Hotels are always urged to engage with customers on the web - but what approach should they take, especially if a customer has influence in social media?
Spain-based ReviewPro and social media authority measurement system Klout have united to help hotel owners decide on whether a response should be formed to appease the ordinary Joe on the street or Twitter (and showbiz) star Ashton Kutcher.
ReviewPro's existing system indexes 60 million guest reviews on online travel agencies and review websites, but the tie-in with Klout will give hoteliers the ability to see what level of interaction is required.
ReviewPro CEO RJ Friedlander insists the partnership is not to discriminate against customers of provide different levels of service, but to determine "who in an organisation should be involved in the response and follow-up action".
There is a worry, presumably, about how dangerous a nasty tweet can be if sent around the web by Kutcher and pals, with their millions of followers, rather than an existing and, say, normal customer.
If a customer with a high Klout score is disappointed by a hotel's service, an official with better experience or profile within the company should step forward to front the response.
Friedlander adds:
"Clearly, there is a saturation of data on social media networks. The key is to be able to quickly identify who is behind the comments published in the leading platforms. The Klout score integration will ReviewPro’s clients to efficiently identify the level of influence of the individual and to assist in determining the most appropriate response."
Klout - using 35 "variables" to measure the reach and influence of a social media user - has gained plenty of traction over the past year, with travel companies eager to use its system to target customers.
The Palms hotel in Las Vegas checks a guest's Klout score when taking reservations to give social media heavyweights preferred treatment and perks.
The hotel's idea came a few months after Virgin America used Klout to offer free flights for a new route from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Toronto.