrybySherylEKimesPhDandPhilippFLaqueacute
Vol11No6HotelGuestsrsquoReactionstoGuestRoomSustainabilityInitiativesbyAlexSusskindPhDandRohitVermaPhD
Vol11No5TheImpactofTerrorismandEconomicShocksonUSHotelsbyCathyAEnzRenaacutetaKosovaacuteandMarkLomannoVol11No4ImplementingHumanResourceInnovationsThreeSuccessStoriesfromtheServiceIndustrybyJustinSunandKateWalshPhD
Vol11No3Compendium2011
Vol11No2PositioningaPlaceDevelopingaCompellingDestinationBrandbyRobertJKwortnikPhDandEthanHawkesMBA
Vol11No1TheImpactofHealthInsuranceonEmployeeJobAnxietyWithdrawalBehaviorsandTaskPerformancebySeanWayPhDBillCarrollPhDAlexSusskindPhDandJoeCYLeng
2011 Hospitality ToolsVol2No1TheGameHasChangedANewParadigmforStakeholderEngagementbyMaryBethMcEuen
2011 Industry PerspectivesNo7MegaTips2TwentyTestedTechniquesforIncreasingYourTipsbyMichaelLynn
2011 ProceedingsVol3No5BuildingBrandsintheInternetAgeAnalyticsLoyaltyandCommunicationbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No4BraveNewWorldOnlineHotelDistributionbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No3SocialMediaandtheHospitalityIndustryHoldingtheTigerbytheTailbyGlennWithiam
Vol3No2TheChallengeofHotelandRestaurantSustainabilityFindingProfitinldquoBeingGreenrdquobyGlennWithiam
Vol3No1CautiousOptimismCHRSExaminesHospitalityIndustryTrendsbyGlennWithiam
2010 ReportsVol10No18HowTravelersUseOnlineandSocialMediaChannelstoMakeHotel-choiceDecisionsbyLauraMcCarthyDebraStockandRohitVermaPhD
Vol10No17PublicorPrivateTheHospitalityInvestmentDecisionbyQingzhongMaPhDandAthenaWeiZhangPhD
Vol10No16BestPracticesinSearchEngineMarketingandOptimizationTheCaseoftheStJamesHotelbyGregBodenlcosVictorBogertDanGordonCarterHearneandChrisKAndersonPhD
Vol10No15TheImpactofPrix Fixe MenuPriceFormatsonGuestsrsquoDealPerceptionbyShuoWangandMichaelLynnPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
Publication Indexwwwchrcornelledu
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
No2RetaliationWhyanIncreaseinClaimsDoesNotMeantheSkyIsFallingbyDavidSherwynJDandGreggGilmanJD
2009 ToolsToolNo12MeasuringtheDiningExperienceTheCaseofVitaNovabyKeshPrasadandFredJDeMiccoPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality ResearchPublication Index
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
visit our website to apply
wwwchrcornell edu
No2RetaliationWhyanIncreaseinClaimsDoesNotMeantheSkyIsFallingbyDavidSherwynJDandGreggGilmanJD
2009 ToolsToolNo12MeasuringtheDiningExperienceTheCaseofVitaNovabyKeshPrasadandFredJDeMiccoPhD
Cornell Center for Hospitality ResearchPublication Index
The Executive Path Hospitality Leadership Through Learning
Complete program information and applications available online
wwwhotelschoolcornelleduexecedPhone + 1 607 255 4919 Email exec_ed_hotelcornelledu
Professionals from around the world are invited to attend 3-day 10-day or online courses at the worldrsquos leading institute for hospitality management education in
Visit our website to apply
Explore develop and apply ideas with global hospitality leaders and
expert Cornell professors
Success
AdvancingBusiness
andPersonal
bull Strategic Leadershipbull Financebull Foodservicebull Human Resources
bull Marketingbull Operationsbull Real Estate
visit our website to apply
wwwchrcornell edu
wwwchrcornell edu